Tannusen had just fallen from a second story window -- okay, been flung, but who cared about semantics? -- and still most definitely had the wind knocked out of him. So, he just rolled onto his back and wheezed up at the cranky asthmatic. The 'shoo' gesture from one bleeding hand was clear enough, at least.

Aaaand the fact that the front door to that house was being slammed open from the inside would be why!