But the man did not step forward, and instead addressed Dravidian from precisely where he stood. “Are you dutiful? Honorable? Do you define yourself by such attributes? Do you love, and are you loved by others, even if it’s but one or two in all the world?”
Dravidian froze, mentally and physically.
“Know that I was, too,” said the man. “And know that I was dedicated to my work just as you are—that, indeed, we bore much in common, for I wore a costume and awed the masses also. I was a fire-eater, and I breathed it, as well, and I entertained thousands over the course of my life, up and down the River Dire. Know, too, that I paid a price for my dedication; and that, while it did not cause my wife to lose her love for me, it lessened it, and I mean in such a way that cannot ever be fully re
