Brodie's very Aussie indignation on his part was much appreciated.
"I deserve," said Nayan, "to have absolutely zero hitches for the rest of this cruise. I mean it too. None." He gestured emphatically. "Everything from this moment now to the end of this trip had better be amazingly wonderful. Iconic. If so much as a hiccup occurrs before I see dry land again, there is no justice in the universe and we're just spinning through the void in a dirth of Chaos and madness."
He looked at Brodie very directly, arms crossed, gaze penetrative and serious. "Whatever happens to me during the course of this next week determines whether or not there are absolutes in the world." Then he smirked a little. "Well, how about that? Look, never mind me, you're a musician? Mind telling me about that? Anything you say will be news to me, I've been doing without for a while."