Unfortunately, they just don't care, because the guild responds to the noble's causes. That's the guild's protection," Arel explained."Is it against t...e law then, to learn magic?" Dev asked."Ah! Good question! No, it is not. However, if someone presents themselves as a magic user, without having gone through the guild, and is not a noble... well, let's just say accidents happen to those people. Deadly accidents," Arel said heavily."Why, that's so... so... unfair!" Dev cried out indignantly.Arel. . But what DID he deserve? Okay, he'd slapped her around some -- but he was right, she'd been slapped before -- although how HE knew that was an open question! He'd embarrassed her and gotten her naked and tied her up -- and generally rode herd on her. But on the other hand, he had been right about a number of things -- mistakes she had made in manipulating Rob, for instance. Probably one of her first mistakes there was not bothering to realize that she WAS manipulating Rob, and really had no. It was unacceptable."Worthington just stood there, smirking.My undercover watch-dog, Detective Sanchez, was by the filing cabinets, a sheaf of papers in her left hand, her right hand out of sight and I wondered if it was on the grip of her gun. Though if her pants were as tight as what I could see of her scoop-neck top, how she could be carrying a concealed weapon was beyond me.But her eyes -- oh my -- those dark eyes of hers had that look that gunfighters in the movies get. I don't mean to say. I knew she knew I knew. A brief silence ensued. I wasn’t very good at this. I had a conviction that silence was the enemy. I have since learned that it can be valuable and comforting. At that age I had to find something to say. ‘This food isn’t very good, is it?’ I asked. ‘It’s okay. You have to eat something.’ ‘I like the fries.’ Hamburgers and fries were at the top of the food pyramid in the school’s cafeterias. I don’t know whether it was from ignorance or capitalism. ‘I don’t eat them. They.