When the man saw Desterie, he immediately bowed respectfully as well. "Pash pays his respects, my lord!"
At the sight of him, Renals' eyes widened. The Sovereign he served had actually addressed the Fate Sovereign before them as "my lord"!
Renals had only ever seen Desterie's projection as a colossal face of fate, and had assumed Desterie was merely a Fate Sovereign.
Pash turned to Renals and smiled. "Your task is complete. Go back. This is a conversation between Sovereigns, and you have no place here. Once you return, remember that you were never on this Material Plane."
Renals immediately agreed. He glanced at Desterie, who was calmly fishing, and understood that he shouldn't disturb them any further. He promptly retraced his steps.
Only after Renals had gone some distance did Pash ask, "My lord, you summoned me here so mysteriously. What is it you want?"
Desterie didn't answer. He kept his eyes fixed on the bobber. Only when Pash also turned to look at it did Desterie suddenly raise the rod high, hauling the line and hook out of the water. A plump carp was dangling from the hook.
After removing the carp, which was clearly a good deal larger than the other fish he'd caught, and placing it in the nearby pool, Desterie turned to Pash with a smile. "Sorry for the wait, Pash. Fishing without using any Laws, divine power, or Willpower really tests your patience. Fortunately, the fish finally took the bait. So long as you can wait, you'll eventually land a good one."
Pash managed a strained smile. He was interested in chess and outmaneuvering opponents, but had little enthusiasm for an activity like fishing.
Still, with their difference in rank and power, he had no choice but to offer praise. "You certainly have the