Anode smiles bleakly. "Ah, yeah. Never works out to plan, does it? Guess that's easy for me to say, though. I didn't have anybody to look out for but myself."

She laughs it off, but she knows that maybe -- maybe if she'd had somebody to protect, she might've volunteered for one of those trials. Thank God she doesn't. She misses Lug, but thank God she didn't wind up in this hell.

She winces, though, making a face that Carly may or may not be able to really make out.

"Sounds like a real case of the yikes to me. Know anything that might help? I mean -- I'd advise, but I know pretty much jack about all this magic stuff. But if you tell me what you need, I can keep an eye out. I'm a world-class treasure hunter, you know." She pauses. "Scratch that. Galaxy-class."