In the old days, Tino used to gallivant all over the universe, going wherever his whims took him. For the past six years, he'd spent almost all his time on a single planet, and yet he hardly missed his old nomadic ways at all. Which is not to say he didn't still travel. Occasionally he did so with the Band, but more often he'd meet them wherever they were going, without explaining his own travel plans to any of them. When on his own, he might pop off to some other planet, but mostly he went to other villages on the Land, or else explored unsettled regions of the planet. It was all very easy, when one could translocate... although in all these years, he'd still never quite gotten into the habit of using that word for what he did. Among his own people, there wasn't any special word for the method of travel that Landians called 'translocation,' because there was no need for one. It just came naturally to them; if they wanted to go somewhere, they just went. The only time the need arose for specialized words was if they chose to travel by much more complicated methods, like driving, or spaceflight, or walking. In any event, even since he'd joined the band, he wasn't the sort of person to stay in one place for very long. There was far too much of God's vast and awesome Creation to experience, for that. But ever since saying goodbye to Ginger, a little over a month ago, he'd been staying in Plist, with her mother. They'd always liked each other well enough, but they'd never really gotten to know each other very well, before... and that wasn't even taking into account the fact that she didn't know Tino was a spirit. So, they took this month to learn more about each other, as well as comforting each other with regard to their common source of worry: Ginger's safety.

Tino was adamant about not watching over Ginger ('scrying,' as Sorreters would call it). In part, it seemed like an invasion of privacy, but also, he simply couldn't bear to watch. If... if she died, he would sense it. He didn't want to have to see it, too, let alone worry about every blow she struck or received, every centhour of every day. So, like Maeve, he simply waited for news. They both received it on Wor'ginday morning, 8 Aut'mo', at roughly the same time as everyone else on the Land. The morning paper announced that the war was over, or at least unconfirmed reports seemed to indicate that it was. Later that day, Demos made an official announcement via bubblecast, though even that seemed tentative. They still hadn't heard from Ginger or any of the others, but they supposed everyone was still busy sorting out whatever was going on. Finally, Tino told Maeve he couldn't stand it any longer, and translocated to First Village, to find Ginger.

Actually, he divined for her, first, then scried her location to see who might be with her. As it happened, the only other person in the room was Alec, so Tino decided it would be safe to appear in front of them. "So what's the story?" he asked. "You don't call, you don't write...."

Of course they were momentarily startled by his sudden appearance, but they quickly recovered. "Oh, hi, honey," said Ginger. "Sorry about that, but we've been busy. Also, I wasn't even sure you were on the planet."

"But, dear, now you know that doesn't matter. You can reach out to me the way you do any of your other spirit friends."

Ginger frowned. "I'd rather not. Look, I've come to accept what you are, but I'd still prefer to deal with you the same way I do humans."

"Fair enough. But speaking of humans, Maeve's been worried, too. That's where I've been, by the way."

"Really?" She smiled, now. "It's sweet of you to look after her."

"Well, we looked after each other. I suppose I'll return soon; what can I tell her about you? Will you be coming home, anytime soon? And what is the story with the war?"

"Actually," said Alec, "she can go home whenever she likes. I've already decommissioned the others. Emma, Darius, Tom, Tiejo, and Vallus rented a flying wagon, and left about an hour ago. They should reach Triscot in a couple of days. Oh, they offered that Vole person a ride, but he wanted to stay and look after Tiejo's 'rat recruits. I told Ginger she could go, too, but she also wanted to stay, to continue liaising with her Protestant recruits. Which is probably for the best. We're not ready to send everyone home, until all the details of the peace have been worked out. We've both been consulting with Quinn Darkstrider, as well as Demos- God, I wish I could prove he tried to have us killed, so we could just arrest him and be done with him." He sighed. "But at least for the moment, he's acting as though he's on our side. Meanwhile, Cameron has translocated to Near Port, to meet with some major named Redemption, and help facilitate the release of Woodman's prisoners of war."

"Redemption?" asked Tino.

"Yes, apparently even though Poss is still imprisoned, he's already started issuing orders, and it looks like this Redemption fellow is going to be promoted to colonel, to take Woodman's place. It's not official, yet, but it will be, as soon as Poss himself has been reinstated as marshal. Oh, I should tell you that Cameron's already reported back to me that the prisoners include Stavros, Taryn Hillrat, and Cameron's sister, Lorraine, who had been leading Drag's ex-Sorreters in the battle there, just as Cameron himself had led others of the ex-Sorreters in our own battle."

"Well, that's certainly good news. I hope to meet both Taryn and Lorraine, one day soon."

"I don't doubt Tiejo will insist on introducing you to Taryn at the first opportunity, though I believe all the ex-Sorreters will be returning to... wherever they've been for the past nine years, at their earliest opportunity. In fact, they may have done so already. Cameron said Redemption had given him leave to deactivate the anti-magic spell that prevented them from translocating out of their cells."

"Sounds good." Turning to Ginger, he said, "Well? I fully support your desire to liaise with your people, but I think you could do that just as well from Plist, thanks to the magic of t-mail." He paused a moment, then chuckled. "Oh wait, I meant that facetiously, like 'the magic of modern technology,' but it just occurred to me that t-mail is magic."

Ginger rolled her eyes, then laughed and said "Goofball."

They shared a kiss, which ended up lasting a bit longer than either of them intended when they started. When they parted, Tino said, "Wow, it's like we haven't done that in a month."

"Alright, alright," said Alec. "I may have to ask you two for the room."

Tino laughed and said, "I think you have that backwards."

"Trust me, dear," said Ginger, "after sitting through enough war meetings, I can assure you, he doesn't. He means he wants us to leave."

"I'm happy to oblige, General. Leftenant, if you'd care to accompany me to Plist, I can always bring you back here."

"Oh, let's just go. It'll be nice to see Mom. We can decide later whether or not I need to return here. Or maybe we can join our friends in Triscot, in a couple of days." She hugged him, and a moment later, Alec had the room.

Benj Illustri had been staying with the Lonewanders since We'ginday; he was surrounded by people, but he'd never felt so alone as he did now. (It occurred to him that that's something Darius had often complained of, feeling alone when he was with others. Benj had never completely understood what he meant, but now he wondered if the effect was peculiar to anyone who spent time with this particular family, or if it was merely a coincidence.) He would have preferred to stay with friends, but all of his friends were of mindsets similar to that of his father, which was hardly surprising, since Benj himself was of a mindset similar to that of his father. But it meant he couldn't be sure he could trust them, and that they wouldn't trust him, if they knew what he'd done. Which he hoped they didn't, but still... he began to think he might need to find new friends. He wasn't sure how, because his own opinions were still essentially what they had always been. As much as he appreciated the hospitality of the Lonewanders, his views on politics and virtually everything else in life were almost diametrically opposed to theirs. He still had far more in common with his old friends and his family than with people like these, but his conscience forced him to hold just a few opinions that made it impossible to associate with those who were mostly like him. He wasn't sure he wanted to associate with them anymore, but he was certain they wouldn't want to associate with him. He was also certain he didn't want to spend any more time than he had to with the Lonewanders, or anyone like them. He was a firm believer that all the world was grey, but suddenly he saw two sides: all the darker greys together on one side, and all the lighter greys together on the other, so that they might just as well have been black and white. He now found himself in the middle of the spectrum, unable to join either side. He desperately wanted to rejoin... he supposed Darius would say, the darker greys. Benj saw his people as the lighter greys, and he began to question the symbolism. To him, his people were lighter, which stood for enlightenment, while the Lonewanders were darker, which stood for ignorance. But he imagined Darius would say his people were lighter, which stood for good, and Benj's were darker, which stood for evil. Benj had certainly never seen himself or his people as evil, though given the current circumstances, he wasn't so sure, anymore. But then he thought, it would be foolish to let the actions of a few rogues, such as the Cabal, sully the merits of those they represented. No, his family, and the Second Order, were still the 'good' ones, even if they would no longer have him. But of course, that didn't make those who opposed them evil. He had to admit, as strongly as he disagreed with them, in their own way, the Lonewanders were also good.

Nevertheless, he must find a new place to stay, as soon as possible. If not, he'd go crazy. He could, of course, stay at an inn, but it would be preferable to find a new house. He sighed, thinking that it was so plebeian for one to live apart from one's clan; that, at least, was one way in which the Lonewanders got things right. As patricians, they mostly all lived together. This was one of many things he and Darius used to argue about; Darius said he'd prefer to live alone, and also argued that it would make more sense for those who could afford to to do so (that is, the 'more fortunate,' as he called clans like his and Benj's), and that it made little sense for the common folk to spend so much on rent, scattered across so many houses or apartments, when it would be more cost-effective for them to live together. Benj pointed out that for a clan to live together, they'd need a far larger home- and more land- than peasants could afford, so the fact that wealthy clans shared large homes was a symbol of their greater status (a point Darius finally conceded). But now... he had no choice. He'd have to live alone, like a peasant. He idly thought that the use of the word 'peasant' was another thing Darius would argue against; he didn't even like to say 'commoner,' though Benj didn't see how that was any different than 'common folk.' And while Benj preferred the word 'peasant,' he told himself it might be best to stop using it, as it would remind him too much of his family, particularly Macen. Well, fine, then. He'd live as a commoner. In fact, he'd had a number of conversations with commoners, at school and later at work, who thought it was weird for an adult to live with his parents. Or if not weird, at least stifling. Every non-noble teenager he'd ever met longed to be on their own, and most of the common adults he'd met claimed to prefer living on their own, aside from a few trivial complaints. So, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad. Although when it occurred to him that living without his family would also mean living without servants, he shuddered at the thought.

He returned to the Lonewander estate after work on Ha'day, to find that Darius and at least a few of his friends had arrived home that afternoon. Darius thanked him for his help in ending the war. "Almost as soon as we got back, my mom told us you'd been staying here, and my dad said 'Your frenemy pretty much saved the world.'"

"Yes, well, I didn't do it for the world, I did it for the sake of truth and justice. Personally, I don't currently hold a great deal of hope for the world."

"Ah, truth and justice, two things you and I have always agreed about in theory, but rarely in practice."

"Mm. Anyway, I've already made it clear to your family, and to Colonel Muttonchop, that I don't want my involvement in the matter becoming common knowledge. They've all agreed to honor my wish, and I hope you and your friends will, as well."

"Naturally. It's funny, though, how much we've benefited from spell devices, particularly recordings." He ticked them off on his fingers, "There was the one of Demos and that Sorreter, the one of Durell and Kizin, and now Zeke's watch. The Order must really be starting to regret making magic such an integral part of the Plan."

"Perhaps, though I suspect most or all of the trouble such devices have recently caused for them would have happened whether or not spell devices had been made available to the general public. Certainly it's irrelevant in the last case, since the device I gave the colonel had belonged to a Sorreter, anyway. But I will say that all these recordings are a bit too deus ex machina, for my taste."

"I know what you mean, though I'd call them deus ex magica."

"Yes, I'm sure you would," Benj said with an unsubtle note of condescension, which Darius had long since learned to ignore, when conversing with him. Benj sighed, then continued in a more grateful tone, "In any event, I appreciate your not mentioning my role in all this to anyone. I know you think I've done a good thing, even a great thing, possibly for the first time in my life-"

"I wouldn't say the first time... Nothing else springs to mind, but surely-"

"But I'm not so certain it was the right thing. Or rather... I'm not as pleased with the results as you are. What the Cabal did was wrong, and they deserved to be stopped. And Demos certainly doesn't belong on the throne-"

"Oh! I read in today's paper that yesterday, while we were still en route-"

"Yes, I read it, too. Demos has gone into hiding, along with René Deadzone. Apparently he's wanted for-" he stopped before saying 'murder,' for he suddenly recalled that it was friends of Darius's father who had been killed. He coughed politely and continued, "...Which means Darkstrider will likely be inaugurated early, though it's unclear when exactly that might happen. As I was saying, the truth deserved to be aired, and I'm glad to be rid of Demos, but that doesn't mean I'm happy about anything else that may come of my involvement. I take no particular pride in what I did, I want to be very clear about that. And as much as I appreciate the sanctuary your family have provided me, it should come as no surprise to you that I don't relish the thought of any of you playing a role in remaking society. As far as I'm concerned, you're bound to make things worse. Which is why I don't want anyone to learn that I was the one who provided you with that potential. As for Father, I very much doubt he'll reveal my culpability to anyone outside our own family, for fear of the shame it would bring to the entire clan. Though I can't imagine how he'll explain to his friends and associates the fact that he's disowned and disinherited me."

Indeed, nothing Benj said surprised Darius, regarding Benj's feelings about the Lonewander clan, nor did he take any offense by it. Rather, he felt deeply sorry for Benj, because of how much he had sacrificed. He wanted to offer words of comfort, but he didn't quite know what to say. Of course, Benj knew him well enough to realize this, and hastened to add, "But don't worry. I have ample savings, which I've recently increased by selling the stock I held in my family's company. And I still have my job. Luckily- perhaps ironically- Father encouraged me to work for one of his business rivals, rather than himself, so that no one could accuse me of benefiting from nepotism. Given my present circumstances, that decision seems propitious for another reason: it means he can't fire me."

"There is that," Darius agreed with a small grin. "Anyway... it looks like my family's going out to eat tonight, for a combination of reasons. partly it's to celebrate the end of the war, and partly it's a birthday dinner for all my relatives who have birthdays this month; there are five of them, including Kuris, whose birthday is today. Well, four, because Cara's not here, but maybe she will be, by her birthday, which isn't for a few weeks. I don't remember all these things, of course. Mom does, but she showed me a list. There are just a ridiculous number of people in our clan, you know. Anyway, it's also a going away party for Kuris, Lucia, and their kids, who are all moving back to Kuris's home village of Kurok, pretty soon. But their oldest three kids are already in town, playing in a Kaiju Cards tournament. My sister and Joss are with them; they'll all join us at the restaurant, later. So, um... my folks have invited my friends to come out with us, and I hear they invited you, too-"

"And I politely declined."

"Yeah. I just wanted to extend my personal invitation. I don't expect that's worth much, but... I wanted to do so, anyway."

"Thank you. And it's not that it's not worth anything, I'd just... welcome the chance to be alone, for a change. In fact, I'm going to be looking for a place of my own."

Darius was about to comment on his finally winning that old argument, but decided against it, considering the reason for Benj's sudden concession. "Well, good luck with the house hunt. And... have a good evening."

"I shall. And you have fun at the circus."

"We're not- oh, I see what you did there." Darius grinned. "I'll try...."

In all, ten of Darius's relatives would be going from the estate to Emerald Honeytree for supper. (Seven more would meet them at the restaurant: the ones currently at the card tournament, plus Monn and Ani.) One of the ones who was at the estate was Darius's uncle West, who had come from Tanq to stay with his family at some point during the war. Also leaving from the estate were Emma, Tom, Tiejo, and Vallus. With Darius himself, that made fifteen people, split between three wagons (all drawn by striders). Just as they were about to depart, Emma received a call from Ginger. Emma told her of their dinner plans, and Ginger asked if there was anyone present who didn't know about Tino. Already in a wagon with their mutual friends, Emma said no, though she wasn't sure about anyone in the other two wagons. She knew some of the Lonewanders knew Tino was a spirit, but West didn't, and she didn't think all of the others knew, either. Ginger said, "Hold on," and conferred with Tino. They decided he could meet them at the restaurant, later; even if anyone didn't know he was a spirit, they also didn't know he was currently in Plist, so it wouldn't be strange for him to wander in. Meanwhile, Ginger said Cameron could translocate her to the estate, though he'd have to return to First Village for a little while, and maybe later he could bring Alec. That is, if it wasn't too late to add any of the four of them to the reservation. Emma says she wasn't sure, but they could ask when they got to the restaurant. After the call, Emma got out of the wagon and asked if everyone was willing to wait for Ginger, and no one minded.

Before long, Ginger, Cameron, and Alec appeared in the barn. Alec said he'd finished his business sooner than expected. Emma was beginning to climb back into the Band's wagon, when she heard several people asking Alec and Cameron for details about recent events in First Village and Near Port. Soon everyone was asking questions, and it was decided to delay the departure so that the two of them could share the latest news. Emma said, "Ugh! I'm so sick of hearing about war and politics. I'm just gonna start walking. If you guys catch up to me before I reach Honeytree's, you could pick me up."

"Mind if I join you?" asked Ginger. "I already know all the answers to all the questions, and I'm sick of talking about it, too."

"I'd be delighted for the company. I haven't seen you in a couple of days, and it's been ages since the two of us have spent any time alone." And so they left the circus behind.

They walked in silence for a few centhours, each of them trying to think of something to say to the other. They'd rarely had trouble finding things to discuss, before, but now both their minds were weighted down by the war. As much as they wanted to avoid the subject, it was hard to stop thinking about something so profoundly overwhelming. Finally, Ginger glanced sideways at Emma, who did likewise. They immediately saw in each other's eyes that they were thinking along the same lines.

Ginger sighed, and looked forward again, as they continued walking. "You know, this is the kind of thing... it's important not to just pretend never happened. We're going to have to talk about it, at some point, or else we'll probably go crazy."

"I know," Emma said quietly. "And I'm sure we will. But... just not today, okay? Today, I don't even want to talk about the fact that it's finally over. I know that's one of the things this dinner is supposed to be about, but I'm grateful that it's also about other things, like birthdays. Hopefully the others will have had their fill of war talk by the time they get to the restaurant. Actually... it's mainly for Kuris and a few others, but Alyn said she thought it would be nice if we could also celebrate Darius's and my birthdays, seeing as how-" she stopped short of repeating what Darius's mother had said about the circumstances of their actual birthdays. It keeps coming back to the war, she thought, shaking her head.

"That's nice of her," said Ginger. But she knew why Emma had fallen silent, and tried to think how to steer the conversation in a more pleasant direction. After a centhour, she said, "Oh, speaking of mothers, I've really enjoyed seeing mine, the past couple of days. And just spending time in my home village, seeing old friends. It's made me realize how much I missed it there. I know you miss Woodstockade, too. And I know why you haven't gone back there since you left, but... things have kind of changed, haven't they? Do you think you'll visit your folks, anytime soon?"

Emma didn't answer right away, but after a little while she stopped walking. A few steps later, Ginger stopped as well, and turned to face her. Emma sighed. "I suppose so. I know I should. But I'm not quite ready, yet. I just wish..." She paused, and her eyes began to water very slightly. "Oh, Ginger, I wish things could just go back to the way they were up until this spring. I had so much fun with all of you, the most fun I've ever had in my life! Sometimes it's hard to even remember what life was like before I joined the Band, but then I think, I was only with you guys for a year... before everything changed. Just one year, can you believe it? Does that even seem possible?"

"I... you know, you're right. It is hard to believe. I mean, I was in the Band for like five years before you joined, and now that I think about it, I can't quite imagine the group without you in it." She smiled. "I guess it's the power of your personality. To know you is to love you, kid."

Suddenly, Emma embraced Ginger, and began crying. "I'm going to miss you all so much!"

Ginger wanted to ask 'What are you talking about,' but she didn't. Because she knew exactly what Emma was talking about. She was fairly sure that all five of them had been thinking about it, though none of them had said anything, until now. Ginger herself had broached the subject of visiting their respective villages, but even as she'd done so, deep down she'd known she was really talking about something more permanent. And yet... "Hey, we don't know what the future holds. At least not beyond this evening, which holds a fun time with good friends." They released each other from the embrace, and both wiped tears from their eyes. Once again, Ginger smiled at Emma, who did her best to return the smile. "One thing I am sure of is that nothing's going to change for the immediate future, at least not for us. Before any of us make any big, life-altering decisions, we should wait and see how the world changes."

Now Emma's smile widened. "That's true. You know, Ginj, you always know the right thing to say. Sometimes I think you don't give yourself enough credit for that."

"Well, what are friends for?"

"I don't just mean as a friend, I mean... like, as a spirit-talker. I know you never wanted to do that professionally, but... if you do move back to Plist, you might think of giving the occasional sermon, or at least providing some counseling."

"I don't know." She sighed. "Bishop Brushmaker has actually tried to get me to think about that, too, but-"

"At the very least, you could join a choir! Yeah, now that I think about it, that'd be perfect! I mean, obviously you're not just going to give up music, even if-" and again, she trailed off, not wanting to say 'if the Band breaks up.' She frowned for just an instant, then smiled again. "You know, my best friend growing up was in a church choir. She was always trying to get me to play with them, but back then I was always too nervous. And in spite of what Becky might tell you, I wasn't nearly as good then as I am now."

"Becky?"

"Bechdel Des'Frieda. Ginj, you'd love her! You should totally come to Woodstockade with me sometime, I could introduce you to her and all my old friends. In fact, maybe the Band should do a tour where we each meet everyone's friends and family. Well, we've met some of yours, but now that I think of it, none of us have ever met people from anyone's life before the Band but yours. I can't believe that never occurred to me before! It's completely unacceptable, and we're going to rectify that inequity, ASAP."

"Sounds like a plan. Of course, we'll have to discuss it with the others."

As if on cue, a line of three wagons passed by, the third one stopping right beside them. Cameron smiled down from the driver's seat. "Evening, ladies. Care for a lift?"

When they arrived at Emerald Honeytree, Adam asked the host if it would be a problem to add four people to their reservation. The host did a quick headcount and said, "There are eighteen of you, right? I thought it was going to be twenty-two."

"It was, but eight more will be joining us. Oh, here's one, now," he added, seeing Tino walk in.

"Um... yeah, that should be fine. Actually, the section you're in seats thirty, so there would have been extra space, anyway."

"That's certainly lucky," said Alyn.

The host called a server over and said, "Ty, show these folks to their tables, and tell Byron the 22-top is now a 26-top."

"Sure. Right this way, folks..."

Once they were seated and Ty had gone to grab some menus, Thew said, "So, Ginger, you and Emma left in a hurry. I understand if you don't want to talk about it, but I'd really been hoping to hear a bit about your experiences in the war. I don't so much mean the battles, but what it was like leading so many Protestants. If the speeches you gave before the war are any indication, I'm sure you were great at it."

"Well, thanks, but I'm not so sure about that. It's not like I really had any authority, I was basically just a cog in the system, relaying orders from those above me. I mostly relied on the experience of those around me, regardless of their respective ranks. I will say I got on surprisingly well with Colonel Orthodox. In fact, he told me he'd heard one of my speeches, and I reminded him of my father and Vallus rolled into one person." She grinned and added, "When I thanked him for that, he said he wasn't sure whether or not he meant it as a compliment. I think he was kidding."

"Sounds like a compliment, to me," said Vallus.

Tino laid his hand over Ginger's, and gazed into her eyes. "Regardless of what Orthodox meant by it, I can see how he could compare you to both Therman and our friend here, but personally, when I listened to your speeches, all I heard was Ginger. You have a perfectly strong voice of your own, you know."

She smiled at him, but demurred, "Perhaps, but I couldn't have done it without a good, stiff drink immediately before my first speech, and another right after."

"Oh, I know. I was the one pouring the whiskey, after all. But it was just the first speech. For the others, you were fine. And it was you who wrote and delivered the speeches. I didn't hear a peep out of the bottle."

It was then that Monn and Ani arrived, and everyone greeted them. A moment later, Ty returned and started handing out menus. "Can I get anyone something to drink?" he asked.

Looking at Ginger, Tino grinned and cocked an eyebrow. "Up for another speech?"

Ginger winked at him, but shook her head, then turned to Ty and said, "I'd love a beer."

Without looking up from the beverage list, Darius asked, "Speaking of, what's your seasonal beer, right now?" Under his breath he chanted, "Please don't say winter, please don't say winter, please don't say winter...."

"Uh, it's an autumn ale, seeing as this is autumn," Ty replied.

"Yes! Finally, the right beer at the right time of- ooh!" He suddenly spied something on the menu that overrode his excitement about the ale. "What is a 'Green Fairy'?"

"Ah, the house specialty!" said Ty. "It's a mix of Green liqueur- which is made from emerald melons- and sou'cit soda."

"Sounds neat, I think I'll try that."

"Excellent choice." Ty jotted that down, along with everyone else's drink orders, and left.

Tino turned to Darius and said, "You know, on Earth, 'green fairy' would refer to absinthe."

"Really? That's actually something I've always wanted to try. Doesn't look like they have it here, though. Oh well, some other time."

"You should come to Plist, Ginj and I know a few places to get some decent absinthe."

Darius grinned, but he tried to hide it by reading the appetizers. "Maybe I'll take you up on that offer. Looks like you two might have a chance of corrupting me, yet."

"Did I or did I not say that resistance is futile?" asked Tino.

Darius knew that sounded familiar, but he couldn't think when Tino had said it. Right after leaving someplace... Dane's? The Jasmine Dragon? Whist? That last one reminded him of something else. He looked up at his youngest uncle and said, "Oh, West... I've been meaning to ask. Did it ever occur to you that by not selling the estate after the Coming, we were putting a lot of people out of work?"

"Well, yeah. But awhile before the Battle of Triscot, Mom and Dad contacted me and made me promise that if anything happened to them, I'd keep the property in the family. Even though neither you nor I were going to do anything with it. They wouldn't tell me why, and when I mentioned that, about the farm hands, Dad just said they had their reasons, but it was best that I know as little as possible."

Adam turned to Laina with a surprised look. "I never knew that!"

She replied, "Well, we knew you had a lot on your plate, so we didn't want to trouble you with small details."

He smiled and said, "Thank you. I really should have thought to do that, but... thanks."

"You're quite welcome."

Just then, Joss and Nelly arrived, along with Luni, Kar, and Tor, and the party was complete. As they were taking their seats, Lucia asked, "So, boys, did you have fun at the tournament? How'd you do?"

Kar said, "We got enslaved."

"You got what?" Lucia asked.

"It's some new slang we learned today," said Luni. "It means we lost. Badly."

Tiejo snickered, "Still hating the idea of enslavery, I am, but somehow this slang is being funny, anyway!"

Darius said to his cousins, "Well, I'm sure the other kids in Triscot have had a lot longer to master the game than you have... pun intended. But maybe you'll do better against the kids in Kurok."

"Maybe," said Luni, "but card games don't matter, anyway. Someday when I'm an adventurer, I'll battle real monsters, and that'll be way cooler."

Darius went back to reading his menu, but was soon distracted once again, this time by Joss. "So, Darius, any plans to write a story, or even a book, about your experiences in the war?"

He shook his head. "I'm afraid... I wouldn't have much to say. In the first place, I was only in one battle, and that only lasted like nine days. And the days basically all bled together. No pun intended," he hastened to add. Then he paused, and sighed deeply before continuing. "I mean, all it was, all day every day, was swinging a sword around, killing, seeing others kill, hoping you and your friends didn't get killed. Maybe once or twice a day you got a bit of food, if you could stomach it, and then a bit of sleep. If it weren't for the constant fear of death, the whole thing would have been just tedious. And of course, gruesome and tragic. War is not fun to do, and I promise you it would not be fun for me to write about. And it bloody well shouldn't be fun to read about, either. At least, not in stories of actual war. I suppose it's different when you know it's fiction. I mean, the battle scenes in fantasy stories have never been my favorite parts, but at least if such scenes are part of the writer's repertoire, they can provide excitement without any real consequences. In real life, it's kind of the opposite: serious consequences, but without real excitement. Of course, I can only speak for myself, maybe some people find war exciting-" people like Zeke Sanguine, he told himself- "but I just had to force myself to become detached, numb. As much as possible, I shut down my brain. I didn't want to think about it then, and I damn sure wouldn't want to relive it... even if I could remember anything specific about the experience, which I probably couldn't. At least, not enough to fill a story, let alone a book." He suddenly thought, But I'm sure Zeke didn't detach himself, and that thought cheered him. "Anyway, such scenes are definitely not part of my repertoire. Nor would I want them to be."

There was a brief silence around the table, which was interrupted when Ty returned with everyone's drinks. Luni, Kar, and Tor were delighted to find that Lucia had ordered something called a 'Children's Cocktail' for each of them, before they arrived. Nelly and Joss, however, had to order their own drinks. Ty asked if anyone was ready to order any food, but Alyn said they'd all need a few more centhours. So once again, the server departed.

Darius took a swig of his Green Fairy and said, "Damn... that is the best thing ever in life. Imma hafta get me another one o' those." But he left most of the glass untouched, for now, and returned to perusing the menu. Soon he said, "Hey, it's been awhile since I've had sushi. Maybe I'll get me some of that. You know... I've heard there's something on Earth called 'wasabi,' that's usually put on sushi. I've always wanted to try that; shame we don't have it on the Land."

Tino said, "You could get a strider to kick you in the face, it'd be pretty much the same effect."

"Sounds awesome."

Soon Ty returned with drinks for Joss and Nelly, and took everyone's food orders. After that there would be a long period of waiting, during which there were lots of conversations going on between small groups within the larger group, but none of them included Darius, who quickly got bored. He eventually built a tent out of his knife, fork, spoon, and napkin- something he'd often done at restaurants when he was a kid. That didn't kill much time, so he just went back to being bored. Finally the food arrived, and of course Darius finished before anyone else. He always did, because he didn't like to talk while he ate, unlike pretty much everyone else he'd ever met. So again he got bored, and then felt his social anxiety start kicking in. He knew if he remained surrounded by so many people, he'd soon get depressed, and wanted to forestall that. So he finished off his alcohol- he'd mostly had water to wash down his food- and left the table. He wanted to go outside and get some fresh air, but mostly he just wanted to be alone. As he was walking toward a side exit, he passed by his party's server, who was talking to another employee, someone apparently from the back of house. He overheard the server say "Pound it!" and saw them touch fists together. Darius thought, I have no idea what that was supposed to be, but it didn't look unpleasant. If I ever get to start my own country, I may just have whatever that was officially replace handshakes. But he shook the thought off, and went outside.

He walked around to the back of the building, where he saw a large garbage bin, not far from a door that was clearly marked 'Employees Only.' Running parallel to the building was a driveway, leading to a nearby market. On the other side of the drive was a guardrail, and beyond that, a ditch which gave way to a thicket of trees. He stood in front the guardrail, and looked up at the moon. There was a slight chill in the air, which suddenly reminded him that Samhain was just a few weeks away. It had always been his favorite holiday; though it was named after a single Terran holiday, it was actually an amalgam of several such holidays, which Landians had learned about from spirits. The one thing all the component Terran holidays had in common was death. The exact way it figured into each holiday ranged from somber to spooky to silly or even joyful, and Darius normally enjoyed it all. However, he didn't think he'd be much inclined to celebrate any aspect of death, this year. "I'm sure it will be the worst Samhain ever... or at least the worst since 903."

He was startled out of this chain of thoughts when he heard a door open nearby; not the employee door, but the one he himself had come through a few centhours ago. Soon he saw a figure round the corner; while it was too dark to clearly make out faces, he could tell from the man's attire that he was an employee. His first impulse was to leave, but he wasn't sure where to go. He certainly wasn't ready to go back inside, just yet. He didn't have long to think about this, as the man said, "Oh, sorry, I didn't know anyone was out here."

"Yeah, I just needed some air. Bit too crowded in there, for my taste."

"Me too," said the employee. "I mean, I'm not overly fond of large crowds, but really, I just needed a break. Oh, I'm the dish washer, by the way. Let me tell you, however crazy the dining room seems, it's at least ten times worse in the kitchen. We're really getting raped, back there."

"Raped? I don't think I've heard that word before."

"Yeah, it's a subword from Earth. Some of the cooks use it on nights like this, when it gets crazy busy. They don't mean it literally, of course, and personally, I don't think-"

But before the dish washer could finish his thought, Darius's subword sense kicked in, and he realized the literal meaning of the word. He immediately whirled around, fell to his knees, and vomited over the guardrail into the ditch.

When he'd finished, he turned around, and saw that the dish washer had come up behind him, though he'd left a respectful distance between them. When Darius looked up at him, the man said, "Sorry. I had the same reaction the first time I heard the word, but I've kind of gotten desensitized to it, since I hear it so often, and I know it's not meant... that way." He offered Darius the bottle he'd brought out with him for his break. "Ginger ale. You're welcome to it."

Darius took the bottle, said "Thanks," and unscrewed the cap. He took a quick gulp, then a longer draught.

When he'd had enough, he held the bottle out to the man, who waved it away and said, "Keep it." Darius replaced the cap, then stood up, shakily, walked to the building, and sat down with his back against the wall. The dish washer did likewise, again leaving a couple of feet between them. He turned to Darius and said, "Seriously, sometimes I wonder why Landians are so enamored of Earth, if the people there are capable of shite like that."

Darius put a hand to his mouth, in an effort to hold back his nausea. After a few moments he lowered the hand, glanced sideways and said, "It's that thing from the first book of the O'Gas. God asked Connor and Brigid what they wanted to call their new planet, they said 'Earth,' and he said that name was already taken."

"Yeah, I know. My question was rhetorical."

Darius sort-of-chuckled. "I know. I'm just... not very fond of rhetorical questions." He paused and added, "Also the art. Earth's art is, like, insanely awesome."

"Yeah. And to think we're only even aware of an infinitesimal fraction of the art they've ever produced...."

"Still doesn't justify... that," said Darius.

"No. Sure doesn't. Oh... name's Crockett, by the way."

That sounded vaguely familiar to Darius, but he couldn't put his finger on why. He quickly dismissed the thought, and said, "Darius."

"Hey, like that Chaos guy."

Darius shrugged. "Maybe, I wouldn't know. I don't follow the news, much." Now that he saw Crockett more closely, even in the relatively dim light, he recognized him as the one he'd seen a little while ago with Ty. He said, "Oh, I think I saw you and our server do something with your fists. He said 'pound it,' and you... I dunno. What was that?"

"A fist bump," said Crockett. "Something that I guess was popular on Earth around the time the Land was created, or maybe just a bit later. From what I've heard, the gesture has popped up now and then in various areas of the Land, over the centuries, but somehow it's never really caught on, in any lasting way. But it never completely disappears, either." He shrugged.

"Well, I like it."

"Uh-huh. Well, I should be getting back to work."

"Okay. Sorry I deprived you of your drink."

"That's okay, there's more where that came from."

After Crockett went back inside, Darius thought about doing likewise. But when he tried to stand, he found his legs were still wobbly, so he sat back down. He realized he was having trouble getting past that new subword, it was just too heinous. So before he could return to his family, he'd have to put his thoughts in order, and learn to deal with this horrifying new perspective on humanity. He told himself that if Crockett could get accustomed to it, so could he. "Maybe if I say the word over and over, it will lose its meaning." He tried that, but couldn't stop the word from producing sickening visuals in his mind. He almost vomited again, but barely managed to avoid it, and took another drink of ginger ale. "Okay, clearly Landian psychology is different from Terran psychology. And that is because of our version of the Fall. I wonder, if that had never happened, would we be capable of rape? Were the Landians of the first century, before the Fall, capable of it? Of course, even if our race was capable of it in theory, that doesn't mean any specific individuals would have been capable of it. Surely the overwhelming majority of Terrans must be incapable of rape, and just as revolted by it as we would be... even if they can hear the word without becoming physically ill. It's just harder for me, because I've never heard of anything so repulsive. People on Earth must know such an act exists, even if they've never witnessed it, so... like Crockett, they've been desensitized. It's hard to imagine knowing that that shite happens, and not becoming so outraged that you form angry mobs that go around beating the living hell out of anyone who is capable of it... but then I suppose that would create still more problems. Vigilantism, and whatnot. Innocent people being accused and killed over crimes they didn't commit, etc. Okay. So then, Terrans must just put the fact that rape happens out of their minds. Well, everyone puts unpleasant thoughts out of their minds, every day of their lives. Even me, though it's often harder for me than it is for most people. But I do do it, as evidenced by the fact that I haven't killed myself, yet. I suppose it's all about compartmentalization.

"So... rape is a thing that some people, on at least one planet, are capable of. It happens. But it doesn't happen here. It can't happen here. Wait, if elves weren't affected by the Fall..." He shook his head. "No. I'm not even going to think about that. I'm just not. Besides, if elves were capable of such a thing, I doubt I'd just now be hearing about the concept for the first time. So I'll assume they're no more capable of it than any other Landian. And if that's the case... if rape is a thing that never has and never will happen on the Land, then it's pointless to worry about it. I mean, fuck, knowing the subword 'slavery' never made me throw up, what's up with that? I suppose it's because that word didn't force such visceral images into my head. 'To own a person.' It's a ludicrous and deeply offensive concept, but... I would imagine you could own someone without treating them sadistically. Then again, if your mind is so horrifically twisted that you find the idea of owning a fellow human being perfectly acceptable, chances are you wouldn't have a problem with-" but he shook his head again. "Shite, I really need to stop thinking about any of this. These are problems for a world lightyears away."

He tried to clear his head of the matter, but ten seconds later it hit him afresh. He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, but another part of his brain prevented it, from long practice at not making public scenes. Still, he opened his mouth wide and let loose a silent scream until he began to cough from the subvocal exertion. He kicked his legs back and forth, and furiously punched the air, until his elbows painfully slammed into the stone wall behind him. Tears began to well up, and he exclaimed under his breath, "Fuck fuck fuck! It's all fucking bullshite! Fuck. None of it happens here. I've got more than enough shite on this planet with which to plague my thoughts. I'll be damned if I'm going to let Earth's problems plague me, too." After a moment, he added, "God, Earth sucks."

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and forced himself to concentrate on his breathing. Breathe in... breathe out... repeat. Feel the cool night air. Smell the trees. And the jumbled scents of foods from within the restaurant. The smell of trash from the nearby bin. Breathe in. Breathe out. The sound of strider-drawn carriages passing on the street. A bird cries... from where? I can't tell. Breathe in. Breathe out. Chilly. Wish I had my duster... left it at the table, hanging on the back of my chair. I should... go back in. Still he sat, and breathed. Kept breathing. His mind finally emptied itself. For a few centhours, he had no conscious thoughts; though his breathing remained deliberate, he was no longer truly conscious of even that. After awhile, his awareness of himself and his surroundings slowly returned, and he opened his eyes. When he felt that he could think without thinking about Terrans' inhumanity to Terrans, he sighed, got up, and walked back around to the side door, mentally preparing himself for the imminent assault upon his senses.

Before he could open the door, however, a familiar voice called, "Darius?" The voice belonged to a woman who'd been about to enter the front door- or rather, one of two doors at the front corner of the building, which led to a small vestibule. The one she'd chosen was on the same side as the door by which Darius stood, a few yards away.

The light here was better than it was behind the building, so when he turned to see who had called his name, he immediately recognized her. "Lor, hey. You here alone?"

"Yeah. You?" She joined him outside his door.

"I kinda wish, but no. Just about the whole clan's here, plus a few friends."

"Had to get away from them, I bet."

"You know me well, old friend. Hey, have you heard of something called a 'fist bump'?"

In answer, she held up her fist and said with a grin, "Pound it!"

Darius couldn't help but smile, and bumped her fist. "You should totally join us," he said. "I'm sure you'd love my new friends."

"You sure you're ready to rejoin your group? Panic attack averted?"

"Yeah. I don't think it was ever going to be too serious, this time. I mean, it started low-level, but it was working its way toward mid-level. It probably wouldn't have gotten any farther than that, and then I kind of forgot about it altogether, when... I got distracted."

"Oh? By what?"

He shook his head. "Best not to ask."

She shrugged and said, "Okay, then. Lead the way."

He was about to open the door, but suddenly he paused, turned to face Lor again. He hesitated a moment, then hugged her.

She was surprised by this, but was happy to return the hug. The embrace lasted only very briefly, and when Darius pulled away, Lor looked at him with amused curiosity. "When'd you become a hugger?"

"I'm not. I just... kind of desperately needed to feel a connection to the human race, or rather the Landian race. And you're one of very few people with whom I've ever truly felt that. So... it's an incredible stroke of luck that you showed up when you did. And I decided I didn't want to let that luck go to waste. Seriously, Lor, I can't even tell you how glad I am to see you."

She smiled, and touched his arm. "It's good to see you, too, Dare." It was a few seconds before he flinched, and she withdrew her hand.

Darius sighed. "But, anyway... still not a big fan of physical contact."

He turned back to the door, and she followed him inside. When they reached his party's section, he said, "Hey, everyone, this is my old friend, Lor. Uh, Lorelei Chicory."

West said, "Oh, we met once before, didn't we?"

"Yes," said Lor. "In 905, when Dare and I returned from our first adventure together. Nice to see you again." To the group at large, she said, "Anyway, I was really glad to learn that all of you are alive. Dare never talked much about his family- you know him- but even if he couldn't really show it, I could tell losing you all saddened him. Probably more than he himself was even aware." She grinned. "I'm also betting he didn't show much joy at discovering you were alive, but I'm sure he felt it." She nudged Darius and said, "Right, Dare?"

"Yeah, sure." He didn't sound sure, but Lor knew better than to judge his true feelings by his tone or expression.

"Oh, by the way, the day that Woodman guy announced your capture, I was at the Boar & Bear. Georgie and I drank a toast to you guys, along with some kids he'd introduced me to just before the news. A band called Black Radly."

"Really? Did you get to hear them play? They're pretty good."

"Heck yeah they are! Anyway, Georgie said when you and your friends got out, he'd buy you all a round of drinks. If you haven't collected yet, you'd better do so."

"Oh, yeah," said Ginger. "He mentioned that to me, before the war. It totally slipped my mind, but he said I could have my free drink anytime, and I said I'd wait until we were all together."

Darius said, "Hmm, so we could start a pub crawl there, and then you could take me to one of those places Tino mentioned, to get absinthe."

Lor stared at Ginger with wide eyes. "Do not tell me you've convinced Dare to try a pub crawl!"

"I'm as surprised as you are," said Ginger.

"Anyway," said Alyn, "please have a seat. I'm Darius's mother, Alyn. This is Adam."

"Delighted to meet you both," Lor said as she and Darius sat down.

Tor said, "You're just in time! We're about to order dessert."

Darius and Lor both picked up dessert menus. Darius soon said, "Ooh, xocolatl ice cream! I didn't even know they made that, but I bet it's the best thing ever in life since Green Fairies." He paused, then added, "But I may have to wait and see if my stomach recovers."

Lor asked, "From whatever distracted you out there, that I'm not supposed to ask about?"

"Yep." He took a gulp of ginger ale, and decided on matcha ice cream, instead.

After Ty had come and gone again, Kuris said, "So, Darius, while you were out, we were discussing what this new country you're thinking of starting might be called, and how it would actually be set up. How would it differ from the way the Second Order works?"

"Well, it's hard to say. Honestly, I can barely recall what I was even thinking when I first started imagining a rebellion, years ago. I certainly wasn't thinking of starting a new country; I just wanted things to be the way they used to be, with every village independent. More recently, when we came up with the idea of secession, there... well, there still was never a guarantee that any villages would vote to secede, nor that those that did would choose to ally themselves to form a new country."

"That, then, should be part of the referendum," said Cameron. "Not only to vote on whether or not to secede, but on whether to join a new country when they do, or to simply become sovereign city-states."

"Good idea," said Darius. "But if we do include joining a new country as an option, it will, as Kuris said, need a name. So... hmm. The villages would be united... They would not be part of the Second Order... So, I guess they would be the United Villages of the Chaos. Has a nice ring to it. We could call it the UVC, for short. ...Or maybe we could just call it 'Chaotica.' Or something."

"I prefer UVC," said Kuris. "Anyway, that brings us to the other question, how would it differ from the Second Order?"

"Well, for one thing, I feel like the World Council takes way too long to get anything done. There's too much debate, especially in Congress. We should try to keep our government smaller. But at the same time, we don't want any one person to have too much power, like a monarch. So, if we have an executive branch, I think that should be more like... a triumvirate. Although, just to maintain a spirit of chaos, we should say that that term needn't imply three rulers. It would have to be at least two, but preferably no more than five. The exact number could change, from time to time, maybe."

"I rather like that idea," said Vallus. "Although even three rulers, or five, wouldn't be enough to truly represent all the citizens. I agree that the legislative branch should be smaller than Congress, but still not nearly as small as the executive branch."

"I suppose so. But I'm afraid I can't think of any better way to organize that than what the Second Order does now."

Lor said, "Well, I'm not at all sure you're thinking about this the right way. You always said you wanted things to go back the way they were, and in the old days, everyone got a vote, on anything important. They still do, hence this referendum you're talking about. But maybe the average citizen gave up too much personal power, when the Second Order started. Congressmen are supposed to represent the will of their people, but when have you ever known an entire village full of people to agree on anything? What Congressmen really represent is the will of the majority, but once the majority elects them, it's pretty much up to them to decide how the majority would vote on each given issue that doesn't get a referendum. And they very well could be wrong about that. The only way to really know the will of the majority is to hear from the majority. Or rather, from everyone. In the old days, there were Town Hall meetings whenever it was necessary to vote on an issue. Of course, such meetings could often be more chaotic than even you would like... and let's be honest, Darius, you're really not as big a fan of chaos as you would have people believe."

"I'm not. It's true. I like the idea of chaos, but actual chaos, not so much." He sighed, but with a distinct lack of the melancholy his sighs usually signified. "I suppose I've always been a fan of order, which is probably why I initially liked the idea of the Coming, and had so many arguments with Dad, back then." He looked at Adam and said, "By the way, we're going to need someone like you to help run things. I know you always flatly refused to enter politics, back when the concept of politics was first introduced, but-"

"Actually," said Adam, "I've discussed this with Arthur, and he's convinced me to run for Chief Councillor, next year. I mean, what's the alternative? Let Xander take the job? I don't think so."

"Oh. Well, cool."

"Anyway," said Lor, "as I was saying, Town Hall meetings could get chaotic, so we wouldn't want to go back to the days of the whole village voting on every little thing. And the fact is, the Second Order introduced a decent solution: village councils. They include more representatives than Congress does, being based on districts rather than just population counts, so there's a more even representation of the various wills of the people. And it's far easier for citizens to approach councillors than Congressmen, so on a day-to-day basis, the people's representatives have a better chance to stay in touch with the changing wills of the people. It seems to me, therefore, that the UVC could eliminate Congress as a separate body, and let the collective local councils of the country's villages double as a federal legislature. At least, that would work until the country included a ridiculous number of villages, which isn't likely to happen for centuries, yet."

Darius looked at Lor in amazement. "That, my friend, is sheer elegance in its simplicity. It is so precisely what I was hoping to achieve that I can't imagine how I overlooked it."

Tom said, "Oh, you can't imagine how you'd overlook something simple? You mean like opposite of 'order' being 'chaos'?"

Lor looked from Tom to Darius in confusion. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Oh, uh... it's just that I didn't want to start my rebellion until I had a name for it. And 'Chaos' never occurred to me. It was Tom's idea, though it was kind of an accidental idea."

"Well... I knew you wanted the world to return to the old ways, but I didn't know you were actually thinking of starting a rebellion. If I had, I could have given you a name for it years ago."

Darius grinned. "Heh. Oh well, the timing would have been off, anyway. Whatever success we've ended up having was entirely the result of serendipity. If I'd tried to start sooner, I would have failed miserably. Of that, there can be no doubt."

"If you say so," said Lor, prompting Tom and every member of the Band to snort with laughter. Lor had no idea why they were laughing, but that didn't stop her from joining in.

As the laughter subsided, Ty returned with a few desserts; it would take several trips to bring everyone's orders, and it was agreed that no one would eat until they'd all been served. While they waited, Darius said, "Oh, hey, it occurs to me that I introduced Lorelei to everyone, but I didn't introduce everyone to Lorelei. I should do that."

When he got to Alec, Lor exclaimed, "Oh! General, I wonder if you could tell me what's going on with you guys's navy? Or more specifically, the Java Junk V. When might it- well, when might they all return home?"

"That's still all being sorted out, but it shouldn't be long before they start the return trip. A few days or so, but then of course it'll take some time for them to actually get home. Why do you ask?"

"The Java Junk is my family's ship. My uncle is our company's business representative, and he could have stayed behind when they lent it to your admiral, but he chose to go along and help in the war, in spite of having no military training. I'm friends with a lot of the sailors on the ship, as well. I know my whole family is anxious to see my uncle and the crew again."

"Ah, from the secondary task force. Well, there is some question of what's to become of the ships they captured in the East Isles before joining the main fleet, but of course that doesn't apply to the Java Junk itself. I can call Admiral Teach and inquire about that, but I see no reason for your ship to remain with the fleet, now that the war's over. Meanwhile, I'd like to offer my personal thanks to you and your family for your contribution to the war effort."

"Well, I personally had nothing to do with it, but my family was definitely happy to help. We had an old grudge against the Second Order, going back to the last war."

"Actually," said Cameron, "I talked a bit with Colonel Supprus about the Java Junk. That was the ship that helped him and his platoon escape from Near Port a couple of months ago. It seems your people have gotten quite a bit of payback for whatever the Order did to offend you, nine years ago."

"Yeah... but um, it's really not something I want to think about, so maybe we can change the subject, now?"

By then, the last of the desserts had arrived, and Lucia said, "How about we all sing 'Happy Birthday' to Kuris? I'm sure that would be more pleasant than all this talk of war."

"And me!" exclaimed Tor.

"Yes, and Monn, and Thew, as well," said Lucia. "But it's actually your father's birthday today. Oh, and Alyn wanted us to sing to Darius and Emma, too, right?"

"Right," said Alyn.

"And actually," said Ginger, "Star's birthday was about a week ago. The very day you and Cameron joined the fleet," she said to Alec, "so I don't suppose you did anything to celebrate, then?"

Alec looked at Cameron, who grinned and said, "I actually got Pike to make something vaguely resembling a cake."

"Very vaguely," said Alec. "And no, I wouldn't call that 'celebrating.'"

Tor rolled his eyes. "Okay, whatever already! Everyone just sing to everyone so we can eat!"

And so they did.

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