What should be happening, Czes thought, was this guy using his strange hand to strangle or otherwise do terrible things to him. In the absence of what Czes expected to happen, he did something which would no doubt have earned him some teasing from his friends if they had been present.

"Sorry!" he blurted out, and ducked under the table which was unfortunately standing against the wall. "I mean..." he held his coat in front of him, wishing he could disappear, "...uh, I'm fine." He couldn't keep the squeak out of his voice.

If it wasn't for the feeling that he was about to be horribly tortured for some reason, Czes would be feeling terribly embarrassed right about now.