How do you respond to this? Terribly sorry that I can be cruel and petty, I try not to, but it happens sometimes? Everyone's a little bit mean, it's just your misfortune you've hit the worst of it? Strange is trying to keep his voice calm and trying to explain this in a way that makes sense for Steven, but a little bit of aggravation can't help but crawl into his tone. He barely talks about things like feelings in the first place, he's got no idea what to do here.

"If I may say so, you get so sensitive. Other people are fine arguing with me and they don't take it as personally as you do. I argue with Childermass and Lambert all the time and neither of them seem to mind it."

Of course, the obvious thing here is that Lambert argues right back and Childermass is just permanently resigned to Strange's bullshit. Still, Strange doesn't seem to connect those dots just about yet.