“AFTER THAT NIGHT, I FELT A WHOLE LOT BETTER ABOUT MYSELF . . . AND ABOUT BEING A MEMBER OF NERIUS’ FAMILY, WITH A NEW NAME . . .”

“BECAUSE YOU AND ARADIA NEARLY DIED TOGETHER IN THE FIRE?”

WULFSTON:  PARTLY.  BUT MOSTLY BECAUSE OF SOMETHING ELSE, SOMETHING THAT DID NOT FULLY OCCUR TO ME FOR SEVERAL MORE YEARS . . .  IT WAS THE SPANKING.

DISHA:  THE SPANKING?

WULFSTON:  YOU SEE, MY FATHER - - MY NATURAL FATHER - - HAD NO ADEPT POWERS.  WHEN I WAS NAUGHTY, HE COULD NOT PUNISH ME FROM A DISTANCE, THE WAY NERIUS WOULD.  MY FATHER WOULD USE HIS HAND TO PADDLE MY BOTTOM.  AND ON THIS OCCASION, NERIUS THOUGHT A HANDS-ON SPANKING WAS THE MOST APPROPRIATE PUNISHMENT.  SOMEHOW, EVEN AT THE AGE OF THREE, I HAD KNOWN PAPA SPANKED ME BECAUSE HE LOVED ME.  AND THEN NERIUS HAD DONE THE SAME.  IT HAD GONE A LONG WAY TOWARD BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN MY OLD LIFE AND NEW ONE, AND IN MAKING MARCUS AND WULFSTON . . .”

WULFSTON:  . . . ONE AND THE SAME . . .

DISHA:  AND DO YOU PLAN TO DO THAT WITH OUR SWEET, INNOCENT YOUNG SON WHEN HE STARTS WALKING AND TALKING?

SHE SAID IN MOCK HORROR.

NOW FIRMLY PULLED OUT OF HIS REVERIE, WULFSTON GAVE HER A SLY GRIN.

WULFSTON:  INDEED.  AND I MAY DECREE THE SAME THING FOR HIS MOTHER, STARTING NOW!