[ He lifts both hands from his belt again, that same stance of surrender which is belied by the amusement dancing in his eyes. ]

I make no such assumptions, I assure you. But trust me, Miss Emma, I plan on claiming that prize, soon as the smoke clears.

[ Not that Faraday has any illusions about his part in the fight, or his chances in surviving to see the other side. They're fighting a war with a handful of soldiers against Bogue's army; to expect he might live is foolish, at best.

Hope, though. That's an entirely different animal. He hopes he lives, knows full well his chances are slim, but somehow, Faraday finds peace with that. He may seem a self-serving, cocky bastard at the best of times, but he's no coward. He sees the job in front of him and knows what he has to do, knows he has folks depending on him to play his role. Horne might say Faraday's sense of serenity has to do with helping his fellow man, finding purpose in laying down his life that others may live, cite some verse to bolster his claim. And maybe there's truth to it.

And it's foolish, maybe, making these little promises and bets, but there's no harm in hope, is there? ]