You don't forgive a cloud for raining, [ with as much airy dignity as he can muster while still puffy-eyed and red-nosed from sobbing into Byerly's neck. ] You learn to carry a parasol.

[ But he abandons the pretense, shortly, and collapses back against By's shoulder like his strings have been cut. ]

They announced you were gone, and I was—

[ He does not really want to put himself back there. ]

—sitting on the floor trying to–

He wanted me to give him directions. And when he caught me leaving, it was just, you know, don't go, Byerly wants you to interim division head. He said so in his letter. And when I said no he blew the wheels off my cart with magic.