The Questor had implicit trust in his titanic ally, but he knew that Shakkar was, on occasion, a little clumsy in his speech. Of course, the ubiquitous Thribble knew that the two young humans were in love, but the minuscule demon, teller of sagas to his more powerful underworld kin, was well aware of the value of discretion in the information he revealed.

The girl held out her right hand, and Shakkar bent at the waist as if it were a hinge, touching his closed mouth to the proffered extremity in a lipless but gentle parody of a kiss. Drex laughed as the frightening apparition performed his solemn obeisance, and the demon jerked upright.

"Was my act somehow amusing to you, young female?" Shakkar demanded.

"I was just glad to see that a person with such big claws and teeth was also a real gentleman," Drex replied, and the demon snorted.

Grimm suspected that, if Shakkar were capable of blushing, his grey-green face would have been blazing cherry-red, and the mage could feel Thribble shaking in his robe pocket, as if the imp were seized by a fit of silent laughter. Shakkar's discomfiture notwithstanding, the ice seemed to have broken.

For the next two hours, Grimm and Shakkar discussed civic matters: the growing trade links that Crar had formed with surrounding towns since it had been liberated from the baleful dictatorship of Starmor; the disbursement of city funds; and the refurbishment of important buildings. If Drex found the discussion tedious, she hid it well, but she breathed a sigh of relief when Shakkar made his excuses and left.

"I doubt you'll ever find life with a Guild Questor normal, Drex," Grimm said with a smile. "If you wanted a quiet life in some peaceful backwater, with climbing roses up the walls and cows in the field, I'm afraid you've made the wrong choice of partner."

Drexelica laughed. "I'm not sorry at all, Grimm. I want only to be with you, no matter what happens. I know you won't be able to be at my side all the time, or even a lot of the time, but I'll try not to let it get me down."