It's a bright, pleasantly cool day, marked by a scattering of clouds that drift by overhead, low enough that it seems they might brush against the buildings of the tallest mages' towers. Many of the patrons at the Lovan Tree seem to be enjoying the weather in their own ways – chatting, sipping mateh or some other drink of choice, nibbling on lovan "pastries", or flipping through magical tomes.

One of these patrons is a small black and white unicorn by the name of Rorschach, who leans over a mug of steaming hot xocholatl, with a number of puffy white marshmallows that are slowly melting in it.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" asks a familiar voice from behind the unicorn.

"Huhwhat?" Rory blurts out, broken from his trance-like meditation of the nature of hot xocholatl and melting marshmallows. He turns about to look at the owner of the voice. "Oh! No – er, I mean, yes – er, I mean, I don't mind at all – that is, it's empty, and you can sit down if you want," he stammers.

Smiling, the owner of the voice takes the other chair at Rory's table, setting down her own mug of hot xocholatl – with marshmallows. "How has your testing been going, Rory?" the not-quite-a-unicorn Aeolun asks.

Rory says, "I just got word back from a courier. I'm a Journeyman now." He doesn't put any enthusiasm into the boast. "I passed my tests."

Envoy cants her head to one side slightly, and studies the Aeonian. "You don't seem very happy about it. Is there something wrong?"

"Yes," Rory says. "It's … it's not like I thought it would be."

The Aeolun blinks at this, and takes a sip of her xocholatl, which leaves a slight moustache. "How did you think it would be?" she asks. The moustache is still there.

Rory opens his mouth to answer, and then just closes it. Perhaps prompted by Envoy's example, he remembers his cooling mug of xocholatl, and takes a sip from it. Soon he too has a brown moustache on his upper lip as well, and a fragment of a marshmallow stuck in his teeth, though he vigorously works it free with his tongue. "I thought I'd be happy," he says. "I thought Skiree would be here. But she's … she's dead. And all my friends … they already graduated long ago. They're all big now. And for my last test … well … I had to betray someone."

Envoy blinks three times at this. "Skiree was at the Guild Hall in Babel, then?"

Rory just sips some more xocholatl, then mutely nods at Envoy's supposition.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Envoy says softly, looking at her own marshmallows now. "What did you mean when you said you had to betray someone in your test?"

Rory habitually blows at his cup, even though it's evidently quite cooled now enough not to burn his mouth. "Well, I had a dream test. Kiz and Kell – the Dream Sisters – they're Journeymen now, and they ran the dream. I had a dream like I was a real Journeyman, living in Rephidim, with my own office, and a secretary named Fia, and a friend named Chris at a playhouse. I got a job with a Mr. Knightly, keeping his meeting a secret from spying scryers, and I couldn't help Chris because I was busy doing a job. But … but that all turned out okay. But then, afterward… Afterward, I was outside, and this Savanite ran by, trying to hide from some people he said were chasing him. So I figured he was either a runaway slave or being chased by slave-rustlers, so I figured I'd hide him, then turn him over to the Temple Guard to return to his proper owner."

Envoy sips her drink and nods, listening.

"Well, I hid him in the alley, and I didn't have time to ask him questions or even do a proper spell to Obfuscate myself, so I hid him, but I was just standing there, all obvious and everything, and the two who come along are mages. They say they're from the Caroban Watch, and they're hunting a heretic," Rory says. "I asked them what a 'heretic' is, and they said it was a Savanite who casts spells. So they asked me if I'd seen him, and I said 'yes', because, well, that was the truth."

"There's nothing wrong with telling the truth," Envoy says, but then adds, "usually."

Rory adds, "I know that heretics and hedge wizards and sorcerers are bad and all, and I mean, he could have turned me into a vermite or something … but … but he was in danger, and I was trying to help him, and then … and then I turn around and turn him over. I just feel … I feel awful."

Envoy sips her xocholatl again before saying, "There's nothing wrong with that, either. Doing what's right isn't always the same as doing what's good, after all. Hedge-mages aren't evil, though. I've known many."

"Really?" Rory says. "Well … they seemed to think that I needed to do that to pass the test. I guess if I had hid him, I would have failed. Though if I'd hid myself and never found out they were from the Caroban Watch … well … I don't know what would have happened. But it was a test, so I probably couldn't get off that easy. It's just … Why couldn't he, like, make some mean signs at me, or turn into a monster, or conjure up some ghosts, or … or … or do something evil? Then I would have felt a lot better. Except, that is, that I would have been really scared, of course, but … you know what I mean, don't you?"

"The test was to determine that you would obey the rules of being a Mage, despite your own feelings or judgments," Envoy explains, setting down her cup. "Does that make sense?"

Rory nods. "Yes … yes, I guess so. I just … I still feel awful." He sips his hot xocholatl again. "I hope that never happens to me in real life. I don't want to make decisions like that. I don't want to hurt anybody."

Envoy toys with her cup, turning it back and forth, and says, "Everyone has to make decisions like that, Rory. You'll have to as well, and sometimes you'll make the wrong ones, and people could get hurt. But not making a decision is just as bad as making a wrong one, so all you can do is … your best."

Rory nods. "I guess so." He looks up to Envoy. "Do you have to make decisions like that?"

The Aeolun nods. "Yes. And I've made plenty of wrong ones, and I've hurt a lot of people."

Rory frowns. "Oh. I'm sorry," he says, as he realizes that this confirmation doesn't exactly make him feel the better for it. "Well, you've made some right ones, though, right?"

Envoy blinks. "Yes, but those aren't always as obvious as the wrong ones. I can't say that thinking of all the correct decisions I've made helps me feel any better about the wrong ones. But most decisions you'll make will be the right ones."

The unicorn nods. "I wish I could undo the wrong ones. I wish I could have stopped Skiree from going back to Babel, so she wouldn't be dead. I wish I could have stopped Corwyn from going and getting himself and Sylvan … uhm … no, wait, I wasn't there." He blinks, confused. "I'm sorry. That part messes me up. I sort of got brain-zotted when I went to Lamu. I already told you about how I'm all messed up and the story of how I came to be, right?"

Envoy nods. "I can sympathize a little. I'm pretty brain-zotted myself nowadays. I can also sympathize about wanting to change the past. I've been tempted to try, but … I know deep down that it would only make things worse."

Rory nods. "Yeah … that would get messy. I remember reading up about 'temporal paradoxes'. You know … 'What if time travel were possible and you went back in time and killed your own grandpa or married your own grandma?'" He sticks out his tongue.

After a moment of thought, Envoy says, "I don't like time travel. Do you know if Skiree's family is still alive, in Babel?"

Rory shakes his head. "I don't know her family. Skiree doesn't have a last name. I need to see some sort of liaison or something with Babel to get access to family records." Rory sighs. "I promised Skiree that I'd protect Mister Porky for her, and get him back to her some day. I … I can't really do that, since she's dead now. But … I need to do something. I promised. I have to … do the next best thing, I guess. If her family's alive, I have to get it to them. And maybe now that I'm a Journeyman, well, I can go on journeys and stuff."

Envoy smiles and nods. "It would mean a lot to them, I'm sure Rory, since the boomer … didn't leave any remains. The person you need to contact is Mage Cyprian at the Mages' Guildhouse in Babel. If you tell him you're a friend of mine, he might do a little extra to help you find Skiree's family. Maybe you could find out before Reckoning Day, with luck."

"If he can't help you, I can give you the names of people among the Yodhbarada that might be able to find out," the Aeolun adds, before taking another drink of xocholatl.

Rory wrinkles his nose. "I don't want to give up any teeth," he says.

Envoy blinks at this. "Teeth? Umm … maybe I could ask them for you, then. They've never asked me for any … bits."

The unicorn nods. "Ohhh. Uhm … well … okay … but I haven't got anything to offer them, and the Yodhbarada never do anything for free. Everybody knows that."

"I probably still have a secret or two they'd take in trade," Envoy offers. "Maybe they'll even do it as a favor, you never know. I wish I could return to Babel for Reckoning Day myself, but I don't think I'll be ready for it this year."

"Why not?" Rory asks.

"I need to get my mind in order first, and that could take awhile," the Aeolun says. "Plus, I'm not sure I'd be welcome back so soon after my last visit."

Rory frowns. "Well … I haven't got my mind in order yet."

"Ah, but was it ever in order before?" Envoy asks with a grin, and licks off her moustache.

The unicorn giggles at this. "I don't know!" he says, then looks thoughtful. "Well … maybe if I find a way to go to Babel for Reckoning Day, maybe you'd like to go, too? You seem to know a lot more than I do about things there now. I was just in the Mages' Guild Hall, and, well, that's not even there anymore, so that won't do much good. And … well … I'm not a grown-up, so people might not take me seriously."

"Hmmm, I suppose that's true," Envoy admits. "I might be able to take care of a few personal things in time, and put off my trip to Moltpaa a little longer. Where will you be going now that you're a Journeyman, anyway? Rephidim?"

Rory says, "Well, my dream scenario put me in Rephidim, but … I really don't know. In my dream, I had an office … but I never even thought about getting an office before! I really don't know what I'll do. I've just been studying and studying and studying all the time … and I guess I never really really thought I'd be done and get off to the real world. So I guess I need to figure out what to do now."

"Well, I'll be going to Rephidim soon, I think," Envoy says. "I haven't been there in years, and there are some people I want to see again. Then I'll be going to Abu Dhabi for awhile. I guess I'll try to get to Babel from there when the time is right."

Rory nods. "You sure know a lot of places and people! Maybe I can go see lots of places, too, if I get some jobs. I don't know if I want an office just yet. I think I want to go different places and do different things and figure out what to do next. Then, when I figure out a really dark place for it, I'll get an office somewhere nice." The unicorn smiles at the thought, and finishes off his xocholatl.

Envoy grins. "Well, you can come along with me for awhile if you like. It'll make it easier to get together to go to Babel, after all, and I can introduce you to my new mentor, Mage Barabbas. He's pretty amazing."

"Really?" Rory asks, setting his mug down, and absently wiping his lip. "What's he like?"

"Well," Envoy begins, settling into story-telling mode. "When I first met him, he was made of stone, and hidden at the top of a magic tower full of traps and monsters… "