Magus Potentae

After a few hours, Taiju was beginning to grow both concerned and tired. Where could Narrel be? While he did understand the difficulty of escaping the castle, it didn't seem like it should be this difficult. The worries were starting to compound.

When he realized that he was genuinely worrying about Narrel, he scowled and shook his head. He didn't need to worry about her, he told himself. She was capable of taking care of herself, and besides, why should he care about someone else so much? Taiju was used to only worrying about himself. It was a practice that had been drilled into his head in the last few years, and for good reason. There were few people a rogue could ever trust, even among his own kind.

Taiju spent a little while trying to convince himself that he didn't care and the only reason he worried was because he wanted his belongings. When that didn't work, he growled and stood, deciding to try working off some stress and boredom instead. He jumped up and grasped a thick limb of the tree he had been standing under, and with some work, pulled himself up. In the tree, he carefully broke off two branches, each about three feet long, and jumped back down. After testing the weight of each branch and finding it satisfactory, Taiju took a couple of swipes at the tree, then launched into a full spar against the innocent maple, using the branches as makeshift swords. His movements were fluid with the practice of numerous years, and the occasional yell rang out into the empty air as he "fought."

(Hope you don't mind that I added a character. ^^)

Prince Cal snuck out of the castle in a hooded cloak. Under his arm, he held a bundle of some stranger's belongings. He owed Magi Narrel, though. And he always repaid what he owed. The best part was that even if he got caught, he could just order someone into silence. He walked along the dark road, searching for the landmarks she had told him of. Finally, he felt like he was getting close. He heard what sounded like fighting, and slowed his pace. If there was trouble ahead, he didn't want to give himself away by a hasty footstep.

As he got closer though, he saw that it was just someone sparring with themselves. He stayed quiet for a while, enjoying the show. The man was actually quite good. He walked up to him, careful to avoid the swinging stick.
"You're really good at that," he commented. "I bet you'd do even better with a real partner."

Although the young prince was only fifteen, he had been trained since he was a child in the art of swordplay. It wasn't often that he got to find a new opponent. And what was even better, he was practicing in the place that Narrel had specified. This might be that Taiju that she had sent him to find.
"By the way, do you know someone named Narrel?" he asked nonchalantly.

((Not at all. I'm actually extremely used to roleplaying with more than one character. 'X3))

Taiju was deeply focused on his sparring and didn't notice the stranger approaching. It had been a long time since he had properly trained--this was partially due to his lack of swords, as they were dangerous to carry around when people already disliked him and he rarely trusted blades from the smiths he could actually afford. As such, he became engrossed in his spar, overcome by the familiar feelings of power that came with knowing how to handle a weapon.

When he heard a voice, he jumped and instinctively whirled around, bringing a stick up with him. Taiju managed to halt the thin branch just before the stranger's neck, and paused, breathing with slight difficulty. Not recognizing the young man, Taiju didn't bother to drop his "weapon." It wouldn't be dropped until he knew there was no threat.

"The hell are you doing, trying to sneak up on me?" he asked shortly. "Yeah, I know her, barely, why?" His eyes flickered down to the bundle the other male carried. It looked like his bag, which was surprising. Why did he have it?

Cal didn't even blink as the branch was swung at his head. He was confident that he would have been able to move if he had have truly felt in danger. As it was, he merely cocked an eyebrow, and pushed the stick aside with one hand. He hefted up the bag, showing it to Taiju. He flipped his golden hair out of his eyes, glad to see that Taiju seemed to recognized it. So, he had the right guy after all.

"My name's Cal," he said. He left out his title, since that usually tended to make things awkward. "I'm a friend of Narrel's. She can't leave the castle, since she helped you. She asked me to come meet you here." He noted that he still had not received answer about the sparing.

"So, will you trust me? I'd like to see just how good you really are." He smiled in good nature. It felt good to sneak out every now and then; he could see why Narrel would do it. And it was particularly nice to talk to someone who didn't bow with every word.

Taiju held both sticks in one hand, then ended up dropping them and letting them rest propped up against his leg so he could take his bag back. He went through it to make sure everything was there and undamaged, then, content, set it aside. "Is Narrel alright?" he asked, looking back up at Cal. "I can only assume there's something wrong if she didn't come out here herself as she had promised."

Taiju purposely ignored any questions relating to sparring. His best interests at the moment were Narrel's status (as much as he tried to tell himself it didn't matter) and his belongings, which had been returned to him. Not to mention it seemed a little odd to have someone ask for a fight the moment they met.

The name also struck him as oddly familiar. Taiju could swear that he should know the name Cal from somewhere, but he couldn't figure why. Assuming that it would eventually strike him at the most odd moment, he decided to ignore it for the moment. At least he knew the guy's name.

Cal sighed. Not only had this guy managed to bring up the one thing he did not want to talk about, he also seemed intent on not letting him have any fun. He ran his fingers through his hair, not really wanting to respond. He didn't know this Taiju very well, and he wasn't sure how he would respond to the news.

"Well, she had some harsh punishment, I won't lie." Cal looked down, ashamed of his own part in that. "She had some. . . uh. . . physical punishment, and then she was sentenced to sit in prison for a week. She'll be getting out in four days." He kicked some of the dirt on the ground. He wished there was something he could do to help the girl, but there wasn't. And he hated talking about what he couldn't fix.

He stuck his hands in his pockets.
"What's your connection to Narrel, anyway? I know she saved you from the dungeon," he made a face, obviously thinking that she should have put herself first, "but she seems to be going through an awful lot of trouble for you." He frowned as he realized just how true that statement was. Of course, she was such a kind person, it might just be her nature that made her stick her neck out for this guy.

Taiju sighed. "Great . . ." He rubbed his eyes under his glasses again, then ran his hand up and back through his hair. The dark brown strands fell right back in his eyes, and went ignored again.

"You know what, I don't even know why she's doing all this," he confessed with another sigh. "I never asked her to help me at all. In fact, I made it pretty clear how much I didn't really like her at first. I'm as lost as you are." He looked off, thinking that he should do something. Maybe he could help Narrel out as she had him? But he had no idea how to pull that off. He, unlike Narrel, did not have access to the castle at all.

"Well, at least she's alive," he muttered, more for his benefit than to speak to Cal. "That's good to hear, even if it's not as good as it could be. Thanks for bringing my things around for me."

Cal shrugged. He was ready to hate this man, since it was his fault that Narrel was in so much trouble. The problem was, Taiju was making it hard for Cal to hate him. He actually seemed to care about Narrel. And Cal couldn't hate anyone that cared about her. He sighed.

"That's just the way she is. She hates working for the king. She only does it because he tricked her into bondage." He spat on the ground to show what he thought of that. "The jerk forces her out onto the battle field. To make up for the people she has to kill, she tries to be extra nice whenever she can." He smiled fondly. "No matter what it could do to her. It's her own private penance, although it's not her fault." He shrugged, and looked up.

"So, are you in a hurry? I don't really get out of the castle much, and you seem like a decent guy. We could, talk. Or something." He kicked his boot again in the dirt. He was embarrassed that he had to ask for company. Although he could order people to keep him company, it didn't give him the same satisfaction. That was another reason he liked Narrel; she always seemed happy to see him.

Taiju took a brief glance around. "No . . . I guess I don't have anywhere to be," he replied at length, looking back to Cal again. "I don't like traveling at night except for in the summer, so I'll be here until morning. I was practicing for the first time in months, but that looks like it's done with." He rested one hand on the sticks and resisted the urge to be annoyed. After all, Cal hadn't intended to interrupt anything.

He fell silent afterward, unsure of what he was expected to say. He didn't like to talk much, so of course Cal suggested sticking around and having a conversation, "or something." Not wanting to be rude to someone who hadn't started anything first, though, Taiju didn't bother to tell him off. It wouldn't kill him to make a tiny attempt at being social--maybe.

"So . . . what, do you work for the king or something?" he asked in a meager attempt to start conversation. "Since you said you get stuck in the castle a lot, too. Doesn't sound like a very thrilling life at all."

Cal couldn't help but laugh. He wasn't really sure how to answer the question, though.
"Yeah, I guess you could say I work for the king. It's kind of an involuntary thing, though. I guess you could say I inherited my position." He shrugged. "It's not a very exciting life. I don't like the way he does things, but there's nothing I can do yet." He abruptly shut his mouth. That last 'yet' had been an accident. He could only hope that his new companion didn't catch it.

He quickly tried to change the subject.
"So, I'd rather hear about your life. I know it can't be good to always have to be on the run, but. . . it must also be nice to be able to do whatever you want. What's it like to be in charge of your own life."

He looked around for a place to sit, and found a comfy looking patch of grass. He took a seat, motioning for Taiju to do the same. The ground was a little damp with dew, but he didn't mind. It was refreshing to spend the night away from his father's thumb. He could hardly wait to become king. Although he was terrified of the responsibility, he wanted to be able to change how this country was rolled. He sighed.

Taiju sat down and yawned, stifling it behind his hand. Then he shook his head. "The life of a rogue isn't all that glamorous," he replied. "I mean, in a lot of ways it can be nice. You do get to run your own life, you're responsible for yourself, and the travel can be great. But at the same time, it's kind of hard to do anything freely when you've got the king threatening to kill you because you were born with abilities you can't help."

He pressed his hand down on the dew-covered grass, frowned thoughtfully for a moment, then raised his hand again. Following the tips of his fingers was a bit of water, which he used to make random shapes in the air as he continued. "I guess it wouldn't be as bad if my own family weren't against me, too," he added lightly. "That's the main reason I'm a rogue, really. I used to live out in an area that mostly went ignored by the king and everyone."

Taiju hesitated to continue speaking. While he made no big secret of his life and didn't think he had lived hard enough to angst about it, he wasn't sure he felt like reciting his lifetime to Cal. He gave a mental shrug. If Cal pressed, he'd continue. If not, it could remain unsaid.

Cal looked over at him sadly. He knew what it was like to have your own family turn against you. If his father knew. . .but no. That was not important. He watched the shapes Taiju made with interest. He wondered what it would be like, to be able to control things like that. What did it feel like? He wasn't usually one to pry, but he had nothing better to do at the moment. And it looked like Taiju probably hadn't talked about this in a long time. Sometimes, it could help to talk about things.

He looked over at him with an open attitude.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked lightly. He didn't really care if the Magi answered or not. He had been told that he was a good listener. And he was curious, since he didn't get to talk to people with actual background stories.

But at the same time, he couldn't stay too much longer. The sun would be coming up before long, and he had to be back at the castle before that. Someone would be sure to notice if he wasn't there. Of course, he wouldn't get in trouble like Narrel had, but it would be better to keep away from the attention. He could stay long enough to listen to a story, though.

Taiju didn't speak for another moment, still debating internally. Then he decided that there was no harm that could really come of telling Cal. He squiggled a couple more shapes in the air, thinking of the best place to start.

"Well, I'm the oldest of two sons," he said slowly, keeping his eyes focused on the water he played with. "I have a younger brother named Nale, who . . . huh. He's thirteen now." It had been awhile since Taiju had given his family any real thought. "Anyway, he was three years younger than I am. My dad owned a blacksmith business and, though I hate to say it, he was good at what he did. He and my mother wanted the two of us to follow in his footsteps to take over the family business, as all parents do.

"However, I always seemed to be a disappointment. Nale quickly became Dad's favorite kid as we got older. Dad liked making weapons. He liked fighting, and war, and all that junk, and insisted the two of us learn to fight, too. I learned to fight because, when I was ten, I didn't have a say in what I got to do. I thought it was fun, and so did Nale, but for two different reasons; I just liked knowing that I could do something others couldn't, while Nale was starting to like the idea that he could kill someone. Dad approved of his ideas, and not mine."

Taiju thought of something and began digging through his bag with his free hand. "I, on the other hand," he continued, "started developing 'less manly' interests. I started to get into things like drawing. I liked working with metal, but I was more partial to making things like watches and knives, things people could use, instead of weapons." He produced his own knife and pocket watch out of his bag and set them both on the ground in front of him. He picked up the watch first, inspecting it for any damage. "That made Mom happy, but Dad, not so much."

Cal nodded in sympathy.
"I know where your coming from, to a point. My father doesn't really approve of my mindset either. I have to pretend to be a different person when I'm around him." He chuckled slightly. He looked at the watch and knife that were laid out on the ground.
"They're good work," he said sincerely. "You should get your own forge, someday. So, your family problems didn't have anything to do with your Magus?"

He began picking at the grass uncomfortably. The Magus power was something his father disapproved of, so he didn't get to ask about it much. It was a natural part of some people's lives though, so he felt that it was something that was important to learn about. His father was so ignorant. How could he hope to lead a people when he didn't even understand them?

He glanced idly at the other man's sketchbook. He had never really been any good at art. He wondered what kind of work Taiju did. He didn't feel comfortable asking though. He had already begun digging into the his life. There was no reason to pry into his personal things as well.

Taiju smiled a little at the compliment. Once satisfied that neither his watch nor knife had been damaged in his bag, he slipped the watch into his pocket and his knife back into its rightful place in his boot. "Well, I wouldn't say that my Magus had nothing to do with it," he said. "Dad didn't like that either. Let's see, what was it . . . Oh yeah. Something about how I was apparently more high and mighty than Nale was, the king's going to crack down on us if he ever finds out we're harboring me, and why couldn't I have a useful Magus to continue the business with?" Taiju made a face. "I just love my family. I eventually left at about fourteen when my dad and I had a huge argument. I got in a small spat with my mom, too, due to the fact that she never seemed to stand up for her son or anything. But that's different, and I don't really resent her for that as much as I do my dad."

He shook his head. "I suppose I should actually go back someday and see how they're doing," he mused, "but I doubt Dad would be happy to see me. And it's not worth causing a bunch of trouble. I'm still not too sure how I wound up being the relative that nobody likes in my family, but it's better not to fight it. For all I know, Dad would call the king on me or something."

He finally dropped the water he had been playing with. "And thusly, people wonder why I have problems with people," he finished decisively.

Cal shook his head. Things could get complicated in less glorious life as well, it would seem.
"You seem to be getting along fine with me, and Narrel," he said a bit grudgingly. He still wasn't sure what his relationship with Narrel was. He smiled to himself. It didn't really matter though. He was just happy to be talking to someone. Unfortunately, he had run out of time.

"I'm sorry," he said honestly, "I've got to get going. I've got to get back to the castle before my dad wakes up. He's a pretty early riser." He stood up and brushed off his damp pants. He glanced back at the castle with a look of distaste on his face.

"Maybe we could talk again sometime? I don't know how that would be possible though, if you have to move around a lot," he shook his head. Just his luck. He finds someone he can actually talk to, and it's the one kind of person that his father would like to see exterminated. He couldn't help but chuckle at the irony.

"Oh . . . well, alright then. No use anyone else getting in trouble for my sake." Taiju forced a little bit of a smile, but found himself disappointed. The small talk had actually been a bit enjoyable--even if he had done most of the talking. "And maybe . . . I don't have to move around a lot, but I do like sleeping indoors every now and again. Guess we'll see."

He stayed sitting where he was, watching Cal. "Soo . . . if you manage to see how Narrel's doing anytime soon, let me know," he added. He still felt guilty. Narrel didn't have to do anything that would get her in trouble just for his sake, yet she had anyway. In the end, he decided that the least he could do was care a little bit about her well-being.

As he waited for a reply, Taiju looked down at the ground. Then he had to stifle another yawn. He'd been up for hours later than normal waiting for Narrel, then talking with Cal. He would need to sleep soon, which was probably the first thing he would do when Cal left.

Cal nodded.
"I'll tell her you give your best. And remember, Narrel would never blame you for any of this. She'd probably say something like, 'You never forced me to do this. Everything I did, I did because I wanted to'. She loves to help people. I think you really made her happy." He turned around to give one last smile to the rouge. "I'll try to look you up, if I ever sneak out of the castle again." He laughed lightly, and walked away. His smile melted away as he got further away from the man. It was disheartening, since he knew he would probably never see him again. That was the problem with being royalty. Even though you could do 'whatever you want' there was really no freedom. And it was unlikely that he would be able to sneak out like this often.

He drug his feet as he walked, not eager to get home. He wouldn't have long to sleep before he was awoken for his studies. Perhaps he would try to sneak down to visit Narrel again. It was hard to think of her alone in that dark cell. He couldn't even imagine what it would be like to be all alone like that, for days on end.

He climbed up the tree that had been conveniently planted outside of his window. He snuck back into his room through the window, and laid down in his bed. It wasn't long before he had fallen asleep. It had been a long day, and it would be even longer tomorrow. Tomorrow he was supposed to go hunting with his father. There really wasn't anything he'd hate more, but he had no choice.

Taiju heaved a deep sigh as he watched Cal walk away. He didn't like to admit it, but now he was lonely again. He hadn't even thought about his family in a few years, let alone talked about it. He took out his pocket watch and stared at it for a long moment, tracing his finger over the symbol he had etched into the lid so long ago. Being a rogue really wasn't all that fun . . .

This train of thought led him back to Narrel, and he groaned. Why couldn't he just forget the girl? Because he owed his life to her, that was why--Taiju wound up answering his own question. Now she was suffering some sort of punishment because he had helped him. It wouldn't have been as bad if he had ever asked for her help, but he hadn't. She had gone through it, as Cal pointed out, because she wanted to.

Taiju shoved his watch in his pocket again, then rolled over to lay in the grass. The smell of the earth was slightly relaxing, and he closed his eyes. Maybe he'd be able to think of a way to get her out of that prison . . . maybe . . . His thoughts drifted off as sleep enveloped him in the early hours of the morning.

Cal was awakened early by a servant, and quickly dressed for his outing with his father. He couldn't help dragging his feet a little. He really couldn't think of anything that would be worse than spending a whole day with the king. But he really didn't have a choice. If he did anything out of the norm, his father would stop trusting him. And Cal couldn't risk that. He may hate the man, but he needed him for now.

Back in the dungeon, Narrel awoke to utter darkness. She ran her hands over the floor, searching for the food that she hoped they had left her. Finally, her hands knocked against a wooden bowl. She wasn't sure what was in it, but it didn't really matter. There didn't seem to be any utensils, so she dug in with her hands. It was probably the worst thing she had ever tasted, but she ate it all regardless. She had no way of knowing how long she had been in here, or how long her punishment had left.

She had been hoping for another visit from Cal, but he must have been busy. She sighed, and leaned against the wall. For some reason, her mind wandered to Taiju. She hoped that he had gotten his things all right. Cal had said he would deliver them though, so that should be taken care of. She wondered vaguely if she would ever see him again. Probably not, she admitted ruefully. After all, he could only survive by avoiding people like her.

Taiju woke up at some point in the day--close to noon, he assumed when the sun didn't glare straight in his face. He rolled over onto his back and tried to convince himself to get up. His sleep-addled muscles refused to listen, so he lay there for awhile with his hair in his eyes and glasses askew. He didn't have to go anywhere immediately, and he found himself not wanting to. The grass was comfortable, anyway.

Narrel wound up on his mind again. He wanted to help her somehow as she had done for him, but how? He couldn't get into the palace, not even through that passage they had taken out--not without her help, which defeated the purpose. He was pretty sure there was no way to get into the palace, either. Someone would catch on to that. Taiju found himself wishing he didn't feel the urge to help her, just so he could go on his way. But Narrel's help left him feeling guilty, and her in more trouble than he had been, and so he would at least attempt to think of something.

He lay there for a couple of hours at minimum, wracking his brain for ideas. Nothing came that he could do on his own, and in the end, he was forced to concede that he wouldn't be able to do anything. Besides, what would happen if he did? It sounded like Narrel needed that position in the castle, or something--Taiju wasn't sure--but whatever he did could screw it up. Hadn't Narrel mentioned something about trying to get a high position? Well, after yesterday's incident, she probably would never manage it anyway . . .

Taiju sighed and went back to trying to will himself to move. That didn't work either.

Cal rode out in the early morning, eager to get this hunting trip over with. At least he wouldn't have to stay with his father all day. Parties often got separated during such hunts. It wasn't long before the group he was leading had 'accidentally' gone off in pursuit of something in the opposite direction of the other group. Cal got down off his horse; he found it easier to track that way. With a small smile to himself, he snuck off. He would come back with a deer alright, but he didn't want anyone to see how he did it.

He glanced around to make sure that no one was watching. Cautiously, he reached out to the mysterious and forbidden power that lay dormant within him. He smiled as the Magus poured into him. This was his secret - this was his burden. He would do anything to keep it from his father. But he couldn't resist risking discovery from time to time. After all, this power was a part of him. He felt wrong if he didn't use it every now and then. He reached out, stretching his Magus and searching for a source of power. There, a cougar was hunting a few miles away. He borrowed a bit of its power, and felt its strength and speed flowed into him. He crouched, and took off.

He couldn't take down the deer as he longed to, of course. With the cougar running wild in him, he longed to feel the flesh in his mouth. His human mind knew that he didn't have the jaws or teeth to bring it down that way, of course. He slung the bow from his back, and cocked an arrow as he ran parallel to the doomed beast. With the strength of the cougar in his arm, his arrow flew straight and true. He brought down the deer, and stood next to his prize. With a sigh of regret, he let the power leave him. He heard something moving in the bushed, causing him to jump in alarm. A scared looking page was staring at him with wide eyes. From the paleness of his face, Cal guessed that he had seen the whole thing. He winced. This couldn't end well.

Narrel looked up with surprise as she heard the gate being opened in the darkness. A torch was lit, and Narrel had to blink away tears as the light burned her eyes.
"Get up, Magi Narrel," a gruff voice said. She looked around, confused. What was going on?
"The Great Prince Cal just returned from his hunting trip. He ordered you to be brought to him right away." Narrel allowed herself to be lead away. What could have happened that would cause Cal to be so reckless? Had something gone wrong?

Taiju eventually forced himself into a sitting position, but he didn't move any farther than that. He just didn't feel like going anywhere, or doing anything. It was a little depressing, but some combination of guilt and a feeling that he needed (wanted?) to stay close to the city kept him from moving elsewhere. He managed to legitimize his lack of activity; he was far enough from the city at that point that they couldn't do anything to him, and he had enough money to last a little while without finding work, so he didn't have to go anywhere yet.

He contemplated going back into the city, but he knew it was a bad idea. Someone was bound to recognize him from all the struggle in the last few days, and what could he do? Wander around, hoping inspiration would strike? That was helpful.

But there was nothing else he could do . . .

He thought for another long moment, sighed, and took off his glasses. "I'm going to regret this and I just know it," he scolded himself as he stood up, pocketing his glasses. The world was a number of colorful blurs without the lenses over his eyes, but he could manage. He picked up his new black cloak --bought to replace the last one that had been burned-- and pulled it over his shoulders. Then he pulled a loose thread from the bottom of his shirt and used it to tie back the longer sections of his hair into a short ponytail. Hopefully this, combined with new clothes and the hood of his cloak, would keep him from being recognized as he trudged back toward the city, not knowing what he would do but unable to sit around doing nothing.

Narrel was lead to Cal's room, and the door was shut behind her. The prince was pacing uncomfortably in the middle of his room. He looked up at her with a desperate look as she entered the room.
"It's all over, Narrel," he said, obviously distressed. Narrel walked up to him, and put her hands on his shoulders to stop the boy from pacing.
"What happened, Cal?" she asked him, concerned. He looked up at her, and shook his head.

"I messed up, Narrel. He knows. Oh gods, he knows!" He groaned. "I got careless while we were hunting. A-a page saw me. He knows I'm a Magi, Narrel. He's in his private chambers right now deciding what to do with me." He shook his head, sending his hair flying all over his face. Narrel brushed it aside with a frown. There was really only one thing the king could do. Under his own laws, Cal must be declared as a Magi, and signed on as an official royal. She wasn't sure how that would work, though. As a Magi, he would need to answer to any non-Magi. But as prince, he would need to be in charge. It was all so complicated.

Finally, a page came in and took Cal away to speak with his father. Since Narrel wasn't even supposed to be out of the dungeon, she couldn't go with him. She sat on his bed, waiting to find out what would become of her prince.

Taiju was tense as he walked along the streets of the city again. He half-expected someone to notice him at any given second, to accuse him of being a Magi and send him running for cover yet again. But nobody did. Taiju kept his hood drawn down just above his eyes, walking carefully to avoid the moving colored blurs that were people.

He made his way casually in the direction of the castle, then turned around at one point and pretended to skim the products of a market table. What was he thinking? He couldn't do anything. He told himself this over and over, but unless Narrel magically got outside the castle, Taiju couldn't do a thing to help her. He could help her run, he was good at that, but again, that was pointless at the moment.

He sighed heavily and looked back up at the castle. It would be really, really convenient if something like that did happen, he thought blankly to himself. But of course that wouldn't happen. As far as he knew, Narrel was still locked up in a dark cell in the dungeon, getting nothing more than the occasional visit from that Cal boy. Taiju thought about this for a second, then wondered if Cal could ever help. Not that it seemed likely he'd be able to ask anytime soon.