7. WarMore memories of three-hundred-year-old conversations washed through the Being's mind. Partly it revisited its recollections to look for clues it might have missed, a word or an action that could shed some light on the current situation. Partly, it recognized, its fascination was unhealthy. Its thought patterns were increasingly turned inwards, obsessive. It had replayed the memories far too many times: analysing, agonizing over the mistakes it had made, wishing it had taken different paths.
Still, it couldn't stop itself. Perhaps this was what Toruk had foreseen. If there were someone to converse with now, to offer it advice and perspective, it might be different. The discussions with Carious were a poor substitute: they were always guarded, a wary game. If it had the whole living
