"Might want to go for something less seasonal." And while Cain's a practical man, he usually isn't a bastard about it.

He also usually doesn't share horrendously, heart-and-brain-breakingly awful things with near-to-perfect-strangers, but he figures Smecker might appreciate a heads up.

"Something like 'Hey, Cain, how long since you last cheated on your wife?'"

If it looks like a joke and sounds like a joke, chances are it is a joke.


Too bad Cain's stone cold serious. "Steer clear of everything green growing out of the walls. Mistletoe's...bad news here. Worse than usual."