“What makes you think that?” asked Eluik. “He didn’t block Danny because Danny was stronger. But he ate the Wild Gate that Hermia had moved, didn’t he? He has all of Danny’s gates and he didn’t give them back.”

Enopp fell into a thoughtful silence.

“I’m probably wrong,” said Eluik to Diamond. “You’re probably not any kind of mage at all. You’re just a really nice man who makes friends easily and holds on to all of them.”

“That’s what I think I am,” said Diamond. “Or what I try to be, anyway. My kids will tell you I’m not always a really nice man.”

“Your kids don’t always do what you want?” asked Enopp.

“Are you kidding?” asked Diamond. “I tell them what’s the right thing to do, but they’re free to choose, and … then they do whatever they damn well please.”

“So … not a very good manmage,” said Enopp.

“No, an excellent manmage,” said Eluik. “Like Mother. She didn’t control us. She left us free.”

“Because she loved us more than anybody,” said Enopp.

“Hardest thing I’ve ever done,” said Diamond. “Letting my kids do some of the insane things they chose to do.”

“Doesn’t mean you’re not a manmage,” said Eluik. “Just means you’re not the kind of manmage that needs killing.”

There were fields on the left side of the car when they turned off to the right, plunging into trees and winding up a narrow lane through deep woods. “Almost home,” said Diamond.

“I can see why somebody might think you’re a treemage,” said Enopp. “This is serious forest.”

“I love trees,” said Diamond. “I know most of the grand old trees on my property by name.”

“Name?” said Enopp. “Trees don’t have names.”

“He just means the name of the kind of tree,” said Eluik.

“No,” said Diamond. “I mean: Annie’s Sycamore. Elm by the Brook. The Reading Oak. Things that we’ve done with or on or under or near the tree. They all have a story and that becomes the tree’s name. We love these trees.”

“Treemagery is a lot safer,” said Enopp. “Nobody kills a treemage.”

“That settles it, then,” said Diamond.

The car crested a rise and emerged at the top of a hill. The ground was meadow for a ways around the house on all sides, but as soon as the ground started downward again, the trees came back. In every direction, they could see miles and miles of tree-covered hills, but hardly any houses at all.

“It almost looks Westilian,” said Enopp. “Like there aren’t any paved roads or big houses except this one.”