There is a saying like that, but it's kinda nonsensical. Jason shrugs. "Yeah, the horseshoes thing never really made sense to me. Hand grenades, sure - you don't have to be an expert marksman with one of those, just chuck it in the general direction. But I don't get how horseshoes figure into that whole thing."

But enough verbal tango - Jason watches closely as Nida grasps his wrist and concentrates, waiting to see what happens, how long before this change takes effect. As it turns out, he doesn't have to wait long; it's a gentle shift, filling him with the promised confidence. He can tell Nida's power is working, because it's a stark change from his usual lack of confidence in many things.

"Too bad we don't have lottery tickets here," he says, smiling faintly. Thanks, or something like that.