They walked down to the shoreline in silence and deposited
the tarp in the bottom of the skiff. The sun was barely above the
eastern horizon, and already the day was beginning to feel warm.
The Rainbow Lake was smooth, the air windless and filled with
the scent of wildflowers and long grass.
Coil turned. “You know, it’s not that I mind you being de-
cisive about things. It’s just that you then assume I ought simply
to agree. I shouldn’t argue, I should acquiesce. Well, I am not
going to do that. If you want to strike out for the Hadeshom and
the Dragon’s Teeth-fine, you go right ahead. But quit acting as
if I ought to jump at the chance to go along.”
Par didn’t say anything back right away. Instead, he thought
about what it had been like for them growing up. Par was the
older by two years and while physically smaller than Coil, he
had always been the leader. He had me magic, after all, and that
had always set him apart. It was true, he was decisive; it had
been necessary to be decisive when faced with the temptation
to use the magic to solve every situation. He had not been as
even-tempered as he should have; he wasn’t any better now. Coil
had always been the more controlled of the two-slower to an-
ger, thoughtful and deliberate, a bom peacemaker in the neigh-
borhood fights and squabbles because no one else had the
physical and emotional presence. Or was as well liked, he
added-because Coil was always that, the sort of fellow that
everyone takes to instantly. He spent his time looking after ev-
eryone, smoothing over hard feelings, restoring injured pride.
Par was always charging around, oblivious to such things, busy
searching for new places to explore, new challenges to engage,
new ideas to develop. He was visionary, but he lacked Coil’s
sensitivity. He foresaw so clearly life’s possibilities, but Coil
was the one who understood best its sacrifices.
There had been a good many times when they had covered for
each other’s mistakes. But Par had the magic to fall back on and
covering up for Coil had seldom cost him anything. It hadn’t been
like that for Coil. Covering up for Par had sometimes cost him a
great deal. Yet Par was his brother, whom he loved, and he never
complained. Sometimes, thinking back on those days, Par was
ashamed of how much he had let his brother do for him.
He brushed the memories aside. Coil was looking at him,
waiting for his response. Par shifted his feet impatiently and
thought about what that response ought to be. Then he said
simply, “All right. What do you think we should do?”
“Shades, I don’t know what we should do!” Coil said at
once. “I just know that there are a lot of unanswered questions,
and I don’t think we should commit ourselves to anything until
we’ve had a chance to answer some of mem!”
Par nodded stoically.’ ‘Before the time of the new moon, you
mean.”
“That’s better than three weeks away and you know it!”
Par’s jaw tightened. “That’s not as much time as you make
it seem! How are we supposed to answer all the questions we
have before then?”
Coil stared at him. “You are impossible, you know that?”
He turned and walked back from the shoreline to where the
blankets and cooking gear were stacked and began carrying them
down to the skiff. He didn’t look at Par. Par stood where he was
and watched his brother in silence. He was remembering how
Coil had pulled him half-drowned from the Rappahalladran when
he had fallen in the rapids on a camping trip. He had gone under
and Coil had been forced to dive down for him. He became sick
afterward and Coil had carried him home on his back, shaking
with fever and half-delirious. Coil was always looking out for
him, it seemed. Why was that, he wondered suddenly, when he
was the one with the magic?
Coil finished packing the skiff, and Par walked over to him.
“I’m sorry,” he said and waited.
Coil looked down at him solemnly a moment, then grinned.