He closes the door behind her. "No, I did not know that." 

"What were your complaints?" 

She pays Leareth no attention. "In this world I never told anybody. I figured it out when I was twenty-three and I never told anybody. I don't know why. Sometimes it was because it seemed like it'd be such a shame, if they killed you before you got to do anything, if your grand denouement came in some other lifetime, after I die - I'm not old, not yet, but with them forewarned it'd have taken you ages...sometimes it was because you would have been right to fear me, if I told anybody, and were only definitely and decidedly wrong as long as I didn't. Sometimes it was because I loved you, maybe. There are a lot of stories that always take the same route, for different reasons. It feels cheap to me. But I never said a word." 

He ducks his head. 

"- I had hoped I was wrong to fear you. That is by far the better world to be in. I am very grateful that you kept my secret. And - I am sorry. For being wrong. For hurting you when it accomplished nothing. I...could not have taken the risk before I knew for sure. You must know that." A crooked smile. "Of course you know that. It does not exactly seem to have held you back, that I left when I did. I know it means little now, but - I am very proud of you. And you figured it out, too, I am so curious what clued you in. Though of course it would serve me right if you never told me." 

"I know everything. I am a cleric of Nethys. - he chose me for me. It had absolutely nothing at all to do with you."

"Of course. You deserve each other. I hear you levelled the temple once." 

"I invented a new ninth-level spell! The way you do it - I wish you'd told me you were cheating, I wouldn't have been so angry with myself for needing so many tries to get them all to work."

"I am sorry." He looks down at the plush carpet, for a moment, then back to her. "I doubt it would have mattered at all if I had ever met you, in terms of Nethys finding you. You were always going to find a road for yourself. But - it was a very happy time, for me, when the world around seemed so dark, and I will always be grateful for that." 

"We could have done it together. Sooner. Thirty years ago."

His eyebrows lift a little. "Is there a world where that happened?" 

"No. You are very yourself, everywhere."

"I suppose I cannot help being myself, by definition. I do believe it. And - I am sorry for costing us thirty years, by being so very myself. And I am deeply grateful for your aid now." His smile broadens a little. "Do you have a plan for the House of Oblivion? The pharaoh of Osirion seems to think you may have one squirrelled away." 

"I can make it open to somewhere else!"

"Impressive!" His eyes narrow a little. "Somewhere else in the material plane, or elsewhere?" 

"There are more places than that, you know."

"I feel that 'elsewhere' is a very inclusive word, really. Well, please do not dump a portal to Abaddon on Velgarth, they have enough problems. I am sure you will do something sensible." 

"Are you. I'm not going to hurt Velgarth, Velgarth is lovely. I might drop in and steal one of their superweapons but I promise only if I need it for something important."

"Perhaps 'sensible' is not the appropriate word for a ninth-level cleric of Nethys. Brilliant and insane, does that suit you better?" 

"Sanity is what protects people from noticing reality."

"I am nonetheless rather fond of mine, so you will have to do the noticing for both of us." 

"Well, all right." She shakes her head, sighs. "If I'm moving the House of Oblivion I should get started on that. Give my regards to your wife, and the children."

"Yes, of course. I would tell you to be careful, but that would be silly. But - do take care. I hope we will speak again after the war." 

Leareth is going to ask about that after. He's also wondering if Nefreti chose to say it just to see the look on his face. 

"If we don't speak again after the war, your incaution, not mine, will be at fault," she says, and leaves, and vanishes as soon as she's outside the room.