Swamped

It's a small box with a single button on it. You recall that Theo was working on something similar, some sort of control mechanism that could be operated from a distance. He never quite figured out a way to make it work without ether, he'd said.

Actually, come to think of it, there's a grebling smell to this device, and you don't mean just where it struck your companion. It's not anyone you've smelled before, though.

You hand it to the priest.

"Since this was delivered to you, I believe it would be best if you were to hold onto it," you tell him, as you try to locate the slicer beetle's footsteps again.

"I don't even know what it is. And I'm not trusting anything from a human god, least of all Qlat."

"Well, that's just my opinion. Feel free to wait and see if Reth suggests otherwise. Now, I'm going to have to ask you to be quiet for a moment..."

"How long is this going to take?" the priest grumbles, evidently ignoring you. Apparently he's just not used to staying quiet. You've at least picked the trail back up, but to keep on it you'll need to get him to stop distracting you.

Preferably without resorting to force. If he were trained as a fighter, that might be a viable last resort - but you're not sure that you can properly moderate your blows on someone who doesn't know how to take them at all.

Well, it's not hard to explain why you need him to stay quiet, really. The main problem is that he's not willing to listen. Perhaps it's just a matter of getting his attention.