"If you're waiting for Kalten to jump out of the lake a yell 'Surprise' at you, you'll have a long wait,"Sparhawk remarks. "And what would please me would be able to go home, and then return to see the few friends I have made."

Sparhawk is going to do his best to break through this wall of persistence that Martel has. Sparhawk is not mocking him.

"I'm sure that the nexus isn't large enough that we could avoid each other forever."