[ The chatter is both unexpected and grating. It takes all of Armand's well-practiced patience to resist the urge to kill the noisy young mortal and restore the pleasant peace of the maze. He entertains himself with a brief mental image of his blood dousing the hay, nourishing the stalks.

In the meantime, he puts his hands in the pockets of his coat and watches the paths ahead as the shadows lengthen, choosing their direction mostly at random. A brief smile crosses his face at the mention of the Wicker Man -- he's seen that one and enjoyed it. ]

It is a cage. But a beautiful one. [ He glances aside at the boy. ] We are given everything we could need or want, so long as we don't try to leave. A wall around the Garden of Eden.