"Strangely, I would not," he says, his tone flat. He blinks, and behind his eyes he flashes on scene after scene of the two years where Moran seemed always to be there, and then he promptly pushes the images aside.

"But yes, I suppose. That's all compounded by a strong sense of loyalty and a strict sense of duty, otherwise I'm sure I would have died that afternoon after all."

Moran is actually the last thing he wants to be talking about, but he can't see a way around it, even if it makes him tired. And it makes him remember his long descent into drugs and opium, which is not a point he would like to bring up to Watson right now.