“How busy can gods get?” Arhu muttered, turning his attention back to the gate.

“You’d be surprised,” Urruah said. “Queen Iau’s daughters have their own lives to lead. You think the Silent One has all day to sit around waiting to see if you need help? Get off those little thaith of yours and do something.”

“They’re not little,” Arhu said, and then fell silent for a moment. ” … All right, should I just collapse this and start over?”

“Sure, go ahead,” Rhiow said.

Arhu reached out a paw and hooked one claw into one of the glowing control strings of the gate. The visible gate-locus vanished, leaving nothing behind it but the intricate, faint traces of hyperstring structure in the air.

And he’s right about them not being little, Rhiow said privately, from her mind to Urruah’s.

When even you notice that, oh spayed one, Urruah said, it suggests that we may shortly have a problem on our hands.

Rhiow stifled a laugh, keeping her eye on Arhu as he studied the gate matrix, then sat up again and started slowly hooking strings out of the air to “reweave’ the visible matrix. It surprises me that you would describe the concept of approaching sexual maturity as a problem.

Oh, it’s not, not as his affects me anyway, Urruah said. We’re in-pride now: he’s safe with me—it helps that the relationship between you and me isn’t physical. Though I do feel sorry for you, Urruah said, magnanimously.

Rhiow simply put her whiskers forward and accepted the implied compliment without comment. But for him, Urruah said, there’s likely to be trouble coming. Hormonal surges don’t sort well with the normal flow of wizardly practice.