Blond Mr. Homespun still wearing his tunic of white, and black pants, is greeted by a bearded man with salt and pepper hair, wearing a tunic of black. He's also wearing a rope belt around his waist, which seems silly, since like Homespun's, his tunic is only hip length and he's also wearing pants -- grey. But hey, he's got style. When Homespun offers his visitor some fish, Pepper declines, noting he just ate and I idly wonder if he is Smokey incarnate and what, and possibly who has sated his appetite. Pepper's there because he's spotted The Black Rock on the horizon. He knows Homespun brought "them" here, in an effort to prove him wrong. Homespun says this is because Pepper is wrong. Pepper says, "Am I? They come, fight, destroy, corrupt; it always ends the same." Spicy. Homespun says, "It can only end once. Anything before that is just progress." Pepper considers this and then looks Homespun straight in the eye. "Do you have any idea how badly I want to kill you?" Homespun does, so Pepper continues: "One of these days, sooner or later, I'm going to find a loophole, my friend." Homespun says when that day comes, he'll "be right here." The whole conversation, though menacing, is deliciously low-key. These aren't threats and rebuttals born in the heat of the moment. This is cold. This is old -- as old as sin itself.

Finally, Pepper says, "Always nice talking to you, Jacob." JACOB! And then I eat crow like I mentioned up top. That doesn't bother Jacob, though; he ignores my Old King Cole RPG and tells Pepper it was, "Nice talking to you, too." Pepper rises without ever once having been called by name. John, we don't even have a word for it. I'm tired of Pepper, so I hereby dub him Esau until and unless canon dictates otherwise (and perhaps afterwards, if I'm not pleased with the reveal). He's not overly hirsute, nor is he particularly ruddy. I don't even necessarily think he is Esau. I'm just calling him that, because I don't struggle with temptation. I give into it right away, so as not to wear myself out.