"Do you speak Nihon-Jan? When did you learn?"
She shrugged, feeling her pulse settle back to normal now that there was no longer any question about her accompanying the party.
"I've been studying the language for a year or so," she replied. "Mostly using the tranlations George made on his last trip there. I'm not fluent but I can get by."
Will raised both eyebrows. "Well, you learn a new thing every day," he said reflectively.
"In your case, that's no exaggeration," Halt said, completely straight-faced.
Will pursed his lips in annoyance. He'd have to learn not to give Halt openings like that, he thought. Then another question occurred to his grasshopper mind, and he turned to Evanlyn.
"How do we get there? How did you get here, by the way?"
He heard Halt's deep sigh and knew he'd done it again.
"Do you ever," the older Ranger said with great deliberation, "manage to ask just one question at a time? Or does it have to be multiple choice with you?"
Will looked at him in surprise. "Do I do that?" he asked. "Are you sure?"
Halt said nothing. He raised his hands in a "See what I mean?" gesture and appealed to the others in the room. Selethen was amused by the byplay between the two. And, since the enjoyment of this sort of obscure, trivial debate was very much part of the Arridi character, he couldn't help himself. He had to join in.
"Halt," he said, "I could be wrong, but I think you were just guilty of the same fault. I'm sure I heard you ask two questions just then."
"Thank you for pointing that out, Lord Selethen," Halt said with icy formality.
Will grinned at the Wakir, who gravely inclined his head to Halt. Then Will remembered that Evanlyn hadn't answered either of his questions.
"So how did you get here?" he reminded her.
~ Excerpt from Ranger's Apprentice Book 10: The Emperor of Nihon-Ja by John Flanagan.
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