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practice,
most Galatians can learn how to do it.”
    “Will you teach me?” Lindsey asked.
    “I’d love to,” Rolf gushed a little too
eagerly.
    Lindsey giggled.
    Josie rolled her eyes, her usual reaction to
pretty much everything Lindsey did—Lars wondered how come she
didn’t make herself dizzy.
    She sat down on Rolf’s other side.“Can I join
in?”
    “Please do, Josie. Take the position most comfortable for you, clear your mind of all
its petty inclinations, and open the portal within which transcends
space and time.”
    “The portal being
the Excito Fortitudo,” Lars interrupted Rolf, also eager to
impress the girls. His father had been a member of the Charismatic
Focus Committee and Lars had picked up a lot of not-so-common
knowledge over the years.
    Rolf opened one eye wide to cast Lars an
irritated glance. “The Exi-forti— what?”
    “The Excito Fortitudo—a new organ exclusive
to the Galatian anatomy—brought on by the Celerun plague,” Lars
replied smugly. “My Dad and his team were about to publish a paper
on their findings when the earthquake hit the bunker, so only a
select few even know about it.”
    “Excito Fortitudo,” Josie echoed.
    “I’m not good with fancy terminology,” Rolf
said calmly as he opened his palms to the sky as if inviting the
universe itself to come hither. “I just know how to make it
work.”
    “It’s like learning how to ride a bike.” Lars
continued to butt in as the girls settled down. We’re not born
knowing we have the ability to balance on two wheels, and it
wouldn’t even enter our minds to attempt such a feat, but as soon
as someone shows us the possibility…”
    “It’s more important to know how to use the power, than to know the power’s name,” Lindsey said,
placing a hand on Rolf’s knee, causing Rolf to blush. “Now, quit
interrupting him, Lars. You’re breaking our concentration.”
    “Don’t be doing none of that magical mumbo
around me,” Hogard growled as he sat down next to them, holding a
skewered skinned rodent over the fire. “It just ain’t right.”
    “Hogard,” Josie complained. “It’s your
perception that just ain’t right . You’re afraid of what you think we’re doing, but you don’t understand what we’re doing
at all.”
    Hogard’s eyes narrowed. “I ain’t afraid of
nothing, cow.”
    “Except the charisma,” Josie replied, holding
up one finger. “And magic. And not dying in battle.” The
Bulwark’s head began quivering as if he were filling with steam and
was about to explode.
    Lars felt the Bulwark struggling to contain
his urge to bash Josie with his hammer. Scrambling to his feet,
Lars hastily pulled Josie up with him. “We’ll take up the
charismatic lesson again later. Why don’t you help me stoke the
fire?”
    “And I’ll gather more firewood,” Rolf
offered.
    “Wait, Rolf!” Lindsey jumped to her feet.
“I’ll do it, I mean go with you—uh, if that’s okay?”
    A dopey grin spread across Rolf’s face.
“Sure, okay.”
    Lars caught Josie’s eye—the two of them
exchanged a knowing glance. Hogard had already calmed down and he
stood there idly scratching his ass with a stick.
    “I saw a patch of berries on the way here,”
Josie told Loyl. “I’d like to gather them for supper.”
    “Fine,” the Regalan said. “Stay close to
camp. If you get lost, don’t wander. Just call for me and I’ll hear
you.”
    “Can Lars come with me?”
    “No,” Loyl said.
    “Why not?”
    “Because I promised Simon that I would
discourage any amorous activities.”
    “Who said anything about amorous?”
    “Did I mention that
Regalans have a sense of smell sharper than any krayzwach? ” Loyl caught their
perplexed expression. “A porcine creature we use for trailing
fugitives and uncovering truffles. What I mean is...I can smell
your desire for one another.”
    “Seriously?” Josie brought her arm up to her
nose and sniffed. “I don’t smell a thing.”
    “Not you so much—I mean