She beams at him, and gives him a stronger hug. "You're the best, daddy," she says, nuzzling against his leg. "Go take a nap, you big lazy-head," she teases, skipping off with the gemstone in her hand. It wasn't like to last five minutes.<br/><br/>Fortunately, nothing is waiting in his bedroom to pounce him, so he's allowed to sleep peacefully. Well, get to sleep, anyway. Almost immediately after falling asleep, he finds himself in a comfortable, fire-lit parlor. Four individuals sit around a table, in comfortable chairs. While the table looks small, as soon as he focuses on what's on top of it, it suddenly looks massive, with pieces of all shapes and sizes strewn about, hundreds, thousands, or more, it's impossible to say, and yet, as soon as he looks away, it looks to be only a few feet across again.<br/><br/>As he tries to move closer, he finds that he can't; he's merely a passive observer, in this room. From where he's standing, he can make out three of the individuals, as he's standing more or less behind the chair of the fourth, and unable to see the occupant. On the left, a handsome man, in his mid to late forties, with solid, silver hair, and a pleasant expression. Across from the one he can't see, a wizaened, old man, hunched over in his chair, one hand clutching the armrest, the other curled beneath his chin. On the right, a voluptuous woman, whom he recognizes from previous dreams, her eyes changing colors every time he glances at her.,<br/><br/>"A bold play," the man on the left says, quietly. "Are you sure it will pay off?"<br/>"The price was simple enough. And one more tool, is one more tool," a feminine voice says from the chair he cannot see. "Many things will change, after all."<br/>"Always impatient, aren't you?" the woman on the right asks, as she reaches out onto the board, nudging a piece a few inches/miles. "It's one thing to adjust, but this?"<br/>"There is always a balance," the old man mutters, barely audible, yet heard clearly.<br/>"And always a price," the woman on the right adds. "And what price are you paying now?" she asks, with a slight smirk.<br/>"Less than it's worth, to keep to the path."<br/>"Ahh. I'll answer no questions, though."<br/>"I don't expect you to. Hearing the questions may be enough."<br/>"She has you there, I think. So, let me ask one, in her stead; idle conversation. Why now?"<br/>The woman on the right leans back, and simply smiles, turning her gaze towards Caiaphas, the first and only one to acknowledge his presence, or lack thereof. "Because no choice has been made, and everything hinges on it, of course."