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" She sat back, eyeing the flames now leaping upward to lick at the wooden beams of the ceiling. " If this fire gets out of hand, or if the guards take too long to come, you and I may be in a lot of trouble." " We are already in a lot of trouble." " That was my reasoning, too. Of course, if that happens and the fire gets too big before the mighty citizens of Ringhmon stop it, it'll also gut this little palace and destroy everything inside it. Including the enormously expensive Model Six that I just fixed, which they'll be responsible for paying fo, and probably the other Model Six that they openly own." She shrugged, trying to appear unworried. " That'll teach them to kidnap me. But that won't happen. We'll be fine." " You say that and yet you are frightened." " Yes, I'm frightened! I admit it! Happy? No, wait, Mages are never happy. Just try not to die, all right? I don't want that to be my fault." Alain thought through her words. " I will attempt not to die. Your plan appears to be sound, as well as potentially very destructive. I see that it is a mistake to offend you. "
