"Filed with love and care by my shockingly competent assistant," By replies. "I am quite glad we didn't murder the lad. He's turned into quite the asset."

Byerly's glance is a punctuating sort of look, and the punctuation it offers is a firm and decisive full stop. Not a question mark, nor a comma; this is a plain assertion of fact, with no interest in whether or not Flint concurs. Don't forget that fact when I'm not in office. We need him.

The glance softens into amusement, though, when he sees the bottle Flint grabbed. "How many years on land, and yet you still prefer the rotgut?"