if you're so sure you're right, why don't you just do it yourself  Since my advice plainly isn't worth jack to you."

"It's not that it's not worth anything, it's that " "Oh, now you apologize."

"I wasn't apologizing." "Well, maybe you need to!"

"Neets," Kit said, also frowning now, "what do you want me to do  Tell you that I think it's gonna be fine, when I don't really think so "

Nita flushed. When you were working with the Speech, in which what you described would come to pass, lying could be fatal... and you quickly learned

that even talking about spells less than honestly was dangerous.

"Energy is precious," Kit said. "Neither of us can just throw it around the way we used to a couple years ago. It's a nuisance, but it's something we

have to consider."

"Do you think I wasn't considering it  I took my time over that. I didn't even put it through the spell checker. I checked all the syntax, all the

balances, by hand. It took me forever, but "

"Maybe the 'forever' was a hint, Neets," Kit said.

She had been trying to hang on to her temper, but now Nita got so furious that her eyes felt hot. "Fine," she said tightly. "Then you go right ahead and

handle this yourself. And just leave me out of it until you find something you feel is simplistic enough to involve me in."

Kit's expression was shocked, and Nita didn't care. Who needs this  she thought. No matter what I try to do, it's not good enough! So maybe it's time I

stopped trying. Let him work it out himself, if he can.

Nita turned and made her way back down the jetty, her eyes narrowed in annoyance as she slapped her claudication open and pulled out the rowan wand. In