His explanation fills in many of the blanks of her own knowledge, and even answers her earlier unspoken questions. It doesn't make it any easier to hear. Poor Mergo! His origin story is as tragic as that of the Brain of Mensis, even if his destiny was to always be a Great One. "That is so sad," she says softly. Worse yet, for Micolash to be so ignorant of the pain he caused both the baby's mother and Abysa in his telling of the tale!

"I'm sorry he couldn't understand why that would make you upset. It makes me upset to hear, and my life is nowhere near that sort of situation." She looks up at him worriedly. "Has he said at all what's happened to Mergo, now that Micolash is no longer hosting his Nightmare? He may be a Great One, but he's still a baby..."