Edited: June 2024
11
Before Lucius could speak further, Talia managed to shake herself out of her stupor and beam at him. "This is wonderful news, Lord Seeker!" Lucius gave her a wary look. "It is such a relief to know that the Templars will be supporting the Inquisition in this endeavor."
"Perhaps we can discuss the terms of our alliance in a less public setting, yes?" Leliana interjected smoothly.
"Indeed, thank you, Leliana, perhaps we can head back to—," Talia was cut off as Lucius spoke.
"We've much to discuss," he said curtly as he stepped off the platform flanked by his templars. He didn't look back at them once, or even have the courtesy to ask them to join him politely, but it was clear that they were expected to follow after him. Cassandra visibly bristled at the insult, but Talia shrugged it off, trying to think of a way to turn the situation around.
People jumped apart as the Lord Seeker passed through, likely worried they would receive the same treatment as the Revered Mother. The woman still sat on the platform looking rather dazed as they all left.
As they walked, Cassandra leaned in to speak to her, but Talia gripped the woman's forearm and squeezed it lightly in a clear warning. We shall speak of this later, she gave her a meaningful look, and Talia could only hope the Seeker understood. Cassandra scowled but nodded, leaving Talia with her thoughts.
Talia could see two likely scenarios if and when she agrees to the alliance: upon their arrival, the templars raze Haven to the ground anyway, or they snoop around, do a bit of reconnaissance before razing Haven to the ground. Either one ends up with Haven destroyed and the Inquisition dead. The only major difference is that the second one gives them a chance, more time to prepare for the inevitable attack. The only option Talia could see was to stall until such a time that they could get the mages to their side. But what could she possibly say to the Lord Seeker to stop the entirety of the Templar Order from descending onto Haven?
Lucius led them to the Auberge de la Bonne Fortune, Chastain's inn, and into a room, set with a long table and a map of Thedas stretched across it. The rest of the templars dispersed, save for two, who entered the room with the Lord Seeker, and one who was in the room they entered. Talia immediately recognized the man studying the map, though she managed to keep her face blank.
Conall Selbrech looked up sharply as they entered, and his expression relaxed when he saw the Lord Seeker.
"Lord Seeker Lucius." Conall saluted.
"Selbrech," he replied. "Join us for the discussion."
"Sir." He gave a nod and turned to study Talia curiously. He was quite a good actor, considering how frigidly he was speaking with Chastain last night.
Lucius turned to her stiffly. "Herald of Andraste, this is Conall Selbrech, Knight-Captain Julius Denam, and Ser Delrin Barris."
Conall stepped forward and grinned charmingly as he was introduced. "It's an honor to meet the Herald of Andraste."
What a dangerous man, she thought. She'd have to be doubly careful when interacting with him.
Talia gave him her most disarming smile. "Just Talia please." She gestured to Leliana and Cassandra. "I'm certain you already familiar with them, but these are the Left and Right Hands of the Divine, Leliana and Cassandra Pentaghast."
All of them took their seats, and the Lord Seeker immediately spoke.
"I wish to make it clear that the Templar Order will be working with the Inquisition in this matter and not for it," he said steely, attempting to stare down Talia, who in turn, simply stared right back.
"I am curious, Lord Seeker, why the sudden change of heart?" Leliana asked. "The Templar Order has always brushed aside our requests for meetings, and here you are, happy not only to initiate one, but also propose an alliance."
Lucius' cold eyes slid from Talia to Leliana. "I do not appreciate the implications of your statement, Sister Nightingale."
"It is a legitimate question, ser. We have never responded to the Inquisition's missives and—," Barris immediately shut his mouth as the Lord Seeker turned his gaze towards him.
"Well, to be perfectly frank, we didn't trust the Inquisition," Conall said bluntly, and Talia noted that Lucius did not turn to glare at him, or reprimand him in any way. "When we agreed to the Conclave, we didn't really believe that we would be able to meet halfway or otherwise come to peace, but we didn't expect the explosion to happen either." He looked down, the perfect picture of distress. "Then out of those ashes, rose the Inquisition. We believed you to be capitalizing on what was the most horrible event of the century."
"So what changed?"
"We heard about what happened in the Hinterlands, how you did nothing but help the refugees. That you stepped in between the mages and templars, calling for a ceasefire."
Not exactly what happened, but Talia wouldn't correct them.
"And then we received letters from the Revered Mother, asking to intervene in their meeting with you. Asking for protection," he said mockingly. "We decided to take the opportunity to publicly announce our intentions. This way, you'd have no question of the sincerity of our desire to team up, so to speak."
The reports were right, Talia surmised, Conall was intelligent, and rather cunning too. This made Sera's information that more important; without seeing it for herself, she would have constantly second guessed herself with regards to the templar's intentions.
"Despite our disagreements in the past, including the attack of those in the Hinterlands, we are interested in allying with you, that is if you're willing to work with us?" Conall said.
Talia threaded her fingers together. "Of course, but we do not want to enter into this alliance blindly. We want the terms of this partnership to be laid out plainly. We are willing to negotiate, of course."
Denam looked at them haughtily. "The Inquisition has no choice but to work with the templars, without us, you have no hope of closing the Breach."
Conall closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation, and Talia almost grinned despite herself.
"The Inquisition is also severely undermanned. You seek to defeat this threat, and yet your army is practically nonexistent."
And there and then, an idea formed in Talia's mind, she just hoped Cassandra and Leliana's acting skills were up to par.
Talia leaned back in her seat and affected a smug smile, causing both the Lord Seeker and Denam to stare at her warily. Conall and Barris, she noted, simply looked at her in askance.
"It is quite amusing how most everybody assumes our forces lack in number," she threw out, and waited for a few moments before Denam took the bait.
"What do you mean?" he asked suspiciously, and Talia flashed him a grin.
"You didn't seriously believe we'd create the Inquisition and not have the numbers to back us up?" At the corner of her eye, she saw Cassandra's eyes widen, but the warrior immediately affected a stony disposition.
"Are you expecting us to believe that somewhere in Haven, you have an army large enough to defeat the Elder One?" Denam asked incredulously, and she could see that both Conall and the Lord Seeker tensed. Strangely, Barris only looked confused. Talia resisted the urge to smile predatorily and she immediately pounced on what he let slip.
"The Elder One?" Talia raised an eyebrow in confusion, looking back and forth at Denam and the Lord Seeker. When they kept quiet Talia allowed some frost to seep into her tone. "I thought this was meant to be an alliance. Are you holding back information from us?"
She could almost see the gears working in Conall's head as he spoke. "There is no definitive evidence yet, but our spies have heard his name being bandied back and forth in the mage encampments."
"You think the mages are behind the Divine's death?" Cassandra spoke for the first time, leaning forward as she spoke.
"Not all of them," Conall amended. "But there has been Tevinter activity in the Hinterlands for some time, we have not yet figured out what it is they are doing there, but they are there. And this Elder One, whoever he is, is obviously the one leading them."
Talia processed this new information. If Conall was telling the truth, then that means the Elder One had ties with both the templars and the mages. She scowled as she realized just how difficult things had become. "We'll have our men try to gain more information on this Elder One."
Conall nodded. "We apologize if we did not seem as forthright with this, I suppose it is a matter of trust."
"I understand, trust is something that must be built between us if we are to function well as a team." Talia nodded graciously, before pausing for effect. "To answer your earlier question, the Inquisition has been recruiting long before the death of the Divine."
The shock on all their faces, including Cassandra's would be quite funny, if only the situation weren't so dire.
"The Divine hoped that the Inquisition would not be needed, but we have always been on standby should the Conclave fail," she continued.
"And you?" Conall prompted.
"And me?"
"Have you been working with the Divine all this time?"
Talia smiled mysteriously, knowing it would frustrate the templars. "No, not really. I've only become part of the Inquisition after the events at the Conclave."
"Come now, Herald, I thought there'd be no secrets between us," Conall said winningly.
Talia hesitated as she thought of what to say and Leliana intervened. "What is it that you expect from the Inquisition?"
"Aid in crushing the rebel mages and restoring order to Thedas." The Lord Seeker looked each of them in the eye as he spoke.
"We'll take the matter under advisement," Talia replied diplomatically. "Anything else?"
"There is no 'taking this matter under advisement', Herald," Lucius replied coldly. "You will either take our terms as they are, or no alliance will be made."
"I cannot, in good conscience make a decision for the entirety of the Inquisition without the presence of its entire council. As it is, Lady Josephine, our ambassador, and Commander Cullen have yet to be informed of this development," Talia said sharply. "And so, when I say we shall take this matter under advisement, we will be taking the matter under advisement."
"You will not speak to the Lord Seeker in such a manner!" Denam stood from his seat in Lucius' defense. In response, Cassandra rose, sword at the ready.
"If you lay a hand on the Herald, I can assure you that you will lose it," she threatened.
"Please, let us cool our heads!" Barris also stood and raised his hands.
"The goal of this meeting is to reach a compromise, not to further alienate ourselves from each other," Conall commented, giving Denam a look. The Knight-Captain grumbled, but took his seat. Cassandra followed suit after throwing the templars a rather impressive glare.
Leliana cleared her throat. "Any other terms, Lord Seeker?"
"Endorsement from the Inquisition to the leaders of each state. The Inquisition will show full support in any and all undertakings of the templars." Talia wanted to give them an incredulous look. That was a tall order, and rather ridiculous. No one in his right mind would ever agree to doing that.
"I see," Talia replied instead. "Anything else?"
"None as of the moment." Conall nodded. "And what does the Inquisition expect of us?"
"As we've already said, the first would be aid in suppressing the Breach, allowing the Herald to close it successfully. The second is full support; the Templar Order will be joining in any and all skirmishes the Inquisition will be engaging in. You will also give us full access to all information—including access to all the Templar Order's spies and agents." Leliana kept her face blank as she spoke, but she looked directly at the Lord Seeker.
"Very well," Lucius agreed, surprising everyone at the table. "And when will the Inquisition be able to give us a definitive answer with regards to this alliance?"
"We can further discuss the terms back at Haven, in the presence of Lady Josephine and Commander Cullen," Talia proposed. "As he is in charge of the Inquisition's forces, Cullen may be able to give you more details about the current status of our army."
"How is it that you were able to recruit so many in such a small amount of time?" Conall asked curiously, and Talia smiled. It was a testament to how much the idea of a hidden army must have bothered them that they kept on asking about it.
Perfect.
"As I've said, we've been recruiting long before the Conclave. I divulge this to you as a sign of good faith, but please do not share it around," Talia said seriously. "The reason we've never announced it publicly was because we feared Orlais' and Ferelden's response to a rogue nation gathering forces in their borders. They would have forced us to disband, and we couldn't have that."
The Lord Seeker eyed her as he asked, "How many are in this…army?"
Talia shrugged in nonchalance. "Let's simply say it's a sizeable amount and keep it at that."
"And where is this army located, might we ask?"
Talia smiled ruefully. "Unfortunately, I'm not at liberty to say. Cullen would probably have my head for even divulging the fact that we already have an army."
"You expect us to give you whatever information we have freely, but will not give us the same courtesy?"
"I know that we must trust each other as potential allies, but it is a gradual process."
Lucius gave a disgusted sigh as he stood. "We will be sending a few ambassadors to Haven to discuss the alliance and examine the Breach," he decided. "The rest of the Templars will be joining you once we have been reassured of the Inquisition's status and…" His eyes slid back to lock with Talia's, "intentions." Without another word, the Lord Seeker strode out of the room, banging the door behind him as he left.
Silence permeated the room upon Lucius' departure.
"Well," Barris cleared his throat in embarrassment when all eyes turned to him. "I suppose I'd go and follow after the Lord Seeker." He stood and bowed to Talia. "It was an honor to meet you, Herald." And with that, he also left, Denam trailing after him without a backwards look at them.
Conall remained seated as he watched his companions leave the room.
"Perhaps it is also best if we take our leave," Talia suggested and she was halfway out of her seat when Conall spoke.
"Actually, there is a matter which I would like to discuss with you, Lady Herald." He looked over at Cassandra and Leliana before adding, "Privately, if you will."
Talia gave Leliana and Cassandra a look and jerked her head towards the door. Leliana simply nodded, and rose to leave, but the Seeker gave her a 'we will talk about this' look before leaving.
When the door shut behind them, Talia turned to Conall.
"What is it you wanted to discuss, Ser Conall?"
The templar stood and paced in a show of nervousness before finally speaking. "The matter which I will discuss with you is very…sensitive in nature." He sighed as he took a seat and ran a hand through his hair.
"I am listening," she said when he hesitated. Talia had to give him credit for his stellar acting.
"There is something wrong with the Lord Seeker," he said, and the dunmer had to blink a few times at his statement.
"Is he ill?"
"No, it's…not that."
Talia frowned. "Then I'm afraid I do not follow."
"I…have suspicions that he has allied himself with the Elder One."
Talia's eyebrows rose of their own accord. "That is a bold accusation."
"It sounds ridiculous, I know, but I've seen him," he implored. "Talking to the Tevinter Magisters when we were in the Hinterlands. I do not think he knows I saw him, but…"
The dunmer observed Conall, the perfect picture of anxiousness. But Talia was neither stupid nor naïve. Apart from the fact that she'd heard straight from Conall's lips that he was working with the Elder One, the Lord Seeker would not have been so careless as to have spoken to these magisters in such a setting.
"To what end?" she asked.
"I do not know yet, but I intend to find out."
"This sounds like the most ridiculous thing I've heard, but there's something about you Conall," Talia said quietly and took her lie one step further by grasping his hand. "I trust you."
It was there for a split second before it vanished, but Talia had seen a glimmer of triumph in the templar's eyes before he relaxed. "Thank you, Herald."
"We must be careful when dealing with the Lord Seeker, then," she said. "What would you suggest?"
"I could convince the Lord Seeker to send me as the representative for the alliance, then we can talk of strategy while we are in Haven. And perhaps, other matters?" he asked hopefully and stroked Talia's hand gently as if to make a point.
Talia would have laughed in disgust if possible, but instead gave Conall a shy smile. "I'd like that, Ser Conall."
The templar beamed at her and as they said their farewells, left a chaste kiss on the dunmer's hand and Talia ducked her head in feigned embarrassment. She really did have to learn how to blush on command.
When they arrived back at their inn, Talia cast a muffle spell in her room before collapsing in her chair and running a hand down her face.
"I take it Conall had some interesting things to say?" Leliana ventured tentatively.
"He basically told me that he knew the Lord Seeker was working with the Elder One, and he seems to think that he could charm me into telling him Inquisition secrets."
"He…flirted with you?" The shock in Cassandra's tone could almost be insulting.
"And you flirted back, I assume?" Leliana smiled as she saw Talia's grimace.
The dunmer nodded. "Let him believe he has me eating out of his palm; so far he seems to think I'm rather taken with him." She scoffed in disgust. "Conall is a fairly handsome man, no doubt he is experienced in such matters."
"We don't really have an army out there, do we?" Cassandra interjected.
No doubt the woman thought she was being left out of the loop again, and Talia reassured her. "No, we don't Cassandra."
"Ah, a show of strength then?"
"In a manner of speaking," Talia explained. "I think that if they continued to believe Haven to be defenseless, the Lord Seeker would bring the entirety of the Templar Order and crush the Inquisition. If you noticed, they kept on asking about our non-existent army. My guess is that they were preparing to move under the orders of this Elder One. Fabricating information about our army has bought us time, hopefully enough time to ask the mages for help."
Cassandra hesitated. "Yesterday it was clear as water: the templars were working for the enemy. But then they propose an alliance. Is it possible that Conall is working independently?"
Leliana and Talia both shook their heads. "The evidence is overwhelming. Notice how all of them were aware of the existence of an Elder One? When Denam mentioned it, both Conall and the Lord Seeker tensed visibly. It's a matter of reading the signs they're sending out."
"But why would Conall sell out the Lord Seeker?"
"As a sign of trust." Leliana folded her arms. "By divulging this information to us, he is showing us that he trusts us, and is, in turn, 'trustworthy'."
"And what about what they said about Tevinters in the Hinterlands?" Cassandra wondered. "Do you think they were telling the truth?"
"I know they're telling the truth," Talia said with certainty. "To gain our trust, Conall had to give us information we could verify. Feeding us lies will come in later, when we speak further about the Inquisition."
"You'll have to act as the smitten woman. Will he be part of the retinue arriving to 'assess' the Inquisition?" Leliana tilted her head to the side.
"He said he would 'convince' the Lord Seeker to send him." Talia rubbed her forehead in annoyance. "At least this way, we can keep a close eye on him. Are we to visit Ferelden's King after we finish up here?"
"We'll stay in Haven for a day and head out the next, we have to make the most of the time we have left. We have yet to know what date Conall and the others will be arriving at Haven." Leliana said. "I'll be accompanying you; Alistair is an old friend, and he might be more receptive to you if we arrive together."
"Hopefully, matters do not complicate themselves further than they already are." Talia leaned back in her chair with a sigh.
"Matters are rarely simple when the Tevinters are involved," Cassandra said darkly. "What could they be doing in the Hinterlands?"
"And why hasn't this matter been reported to the crown?" Talia frowned.
"The rebel mages, if I recall correctly are stationed in Redcliffe, after Arl Teagan welcomed them with open arms."
"Are the Tevinters working with the rebel mages?" Cassandra scowled. "That's absurd! Grand Enchanter Fiona would not be foolish enough to ally herself with those scum."
Talia recalled what she'd read about the Tevinter Imperium. Conquerors, slavers, evil mages. Those were the three things constantly associated with the country, and Talia found it difficult to get her hands on a book that showed the nation in a less biased light. She was certain, of course, that the Imperium had done horrid things in the past, and continued to do so until now, but she would like to learn more about the place from someone who didn't utterly despise it.
"True, but we cannot discount the possibility," Leliana said. "But speaking of mages and potential allies, you have an invitation to have afternoon tea with Madame Vivienne de Fer at the Chateau of Duke Bastien de Ghislain."
Talia's eyebrow rose. "Afternoon tea? Isn't that incredibly forward of her? We have yet to be acquainted and she's already inviting me to such an intimate gathering?"
Leliana smiled at her consternation. "I believe she wishes to speak with you in private. We did receive an invitation to her salon last night, however, I had to respond that the Herald needed to rest after such a long journey."
"I'm certain she took offense to that." Talia sighed. "But who is she and why does she wish to speak with me?"
"Madame de Fer is the First Enchanter of the Montsimmard Circle of Magi. After the Circles fell, she became the leader of the loyalist mages. She is also the Enchanter at the Imperial Court, and the first to actually make use of the position," Leliana said.
"We have met a few times in Montsimmard and here in Val Royeaux, and my only impression of her is that she is a very shrewd politician," Cassandra commented.
"She is a very skilled player of the Grand Game," Leliana continued. "So much so that she's known across the court as the Iron Lady. My guess is that she wishes to offer her services to the Inquisition."
Ah, a woman who desires power, she could work with that.
"From what we know, Madame de Fer is pro-Circle, and thus, also pro-Chantry."
Then again, maybe not.
"Perfect," Talia replied sarcastically. "Do I even have a suitable attire for this event?"
"Why of course, Herald." The strange gleam in Leliana's eyes made her wary.
"My dear Lady Herald, I can't tell you how pleased I am that you'd decided to accept my invitation."
Vivienne de Fer turned out to be a slim, dark skinned woman, whose refined features reminded Talia of Countesses she'd met in Cyrodiil. She held an air of authority that the dunmer couldn't help but admire.
"Madame de Fer." Talia bowed slightly. "The pleasure is all mine."
Vivienne laughed lightly. "Call me, Vivienne, darling."
"Then I insist you call me Talia, Vivienne." She smiled politely. Talia followed the woman to her salon, and she silently admired the tasteful décor in the room. They settled at the balcony where a small meal with various pastries and a pot of tea were set.
"You have such a lovely dress my dear, I do believe I recognize that magnificent piece as Lavigne's?"
Leliana had dressed her in a white and gold dress that had more ruffles than her ancestor's robes. Talia was certain she looked like a court jester wearing such ostentatious Orlesian finery, but if Vivienne liked it, more points for her. She and Leliana should get together and throw a tea party, she thought sourly.
"You have a good eye for finery, Vivienne," Talia said, though she had no idea who or what Lavigne was. "I admit I have been wondering where you acquired your robes. I must say you look resplendent in them."
Vivienne's polite laugh reminded Talia so much of the many luncheons Ocato had forced her to attend. "Thank you my dear, that is a very kind thing to say."
Servants puttered around and served the food as Vivienne observed her. "I was quite miffed when you declined the invitation to my salon, however, after witnessing the display at the plaza, I understand why."
Talia inclined her head. "In truth, I had not expected Mother Hevara to be so antagonistic. To a certain extent yes, but not to the point of turning our meeting into such a public display and blatantly smearing the Inquisition's name. It's unbecoming of a Chantry cleric."
Vivienne tutted. "Quite true, my dear. But no worries; everybody knows the Revered Mother has been eyeing the position of Divine when Justinia perished—Maker rest her soul. I, however, am more interested in the Lord Seeker's proposal. It was a move none of us could ever have predicted."
Talia leaned back in her chair and inspected her tea before sipping it. "It was quite a shock, but the alliance has yet to be finalized, and we have a long way to go before we can truly call ourselves allies."
"You do not trust the templars?"
The dunmer traced the lip of her cup idly as she thought about her answer. "Their change of heart is suspicious, at the very least. But I understand that their help will be invaluable in closing the Breach and, consequently, bringing stability to Thedas."
"What is your end goal? It is widely speculated that the Inquisition will bring about the end of the Mage-Templar War. Will you be allowing the mages to reign freely?"
"A modicum of freedom, certainly," Talia said carefully. "But the templars are there for a reason. They are there to protect the mages; perhaps both sides need to be reminded of this fact."
Vivienne smiled, and Talia realized that there was a glimmer of approval in her eyes. "I have always believed that the mages should never have broken away from the Chantry. Fiona has been selfish in her campaigns to destroy the Circle of Magi." She shook her head in disgust. "Due to the conflict in Kirkwall, the fear of mages has spread so quickly, and her ideals have done nothing but fuel the flames."
It was a point of view Talia had never considered. She'd been so outraged at the idea of mages and magic being suppressed that she'd immediately supported the dissolving of the Circles. The people of Thedas had an unhealthy amount of distrust, anger and fear directed at the mages, and the Circles were supposed to protect the mages as much as the masses. However, the reality of it was that the Chantry abused the mages and made them feel dirty and unwanted.
"I confess, I did not invite you here just to exchange pleasantries."
Talia locked eyes with the woman and waited for her to continue.
"I find the Inquisition's goals and purposes, and you specifically, to be admirable. As leader of the last loyal mages, I wish to offer our services to the Inquisition."
Talia placed her cup on the saucer and dabbed her lips with her napkin as she considered what to say. Vivienne waited patiently for her reply, which the dunmer appreciated. "What is it that you can offer, Vivienne?"
"Loyal mages are always needed in Thedas. We have skilled healers to see to the wounded, battlemages to give the Inquisition the upper hand, scholars to do research and study whatever the Inquisition needs. And I," she added, "Am one of the best Knight-Enchanters in Thedas. As Imperial Enchanter, I also have the needed information and connections to give the Inquisition the boost it needs to achieve its goals."
Vivienne was capable yes, but could she trust her? Talia surveyed the woman in front of her and listed what she knew: she was a powerful mage, a Chantry-supporter, a Pro-Circle advocate, a ruthless player of the Grand Game and a needed resource.
Can she trust her? Likely not. But could she afford not to accept her offer?
Definitely not. Especially with the trouble brewing with the Templars. The Inquisition needed any and all allies they could get.
Talia kept quiet, long enough that Vivienne's eyes started to narrow, and the Herald of Andraste gave her a beaming smile. The momentary confusion on the woman's face was amusing.
"Welcome to the Inquisition, Madame de Fer."
A/N: I found it so difficult to write this chapter, and I don't know why. I'm not 100% happy with how it came out, but I could not write it any other way, so there.
I'll be away for 2 months, so I might not be able to update next month since I won't have access to my laptop. But I will try.
Anyway, as usual, thanks to all my reviewers! I always appreciate kind words and constructive criticism.
Replies to reviews:
Sacchin: Thanks so much!
Guest: Thanks!
Adm. J. Kirk McGill: Thanks! I hope I delivered.
Ardianna Keeper: Thanks so much! I appreciate it.
Buggy300: I always try to balance my characters. if there's one thing I hate, it's writing Mary Sues. I know I didn't address the issue with Cassandra, but I figured they had more important things to worry about than their squabbles.
Mangahero: Sorry to hear that. As much as I love the Dragonborn (Skyrim was my first TES game), I didn't make her the hero of this story because everybody writes about her/him. I figured it was time to give other amazing heroes (i.e. Hero of Kvatch) a chance to shine.
Mortal Instinct:Gah! I'm so sorry I haven't updated Trials and Tribulations. I will update by November, when I get back. I promise.