“They’re just curious,” the She-Giant told him.
“And attracted to magic.”
“That, too.”
The He-Giant glanced at the box. “Do you think more giants would really come out of it? Or did our mysterious message-writer have some other motive?”
She spread empty hands. “Who knows?”
“If more giants appeared — well, it might be nice to have more company.”
“Female company, you mean? I’m not enough for you?”
“Of course you are! I didn’t mean that. But where we’re all so much alike, the four of you sisters and my three brothers and me — aren’t there any different people wherever it is we came from? It might be nice to talk to someone who isn’t just like us.”
“Just talk? So you aren’t hoping that someday a beautiful woman might come climbing out of the magic mirror, so you’d have a choice, and not just the four of us with the same boring face?”
“You’re more than beautiful enough! Besides, now that I think about it, it’s just as likely to be another man, and I’m not interested in sharing you. Better we keep everything balanced, four and four.”
“Or maybe we’d get worse monsters next time,” the She-Giant mused. “Remember, we got those funny false spriggans before. We could get anything — it’s not as if we have any idea how the magic works, or where we actually came from.”
“Right.” He glanced at the black box, still securely sealed.
He wondered who had sent that message, sixnights ago, not much more than an hour after their own arrival — “SHUT THE MIRROR IN A SOLID BOX, AND NOTHING ELSE WILL COME OUT OF IT.” Why had it been written across a false spriggan’s belly? Why hadn’t the mysterious magician sent a piece of paper?
He shook his head.
They would probably never know — but they would do their best to see that the mirror stayed safely locked away. It was just too dangerous to let out.
They didn’t really need any more giants. The fact was, the He-Giant rather liked being one of only four men in a world of spriggans, an object of awe to all the millions of little green creatures. It was really quite enjoyable — so long as there were four women, as well!
Notes Regarding Gresh’s Family
Keshan the Merchant married Piri of Ethshar before the Magistrate of Bywater in Ethshar of the Rocks on the tenth day of Newfrost in the Year of Speech 5187. Their first child, a daughter, was born on the nineteenth of Greengrowth, 5188, and named Dina, a name they mistakenly believed to mean “fortunate.” (The actual root means “leader.”)
Dina showed a keen mind and an interest in magic from the first. As Dina the Clever she was apprenticed to a wizard, Ziridin of Farmgate, in Summersheat 5200. She completed her apprenticeship on the fourth of Summersend, 5206, and after various occupation as a journeyman, purchased a shop on Wizard Street in her native city of Ethshar of the Rocks in Icebound, 5212, and set up in business under the rather unimaginative name Dina the Wizard. She was granted master status by the Wizards’ Guild, allowing her to train apprentices, in Rains, 5213. Despite offers, she has never married.
Difa was born on the thirtieth of Greengrowth, 5190. Despite her parents’ attempts to prevent it, she spent much of her childhood as Difa the Sneaky, a name her older sister had bestowed upon her. On the fourth of Summerheat, 5202, popularly referred to as “the Night of Madness,” she had not yet been found an apprenticeship. Having been disappointed to discover that this new magic had bypassed her, she was delighted when the Council of Warlocks was established and an announcement was made that warlocks were to operate on the same basis as other magicians. She leapt at her chance, and on the twenty-ninth of Summerheat became the first girl in Ethshar of the Rocks to formally apprentice herself to a warlock, a former mason named Senden of Crafton.
She completed her apprenticeship on the thirtieth of Greengrowth, 5208, worked as a journeyman for three years, and was recognized as a master warlock by the Council in Summerheat, 5211. After sharing quarters with two other warlocks for a time, she bought her own shop in Rains, 5213. In Harvest of 5215 she married a magistrate’s aide by the name of Zarek of Hillside; they have two sons and a daughter.
Tira of Eastgate was born on the thirtieth of Snowfall, 5191, served as apprentice to Sensella the Witch from the fifth of Rains, 5204, to the sixth of Rains, 5210, and remained as Sensella’s associate until Sensella’s death in 5226, whereupon she inherited the shop. Tira married a theurgist named Dar of Norcross Street, some ten years her senior, on the sixth of Leafcolor, 5210. They have four children, two of each sex.
Chira the Clever — known as Chira the Also Clever until her oldest sister began her apprenticeship and moved out of the family home — was born on the seventeenth of Leafcolor, 5193. She served her sorcerous apprenticeship from 18 Leafcolor 5205 through 16 Leafcolor 5214 under the famous Thellesh of Tazmor and wed Cardel the Locksmith on the eleventh of Newfrost, 5214, setting up her business in his existing storefront at the corner of Wizard Street and Tinker Street in Eastgate. They have seven children; five girls and two boys.
Pyata was born on the third of Newfrost, 5195, and apprenticed to Alladia the Priestess on the first of Newfrost, 5208. She never formally completed her apprenticeship, leaving Alladia’s home and shrine in 5213 when she felt her master was behaving unreasonably. The tantrum that prompted this turned out to be an early symptom of Alladia’s final illness; Alladia died before Pyata could be convinced to return. Under the name Pyata the Divine she has done well for herself despite her lack of credentials, thanks to an unusually high success rate in her invocations. She has never married.
Shesta was born on the twenty-first of Thaw, 5196, and apprenticed to Garven the Demonologist at an undetermined date in Rains, 5209. She completed her apprenticeship some time late in 5214 and took the name Shesta the Black, but for health reasons did not actively go into business until 5220 — demonology is not a healthy business. She was able to make ends meet by hiring herself out as an intimidating presence, more or less.
In 5220 Garven made a fatal error of some sort, though the resulting fire was put out by neighbors before his home and shop were destroyed. His last apprentice, Neran of Pawnbroker Street, sold the ruins and remaining supplies to Shesta at a bargain price and gave up demonology.
Shesta married Ferral the Black, a warlock, in 5224. None of their three children survived infancy; demonic influence is suspected.
Gresh was born on the twenty-second of Greengrowth, 5198, and served an apprenticeship with his father from 5210 to 5216 before setting himself up as Gresh the Supplier. He has not yet married and is unaware of having sired any children.
Setta was born on the nineteenth of Icebound, 5199, and studied herbalism under multiple masters from 5211 through 5220 before using her family’s money and contacts to go into business as Setta the Green. She married Abran the Chandler, son and heir of one of her father’s oldest friends, on the fifth day of Festival, 5224. They have one daughter, Tarissa the Fair, born on the thirteenth of Midwinter, 5226.
Akka the Graceful was born on the second of Midwinter, 5201, and admitted into the Eastgate Circle as a trainee in Summersheat, 5214. She married Tresen the Handsome, of no fixed address or recognized occupation, on the twenty-fifth of Thaw, 5218. She was elevated to full participation as a ritual dancer in the Circle on the third day of Festival, 5220. She and Tresen have no children.
Neva the Strong was born on the seventh of Greengrowth, 5204, and went to sea as a deckhand aboard the freighter Swift Profits in the summer of 5217. She married Derath the Pilot on the fourteenth of Longdays, 5221. They have one son and two daughters.