It does not matter that the act stops, that the stranger creates distance between James' son and himself. The act happened and James saw it--and it must have happened before, times uncounted, and God knows what else. The man feels ill. There are a thousand ways he could go about this, to make Neil understand that this is not the proper way-- But he can't think. Of all things, this is what he didn't expect.

"How could you do this?" To me, he thinks, but the statement has started a deluge. "You come back after vanishing for so long, and this is how you behave? I knew that living in the Wastes would ruin you, Neil. That wasn't what I wanted for you. This--" He waves a hand at Alex, dismissive, not acknowledging the tall man stiffening. "--isn't right, son. It's entirely--"

Wrong. Abominable. Unclean. Let him detail the reasons. But first he will just try to convince him. Use whatever he can.

"...Your mother would be so disappointed in you."