"Government officials. The parents in the family were not aligned with the ideas their country held." The Ghost is blithe, unperturbed, seeing nothing much upsetting with the situation before them. "They found them more tyrannical than raising their children in a windowless room for part of the year."

It's at least somewhat sardonic.

The Sartoris family, minus Dad and Tab, return to an uneasy but chatty meal. Kitty talks about the book she's reading, one she got during their last pilgrimage to Doyle, and how it's all about the history of this region, full of explorers and gold-seekers and indigenous folk who defended their land the way this family is trying to defend theirs, at least, in her understanding. Carson asks if she'll read it to all of them tonight.

Tab and Mr. Sartoris emerge from the hatch, wiping snow off their boots as they do, settling away their weapons.

"Nothing" Tab announces, with a bored yawn. "Just some snow pushing too hard on the tripwires because someone left us mail and was all clumsy with it. Inconvenient for Christmas, honestly."

"Just mail, Allie, dear," Mr. Sartoris says, but pointedly, as he places a letter in Mrs. Sartoris' hands. FINAL NOTICE is printed on the front. "We can go through it when the kids are sleeping."

"No need to worry about mail when there's still dessert needing eating," Mrs. Sartoris agrees.