A fair point indeed. Well, then, my most learned friend, ply your talents upon this question: have you a friend somewhere about? Surely you go with someone.

[There is a benign reason for this, which owes chiefly to figuring out who to hand this guy over to when it's time for him to pass out in a stupor; there is also a less-than-benign reason attached, which is who does he have to anticipate potentially running interference if he starts pumping his drunk ass for information.

You know, the basics.]