[ a brief pause, contemplative ] If they think they have tamed us, then yes, they certainly have.

If I can reliably use your experiences as a model for this, then if pushed I'd prefer to tread as close to honesty as possible. For better or worse I am a poor liar, but there is much that can be concealed by a more selective version of the truth.

I believe it is to my advantage that I already am known to have taken on combat students; surely it is not so strange for me to accept more, or even to organize a more formal class in the same manner that John teaches field medicine.
[ She makes a broad gesture with her open palm: "and so on." ]