<strong>"Hmm..."</strong>Sophronia thought on Irina's words for a moment, then knelt down and scooped up a handful of dirt, holding it out.<strong>"The forest might not be as far away as you think."</strong>She smiled, and a blade of grass sprouted from the dirt, growing green and healthy.<br/><br/><strong>"The fellow in Kansas does sound problematic. Especially if he is something other than... us."</strong>She placed the dirt, and the sprig of grass, back into the hole she had scooped out.<strong>"In fact, he sounds like exactly the sort of thing that we are supposed to be dealing with."</strong><br/><br/>She sighed and dusted off her hands.<strong>"Of course, my own talents are better suited to organizing and consolidating. But any time we spend building our own power base is time he will be able to spend doing likewise. Perhaps it would be best for us to strike now? While we are all equally weak."</strong>