The Flowery War
Page 22
“So you’re saying I got dragged into this because of my grandfather and my mother and Smith and Stoss and you, but, once I was in it, I made the right choice on my own?”
“Exactly!” he said. “And that answers your question, or rather, replaces it with a more appropriate one, one that I believe I tried to impress upon you several days ago. Instead of asking ‘why me?’ you must ask ‘did I do the right thing?’”
I thought for a moment and said, “I think I understand.”
“Very good,” he said, “if that is all then, I will say farewell.”
“Wait,” I said, “what about Lika? Doesn’t she get anything?”
He smiled. “That is very thoughtful, but we have already compensated her. Mr. Smith was prepared to fire her for betraying his trust. We convinced him that her actions were simply out her devotion to her father.”
“I’m not sure you did her a favor,” I said.
“Perhaps not,” he said, standing up, “but it was her wish. Mr. Smith did not want to fire her, but he could not let go of his hurt pride. By insisting, we allowed him to save face. We would not want to see the three of you deprived of any future adventures.” He stepped back from me and bowed slightly, his robe swirling around him. “If that is all, I will say good-bye Goshan.”
“Good-bye,” I said, and he was gone.
As the image of the Abbot faded in my sight, I thought about what he had said. “Future adventures?”
Table of Contents
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter 1 – A Spoiled Weekend
Chapter 2 – The Drunken Seeker
Chapter 3 – The Amida
Chapter 4 – The Revelation in the Crypt
Chapter 5 – Hypothermia
Chapter 6 – The Trolls Attack
Chapter 7 – The Ambush
Chapter 8 – The Conspiracy
Chapter 9 – The Missing Safe Word
Chapter 10 – Sylvania
Chapter 11 – Smith solves the mystery
Epilogue – An Unspoiled Weekend