"Then you give me more credit than I deserve," Childermass says, words terse. Some tension may leave Lambert but when he takes off, leading the way, it only winds Childermass up worse. He can't tell. How could he? This is Lambert's world, some part of it, some story he already knows, but to what end?

Seems for once Lambert gets to annoy the magician with expecting him to guess, to read his mind. He follows nonetheless, a few steps behind.