He could do both at once. That was efficient even.
It took three hours even in the deep trance he was trying to use more often now, to get ready for the build on Trice’s arm. If he failed she'd probably hate him for real. Possibly forever. Who could blame her? If he'd been better, a true Master Builder, he would have stopped all the death dust in the area instantly, not just what he saw. It wouldn't have taken that much more if he would have thought to sense the nanos themselves, not just go after what was visible. He could do it now even.
Tor could have done it then.
Except he'd panicked, not knowing how to handle the situation, and just froze the stuff already in the air. God he sucked. Trice should hate him. She was right, and his personal failure had cost her arm.
The device was about as big as his fist and had a dozen sigils on it. He didn't know if it would be very partyish, it was more of a festival thing, but he hoped someone would at least like part of it. It was multifaceted and built to be fun, if a little more adult than he'd planned originally. Not too bad he hoped. People would think he was perverted or something if he'd overdone it. Then again, here in Ward they may not think anything of it at all.
The dinner was a whole roast pig, which looked incredible and had been cooking anyway, since it took a long time to cook that much meat. Over a day. They did it in pits they dug, which was a fascinating idea, one using layers of hot coals and earth to hold the heat for slow roasting, actually burying the animal. There were side dishes too, but it was too much work to care about them, he ate small portions and finished it all, but didn't get greedy.
Tor sat at a little table again, though Smythe of Westend had apparently found enough favor to make it to the big table up front. Trice sat next to him and he was between her and Maria, who kept touching his arm gently, as if concerned about his hand. The one mean old Tor took from him. Tor forced a smile to his face.
It had been a good day’s work and the Wards should be grateful to the older man. If Tor had proclaimed them innocent no one would have believed it at all. Trice looked at him occasionally and gave him dirty looks, so he just stopped making eye contact, the game of being a villain so that people would do whatever it was she hoped they would, wasn't as interesting at the moment for some reason.
If she wanted to play her little spy games she could do it without him.
Besides, they'd cleared the Wards on that, and unless the Larval were working with someone else that hated Tor, the situation looked pretty much wrapped up. Trice was probably just being thorough, which normally would have been a good thing, but feeling a bit down like he was, it seemed over the top at the moment.
People saw the pools and figured them out fast enough, just stripping out of their clothing and keeping the water cool to the touch, but nowhere near cold. They soaked and splashed, played and sometimes did things that got raunchy comments and laughter from the people around them. It seemed like fun, but it just left him feeling lonely and out of place.
Did he know anyone that wasn't spying on him for some reason? Or at least that didn't have someone else doing it? Even his own family was doing it. That people watched him, Tor didn't care about much, except when he was doing private things, then it mattered, of course, but that people would lie to him just to do it was… horrible.
Had he ever had a real friend or a girl that liked him just for him, not because she had orders to pretend to? Or, and the idea hit Tor hard, was he making too much of everything? Inside a single year he went from being a guy women didn't talk to in more than passing to someone other people sent women after, at least occasionally. That was better wasn't it? Some of those girls even seemed fond of him at times. That was way better than old Tor the troll had ever expected. OK, it wasn't the perfect undying love of a story book, but what was? Maybe he should stop whining, and do things instead? Try to do something fun and actually meet someone he could talk to for instance.
Tor decided he'd ask the next girl or woman that came by to dance.
No matter who it was.
With an opening like that he half expected the universe to aim Ellen Ward at him, or a tottering grandmother in her dotage. Well, so be it. If they said yes, it was better than sitting alone. Ellen wouldn't even be that bad except she was about two feet taller than he was, so it would look like she was dancing with a tiny child.
The girl that came by wasn't anyone he knew at all and wasn't even a giant.
She looked at the dance floor wistfully, but no one seemed to be interested in her. She was average looking. Pleasantly normal, Tor thought, her nose almost hooked downward a little and her face was perfectly oval. That part was interesting, the shape of her face, very symmetrically balanced, making an almost perfect arc from forehead to chin. Close enough he couldn't tell the difference. She was short for the crowd, still taller than him, but only a few inches, five-seven maybe, which would make dancing more fun. Screwing up his courage Tor decided to just jump in, expecting her to tell him that she was waiting for someone else, or maybe that she didn't dance.
“Hi!” It was a bright word and a little loud, causing her to jump and look at him like he wanted to sell her something. She reformed her face politely, a small smile on her lips and ducked her head just a little. A shy move that Tor understood instantly.
This wasn't someone that was used to being approached overly.
“Would you like to dance?”
The smile reached her eyes and she nodded, allowing him to lead her to the dance floor by the hand. That's what people in Ward did, even if they didn't know each other. The person asking took the other persons hand and led them to the floor. At least everyone had done that with him so far. The woman, she was at least in her late twenties, danced horribly. Tor wasn't that good either, so they laughed as they flopped around trying to copy what other people were doing. It was fun. Plus, being together is looked like they were doing it on purpose, which made it seem merely unique, rather than awkward.
When the song ended she looked down, her face falling a bit, so Tor asked if she wanted to keep going. By the sixth song they were doing better. Not much, but enough. They never touched, but when a slower song played Tor looked around and turned off his shield with a flickering thought, using intent rather than a tap on the amulet. Sure, someone would probably attack him now, but if he didn't try to live at all, what was the purpose of existing? She took his hand in hers when he offered it and moved close enough for him to smell her, after looking down a bit shyly, she pressed up against him lightly. It was nervous, tentative and not seductive at all, but felt more real than most of the situations he'd been in with women so far.
The next song was faster so he re-shielded and danced with decent energy. After that it was time to get a drink, Tor figured, not that thirst was an issue for him, but she looked a little warm from all the physical activity. He had fruit juice, pineapple-coconut, which was his favorite here, probably his favorite over all, next to apple pear blend. That was about the best thing ever, when it wasn't poisoned. He got a drink that had a lot of crushed ice, some red juice and alcohol for his new friend, because she asked, paying for both himself since the vendor wasn't pre-paid. The Ward's provided free food at these things, but if you wanted to get drunk you had to do it yourself.
It was both cheaper and probably cut down on problems.