“Runach smiled ruefully. "She doesn't tell me anything.""Perhaps you intimidate her.""Im certain thats not it"Nicholas look at him, clear-eyed. "Runach, my dearest boy, you forget who you are--""Were--""Are," Nicholas stressed."There is nothing of what I was in my veins," Runach said, managing it without too much bitterness. "I am simply a man who will live an extraordinarily long time to enjoy my terribly ordinary life. There is nothing to be intimidated by.""I think others would disagree, but we will leave that for the time being.”