Ford recognized Noble's attempt to disperse the tension he'd thrown into it, with his comment about marriage and livestock yards, but it wasn't exactly successful. At best, they'd traded everyone be angry at Ford energy for everyone be sad again energy, which wasn't much of an improvement.

"Sorry, Noble, Clem doesn't think you're funny," he said dryly. "Guess that's no rowboat for you, then." Although his tone was flat, he shot his brother half a smirk as if to say, well, I thought it was funny.

In the abstract, dark humor sense, of course. If Noble actually died, he'd be falling to pieces immediately.