The Eye and Tanya
"Hello?"
"Hi Tanya."
"Craig?"
"Yes, it's me."
"Why are you calling me?"
"To congratulate you, of course. On the baby."
"Uh huh, sure that's why you're calling me."
"I understand you quit the YIRAAS too."
"You're rather behind on the times, aren't you?"
"No, more late on doing anything about them. I've been busy."
"Of course. I understand you were Miette's little toy."
"That insolent brat?"
"You made her like that. Guess your game backfired."
"I'm not as bad off as you seem to think."
"How bad do you think I think you're off?"
"Cute, Tanya. Very cute."
"You know what else is cute? The fact that you got the collar off."
The Eye chuckled.
"Oh, you're probably steaming about that, huh?" he smirked. "Wondering how I did it?"
"Oh no, I know how you did it. Or rather, Avery did it with the Parith."
"Mmm... yes, but how did she do it, when only masters can create and take off collars? She might be a potential master, but even if she did have full training, she couldn't off a collar you had made... and yet she did. With my help."
"Oh? How do you figure?"
"Telepathic DNA," The Eye smirked. "You know that residue we leave in people minds when we fiddle? We're leaving smaple of telepathic DNA, and Tanya, darling, I have many, many samples of yours."
Tanya was silent for a moment, then laughed.
"Craig, if you think that's how it happened... well, I'm more than happy for you to continue thinking that."
"You're laughing at me?"
"You're a joke, Craig. And considering your losses over the past year, you're a hasbeen. You're going down, Craig. You should have gone into retirement when everyone believed you were dead."
"I am not a joke. You're the one who's no longer on the field."
"At least I know to quit when I'm ahead."
They 'talked' a little longer and when they hung up, Tanya was smirking ot herself. Telepathic DNA didn't work the way that Craig seemed to think. No, there was only one reason why AVery could have gotten the collar off.
She was a potential Grandmaster.