At the second hour, Aldric asked to see Kazuma.
He said it the way he said most things — directly, without preamble. Not demanding. Just stating what he wanted.
They went to the common room.
Freda was there. Session fifty-four. Kazuma on the floor with the stones.
Kazuma looked up when they came in.
The ambient temporal awareness engaged — the sweep registering new signature, processing, filing.
Then it held.
A longer hold than usual on Aldric specifically.
Aldric stopped just inside the door.
He looked at the child.
"He's reading me," Aldric said. Not alarmed. Factual.
"Yes," Satou said.
"What does he find."
Satou looked at Freda.
Freda looked at her notebook.
"He's reading your temporal signature," she said. "Specifically the depth of it. The accumulated quality of someone who's made significant decisions over time." She paused. "He reads it the way he reads the memorial field markers. Things that carry weight from what happened in them."
Aldric was quiet.
