"No, they're not," Gabriel snaps-- a touch sharply, but even as he regrets it he recognizes that it may be what's necessary to pull them all together.

"He's the devil. Fine. I don't care. If he sticks by these rules of his," he adds, his tone dripping with scorn, "then it doesn't matter."

"He backed Carson according to the 'rules,' and they lost. That means he--they-- aren't infallible. This is much more important, and we're not going to give up."