Her current question revealed that she was far more perceptive than Khan had assumed, based on her naive accusations regarding the charitable nature of his actions. His estimation of her intelligence rebounded sharply back up, to the highest levels he had yet considered. Only someone who was truly sharp could make such judicious use of simple ideas to convey a complex understanding. She was even skillful in a way he was not: This reality-traveling mutant managed to soften the impact of harsh topics without compromising the meaning of her words.

She was very dangerous indeed. Khan would have to keep his guard up around her, but she did deserve some kind of honest answer.

"The short answer is 'no.' We're moving into a large open area and will be staying away from the walls until we get through it." An honest answer, along with an abrupt subject change. Focus on the task at hand, but leave the option open for some kind of deeper discussion on the matter later. It wasn't entirely pleasant for Khan to realize that his evasiveness was motivated in part by his own emotional vulnerability. She had already found an effective means of manipulating him, whether that was her primary goal or not. If it wasn't, it should be. That's what Khan would be trying to do in her place.