Yrael, the Eighth Bright Shiner

"It might be a private thing," Teja says, "of a truly personal nature, that we would wish to keep between the two of us, and not go any further!"

He smiles at Charlie and Yrael, both.

Indeed, it is a secret of that nature -- only much different from anything that any would guess at.

But then, such is the nature of secrets.-