Hooded guy walks into a bar and buys a drink, settles down in the corner. Another guy wanders over:

Friend: Your trip was good I trust.

Tessarael: As far as I could tell ...

Friend: Surely that would be straightforward.

Tessarael: Nothing is straightforward any more.

Friend: What do you mean?

Tessarael: Dust clouds, time reversal, gods ...

Friend: uh ... yeah. So how is Phoranin?

Tessarael: Good. Just waiting at the moment ...

Friend: For?

Tessarael: The right moment, not that there is one. All hell will break loose soon, but hey I figure even if I was married to her for just a little bit, it would be nice. Besides, wouldn't expect to survive more than a year or two anyway.

Friend: Now you're just being fatalistic!

Tessarael: Unfortunately not ... there's about ten guys after me, at least two of whom actually want me dead ... then there's my guys who wanted to kill me but decided against it, but then they don't know the whole story yet ... maybe I'll retire to Ochiala. (Ponders mentioning his idea of wandering around as female for a bit to throw people off course, but decides against it ... just in case. Besides the Ochiala line is a bit spurious anyway. The Cage would pay better, and at least you can trust people to be guarded there.)

Friend: Ouch. Ummm ... you're not in any danger at the moment are you?

Tessarael: Probably not. The three or so immortals watching me can't interfere directly until the God War starts full-on, so ... hmmm, haven't heard anything more about that recently, so I could be wrong. I wouldn't worry too much, you don't know anything which might hurt you. I doubt they'd drop a large rock on me anyway ... there's easier ways to kill a pawn.

Friend: You're nuts.

Tessarael: You would be too if you knew what I knew.

Friend: Laugh. So what are you going to do about it?

Tessarael: Well I figure, hang low for a bit, work out a few things, then either get in on the right transactions or get friendly with one or two people in high places ... who knows ... maybe immortality one day.

Friend: Laughs again. Look me up when you do.

Tessarael: Will if I can, you never know what might happen in the next few months. Take care, Karenthil, I best be moving on, if you happen to hear about any devices which protect from scrying ... in the mean time, here's some cash to get that pottery business set up, wouldn't want to let a good idea go to waste.

Friend: Will do, I'll keep you posted on how it goes. I hope it all sorts out for you.

Tessarael: It won't, it never does, but that's what makes it interesting I guess.

(Tessarael wanders off thinking, 'Karenthil ... three years later and he's still as innocent as ever, oh well, give him a couple of hundred years, in the mean time he'll make a good contact.')