"Windy is actually pretty mild-tempered and agreeable. I don't know why she'd scatter the cards like that."

"Okay, but." Not what I asked. "If I capture a card that just doesn't like me, will they make a mess with anything I ask them to do, refuse to listen entirely, or what?"

"They can't refuse to listen what you order them to do, once you capture them, but it's better if you make them like you, both because of how much power they'll give you then and how easy it will be to use them. Also because it wouldn't be very nice to them otherwise."

"That reminds me, to what extent are the cards people? Flower didn't seem to care when I asked. They can think at least some, they want things, but you seem... Smarter than Flower was. Unless I just think that because they can't talk."

He blinks. "What do you mean, to what extent?"

"They're not humans, they're not the magic equivalent of robots, they don't seem all that smart, I'm trying to figure out where to put them on the 'deserves ethical treatment' scale. Presumably near the top but you know more about them than me."

"Oh. They're... magic. Some of them can talk, and they vary a lot, but they're all smart."

"And I have to capture them to prevent catastrophe, but I'll try to treat them well anyway." Great, now I have a moral responsiblity.

He puts Float back into the book, tosses Windy out, tap, "Windy!"

This time she is a lady.

"Hello, Windy. I want to get to know you a bit. Do you want anything in particular from me?"

She nods.

"...Can you try to tell me what it is without using words?"

She spreads her arms, then gestures at the Float.

"Is that 'use cards a lot'? 'Use Float'? Am I on the completely wrong track?"

She nods at the last question.

"Hmm... Freedom? Cerberus, any ideas?"

"She's not usually this cryptic."

The Windy makes another gesture, indicating his staff with her translucent arms.

"You want me to learn magic? Capture more cards? Something to do with magic that isn't those two things? Or completely wrong again?"

She cocks her head at him.

"D'you think meditating will help, Cerberus?"

"...Do you mind if I give you a nickname, Cerberus doesn't seem quite right." Since he's not a giant scary three-headed dog and all.

"Meditation always helps in understanding what your cards mean," he agrees. "And this isn't my true form," he says, guessing what Terry's on about.

He looks toward the setting sun. It's getting chilly. "Windy, please return. I'll try to figure you out later, promise. Cerberus, I'm gonna go home. You want to come with or find someplace for yourself out here? If you come with me you'll have to try and hide from my family. They'd probably think you were some kind of animatronics I made as a prank."

"I can be very quiet," he says, and becomes as still as a plush toy.

...a floating plush toy.

"And not obviously magic. Would you mind riding in my backpack?" He asks, while packing the Clow Book and his notebook and pencils into same.