My nerves shot, I decided to take the initiative.
“Look, Aahz. About Markie …”
“Yes?”
“I knew about the Elemental School thing. She told me on the way back from the Geek’s. I just didn’t know enough to realize it was important.”
“I know,” Aahz sighed, not looking at me. “I hadn’t bothered to teach you about elemental magic . . . just like I hadn’t taught you about dragon poker.”
No explosion! I was starting to get a little worried about my partner.
“Aren’t you upset?”
“Of course I’m upset,” he said, favoring me with a fleeting glimpse of bared teeth, a barely recognizable smile. “Do you think I’m always this jovial?”
“I mean, aren’t you mad?”
“Oh, I’m past ‘mad.’ I’m all the way to ‘thoughtful.’ “
I arrived at the startling conclusion that I liked it better when Aahz was shouting and unreasonable. That I knew how to deal with. This latest mood of his was a total unknown.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Parenthood.”
“Parenthood?”
“Yeah. You know, that state of total responsibility for another being? Well, at least, that’s the theory.”
I wasn’t sure I was following this at all.
“Aahz? Are you trying to say you feel responsible for what happened with Markie because you hadn’t taught me more about magic and poker?”
“Yes. No. I don’t know.”
“But that’s silly!”
“I know,” he replied, with his first honest grin since I had entered the garden. “That’s what got me thinking about parenthood.”
I abandoned any hope of following his logic.
“You’ll have to explain it to me, Aahz. I’m a little slow today.”
He straightened up a bit, draping one arm around my shoulders.