Nerium laughs, short and abrupt, but genuine. "Because it is Bob. Is there a name on earth more mundane? Besides, he hisses each time I say it. He prefers Gorgog the Great. So I use Bob when he acts out of line."

She stands in the canoe, holding out her arms, and it begins to pick up speed. The pond gives the illusion of growing - to a lake, to a bay, to an ocean, and they cruise along the waves with wind blowing about them.

His shift was notable. The rise inside him. Something dark. Something growing. It is why she meets it with such a display of power. Whatever it is, it must know she is a formidable force.

"You were going to ask about what I said. About the dark. Go ahead."