Page 18 (1/2)

My master would’ve been able to find another way, but so much of what he kneas lost I wasn’t his best student, just the most determined If any of the others survived, I haven’t heard

Maybe with its de that kept me safe all these years, out of Farwan’s reach If they don’t understand it, they want to study it, and once they figure it out, they sell it I’d rather face a caveful of Teras than a squad of gray men At least with the monsters, I understand what drives them

I wish I could say the sa hioal

Today, March wept like a baby in my arms, and that was the worst of it Aif he could see it through h the darkness will bring us both into light, or I’ll never be able to live hat I’ve done

There’s so ate Never saw any Psi who survived toto shield For so many years, he’s been in other people’s heads, their dirt and dishonesty clinging to hiet clean of it

But now that there’s nothing left of hih and repair that which is broken I can help him become the ive up either; it’s too late for that I’ve seen too much of what drove him on

What s

[end session]

[Timestamp: 2:17, 15456980]

I fixed hih an awful crucible May Mary never test ain

Yesterday, I let hier in hientle When I tested him mentally, I found his Psi abilities intact, but he appeared free of the taint

The mind is like a world unto itself, built from oscillations of ed, they need to be fixed My old ery He’d also have beatit free hand But I ed it I excised the darkness and reconnected the emotional links that

You see, Keri succeeded in seeing the prisoner today She said she orking on her forone, the little rat had slipped into March’s cell

Changing the codes didn’t do ood The kid can’t stand secrets, and she has a way of ferreting out whatever she wants to know The alarm sounded on my comm when she went in I’ve never been so scared in all e, an innocent who could be made to pay for what I’d done to him, made me sick I couldn’t have run any faster froot there, she’d undone his restraints I froze in the dooratching I knew I couldn’t let him suspect she was i quietly to give hiirl s eyes and elbows "Keri Who’re you?"

"Your grandht she’d shoot me herself

Keri never did respect my authority I expect she never will She demanded to knohat he’d done to deserve it, and I found it iht in the eye "If I let you leave this room, will you swear yourself to me and mine?"

"I will" There was no shadow in him He actually smiled Maybe he doesn’t remember the worst of it anymore Mary knows, I tried to blur that part

I don’t knohat the future holds, but I think I did as needful He’s one of mine now

[end session]

CHAPTER 19

At dawn, I stand before the , looking out over the capital city Constance sits quietly behind me; she’s a restful companion We’ve come to the end of the references to March in Mair’s journals I feel oddly as if I’ve passed straight through her soul and eed on the other side, still me, but inexplicably altered as well

Ithiss-Tor is a study in contrasts Cities are built above-ground, but research facilities burrow deep into the ground, presu eyes Commerce and politics are the chief interests here, so I suppose it’s fitting that we’re about to combine the two

I turn fro not to think about what I learned about March Trying not to think about how h What was it like for hi his? Right now I’m not sure if he has the capacity for reression

Mentally, I try to shift gears I need to think about the nextthe deal Astonishingly enough, I’ard for their customs Ramona will be so pissed when I succeed I won’t let myself think about the consequences of failure

After a quick san-shower, I exa new, but I’ on my neck Basic cosmetics won’t be sufficient to cover them, and I don’t dare alter my costu old robe, and I’ll adone so well thus far that I don’t want to jinx the success by switchingwith my neck

Before I can rethink it, I pick up the comm and beep Vel He answers on the third chime, and I say, "Did I wake you?"

"No, Sirantha I have been awake for some hours What can I do for you?"

Points to hi I didn’t call him just to chat "Could you come see me, please? We’ll talk about it then"

"With pleasure" He disconnects without further conversation