ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-SEVEN: Notion
167
******
“My Body Becomes My Assistant?” Stuart asked. He was on the floor with his legs crossed, and though he had sat in polite silence while Alden finished the wordchain, he’d watched the whole casting process intently.
“I want to use it in gym and get the hang of it, but I’ve been thinking I might mix up having it active with having it inactive so that I’m getting better at moving in both ways. Trouble doesn’t always happen in convenient six-hour windows. Do knights use a lot of wordchains?”
“Yes. Chaotic environments can reduce their efficacy, so depending on the situation a large number of casts might be necessary to gain the desired benefit. It’s often worth it, but not always.”
“Peace of Mind worked well on Thegund.”
“That’s not the kind of chaotic environment I mean. And Thegund is populated by Artonans. That makes a difference.”
The cottage had brightened with the arrival of morning, and the suitcase on the floor between them had revealed the full glory of its patch job. Most of the rips and gouges were small, since a certain ryeh-b’t preferred to make sure the whole bag received her attentions rather than committing to the total destruction of any single part, and now they were all repaired with a silver fabric that looked like it had melted into place to fit the holes rather than being stitched.
Stuart had been planning to turn it all blue to match the suitcase, but Alden had stopped him.