"The word mercy has quite the specific tenor in my home, I'm afraid. I'll put it down to a cultural difference, and not hold Luo Binghe to a Christlike standard." He speaks with wry humor, but there's an insult he's choosing not to take, after assessing whether or not an insult's been offered. Yes, Christian mercy is defined by pity and compassion -- two feelings Claudius knows Binghe doesn't have for him -- but it's also given to the undeserving. It brings Claudius back to pacing the parlor, all but begging Crowley to reassure him that he didn't deserve to die, at least not for this. Well. "The parasites are more than dormant, at least," he says, lightly. "They're gone. I've checked."