Perhaps Julian's nerves would be pricked if he had any, though it more than likely never occurred to him that nonchalance in the face of brutality could be construed as a curious reaction. After all this was, at best, a police state.
"I don't doubt that you do," he replied, smiling vaguely, "and one should always turn to the seasoned drinker for the correct venue. Though the quieter the better, if you please."