Al's face remained blank as he stared off to nowhere. He didn't acknowledge the question with any conscious movement or sound, but his shoulders tensed, just a bit, at the name.
Then, he spoke, and it was so soft it was almost a whisper. "You were wrong, Dad. He isn't just brave..." There was a long, silent second, and then Al's face lit up, as if he just discovered the world. "He's bloody brilliant!"