[ It's close enough that Silco almost reared back -- the closeness enough to make him uncomfortable, but Silco steeled himself, and remained tight, coiled like a bar of steel. He let the man whisper in his ear, but his head tipped, and his eyes looked over to him -- one eye bored into him, unblinking.

Then his eyebrows -- one drawn in -- rose, and he stifled a laugh. ]

Oh, you think that I don't have the imagination to dream bigger than a pet?

[ There's a laugh, but he leaned forward, his voice low. ] Once, I had an entire city beneath my heels, desperate, clawing, begging me and mine to stop. My own cities ran with power, and we were feared enough that they would give up money to stop us, and give us our land and mines. [ If only they hadn't asked for such a high, impossible price in return. ]

I can assure you, I will not lack for imagination.