At Orthodox Hall, Gallo stood on the broad balcony of the second-floor terrace, watering the plants before him with a watering can.
These flowers and plants were otherworldly specimens carefully cultivated by the hall's gardener. Their brilliant colors vied for attention, displaying tenacious vitality.
The evening sun bathed Gallo's face in gold.
The exotic plants in the trough took on the same hue.
"They've grown so well in such a short time. Those really are splendid flowers."
Oksaya was reading a newspaper a short distance away. He glanced up casually, saw how absorbed Gallo was, and spoke with a smile.
"You're giving them too much credit. They've simply been forced to grow through expensive temperature-regulating magic arrays and special fertilizers.
"In their native habitats, they're all delicate things on the verge of extinction. Some are even harmful, poisonous weeds. People only cultivate them because they have certain special uses."
Gallo sighed.
"It all comes down to money."
Oksaya paused briefly, then chuckled.
"By the way, you submitted your article to Runes earlier. I wonder how that's going.
"I hear the review meeting has already begun. There should be a result about now."
"It can only be accepted or rejected. At my current standing, one more article makes little difference, and neither does one fewer. What matters more is finding out what Roland is really made of.
"How do you say that in Seris again? Right, testing the waters..."
Gallo hefted the watering can. Feeling that it was nearly empty, he set it aside, shook the droplets from his hands, and sat down near Oksaya.
"His temperament, attitude, and methods will all reveal themselves through this incident.
"Rather than the submission's outcome, I'm more interested in what produces that outcome.
"Ideally, Roland will be the deciding factor."
"He's just a youngster