"A fact that some of the leaders in my home world might have done well to note." It was a wise choice on Alanna's part. The leaders were, in most cases, competent enough to carry out the roles assigned to them, but there were still those on the ship who opposed those in charge, and it was occasionally cause for excitement.

For as comfortable as Sandry was with her magic, it was difficult for her to discuss the magic of another in this manner, even when discussing it with the sibling of that other. "Using my own magic," she began, with a quickly added, "though I've been careful not to take on any of his magic that I couldn't keep complete track of. I am an ambient mage, which means I have an object of focus to my magic. My particular focus is in thread. Using thread that had been exposed to his magic I was able to weave a map of it." She hoped that explanation would be enough for Alanna, at least for the time being. There would be plenty of time later to betray Thom's trust. "I don't know exactly who is aiding him in the cleansing, but it has been going for some time, and it seems to be working. Time will tell." It was hard to say, and probably harder to hear, but it was true. They needed to wait and see.