She gently tugs on his arm. "Hey, are you alright?" Cualli asks; her voice has gone quiet.
"I've just been thinking. About what happened at the docks."
He goes quiet for a moment, then begins talking again in a quieter voice.
"Guess I might as well explain what it is so I know I'm not just being too skeptical- I don't know that I believe the story that the explosion my dad died in came from a torcreep. I mean, the people in that submarine would have come all the way up here, slipped past the navy, and risked blowing their cover to blow up... a few tons of fish? I mean, if they wanted to interrupt shipping there are way bigger ships coming in and out every now and then if they would've waited; if they wanted to sow panic they could have launched a missile and leveled half the town; it just doesn't make sense."