"You've asked the right person! I was there!" the Staff said excitedly.
Because it belonged to the Council Chairman, Annan treated it with respect, though he remained wary.
But even the most respectable person could wear out his welcome by talking for hours on end.
Annan's head spun. He felt as if an Orc had climbed into his skull and started tearing it apart. By the time the Staff finished, he had nearly forgotten what he had asked.
Oh, right. It was about something the Council Chairman had said.
The Staff's answer was... the Council Chairman had faced something similar in his youth, but he had chosen to trust no one but himself, and it had led to a terrible mistake...
The Staff knew about the Council Chairman's youth. Had it been with him for decades?
Don't ask... Absolutely don't ask... No matter how curious I am about his past.
"How long has it been since you last spoke?" Annan thought that question would be safe.
"A full three months. You can't understand how painful it is to go three months without speaking. It feels like three years. You can't understand how painful it is to go three years without speaking. It feels like thirty years. You can't understand how painful it is to go thirty years without speaking..."
The Staff talked its way from the Saint Laurent Calendar to the Elf Calendar. Just as it was about to work its way back to the Primordial God Year... Annan entered Meditation.
But Meditation would last eight hours at most. If the Council Chairman had not returned by then...
At dusk, Annan emerged from Meditation. Seeing the Staff still in the same spot, he felt ready to try again.
"Mr. Staff... have you been with the Council Chairman since he was