[He's alive, then. From what he knows of shards, he figured he would be, but him being conscious gives him more options. There's something sullen about the way that Howl refuses to answer him at first, and Estinien has already taken a few steps forward by the time he answers, grotesquely holding out his shard.

It seems a clear sign of how broken the man is inside. None of this has felt like the actions of a rational actor to Estinien, no matter how Howl might think of it. From the very start, Howl was presenting him with an advantage. What was his goal, here? Was it to kill him? If so, why did he gives Estinien so much warning?]

I asked for the vial.

[Part of him does wonder if it would be better to take Howl up on his offer - to take the shard and bring it somewhere that the man could be contained, until some solution could be found to the Kenoma infecting him. Yet, he isn't confident in his belief that it works that way. After all, the difference between Kenoma and Pleroma seemed to lie in an individual's merits and priorities. Would capturing someone like Howl do anything but make things worse in that regard?

Destroying the shard was never an option, in his mind. The implication that he would is uncomfortable, even if he can see why it might appear that way.]

Give it to me, and return to Achamoth. You're not in your right mind, Howl, and if you are no longer on the field, I've no interest in harming you further.