Crowley nodded. "It sounds like a good idea to me. Well done, Gilan." Then he frowned. "I'm surprised that Halt didn't reach the same conclusion. He's usually pretty quick on the uptake."
"I thought the same thing. But remember, Halt was distracted worrying about Will. And he tended to concentrate first on the cases closet to Araluen."
"Which gave him plenty of opportunity to put his case to me and Duncan," Crowley said. "If he was off in the west at Highcliff, he wouldn't have been able to nag at me every second day to let him go."
"Whereas I have no reason not to head for Highcliff Fief and leave you to your paperwork," Gilan said.
Crowley's mouth turned down in an expression of distaste. "Ah yes, the paperwork. You wouldn't consider trading places? You stay and fill in the forms and requisitions. I'll go chasing after Foldar."
Gilan raised one eyebrow at him. "You're right. I wouldn't consider it."
"I could order you to do it, I suppose," Crowley said wistfully, and Gilan thought he was only half joking.
"You could. And I'd probably insult the King in public and have myself banished," he replied.
Crowley shook his head. "I sometimes wonder if it was a good idea having Halt train apprentices. He seems to teach them no respect for authority."
"Oh, he teaches us to respect authority," Gilan said innocently. "He just teaches us to ignore it when necessary. I'll get going this afternoon," he added, and Crowley nodded agreement.
"The sooner you leave, the sooner you'll be back," he said. It was the Ranger way, after all. No sense letting grass grow under your feet if there was work to be done.
"There's that. And besides, I should get going before you decide to order me to stay."
~ Ranger's Apprentice Book 11: The Lost Stories by John Flanagan.
