Aldous finished his wine and delivered another one of his cryptic, veiled comments.
Beside him, Delilah, the stoneheart horde's Elder of Stewardship, could only stare at the ogre with wide, amazed eyes. This is one of My Lord's friends? He's terrifyingly brilliant.
The dwarf, Harbek, having finally grasped the full meaning of Aldous's words, fell into a deep, contemplative silence. The ogre's strange intellect was irrelevant. All that mattered was the fate of the dwarven race.
And so, the banquet settled into a peculiar quiet. Delilah, with a radiant and charming smile, continued to play the perfect hostess. Aldous cradled his crystal glass as if it were a beloved toy, or a woman. And Harbek sat with his brow furrowed in thought.
After a long time, the dwarf finally stirred. He glanced once at Aldous, then stood and gave Delilah a formal bow.
