I don't think the country stands up to any kind of excellence in the face of him.

[ it's said absently, not really putting a lot of stock into what eliza just said, not thinking about it past the words themselves. gently squeezing philip, running his thumb over philip's fingers again. and now that alexander is thinking about the country -- ]

There's going to be an entire new generation, born in this country. True Americans. Not colonists... Americans. They're going to inherit a new country and they don't even know it yet. [ it's said in a hushed whisper, amazed at the idea ] They have absolutely no idea what their parents did, and how amazing it is, and how the great American Experiment actually worked. It's this big new world, and he's just sleeping through it, because he --

[ and alexander's brain, as it often does, seems to recall something eliza said, and he stops abruptly, twisting to look at eliza -- philip, who protests with a soft mumble, but alexander ignores it for the moment to say -- ]

What did you just say?

[ repeat it, please, he was off on a tangent and he needs to be reminded. ]