"You didn't exactly decide to do that."

"I am not sure if it would feel better or worse if it had been my decision!" 

Leareth grimaces slightly. "I do wonder how much my attitudes toward mind-control were shaped by the fact that in my original homeland, everyone was doing it all the time. Also murdering people, and using mind-control to murder people. Predain was very horrible. But - I suppose I saw a horrible thing used for horrible ends, and thought it was an incremental improvement from there to myself use the horrible thing to prevent other harms, and - maybe it was a more comfortable tool for me to hold, later, because of that beginning. I have wondered lately how different I would be if I had first grown up somewhere less - like that." 

"I mean, most people are pretty strongly affected by their culture of origin. I don't actually feel that way myself but I know it's typical."

"You are a very unusual person!" 

He looks thoughtful for a while. "It would not trouble me all that much, I think, if I were mind-controlled by someone who shared my goals but was far more skilled and clever than I am, even if they disagreed on exact plans. I would expect them on average to converge on the correct strategy, and to make effective use of me. - I think I would have mixed feelings about you mind-controlling me, but mostly because you are less experienced than I am, if our ages were reversed I would feel less conflicted. I suspect that - reflects some difference in intuitions, between us? Since I predict you feel very differently about the hypothetical." 

"I think someone who shared my goals and was far more skilled and clever than I am would probably have learned how to write a persuasive essay or something."

"That is a valid point. I - suppose I would not think such a person was being unreasonable, if they were uncomfortable trusting me fully and wanted to mind-control me; I would find that paranoia understandable. Which - reflects what I consider acceptable costs, I suppose. Though I think I would feel more comfortable with that hypothetical if it bothered them, if they truly weighed and grieved it as a cost." 

"If somebody mind controlled me I would be way more able to later, once no longer feeling whatever way they decided I should feel about it, forgive that if they had, like, some kind of elaborate chart with forty different ideas and reasons they wouldn't work that they'd agonized over and gotten a second and a third pair of eyes on and so on and so forth before they went ahead."

"I have some very elaborate planning charts on this! And Nayoki has reviewed all of it since she joined the organization. Though - I suppose it is relevant that except for you, everyone who works with me in a high-level position has been filtered for being willing to work with mind-control. Ninety percent of it is for maintaining operational security on various aspects of my plans that I do not want the gods to find out about. Anyway, I would appreciate having your eyes on it as well, for any future considerations." 

"Sounds good. In between mad science before a country falls on my head."

"I wish I had five of you!" Sigh. "Or that we had five times as much time to spare." 

"Ooh, it'd be fun to have five of me! Even if it made our relationship sort of weird."

"We could have five of me too, and both have a harem of each other. It would be very scandalous." 

"Pffft! But we would get so much done."

"The Star-Eyed would be terrified." 

"I love you."

"I love you too." 

The next few days are in comparison uneventful. Randi doesn't get sick. All of the Heralds except Kilchas are feeling fairly chipper now, including Vanyel, though the ones who were ill are mostly staying in their rooms to avoid the risk of contagion. Kilchas is taking longer to regain his strength but is on the mend. The on-average-much-older Council lords and wives are convalescing more slowly and will probably need another week before they can travel.

Rolan departs for Haven again the day after, along with the visiting Heralds, who've been camping outside town. He promises they'll have word of what's going on in Haven as soon as possible. 

Belrun Heals, mostly working on villagers since she's the only Healer with a Companion to trot around on house to house, and lays out an itinerary of what needs doing to complete her immortality arrangement so she'll be freed up to do things like be Queen.

Leareth is perking up more as well; he's having a lot of long Mindspeech conversations with Nayoki, and going through notes and drawing up alterations to plans based on all the remarkable and surprising new conditions.

"I should speak with Vanyel about the Heartstone, and what if anything can be done about it," he tells Belrun when she's bringing him lunch. "Though it will be simpler when we are both not worried about being contagious and can just speak in the same room and demonstrate magic as needed." 

"I can check you over now if you like." Peer peer.

He's not yet down to zero flu-virus-shedding but it's nearly gone. 

"Almost there. Maybe tomorrow. Then I can kiss you properly."

"Oh, good! I have missed that." 

"So have I!" She kisses him improperly instead.

Happy wiggle.

"...What a strange week. I would be annoyed with myself for failing to predict this, except I could not have predicted the exact set of bizarre events here even if I had spent a thousand years considering all possible scenarios I could think of."