[Narsus stares at Waver piercingly for a long moment. Gone is the pleasant smile, gone is the easygoing fop - he's deeply confused and taking a moment to just think things through, put pieces together.
He isn't dreaming. He's as sure of that as he can be - the one hallmark of dreams is that when strange, inexplicable things happen, they go unquestioned. The very fact that he's having trouble believing all of this, that he's seeking an explanation to fit the facts into a reality he can understand, means that he can't be dreaming.
Then this can only be reality. But the world around him right now is a reality he's already lived. His gaze turns away from Waver, and now other details are coming to light: he's sure that merchant across the way has offered the same fruit to the same passerby several times now. No matter how many boxes are carried off the ship, the number on deck never seems to change. He's awake, but what he's seeing isn't the truth.
When he moves his gaze too quickly, the shadows flicker and seem to open up too wide. He focuses on that, and on the sense of wrongness, the holes and details of this unreality, bends his sharp mind and all the force of his will toward wanting to know the truth, and takes a step forward onto the planks of the dock.
For a moment, he's sure his foot sank into tall grass. He takes another step, remembering that feeling, and there's grass growing between the planks of the dock, shadows of leaves across them. Another, and the blue sky is now partly obscured by branches, the warm sea breeze is cool and smells more of forest than ocean, the hubbub of voices in the marketplace are growing hushed and distant. Slowly, the city around them fades to a forest clearing.
Narsus turns back to Waver, a few steps away now, calm for the moment but still serious.] Tell me more. About this 'coven', and what they want from us.
no subject
He isn't dreaming. He's as sure of that as he can be - the one hallmark of dreams is that when strange, inexplicable things happen, they go unquestioned. The very fact that he's having trouble believing all of this, that he's seeking an explanation to fit the facts into a reality he can understand, means that he can't be dreaming.
Then this can only be reality. But the world around him right now is a reality he's already lived. His gaze turns away from Waver, and now other details are coming to light: he's sure that merchant across the way has offered the same fruit to the same passerby several times now. No matter how many boxes are carried off the ship, the number on deck never seems to change. He's awake, but what he's seeing isn't the truth.
When he moves his gaze too quickly, the shadows flicker and seem to open up too wide. He focuses on that, and on the sense of wrongness, the holes and details of this unreality, bends his sharp mind and all the force of his will toward wanting to know the truth, and takes a step forward onto the planks of the dock.
For a moment, he's sure his foot sank into tall grass. He takes another step, remembering that feeling, and there's grass growing between the planks of the dock, shadows of leaves across them. Another, and the blue sky is now partly obscured by branches, the warm sea breeze is cool and smells more of forest than ocean, the hubbub of voices in the marketplace are growing hushed and distant. Slowly, the city around them fades to a forest clearing.
Narsus turns back to Waver, a few steps away now, calm for the moment but still serious.] Tell me more. About this 'coven', and what they want from us.