MARCUS FELT LIKE HE WANTED TO BITE HIS TONGUE.  NOW HE HAD TO DO WHAT SHE WANTED, AGAIN.

ARADIA:  GO ON! . . .

ARADIA:  I DARE YOU!

MARCUS LOOKED DESPERATELY AROUND FOR - THERE, A PATCH OF GRASS THAT WAS HALF BROWN IN THE TREE’S SHADE.  MAYBE HE COULD GET IT GOING ENOUGH TO BURN THE GREEN GRASS AROUND IT, ALL WITHOUT ARADIA NOTICING THAT HE WAS CHEATING.

HE SQUINTED, SET HIS JAW, AND THREW ALL HIS ANGER AT THE LITTLE PATCH.  AFTER A MOMENT THERE WAS A KIND OF POPPING SOUND . . .

. . . AND THEN FLAMES, RIGHT WHERE HE WANTED THEM TO BE!  HE WANTED TO SHOUT FOR JOY, BUT INSTEAD PUT THAT ENERGY INTO MORE CONCENTRATION.  THE FLAMES SPREAD TO THE SURROUNDING GREEN GRASS . . . AND GREW EVEN HIGHER!

ARADIA:  YOU CHEATED, WULFSTON!  THAT GRASS WAS DEAD!

WULFSTON:  NO, IT WASN’T

ARADIA:  YES, IT WAS!

WULFSTON:  NO, IT WASN’T.

ARADIA:  YES, IT WAS!

WULFSTON:  WELL, THEN LET’S SEE YOU DO BETTER!

WULFSTON:  I DARE YOU!  I DOUBLE DARE YOU!

HE WAS NOW FEELING VERY GOOD, BETTER THAN HE HAD FELT IN A LONG TIME.  POWERFUL.  POWERFUL AND FREE.

ARADIA ANGRILY TURNED AWAY FROM HIS GAZE AND FIXED HER OWN UPON A SMALL TREE, JUST A FEW YARDS AWAY.  SHE GRITTED HER TEETH AND SWUNG HER FIST IN THAT DIRECTION.

ALL ALONG THE EDGES THEY COULD SEE, SMALL FLAMES QUICKLY TOOK THE OUTERMOST LEAVES.  WITHIN MOMENTS, THE ENTIRE TREE WAS A TORCH.

SHE LET OUT A BIG LAUGH OF TRIUMPH, BUT MARCUS COULD SOMEHOW TELL THAT THE EFFORT HAD GREATLY WEAKENED HER.

SUDDENLY, ALL THIS FIGHTING HAD BECOME MEANINGLESS TO HIM.  HE HAD WON—

NO, THEY BOTH HAD WON, IF THAT WAS POSSIBLE.  AND ARADIA’S EYES SEEMED TO SAY ALL THIS TOO AS SHE LOOKED WEARILY AT HIM, AND . . .

ARADIA:  WULFSTON, LOOK!!

HIS PATCH-FIRE HAD QUICKLY SPREAD, LEAPING INTO SEVERAL TREES AND MAKING A WALL OF FLAMES.

WULFSTON:  PUT IT OUT!

ARADIA:  I CAN’T —

ARADIA:  — I DON’T KNOW HOW!!