“One day, he rooted out and captured a group of Gruhath. Back then, we didn’t execute Gruhath, and he was allowed to imprison them instead. Upon capturing one of them, the Gruhath began coaxing Justin. He told him that if he sold his soul to Gruhath, that he could have fame, fortune, and any woman he pleased. Justin wasn’t swayed at first, but then his mind began turning… Justin had always desired greatness. And he visited the Gruhath often, inquiring about the Gruhath ways, and how they might help him achieve what he wished. Before he knew it, he was thinking like a Gruhath; before he knew it, he was behaving like a Gruhath. He began executing criminals who didn’t deserve it, and his sense of right and wrong was completely corrupted. He would often ask me, ‘why do I have to work so hard for what I have when I could obtain it so easily like a Gruhath or prince can?’”

Eldora listened without interrupting. If there was one talent she had, it was listening. Her mind considered the story--picked it apart, examined it--to try and determine it's merits. Eldora often thought to herself that the rich and privileged always has it so much easier than her, but she has never been made to consider a situation where jealousy for money and wealth corrupted a sense of right and wrong. No. That's wrong. My husband and I lived that life daily. We were enslaved to the Almighty dollar. Eldora was wise enough to recognize that the hardest worker at the most complex job made the most money, because he has put in the most effort. But why had money been so important to her and Claudius begin with?  We had enough to get by, even if it was only barely enough. Why did we argue about it so often? 

Children. She remembered it was because they wanted children. They couldn't afford a child on what they were making. They both resented each other for not killing themselves working.

What was I thinking? I sound like how Adrian sounded. You can have a child on a shoe string budget. Lots of parents do.

It seemed as if every TV show, movie, videogame, and book told her that money was needed to be happy--that because she couldn't afford weekly or even yearly facial, she was somehow less. Just because she didn't want to kill herself working 70 hours weeks did not mean she was useless. It meant she was sensible. She wanted to spend the rest of her time loving being alive. She wanted to spend it looking at the most beautiful pieces of art the earth had to offer, experincing it's lovely landscapes, and enjoying time with the people she loved.

She bit back tears, remembering how some of her favorite days on earth were spent just… sitting on the couch, watching TV with Claudius. 

She hated money not because she didn't have enough of it, or because she was jealous of others for having so much of it, but because it had made her ungrateful for what she had. 

"This man… he had it so much better than so many others. He should have been grateful for that, at least." Eldora whispered.

"Exactly. The Gruhath will never be grateful or happy with what they have. They will always want more. It’s their fundamental flaw, Dream Maiden.” Dagonet explained. 

Eldora considered that.