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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sialia" data-source="post: 1085198" data-attributes="member: 1025">No no--it is even better than this. There are actually two updates. You just have to go back to where I left myself a placeholder for the first one: <a href="http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=976492#post976492" target="_blank">http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=976492#post976492</a>Then go ahead and read the one below.Teliaz stopped by. "Boo," he said cheerfully. Or at least, as cheerfully as he could in that "I'm going to enjoy watching the agony of your death throes" voice of his. Despite Dylrath's best efforts, Teliaz hadn't made a lot of progress in the cheery department.As usual, Dylrath jumped. "Damn," he said, trying to catch the ink pot as it tipped over across the vellum. "Damn damn damn. Don't DO that."It was still unnerving the way he would just show up. Dylrath never heard a footfall -- fine, plenty of people did that -- but he still couldn't feel Teliaz looking at him, and that drove him nuts. Decent people looked at you before they tapped you on the shoulder. It was aggravating that with all the progress he'd made (cheeriness notwithstanding), Teliaz was still getting that perk from his Dad. Dylrath blotted up the spilled ink furiously."'S go," Teliaz said gesturing his thumb over his shoulder."Can't," Dylrath said."What 'can't'? Surf's up." Teliaz said."Can't." Dylrath grabbed his sandpaper and began sanding off the vellum, trying to get a clean surface again. "Damn. Gotta finish this.""Blow it off.""But my defense starts tomorrow. Blessed tommorrow!""So? What's a little deadline? Make 'em wait 'til you're ready."Dylrath looked up and blinked. "But I am ready. I'm totally ready. The whole project is ready for the presentation. It's just this damned chart that's not ready. I've got to finish it on time, or wait until next spring. I can't wait until next spring. I have things to do. Or will. If the world doesn't end. N'import, if this plane is ending, I'm getting my degree before it goes up in smoke, waka?""Dylly, me boyo," Teliaz said leaning forward, "Over the past few months you've made me late for every temple appointment, every assasination, every damned thing I'm supposed to be doing instead of hanging out with you. And have I ever let you down when the sun was shining, or the floods were flooding, or winds were blowing, or whatever other damn fool thing you thought was a lark? Have I?"Teliaz looked hurt. Dylrath paused to think. A moment more, a wrong word, and Teliaz's hurt would turn into betrayal, and everything, everything was at risk. Maybe it already had.  How important was the chart? Sure Dylrath had been writing the Census of Oursk and Treatise on Contemporary Divination for years, and only working the "saving Teliaz" project a few months, but which was the priority? Teliaz. Clearly Teliaz. Screw up with Teliaz and a lot more things were at risk than Dylrath's career. But there was something else here.  What? What was it? He could almost feel his late master Loial smacking him upside the head. Something . . .something important . . . A Moment. An Opportunity."Never, pal. You've always dropped everything. And we've always had a great time. But. . . but . . .you didn't exactly drop everything just for me, right? All those things you were avoiding, they were all things you didn't really want to be doing in the first place."Dylrath put down his tools and walked over to put a hand on Teliaz's shoulder. "I want to do this. Screwing around is my hobby, but this is my life's work. I've got a possible client on the line if I can get the faculty to approve the thesis and graduate me outta here before the moment passes or someone else snags my window of opportunity. This project is for me. I don't want to screw it up."Teliaz's face set into a stony mask. Dylrath realized that he hadn't looked like the scary old Teliaz in months. Until now."Fine," Teliaz said, turning on his heel to stalk away.Damn, Dylrath thought. He's not getting it. "Wait," he called, hurrying after Teliaz."What?""Take the Outgrabe. If I can't come out with you today, it'll be the next best thing. It'll be almost like I'm there.""You're serious.""Bricks, yes. Take the blessed thing. It's done nothing but whine for the last week anyway about how I'm not getting any exercise. Or any younger. Or any better looking. Driving me nuts. Take it out and give it a good run. I don't want to see it for the next week while I finish things up here. Then we can catch up and celebrate my victory or drown my sorrows."Teliaz eyed the hovering disk greedily. It eyed him back ineffably, its many multifaceted eyes glinting softly."I'm only a 'hobby,'" it mimicked sarcastically. "When do I get to be somebody's 'life's work'?" it added in an aggrieved tone that resembled Velendo far more than Dylrath. "Never hurts to have a dream,"  Teliaz said with a casual smile. "Right pal?" And with a practiced step, he hopped up onto the board and glided out of the room. "See ya in a week," Dylrath hollered after them.A cantrip would settle the chart, he realized, now that he was thinking clearly.If only there was something that would settle his stomach . . .</blockquote>

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