her?” Delin echoed, mostly hearing that phrase about Elfini and Rigos being enemies. The possibilities inherent in that situation were fascinating, giving Delin a marvelous idea. “Why, yes, Homin, I’ll be glad to go home with you and speak to her. But there’s a stop I have to make on the way, so I’m afraid you’ll be put to the bother of waiting a short while. Will you mind terribly much?”
“Not at all, Delin, I won’t mind at all,” Homin babbled, his relief turning him even more pathetic. “I’m sure your charm will change her mind, and I’ll be able to become a full member of our group. I don’t know how I can thank you…”
“Tut, tut, thanks aren’t necessary, old fellow,” Delin replied, putting an arm around Homin to turn him back toward the others. “We’re here to help one another, so that all of us might benefit. Right now we need to rejoin the others, and go into a bit of detail about the proposed changes in our efforts. After that you and I will leave together, eh?”
Homin agreed with loose-lipped gratitude, all but laughing over having Delin on his side. And Delin felt almost as pleased, just for a different reason. Rigos would regret ever having challenged him, and might even live a very long while with that regret. Delin hadn’t made up his mind about
that
part of it yet, but there was plenty of time.
Yes, plenty of time to add new wrinkles to old plans…
Now you’ve met our opponents, and certainly know them better than we did to begin with. I remember hearing someone wonder aloud about why it is that people struggle to make better lives for them and their families, and then turn around and ruin their children by indulging them too far or being too hard on them. The man was referring to the nobility, but I can’t see that they have a monopoly on children-ruining. You don’t even need gold and social position to do that, just … well, maybe it comes from having been ruined in some way yourself.
But wondering how people got the way they are is the last thing you think about when you’re faced with needing to deal with them. Their being unbalanced doesn’t mean they’re incompetent, and usually they have no qualms of conscience to keep them from doing anything they please to you. But I’m sure you already know that, so let’s get back to what happened in what order.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Jovvi didn’t have long to settle herself in the coach before it stopped again near a Fire magic symbol. Beside the round metal disk mounted on a post was Tamma, who had a heavy man standing and waiting with her. The man opened the coach door and helped Tamma inside, all the while radiating such strong fear and uncertainty that Jovvi had to block him out of her awareness. But as soon as the door was closed the coach continued on, so the distraught man was quickly left behind.
“Let me guess,” Jovvi said to Tamma with a happy grin of relief. “You’ve already tested for some of your masteries, and you’ve gotten them.”
“Every one of the first six,” Tamma answered, holding up a small leather pouch. “Six silver dins for six masteries, and full permission to go home even though it’s only early afternoon. But the going-home part was for their benefit, I think. Unless I was imagining things, they were so nervous they couldn’t wait to get rid of me.”
“You weren’t imagining things,” Jovvi said, losing her good mood. “That man beside you was very frightened, just like the people I was with. I gained all four of the first masteries along with the four silver dins, and suddenly became a different person to them.”
“Yes, they went from condescension to fear in six—or four—easy steps,” Tamma said, leaning her head back on the coach seat. “Tomorrow may be a different story, but whether it is or not—What can they possibly be so afraid of? Are we suddenly going to turn into some kind of monsters, and they know about it but aren’t allowed to warn us?
“Not at all, Delin, I won’t mind at all,” Homin babbled, his relief turning him even more pathetic. “I’m sure your charm will change her mind, and I’ll be able to become a full member of our group. I don’t know how I can thank you…”
“Tut, tut, thanks aren’t necessary, old fellow,” Delin replied, putting an arm around Homin to turn him back toward the others. “We’re here to help one another, so that all of us might benefit. Right now we need to rejoin the others, and go into a bit of detail about the proposed changes in our efforts. After that you and I will leave together, eh?”
Homin agreed with loose-lipped gratitude, all but laughing over having Delin on his side. And Delin felt almost as pleased, just for a different reason. Rigos would regret ever having challenged him, and might even live a very long while with that regret. Delin hadn’t made up his mind about
that
part of it yet, but there was plenty of time.
Yes, plenty of time to add new wrinkles to old plans…
Now you’ve met our opponents, and certainly know them better than we did to begin with. I remember hearing someone wonder aloud about why it is that people struggle to make better lives for them and their families, and then turn around and ruin their children by indulging them too far or being too hard on them. The man was referring to the nobility, but I can’t see that they have a monopoly on children-ruining. You don’t even need gold and social position to do that, just … well, maybe it comes from having been ruined in some way yourself.
But wondering how people got the way they are is the last thing you think about when you’re faced with needing to deal with them. Their being unbalanced doesn’t mean they’re incompetent, and usually they have no qualms of conscience to keep them from doing anything they please to you. But I’m sure you already know that, so let’s get back to what happened in what order.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Jovvi didn’t have long to settle herself in the coach before it stopped again near a Fire magic symbol. Beside the round metal disk mounted on a post was Tamma, who had a heavy man standing and waiting with her. The man opened the coach door and helped Tamma inside, all the while radiating such strong fear and uncertainty that Jovvi had to block him out of her awareness. But as soon as the door was closed the coach continued on, so the distraught man was quickly left behind.
“Let me guess,” Jovvi said to Tamma with a happy grin of relief. “You’ve already tested for some of your masteries, and you’ve gotten them.”
“Every one of the first six,” Tamma answered, holding up a small leather pouch. “Six silver dins for six masteries, and full permission to go home even though it’s only early afternoon. But the going-home part was for their benefit, I think. Unless I was imagining things, they were so nervous they couldn’t wait to get rid of me.”
“You weren’t imagining things,” Jovvi said, losing her good mood. “That man beside you was very frightened, just like the people I was with. I gained all four of the first masteries along with the four silver dins, and suddenly became a different person to them.”
“Yes, they went from condescension to fear in six—or four—easy steps,” Tamma said, leaning her head back on the coach seat. “Tomorrow may be a different story, but whether it is or not—What can they possibly be so afraid of? Are we suddenly going to turn into some kind of monsters, and they know about it but aren’t allowed to warn us?
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