[ Zelgadis shunts his cowl over his head and implores the earth to open up and swallow him whole. On top of everything else, the coachmen can now assume he's one of those thin-skinned jackasses that takes everything personally.
If they knew, if they just knew his history with Rezo...! Who could blame him then? Wouldn't anyone else take it the way he did?
It feels worse to have been wrong than if Rezo had actually been criticizing him, because what he assumed his grandfather was saying is what Zelgadis was already thinking. It's such a glaring oversight! If he missed that, then what else of note has he failed to see?
His self-admonishment is interrupted by the acknowledgement of his efforts, and he can't formulate a response before Rezo walks on ahead.
It's less what he said and more that he said it at all that has Zel at a loss.
He stays silent at the back of the group for most of the rest of their walk to the stonemason's guild. At least giving off a bad impression means nobody wants to make small talk with him. When he does finally say something, it's directed at Rezo, a word of caution delivered without any particular emotion attached. ]
The terrain gets uneven from here.
[ And before long, they reach the stonemason's guild.
Zelgadis is finally in his element again. Building anything requires calculations, and that's one of his strong suits. He pulls out a scratch pad and writing utensil from a pouch attached to his belt.
It's time for math. ]
...estimate of how many gallons of water per day it takes to service a population of this size. If we have this many tanks all with a height, length, and depth of...
no subject
If they knew, if they just knew his history with Rezo...! Who could blame him then? Wouldn't anyone else take it the way he did?
It feels worse to have been wrong than if Rezo had actually been criticizing him, because what he assumed his grandfather was saying is what Zelgadis was already thinking. It's such a glaring oversight! If he missed that, then what else of note has he failed to see?
His self-admonishment is interrupted by the acknowledgement of his efforts, and he can't formulate a response before Rezo walks on ahead.
It's less what he said and more that he said it at all that has Zel at a loss.
He stays silent at the back of the group for most of the rest of their walk to the stonemason's guild. At least giving off a bad impression means nobody wants to make small talk with him. When he does finally say something, it's directed at Rezo, a word of caution delivered without any particular emotion attached. ]
The terrain gets uneven from here.
[ And before long, they reach the stonemason's guild.
Zelgadis is finally in his element again. Building anything requires calculations, and that's one of his strong suits. He pulls out a scratch pad and writing utensil from a pouch attached to his belt.
It's time for math. ]
...estimate of how many gallons of water per day it takes to service a population of this size. If we have this many tanks all with a height, length, and depth of...