Demetrius was a fairly genial guy. That's how the whole town knew him. He was friendly, and when he met Maru’s new friend, he was more than welcoming, open and kind.

...Until she left the room for a moment, of course. Demetrius looked at the newspaper casually, face neutral. He didn’t look up, even as he began to speak, a hint of warning in his words.

“You know... Maru’s a good kid. She’s got a bright future. I don’t want anything getting in the way of that.”