It's the legitimate part that trips her up. Eames can't say he's especially surprised, either. That's the thing about extraction: none of them look like the thieving type, most of them coming from backgrounds that would typically lead to a line of work that doesn't stray outside the boundaries of the law. (It gives a whole new meaning to intellectual property theft.) He is, in that regard, almost an exception to the rule, having cleaned up considerably from his earlier days as a simple con artist. Either way, the point is, if she doesn't jump right to a criminal career, then he's done his job right. That aside, her assessment isn't inaccurate, and that's pleasing, too.

"I don't answer to anyone but myself," he says, as if to confirm her suspicion. What's a surprising fact about Eames is that he tends to stick hard and fast by the rules; they're just rules of his own creation. He isn't reckless, though, but rather steady, a core set of values masked by a quick wit and a sly grin. It's simply that there's a line to walk, and mind heists aren't without danger. The Fischer job proved that. There's a difference, anyway, between an employer and a boss. He who gives the money still does not tell Eames how to do his job, and he's choosy. "And I'll take that first part as a compliment."