Harvey managed to stifle his laughter, even though Glibt insisted he could still laugh, and busied himself finishing the last of dinner while the other talked. He knew that the best person to answer these questions was Glibt anyhow, and Harvey would be happy to answer any questions about him that Paul wanted to toss out later, when they were alone. It was good that it went this way, he thought - because he knew if he'd started bumbling through explanations of mythology (religion and dogma were never his strong suit), Paul would only end up confused. So it had gone the way he wanted it to go, certainly. He was glad it did.
He made a face, though, when Glibt made his comment about changing appearances. Old habits died hard? "No thank you," he muttered into his drink, shaking his head. "Yeah, even if it were possible, I have absolutely no desire..." It's wasn't politically correct these days and sometimes he said things that got him glares from Bret and Paul, but Harvey still had his mind set in the post-Summer of Love sexual revolution that wasn't much of a revolution at all that had kicked off his career. He wasn't going to change in a year and a half just because the political environment was different.
He listened, as Paul did, to Glibt explaining what he could do and he heard the note of guilt, of sadness, in his voice at times. If he could have spared the man that pain, he would have in a heartbeat. There was no doubt about that. It tore him up inside to know that he had ever been the cause of something like that - even if it was not his fault, not in his control. He knew Glibt still had a Harvey-shaped hole of guilt in him somewhere that still couldn't be patched up by the fact that he was alive now.
"But for every person's pain you feel," Paul said, "it must be nice to feel their joy too. That's sort what our lives are - constant ups and down, longer stretches of downs for some of us. Still, I mean... I guess that's just the job for someone like you. You're all somewhat responsible for that people who fall under your... protection. It's reassuring, though - that there's someone looking out for us. I think knowing that's part of the package is the saving grace for this... logical, philosophical, pseudo-religious upheaval that I've just been thrust into. If it means that I can sit here and have dinner and talk about my problems with someone that has authority that no one else like me can have... Hell, I like that a lot better than my parent's religion. Blind faith was never my kind of thing."
Harvey grinned a little behind him, pulling down three plates from a cabinet. "I told you he was smart, didn't I?"