Contrary to what Joan, and likely John, believed, there was a very different reasoning behind his refusal to kill for a game.

All his life, people had assumed he was a killer. He knew he could be one, given incentive. He had no work here, nothing to define him.

It was all he could do to hold on to the last piece of him left.

Not that he would ever, ever say it like that.

He nodded, happy that at least she'd dropped the subject of murder. "Yes, precisely. With enough preparation we should be able to make a camp that is virtually - if not literally - impregnable."