Page 19 of The Tribes of Magic
“Wow, you were not kidding about the Gaian delegation being ignored, Kato. We’re hosting this Summit, and they’re not even acknowledging thePresident.”
“It’s a power play.Everythingthey do is a power play.”
I frowned. “I really hate it when people try to prove how powerful they are by excluding others.”
On the other hand, a small part of me felt that the Government officials deserved a taste of their own medicine. They were always pulling the exact same stunt on Gaia’s normal citizens. They thought they were better than us.
“The General thinks the Court delegates are just playing a game,” Kato said. “He thinks they’ll eventually acknowledge Gaia is in possession of powerful magic and stop ignoring us. He also believes all he has to do to make that happen is parade me around enough members of the Court.”
“You don’t like being in the spotlight, do you?”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Your tense shoulders are kind of a big giveaway.”
“No, I do not enjoy the spotlight. Not at all.” Kato sat down on the stairs.
I joined him. “Neither do I.”
I liked Kato like this. I liked when he let himself show that he was a teenager too. It was easy to forget that sometimes.
“The General thinks all my powers and victories intimidate the leaders of the other realms. He thinks I make Gaia appear strong by coming with him to this Summit and letting our entire delegation be ignored. But all that does is make us look desperate to prove ourselves. Some of these leaders have known each other for a very long time. They’ve been traveling the Many Realms for hundreds—or even thousands—of years. Our short time on the magic stage means nothing to them. They all expect we might just as well flicker out and be gone tomorrow.”
“Try not to be so cheerful, Kato.”
“You think I’m pessimistic and paranoid.”
“No, I don’t think that you’re pessimistic and paranoid. Iknowyou are.”
He expelled a heavy sigh, then rose from the stairs. “You haven’t seen what I’ve seen, Seven.”
I watched a very regal woman in a gold dress and a multi-tier crown tipped with rubies. She strode into the ballroom like she owned the place. It was a common attitude among the supernatural elite.
“And if I had seen what you’ve seen?”
“Then you would be equally realistic.”
“I think you meanpessimistic.”
“Is there a difference?”
“Of course. Knights like to do that, you know. You like to change around the words of things and pretend that it changes the truth.”
“Andyoulike to talk.”
“Well, we can’t all be deep and brooding.” I wiggled my eyebrows at him.
“You sure like to joke.”
“One of us has to lighten the mood. And since you’ve apparently lost your sense of humor…” I let the words hang in the air, hoping he’d grab hold.
But he was too preoccupied with being miserable to let me cheer him up.
“I get it, Kato.” I dropped my voice, imitating him. “A leader must be taken seriously.”
A small smile escaped the shell of misery he’d built around himself. “That wasn’t a bad impression.”
“It’s a work in progress.”
