"What I want does not matter." He said it mechanically, if that description could ever fit a Mage, the words coming out as if they had been drilled into him.
Remembering some of the harsher harassment she had endured in her Mechanics Guild apprenticeship, Mari wondered what things had been like for this Mage. What had been done to make him seem so inhuman? "Why can't you just act like everyone else?"
He gave her an inscrutable look. "I am not like everyone else."
For some reason that sounded sad to her. "I ask your pardon, Mage." The formal words almost stuck in her parched throat, but Mari forced them out, seeing real surprise flashing for a moment in the Mage's eyes in response. "I'm a Mechanic, but I'm not closed-minded." Which has gotten me in trouble already more times than I can count. "Thank you for your warning."
The Mage shook his head. "Thank...you," he repeated, the words sounding almost rusty as they came out, an intentness again showing in his eyes. "Thank you," he repeated in a murmur to himself, a hint of understanding appearing in his voice. "I...remember. Asha."
"Asha?"
"Long ago. I do not remember what to say." He gave her a look in which no feeling could be seen. "What do I say?"
"Um...you say...you're welcome," Mari replied, feeling oddly anguished by the Mage's reactions.
"Yes." He inclined his head toward her. "You...are welcome, Master Mechanic Mari."/>

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" I can't figure you out," she said. "What do you want?"
"What I want does not matter." He said it mechanically, if that description could ever fit a Mage, the words coming out as if they had been drilled into him.
Remembering some of the harsher harassment she had endured in her Mechanics Guild apprenticeship, Mari wondered what things had been like for this Mage. What had been done to make him seem so inhuman? "Why can't you just act like everyone else?"
He gave her an inscrutable look. "I am not like everyone else."
For some reason that sounded sad to her. "I ask your pardon, Mage." The formal words almost stuck in her parched throat, but Mari forced them out, seeing real surprise flashing for a moment in the Mage's eyes in response. "I'm a Mechanic, but I'm not closed-minded." Which has gotten me in trouble already more times than I can count. "Thank you for your warning."
The Mage shook his head. "Thank...you," he repeated, the words sounding almost rusty as they came out, an intentness again showing in his eyes. "Thank you," he repeated in a murmur to himself, a hint of understanding appearing in his voice. "I...remember. Asha."
"Asha?"
"Long ago. I do not remember what to say." He gave her a look in which no feeling could be seen. "What do I say?"
"Um...you say...you're welcome," Mari replied, feeling oddly anguished by the Mage's reactions.
"Yes." He inclined his head toward her. "You...are welcome, Master Mechanic Mari. "

― Jack Campbell , The Dragons of Dorcastle (The Pillars of Reality, #1)

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Jack Campbell quote : I can't figure you out,"What I want does not matter." He said it mechanically, if that description could ever fit a Mage, the words coming out as if they had been drilled into him.
Remembering some of the harsher harassment she had endured in her Mechanics Guild apprenticeship, Mari wondered what things had been like for this Mage. What had been done to make him seem so inhuman? "Why can't you just act like everyone else?"
He gave her an inscrutable look. "I am not like everyone else."
For some reason that sounded sad to her. "I ask your pardon, Mage." The formal words almost stuck in her parched throat, but Mari forced them out, seeing real surprise flashing for a moment in the Mage's eyes in response. "I'm a Mechanic, but I'm not closed-minded." Which has gotten me in trouble already more times than I can count. "Thank you for your warning."
The Mage shook his head. "Thank...you," he repeated, the words sounding almost rusty as they came out, an intentness again showing in his eyes. "Thank you," he repeated in a murmur to himself, a hint of understanding appearing in his voice. "I...remember. Asha."
"Asha?"
"Long ago. I do not remember what to say." He gave her a look in which no feeling could be seen. "What do I say?"
"Um...you say...you're welcome," Mari replied, feeling oddly anguished by the Mage's reactions.
"Yes." He inclined his head toward her. "You...are welcome, Master Mechanic Mari." style="width:100%;margin:20px 0;"/>
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