“Alf, she’s setting up to suggest that we take some of those planes and tanks to Westil,” said Gerd. “Where the other side won’t have tanks and planes at all. Ours don’t need to be refueled, and if we could get them there at all, we could get more missiles and bullets and artillery shells. Only we wouldn’t have to use up many, because once they saw what the cannons and missiles on a jet could do, who would fight us?”

“What ‘other side’?” asked Alf.

“Whichever side is against the side we choose,” said Gerd. “We don’t care which side here, either. But once we pick, then our side has to win.”

“So we invade Westil, is what you’re saying,” said Alf. “Live here for fifteen centuries, wishing we could go home—but we go home with heavy armaments and blow stuff up.”

“Sounds like the essence of magery,” said Hermia. “Why fight where the other side has a fighting chance?”

Alf chuckled. “Well, ain’t that something.”

“We’d have to bring pilots with us,” said Gerd. “They wouldn’t be all that happy to leave Mittlegard.”

“Doesn’t have to be for very long,” said Hermia. “Take the ones that want to go, use them to train locals on Westil, and then let the ones from Mittlegard go home. With lots of pay, of course.”

“The North family isn’t rich like you Greeks,” said Gerd.

“The North family has complete access to the treasury and the credit of the United States of America and every bank within its borders,” said Hermia.

“Oh, that,” said Gerd. She felt foolish that she hadn’t remembered. They weren’t an obscure family on a compound in Virginia anymore.

“What’s in this for you?” asked Alf.

“Well, that’s just it. You know Danny would never make a Great Gate for you to take armaments to Westil. Or Pat. Certainly not the Gate Thief. So if you’re going to get there, it has to be with my help.”

“What’s your price?” asked Alf.

“Not money,” said Hermia. “And besides, I’m not sure I can do it.”

Gerd didn’t have to turn and look to know that Alf was rolling his eyes.

Hermia held up a hand. “I think I can, but I had no reason to try. It would just irritate Danny and Loki, for no good purpose. I have no business on Westil right now, except your business. I had some thoughts of going there and offering to take local mages to Mittlegard and back, spice things up a little there, but the problem is that with this new way of going from place to place, I’m not sure if it will have the enhancing effect of a Great Gate.”

Alf raised a skeptical hand. “Well, now, if—”

“Think,” said Hermia. “You’ve already made the Great Gate passage, so you don’t need any enhancing effect. All you need is to get from one place to another. What I don’t know is, does the enhancement come from just traveling between Mittlegard and Westil? Or does it come from passing through an area of dozens of gates aligned to carry people between the worlds? No way to know until we try.”