PULLED.  HE WAS BEING PULLED.  FIRST TO HIS FEET.  AND THEN TO THE FIRE . . .

. . . NO, THROUGH THE FIRE, WITHOUT IT TOUCHING HIM!

THERE WAS STILL A LITTLE SMOKE, BUT NOW IT WAS EASIER TO BREATHE, AND ARADIA WAS SMILING.

ARADIA:  I FIGURED IT OUT!

ARADIA:  HOW TO STOP A FIRE . . .  WELL, JUST A LITTLE . . .

ARADIA:  . . . JUST ENOUGH FOR US . . .

BEHIND THEM, THE FLAMES ROARED ON.  BEFORE THEM, THE GROWNUPS RAN IN THEIR DIRECTION ALL SHOUTING LIKE VINGA DID WHEN - WHEN THEY WORRIED HER TO DEATH.  WULFSTON FOUND HIMSELF LAUGHING, LAUGHING AT SOME JOKE THAT EVEN HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND . . .

“AFTER WE WERE TAKEN HOME AND CLEANED UP, WE WERE BROUGHT BEFORE NERIUS IN HIS PRIVATE CHAMBERS.  WITH VERY LITTLE CEREMONY, HE SPANKED US.  FIRST ARADIA, THEN ME.  AND AFTER WE’D SQUEEZED OUT OUR LAST TEARS-FOR-SYMPATHY, HE GENTLY GAVE US A SHORT LECTURE ABOUT HOW ABUSING ADEPT POWERS COULD CAUSE DISASTERS EVEN WORSE THAN BURNING DOWN SOME WOODS.”