"Which is made all the trickier by the fact that these are both hostile," he says, smiling fondly at the thought.

Then the boy locks his gaze to the floor as he mulls over her words. "A trade... You already know what you can get. The trouble there is negotiating how much to give to each, and what is proper to take, I imagine."

"What would one do if, say, the second city has been under siege for nearly its entire life and has suffered severe structural damage?" he asks, and slows to a stop. "Clearly you're not that important, really, and your trade agreement is such a paltry thing, but what should you do if you're concerned that your withdrawal in this manner is just another blow upon a city hit by meteors?"