Quest 235

[primrosella]

Comments

[misterblackbird]

If you'd for a moment thought of canceling your Thanksgiving dinner, I would have had to take it over, you know.

Has Miss Penny agreed to be our judge?

[primrosella]

Oh, I wouldn't dream of canceling it. If anything, all this trouble has just made me more determined to make it a perfectly lovely one.

She has! And I hear Riff and Merry are quite excited about the whole business, as well.

[misterblackbird]

That's rather the attitude I would take in regards to it. I'm very much looking forward to it.

Splendid. And, yes, they are. We've had any number of complex discussions about the merits of various pies.

[primrosella]

Have you, now? Riff seems quite confident in your victory, too. He was terribly polite about telling me he doesn't think I stand a chance, you know.

[misterblackbird]

Indeed, we have. As I said, I've two experts in the field assisting me, and I would think discussions would be expected.

And, yes, that is quite like him. But he's also quite right.

[primrosella]

Yes, and I'm all by my lonesome, making a pie and a whole dinner besides. But that's quite all right, I like a challenge. And I have a few supporters of my own, even so.

And we'll just see about that.

[misterblackbird]

You know, everyone keeps saying that this isn't a fair competition, since it's three against one and, as you say, you're making dinner besides. But I say it's a vote of confidence. Only someone immensely skilled would take on such a challenge.

[primrosella]

Did Neil tell you that? He said as much to me, too. But you're absolutely right, and I certainly wouldn't have agreed to this challenge in the first place if I didn't think I stood a very good chance of winning it.

[misterblackbird]

He did raise the issue with me, yes.

[primrosella]

Then I suppose it's only fair to tell you that he's one of my supporters, at this point.

[misterblackbird]

Is that so? Then I wonder if he wasn't trying to undermine my confidence.

[primrosella]

Oh, no more than Riff was trying to undermine mine by telling me how much you have your heart set on winning, I'm sure.

[misterblackbird]

Fair enough, then, I suppose.

[primrosella]

Do you really? Have your heart set on winning, that is.

[misterblackbird]

I'm not sure. After all, my penalty for losing isn't so bad. I'd rather like to win, though.

[primrosella]

Mm, that's what I was wondering. If you want to win for the prize you'll get if you do, or if it's more just that you want to win for the sake of winning.