The document is taken and immediately turned to evaluate, raised hackles lowering a fraction as Marcus scans the page. Confusion dipping his brow as he silently reads—slowly, but patiently, deciding to trust that Barrow won't start stealing any more of his inherited mail while his eyes are down.

A moment later, some easing out the creases in the page between his fingertips—

"Did you have a preference," comes out dry, "between hard labour or public flogging?"