"Okay, yeah." No wisecracks or side comments, not even the aggrieved sigh he'd really like to give vent to at this juncture. The nicknames his ex-boss is so fond of might be irritating as all hell, but when he stops using them, that's when you gotta duck and cover.

He knows the drill. He should know the drill, he's been screwed over by it before -- but this time he's played it straight, he's dealing on the level, he's got nothing to worry about. Right? Right.

A deep breath, and: "Row, row, row your boat, gently down the --"