The world seems so much smaller here: sprawled on the kennel floor, laughing, and seeing a friend laughing just as hard in a room thousands of miles away. All the vastness of Thedas -- and more than Thedas -- has compressed itself into a device the size of his palm. It feels miraculous. His heart's lighter than it's been in weeks.

He's about to type a reply when he hears a door creak. Alistair freezes, listening, with both thumbs over the keyboard.

CQG: uh oh
CQG: think the kennelmaster's up
CQG: back soon

Time to stuff the device in his pocket and make a break for it!