"As-salāmu ʿalaykum," he answered. "It seems odd to me, to take away someone's name in favour of their purpose - but that is something I shouldn't protest. More people have called me Mentor for the last years rather than my own name. Perhaps the practice is not so alien as I first thought.

"But I wonder. If you chose the title 'The Iron Bull' to reflect your work, what sort of work is it that requires an iron bull?"

If he looked closely, there was a bit of humour in Altaïr's face, mostly at the corners of his eyes and a bit around his mouth, one corner slightly tightened, as if almost ready to smile.