"What I believe he is," Simon snaps back, "is a volatile little hornet's nest who hasn't done a single thing to prove he deserves more freedom than he's got right now. That 'scared kid' has assaulted everyone I've ever seen get near him, his own mentor included." He'd even given Benedict the benefit of acknowledging that he would probably be fighting every enemy agent within arm's reach too, were he captured by the Venatori himself, but he wouldn't be trying to hurt his own allies out of spite. That's beyond the pale, and Simon has no desire to analyze why the brat would do it.

"I don't know why you think you'll be safe, if the magister wasn't. And still, I've no objection to anything you want to do with him! If you think risking your own skin to teach basic decency to a spoilt little slavedriver is a worthwhile use of your time, Maker speed you. But I'll have none of it. I could have died in that cell."