It ups the stakes. They want us cooperative. Off-balance.

[ This, too, is said rather blandly. Carver's had time to think, now that the paranoia's no longer coiled quite so tight around his spine. Some of the angles are familiar. An operation like this takes resources, takes planning. He doesn't understand the why or the how just yet, but he knows what it takes to control prisoners and some of this was taught to him a long time ago. Establish rhythms, remove control, rewrite the world to your own design.

The scale worries him. But he knows games. Pope taught him well. ]

No one's been restrained. That's a risk. They're confident we can't leave.