“Since I wasn’t thinking of going to him to get pregnant, that really doesn’t—”

Veevee laughed. “You liar. As soon as you found out that the coach’s daughter was carrying Danny’s baby, you’ve been insanely jealous.”

Pat couldn’t argue with that.

“I’m telling you that you could probably succeed in that. Unless Set decided not to impregnate you, but instead makes Danny torture you to death.”

Pat shuddered. “But anything I do might end that way.”

“I know,” said Veevee. “And Set may make Danny search for you until he finds you, so that even if you do nothing that could still happen. As I said, all the awful outcomes are on the table. So you have to do something that at least offers a possibility of a really good outcome.”

“The only good outcome is Danny alive and Set out of his body and gone from the world.”

“It’s not a good outcome if he’s gone to Westil and comes back with an army of a hundred thousand mages under his control, my dear,” said Veevee.

“Danny alive and free, and Set not in a position to harm anybody ever again.”

“Now you really are too ambitious, my pet,” said Veevee.

“Best outcome,” said Pat. “You can’t deny that that’s the best outcome.”

“Yes, it’s victory in the whole war against the Belmages.”

“And Danny alive and free.”

“I wasn’t forgetting that. But darling, you’re a novice windmage—though pretty skilled, judging from the highly localized cyclone you whipped up when I first got here. I don’t think there’s any plan you can come up with where your actions can lead to the defeat of Set. Still, it’s lovely to dream.”

“I don’t have any plan at all,” said Pat. “But you’re right. Because you came to me here and we had this conversation, I’m now looking for a different kind of action. Not the action of Juliet, stabbing herself to death because she thinks Romeo is dead. That’s just melodrama and self-indulgence. Just emotion. I’ll find something rational, or I won’t do anything at all.”

“Rational?” asked Veevee. “Who does anything rational?”

“Me,” said Pat. “If I can think of something.”

“Well, if you refrain from action until you have a rational plan, then both you and Danny will be safe from any screw-ups you might otherwise perpetrate.”

“At least I’ll be thinking instead of just walking around crying and wanting to scream,” said Pat. “So … thank you for coming to me.”

“And thank you for talking to me. Aren’t we a pair of shopkeepers? Thank you. No, thank you.”

Pat laughed.

Veevee came to her, raised her up from the ground, and gave her a hug. “You’re a dear,” said Veevee. “Danny could have chosen so much worse.”

“Oh, I know,” said Pat. “But I do aspire to be something better than not-the-worst.”

“You’re doing very well so far,” said Veevee. “And if you do take a trip to the underworld, do come back and tell me about it.”