“Now that we’re here, I get to wondering,” he says in an almost whisper, “if in the end it won’t be the brands that end us.”

He’s looking off to the west. You look in that direction, parsing his meaning. Off that way there are more towns. Towns where there are rumors of riots and bandit parties attacking other towns.

It dawns on you, and your mind completes his thought.

“I get to wondering if in the end it’ll be us that end ourselves”