“What’s she doing,” whispered Mizuki, who’d moved close to Hannah.
“I’m no cleric of Qymmos,” Hannah whispered. “But she likely knows the so-called language of the entads and is goin’ through it word by word to see what applies. They use somethin’ called a binary, a choice between two, splittin’ things down where they can.”
“That’s reductive,” said Filera. “And it’s a useless approach to entad identification, unless there’s a keyword that needs to be found.”
“Well, then what are you doin’?” asked Hannah.
“I’m finding the sets,” said Filera. “Entads don’t fall into the natural sets, and their so-called language is the best way of finding their function, but right now I’m interrogating the function of the location mechanism. The wardrobe leads to a place in a different hex when selected using the dial, oriented as upward being north, but where in that other hex is in question, and there are standard mechanisms with variants. I’m trying to find out which one and with what variants.”
“We’re most interested in how often it can be used and in what conditions,” said Alfric.
“I’m intending a full analysis,” said Filera. She had a way of keeping her tone mild while saying something that seemed to be a rebuke. “It will take some time though, perhaps an hour, if you want my certification. If you’ll be talking, I’d prefer it’s just outside.”
“Well, I think I’m going home,” said Mizuki. “I’ll go see what Verity has been up to, then maybe start on dinner. Any requests? Easier to fulfill them now, while we’re not far from the shops.”
“Something light,” said Alfric. “Fish?”
“A good fish stew would do,” said Hannah.
“I have no idea how to make that, and it sounds disgusting,” said Mizuki. “But I can do fish and potatoes and some kind of green thing. You always need a green thing.”
“Not always,” said Hannah.
Mizuki shrugged. “Well, when you cook, you can leave the greens out. I know Cairbre food is mostly whites and browns. Anyway, I’ll see you both later, it was fun.”
“She’s very likable,” said Alfric, once Mizuki was out of earshot and they’d moved away to give Filera some space.
“She’s agreeable,” said Hannah. “Never makes much of a fuss, and I get the sense that would be true even if it were important that a fuss be made. She’ll tell people what they want to hear and go along with ideas someone else suggests.”
“And you don’t like that?” asked Alfric.
“I like Mizuki,” said Hannah. “But I’m the opposite.”
“Disagreeable?” asked Alfric.
“I like to tussle with people,” said Hannah. “I like to challenge and be challenged. Mizuki is like pushin’ over a pile of wet paper. I like her, but my instinct is to push and prod, and I have to keep in mind that can’t really be done with her, lest she dissolve at my touch.”
“She’s different from what you’re used to,” said Alfric. “I can understand that.”
“No, I’ve met people like her before,” said Hannah. “At the seminary, I always held them in contempt, but that was because we were there for the glory of Garos, the ideas were the point of it, and some of them just crumbled when questioned or pressed. The seminary was a bit two-faced about it though.”
“And not in a good, symmetrical way?” asked Alfric.
“Har,” said Hannah. The more she thought about it, the more it was a little funny. “No, on the one hand they want, need, people who are passionate about Garos, who understand his fundamental nature, who eagerly seek to interrogate what he means, but on the other hand, there’s doctrine and keepin’ people in line.”
Alfric nodded. “Two hands and two faces.” He was grinning and not seeming to take the conversation too seriously, which was a bit of a disappointment. Hannah liked his seriousness. He had a real ability and willingness to tussle, so long as it was a matter he cared about, which was to say, so long as it was about dungeons.
“It’s the same with the dungeons, isn’t it?” asked Hannah. “When you were in the Junior League, there were people who would wave off discussions of the dungeons? People who would accept what they were told, rather than speakin’ up and tryin’ to get to the bottom of things?”
“Yes,” said Alfric. He contemplated that and judged his words. “Absolutely. I don’t think I have that same desire to press that you have, but when told not to do something or that we must always do something, the ‘why’ was important to me. Other people seemed to just accept it.”
“Because the ‘why’ might save your life someday,” said Hannah, nodding in agreement. “Or there might be an edge case or some underlyin’ theory or somethin’. But some people just want instructions they can follow, rather than to think for themselves. And in our case, with sweet little Mizuki, she seems content not to think too much. That’s all.”
“And you find her agreeableness disagreeable,” said Alfric.
“Not much, no,” said Hannah. “But I have to remind myself who she is, or she’ll annoy me.”
“So far, I haven’t been bothered by it,” said Alfric. “She’s a surprisingly proficient sorcerer for someone who doesn’t seem like she’s taken her education all that far, though part of that is that we’ve got a nice collection of casters. You let me know if there’s anything that I can do to grease the wheels between the two of you.”
“Och,” said Hannah. “I like her, but you have to understand me, that when you say anythin’, almost anythin’ at all, I’ll like to say ‘but’ and then hammer it out with you. So if you’d said that you didn’t care for Mizuki, I’d feel myself inclined to mount a defense, but when you said she was likable, I went straight for the things I wasn’t so fond of. And that’s one of the things that people don’t like about me, which I think is fair. I tilt toward the contrary. I always have.”
“Good to know,” Alfric said with a nod.
“I think I will head out,” said Hannah. “If you think you’ll be fine movin’ the wardrobe on your own? I’m in a bit of a mood and need some prayer, perhaps in the direction of Mizuki.”
“Of course,” said Alfric. “I’ll either bring the wardrobe by myself or leave it here, and we can get it tomorrow. It’s possible that I might be able to get it a temporary home in town, so we can start banking rings off it, but I guess we’ll see.”
“Thanks,” said Hannah. “For all you do. And for listenin’ to me reflexively complain about someone who didn’t deserve it.”
Alfric nodded. “Go, clear your head, I’ll deal with Filera.”
Hannah thought about stopping in to speak with Lemmel, but she did need to clear her head and instead elected to go find a bench to sit on for a bit and pray.
Chapter 39 — Holy Numbers
Alfric, having nothing better to do, came back into the room with Filera early. She was still standing there and looking at the wardrobe with her eyes narrowed. There was no longer any inspection of it, only a sharp gaze. Alfric found himself a chair and calmly waited.
The party was getting along well, and he included himself in that assessment. Hopefully Lola would forget about him, or be convinced not to chase him down, though both of those seemed like they had a rather slim chance. If Lola’s party broke up… well, that would be the opportunity that Alfric had once dreamed about, a chance to put everything back together again and do it how he’d always wanted to do it. He felt a pang of guilt, since it would mean leaving the Pucklechurch party he’d formed. The feelings were more complicated than he would have imagined. It was a combination of Lola’s report on problems with the party and his growing affection for the Pucklechurch team, he thought.