No spoilers, so no spoiler space. This branch of the thread has focused on the opening moments of _Issola_. [Jag] #> Simple, woodsmen aren't dainty. They also don't wear beautiful #> gowns.[1] I have no doubt that if Teldra wanted to, she could do just #> fine in the woods. She also embodies all the nobility of the Issola. #> Brushing through a forest, knocking three limbs and sticks out of the #> way with your limbs, and getting your clothes dirtied and torn in the #> process just doesn't seem to embody the type of nobility that Teldra #> has. Remember, she also managed to eat her jerky daintily. It's all #> about appearances. #> #> [1] I don't remember what she was wearing, just making a guess her [Philip Hart] #I don't think ego-stroking would be polite or politic in the circumstances #- what if Vlad thought he was being patronized? Teldra is an Issola. Most humans (any definition) occasionally have trouble saying certain things to certain people without being patronizing, but grace, courtesy, and tact are the Issola forte, and Lady Teldra has them in spades. If she wants to make Vlad feel in charge and at ease without making him feel patronized, she can. -- Mark A. Mandel http://world.std.com/~mam/Cracks-and-Shards/ a Steven Brust Dragaera fan website