In Riva
"Daddy?"
Garion looked down at his youngest and closed the book he'd been reading to her.
"Yes, Beldaran?"
The little girl screwed up her face, the expression that said she was about to ask a difficult question, and then peered up at him innocently.
"Is Unca Ray really a sorcerer?"
And Garion had to think before he answered her.
"I'd say so. He does it differently, but it's--"
She shook her head, cutting him off.
"Nu-uh, I mean," and she ducked, leaving him nothing to look at but the copper ringlets on her head, so like her mothers, "I mean, will he be like Granfather? Live a really really really really really really reallyreallyreally long time?"
Oh. Oh dear. This was going to require some tact.
"No, Beldaran," he said, wishing he had some for situations like this. "He's, um, not that kind of sorcerer unfortunately."
The little princess in his lap seemed to consider that for a moment before leaning up against him.
"Can you make him one?"
It took him a long time to answer.
"No, I don't think I'm allowed to."
And she digested that as well.
"Kay."
Oh. Oh dear.
"Kay?" he asked, part skepticism and part curious worrying. When Beldaran asked questions like that and then answered like that... it usually meant she was up to something.
She nodded. And then she nudged the book back into his hands.
"Read, Daddy?"
That was all right. Maybe she'd forget about it. Reading sounded like a good idea.
"All right; we read."
And the little girl smiled, kissed her father's cheek, and settled in his lap to listen.
Garion looked down at his youngest and closed the book he'd been reading to her.
"Yes, Beldaran?"
The little girl screwed up her face, the expression that said she was about to ask a difficult question, and then peered up at him innocently.
"Is Unca Ray really a sorcerer?"
And Garion had to think before he answered her.
"I'd say so. He does it differently, but it's--"
She shook her head, cutting him off.
"Nu-uh, I mean," and she ducked, leaving him nothing to look at but the copper ringlets on her head, so like her mothers, "I mean, will he be like Granfather? Live a really really really really really really reallyreallyreally long time?"
Oh. Oh dear. This was going to require some tact.
"No, Beldaran," he said, wishing he had some for situations like this. "He's, um, not that kind of sorcerer unfortunately."
The little princess in his lap seemed to consider that for a moment before leaning up against him.
"Can you make him one?"
It took him a long time to answer.
"No, I don't think I'm allowed to."
And she digested that as well.
"Kay."
Oh. Oh dear.
"Kay?" he asked, part skepticism and part curious worrying. When Beldaran asked questions like that and then answered like that... it usually meant she was up to something.
She nodded. And then she nudged the book back into his hands.
"Read, Daddy?"
That was all right. Maybe she'd forget about it. Reading sounded like a good idea.
"All right; we read."
And the little girl smiled, kissed her father's cheek, and settled in his lap to listen.