[It's not a bad decision, actually, at least this time - but even if it had been, a little knife wouldn't have been able to do much to stop Bartimaeus, not if he wanted him dead. How lucky that he didn't have any interest in killing him.]

We are at war - supposedly, anyway, though it's by far the calmest war I've ever been part of, even taking into account all the boring bits where you're just fortifying your walls. Then again, I haven't been around for as many of those. Certain of my masters preferred to keep their energy in reserve, and only summon me for the really bloody bits. But not our vaunted monarchs this time around, no sir. They haven't even bothered giving us any proper commands, as far as I know. If they have they hardly seem set on enforcing them.

[He notices the blood and the pain and makes a mental note of it, but it's not much use to comment on it now.]

More than I'd ever suspected, based on the variety around these parts. That's how the worlds are, though. Unexpected. Well, to a certain degree - after a point things stop getting quite so interesting. It was almost refreshing to get dragged here and find a few surprises again. Nothing on being at home, naturally, but a sight better than the usual servitude.