“I just tried to do that,” said Wad, “and it didn’t work.”

“You can’t gate me away,” said Danny. “And you don’t want to, either. Because I’m here to bring this woman out of her coma.”

“That’s not within your power,” said Wad.

“You don’t know my power,” said Danny. “I say that I can bring her back. But I think you don’t want me to.”

Wad had no answer for that, because if he told the truth to Danny, Prayard would hear.

So they looked at each other in silence.

“I understand,” said Prayard. “You have secrets of gatemagery to discuss, but can’t speak freely in front of me.”

“It would be helpful if you weren’t here,” Danny said.

“He’s the King,” said Wad, “and this is his wife.”

“If he loves her,” said Danny, “then he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back. Even if it means trusting me, a stranger, enough to leave this place while I do what I have learned how to do.”

“Is that Other still inside you?” asked Wad.

Danny North knelt there silently, looking at Prayard.

“I’ll go,” said Prayard.

“There’s no need for you to leave,” said Wad, “because whatever this foolish boy thinks he’s going to do, I forbid it.”

“You can’t stop me,” said Danny, “and King Prayard doesn’t want me to be stopped.”

Prayard rose up from the stool on which he had been keeping vigil. “As long as Wad is here to keep you from harming her, I’ll trust you.”

“This boy isn’t even from our world,” said Wad. “You can’t trust him.”

“I know he isn’t from Westil,” said Prayard. “Look at him, listen to his accent. He’s obviously from Mittlegard. Yet he came here in spite of the Gate Thief. And you didn’t have the power to send him away. So of all the mages in this room, I think that he’s the most powerful.”

“I am,” said Danny North, “but I won’t harm anyone.”

“You’ll harm everyone,” said Wad.

“No,” said Danny. “I know what’s keeping her silent and still, and I know how to remedy that, and you don’t know, and you don’t want to know.”

“I don’t want to know,” said Prayard, though he obviously knew Danny’s words had been aimed at Wad. “But I want my wife back.”

“And the baby safely born,” said Danny.

“When the time comes,” said Prayard.

“The time is now,” said Danny. “And Wad knows it.”

Prayard looked at Wad. Apparently Wad’s ability to look innocent had left him, because Prayard immediately said, “When were you going to tell me, Wad?”

“It could be now, or it could be in a week, or two weeks,” said Wad. “I’m waiting to see if she goes into labor on her own.”