They walked back to the rooming house at an unhurried pace, the quiet of the evening settling around them.
"That was unexpected," Kael remarked softly.
"What was?"
"Wren. They seemed to have been thinking about this for days."
"Years," Bruce corrected. "The last eight days have merely brought those thoughts into focus. The foundation was there long before I arrived."
"They've moved closer to yes."
"They've moved toward a different question. That isn't the same as saying yes, but it's a considerable improvement over the two refusals I received before arriving here. If I present them with a good plan, I think they'll agree."
"Which makes getting the plan right all the more important," Kael observed.
"Indeed."
They continued in silence for a while before Theron spoke.
"Bruce."
"Yes?"
