The end.
Shadow Master 10: Conclusion
“*Depend* on it…” – Chris Alan Starbright
**********
“Banished?” Davida yelled shrilly. “I *can’t* be banished; I’m a socialite. This is your fault.”
“Stop nagging me, will you? I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Didn’t do anything wrong?” Davida shouted. “They don’t banish people for nothing, Edwin. I read the file; I know what you did.”
Edwin had only recently returned through the Portal of Starlight from Bolus, a distant and desolate planet under Nicholas’ jurisdiction. Upon Edwin’s return to Ge, Aviad had received a message from Abram, Toa’s Guardian, about Edwin’s dishonorable discharge from the Rangers and his formal banishment from Ge. At least Edwin could still choose where he could go, so long as he went within a Standard Day; but it had been a sad scene when Aviad gave his Bondmade the news right in the middle of the Court of the Portals. And now here Edwin was, arguing with his own wife in their own home on Ge: a home he was about to leave behind forever. Aviad and Fiona, the Tendertrees’ Guardians, were prudently (after their fashion) staying out of the way of the argument.
“You don’t have to come, you know. This is *my* punishment; I can bear it alone,” Edwin snapped back.
“That’s very tempting, but here I have closer access to Callista.”
“Great for you, you get to spend more time with your new friend.” Edwin rolled his eyes.
“You didn’t do too badly yourself, thanks to you personal attachment to the Disciple of Fire. But now you’ve thrown that attachment away.”
“Whatever. I was just looking to show his students a thing or two.”
“You are such an arrogant airhead, Edwin.”
“Lord Edwin to you, missy.” Edwin eyed her.
“Lord Edwin?” Davida stopped in her tracks to eyeball him right back.
“The Codex *does* say you should call me that.”
“Not as a titular name, it doesn’t. Yes, Sarah called Abraham *adoni* and I have to respect you, but there’s no way in the Realms that I’m calling you ‘Lord’ *anything*.”
I think this is the best you’ve done yet as a writer, both on a technical and on a narrative level. And I also think you’ve learned all too well from the background on Nicholas and Callista, and on Elementals generally, that I sent you. 
Given what I told you about Callista, you found a plausible way for Davida to rebel, for Edwin to respond to that rebellion (only, you’ll have to go back and revise some of your dialogue between Edwin and Bakbuk about Edwin’s wife in JOURNEY OF THE FIVE STARS), for Nicholas to deal with Edwin and for Edwin to be taken in by Set’s plan. The level of Light that Edwin was wielding at the end was a very nice touch, as was his feeling about what the White Hand would give by comparison (and his accusation of favoritism concerning it). Well done.
I look forward to what appears to be your next saga, ONE MORE MINUTE.
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