Too much, too fast. I wanted to withdraw, tell the world "time out." I felt myself begin to sag. This mental shock, so soon after the physical shocks of Dempsey's attack and the bullet in the ribs, made me want to curl up and forget everything. But then I heard Rodney's voice softly chanting something in Latin. I glanced over at him, saw his eyes steady on me, and I felt relief flood through my body. My mind cleared, and I felt as rested and ready for action as if I'd just slept for eight hours. Even the massive bruising and the putative broken ribs on my left side didn't hurt as much. The elf smiled faintly and stopped his chanting, looked back at my sister.