Hunter’s instinct warns her, as if she didn’t already know: once she commits to the shield, she will have conceded a point in Pakhet’s hidden argument. She must not underestimate the strength of it, if it persuaded Hunter for decades and still meets Pakhet’s own standards of evidence. She needs to break the rhythm—and yet the dance is not entirely avoidable. Refuse to engage altogether and they will move on to other modes. Play for time, for opportunity.