Long enough for Obadiah to have begun to forget the immediacy of Howard's presence, the way he can fill a space and make it impossible for anyone nearby to look away.

(That's the effect he always had on Obadiah, at least.)

Long enough for him to forget how to guard against that.

(Even in the state Howard is in. But then, he was always one of those men who looked unfinished when he was clean shaven.)

"Five years." His voice is steady, anyway, calm as it might be for any other conversation.