'And you thought to make her less so?' A slight lifting of the shoulders, almost a shrug. 'Perhaps. I suppose it is true that of all those who might be aboard, I am one of the least likely to cause you grief by virtue of my very presence.'

He tilts his head back a little, as if in thought.

'I am not your enemy, sir. Quite the opposite, in fact. Though I cannot entirely say that I am your ally.'