They press a palm forward, and for a moment he'll see the flash of a golden symbol - it's one of Gild's Marks, the same that Rita and Childermass have.

"You really can't take a hint, can you?" they say. To Syrlya and Herbert, their voice may sound familiar - feminine, and just a bit devil-may-care.

"Call me Shimmer," she says. "We've met."