----------- Five Years Later. --------------

       Matten makes a face, like she knew he would. "You're right," he says. "I hate this plan, and expect it to end with you ignominiously dead in a ditch. You presumably knew I'd say that and think it should be you anyway, so - why?"

"I don't want another civil war," she says. "Maybe that's - cowardice - the world is ending, and it's hardly worse for it to end with the empire divided - but - perhaps there'll be a last-minute opportunity, and we can't seize it if we've all slaughtered each other. Perhaps there'll be a Divine, and I'd rather there be something to unite behind them if there is. I think - if someone goes who isn't me - then no matter what they see, no matter what proof they bring, I'm at most going to persuade half the Order. And persuading half the Order is almost worse than persuading no one. I think that if I go, and it's as bad as we think, if I can say I've seen it all firsthand, I can persuade - almost everyone."

        He drums his fingers on the table, unhappily. "You only get to bet everything on that once. Is this the best place to make that bet?"

"I haven't thought of a better one."

        "You're a terrible liar."

"I wasn't planning to lie. I was planning to go to the nearest town where we can be assured no one will know my face and tell them I'm a sourcerer and I heard there is a cure and I am turning myself in."

         "You're a terrible slight-misdirection-er."

That's fair. Her face had flushed even saying that much. "Fine. You will take me to the nearest town where we can be assured no one will know my face and tell them I'm a sourcerer and you heard there was a bounty."

          "I fear for you in their custody."

"We can time it for shortly before the next ship for Fort Joy departs."

           "You prepared for this conversation."

"Extensively. Seena thinks I'm right and it ought to be me. So does Ened -"

           He shakes his head dismissively. 

"I know you don't think anyone else is ever careful enough."

           "It's not that. It's -"

"I don't need your permission to do this. I came here to have this conversation because you might be right and I want to know if you are."

            "People believe in you. Until they've seen you be perfectly persuasive and compelling and transfixing and untouchable and - wrong. And if none of them survive your mistakes then you will always be surrounded always by people who have never seen you be wrong."

----------- Five Years Later. --------------

       Matten makes a face, like she knew he would. "You're right," he says. "I hate this plan, and expect it to end with you ignominiously dead in a ditch. You presumably knew I'd say that and think it should be you anyway, so - why?"

"I don't want another civil war," she says. "Maybe that's - cowardice - the world is ending, and it's hardly worse for it to end with the empire divided - but - perhaps there'll be a last-minute opportunity, and we can't seize it if we've all slaughtered each other. Perhaps there'll be a Divine, and I'd rather there be something to unite behind them if there is. I think - if someone goes who isn't me - then no matter what they see, no matter what proof they bring, I'm at most going to persuade half the Order. And persuading half the Order is almost worse than persuading no one. I think that if I go, and it's as bad as we think, if I can say I've seen it all firsthand, I can persuade - almost everyone."

        He drums his fingers on the table, unhappily. "You only get to bet everything on that once. Is this the best place to make that bet?"

"I haven't thought of a better one."

        "You're a terrible liar."

"I wasn't planning to lie. I was planning to go to the nearest town where we can be assured no one will know my face and tell them I'm a sourcerer and I heard there is a cure and I am turning myself in."

         "You're a terrible slight-misdirection-er."

That's fair. Her face had flushed even saying that much. "Fine. You will take me to the nearest town where we can be assured no one will know my face and tell them I'm a sourcerer and you heard there was a bounty."

          "I fear for you in their custody."

"We can time it for shortly before the next ship for Fort Joy departs."

           "You prepared for this conversation."

"Extensively. Seena thinks I'm right and it ought to be me. So does Ened -"

           He shakes his head dismissively. 

"I know you don't think anyone else is ever careful enough."

           "It's not that. It's -" But he doesn't finish the sentence, even when she allows the silence to sit long enough to grow uncomfortable.

"I don't need your permission to do this," she says eventually. "I came here to have this conversation because you might be right and I want to know if you are."

            "People believe in you. Until they've seen you be perfectly persuasive and compelling and transfixing and untouchable and - wrong. And if none of them survive your mistakes then you will always be surrounded always by people who have never seen you be wrong."

----------- Five Years Later. --------------

       Matten makes a face, like she knew he would. "You're right," he says. "I hate this plan, and expect it to end with you ignominiously dead in a ditch. You presumably knew I'd say that and think it should be you anyway, so - why?"

"I don't want another civil war," she says. "Maybe that's - cowardice - the world is ending, and it's hardly worse for it to end with the empire divided - but - perhaps there'll be a last-minute opportunity, and we can't seize it if we've all slaughtered each other. Perhaps there'll be a Divine, and I'd rather there be something to unite behind them if there is. I think - if someone goes who isn't me - then no matter what they see, no matter what proof they bring, I'm at most going to persuade half the Order. And persuading half the Order is almost worse than persuading no one. I think that if I go, and it's as bad as we think, if I can say I've seen it all firsthand, I can persuade - almost everyone."

        He drums his fingers on the table, unhappily. "You only get to bet everything on that once. Is this the best place to make that bet?"

"I haven't thought of a better one."

        "You're a terrible liar."

"I wasn't planning to lie. I was planning to go to the nearest town where we can be assured no one will know my face and tell them I'm a sourcerer and I heard there is a cure and I am turning myself in."

         "You're a terrible slight-misdirection-er."

That's fair. Her face had flushed even saying that much. "Fine. You will take me to the nearest town where we can be assured no one will know my face and tell them I'm a sourcerer and you heard there was a bounty."

          "I fear for you in their custody."

"We can time it for shortly before the next ship for Fort Joy departs."

           "You prepared for this conversation."

"Extensively. Seena thinks I'm right and it ought to be me. So does Ened -"

           He shakes his head dismissively. 

"I know you don't think anyone else is ever careful enough."

           "It's not that. It's -" But he doesn't finish the sentence, even when she allows the silence to sit long enough to grow uncomfortable.

"I don't need your permission to do this," she says eventually. "I came here to have this conversation because you might be right and I want to know if you are."

            "People believe in you. Until they've seen you be perfectly persuasive and compelling and transfixing and untouchable and - wrong. And if none of them survive your mistakes then you will always be surrounded by people who have never seen you be wrong."