Out of Spite, Out of Mind (Magic 2.0 #5)

by Scott Meyer

One of the first lessons any modern person learns when they go to live in the distant past is that everyone, including the domestic servants, are much more hard-core than you will ever be.

“Indeed. I’m sure he’s mellowed with age. Most men do.” The boy said, “They get wiser, and stop letting things bother them?” “No,” Gilbert said. “Things bother them more. It’s just they don’t have the energy to act on it like they used to.”

Brit the Elder glared at Phillip. “You realize you’re siding with Jimmy, your worst enemy, over me.” Jimmy said, “I’d rather you called me his greatest enemy, instead of his worst. Worst implies low quality. You could argue that Gary’s his worst enemy.” Phillip said, “Gary’s my friend.” “Which shows how bad at being an enemy he really is.”

Martin picked up Phillip’s iPod and scrolled through the active playlist. “‘One More Night,’ ‘Throwing It All Away,’ ‘Against All Odds,’ ‘Misunderstanding,’ ‘Separate Lives’? Geez, did Phil Collins ever have a successful relationship? I wonder if it ever occurred to him that maybe he was the problem. Phillip, it isn’t healthy for you to be listening to this stuff right now.” He ended up setting the iPod to play “In the Air Tonight,” because it was at least a different kind of morose.