[ He'd let Elliot go, and that had been an error. He'd let himself be distracted and baited, when he should have seen the thing through to the end. ]

You wander blithely into a battlefield, yet you're worried about Collette?

[ He's got Oz pinned with his cane, holding him tight, pulling him back, his hand clasped around Oz's shoulder (too hard). He can hear Gilbert advancing and tenses, focussing his instincts. He won't be sucker-punched again. ]

If not now, when? You want to drag this out? We're all going to wonder until you check, so just do it and get it over with! Do it now!

[ All at once, he lets go, punctuating the last word with a shove, on purpose to send Oz into Gilbert's arms. He stays where he is, in a half-crouch, ready to spring - in case anybody gets any ideas about escaping. ]