The tale of the cover story made Geddoe sniff something that might have been a laugh. "That sounds exactly like him. No, I don't think it was a ploy so much as knowing deep down that he could conveniently use such a situation to slip away. He would have. I didn't catch up with him until well after he had established himself in Karaya, or I'm sure I would have heard the whole thing told in grand fashion."

It's fascinating, knowing that but for a twist of fate she ended up with the Rune and not Hugo - or him - and yet even the smallest details line up. The more they talk, the more certain Geddoe is that people truly are who they are and it takes more than just one small change to their lives to get them to turn out differently. Or, perhaps, eternal life makes it harder for people to change much after a few decades. Who knows.

"To the point of foolhardiness? No. Back in those days, we were generals. There wasn't room to be that reckless, not when innocent lives were at stake. I can't say that our fifty years apart didn't change us...for better or worse. If you're trying to figure out why he ran off to unseal the Rune without any of us, your guess is as good as mine, but I don't think it was a wish to die. He really did want to do the right thing - by the Grasslands, by you, and by us."