"Unless you're about to insist stridently I'll lead the way. Folks are on edge right now and I'd rather your welcome here not get any worse than it already is. C'mon, this way. We'll take the elevators."

Erin sets off, an itching feeling between her shoulder blades -

(How odd we feel)

- but ready to commit to what she just said by, to wit, not actually giving the directions. If Valdis does in fact follow her she eventually gets: "Would talking be a welcome distraction or just hurt more?"