Caretaker shrugged. "Under most circumstances, I'd agree with you, but I have --" He broke off as a vase was thrown, hit the wall and became a porcupine, joining a group of animals that had formerly been pottery.

He checked the shield. It had been an afterthought, a dome of nuetral qauntum states that blended with the universe's own state to hide things. It had been a favorite trick of his when a cadet and you had to be looking for it to register the minute differences. Mostly it was there because he wasn't sure about Troven's self control, and there were kids to consider.

The shield however, was intact, cheerfully running off the universe's own qauntum state. That had been another innovation of his. Most Caretakers tied the shield to their own power. It made it easier to know when it had been penetrated and such. But if they didn't maintain some sembalance of concentration, it fell apart. Had Caretaker done that, his sheer exhaustion last night would have dropped the shield and the universe would have lit up like a neon bulb as soon as the Trovens had started fighting.

As it was, he felt a little better, but he really needed to get home and live his other life for a while, just to recharge.

He looked at the child. "Why don't we just wait for them to finish, then?" He paused. "You eat yet?"