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After Edison followed the Drenards out the door, the three original Parsona crew members were left alone as the last of the dishes were reain
Molly nodded "Yeah, so what’s our plan, guys?"
"Plan?" Cole asked "Our plan was to find so at us--"
"They shot us," she re at the open door
"Okay, but it ed in Besides--" Cole eyed her suspiciously "Wait aanother jailbreak?"
Walter nearly stood up in his chair at this "No jailbreak," he said, waving his arht down at the table "Walter stayss here Forever Eatss and ssleepss"
Molly held out a hand to calree with you Both of you It is nice and safe here And comfortable" She turned to Cole and narrowed her eyes "But there are certain things I need to do Iht And Lucin’s hints of a war-stopping secret She would never be happy here, he realized Pampered and comfortable weren’t viable options for her He could see it on her face: dire things screa
He felt sick to his sto about his plan to keep her here To protect her He’d planned on putting up a fight when this conversation came up To employ the same paranoia that had saved them several times since they’d left Earth Now he feltabout what Molly wants, not focusing on his own selfish desire to keep her safe HisMolly shared his pri about other people’s well-being more than her own
He reached under the table and found her hand Gave it a gentle squeeze He felt ht then than he ever had in their hundreds of hours in the siht But no lanced up at the chandelier dangling over the table
Molly nodded as if she understood Walter hissed, confused It reminded Cole that the last time they’d escaped a prison, it had been with help
Only, he wasn’t sure they had that luxury this tiave Molly’s hand one last squeeze and rose frouards in the hallway, insisting he think with Dani
••••
The view fro the second ti Cole looked out at the colors with a twinge of sadness Maybe Dani was right After ht become familiar, then normal Perhaps it could eventually become banal
Cole concentrated on the view, and on the sensations it stirred He noted how the waving colors ht then He tried to store the ainst the erosion of time
While he corralled the experience, Dani considered his plea
"I cannot help you," the Drenard finally thought back "However, I do understand that you would not be perfectly happy here Most Drenards choose contented lives elsewhere and only come on vacation or for official matters I a And non-Drenards? They’re not allowed to leave Ever"
"What about the other huht up here Did he die on Drenard?"
Dani hesitated "I’m not allowed to say"
"Is he still here? Still alive?"
"I cannot say I’m sorry"
Cole turned toward the hot side of Drenard, squinting his eyes into the bright display, working to temper hi air wafting in from above and felt his tensions melt away
Dani reached out and placed his hand on Cole’s shoulder in a rare moment of contact "Non-Drenards are never allowed to leave," he repeated
It was fortuitous Cole had steadied his nerves
Otherwise, he would never have noticed the subtle inflection of "non" in his own voice
10
"I kno to get out of here, but it won’t be easy," Cole said
Molly leaned back on a wall of pillohile he sat cross-legged on the foot of her bed, his hands in his lap The gold bars were in place and her door had been shut, but Cole knew his words were probably traveling out to so about his planned escape was that technically--it was legal
"How?" Molly asked
"We have to becorabbed one of the pillows beside her and swung it at Cole, nearly knocking him off the bed
"Don’t hted hination turned to shock,else "Gods! You’re serious, aren’t you?"
"Yeah, I’her stuffed weapon in her lap and resting her elbows on it "Tell me"
"I know it sounds crazy, but I don’t think ould be the first to do it I’m pretty sure other species have Maybe even another huet this, every kid born here isn’t really considered a Drenard until they capture a Wadi Thooo--"
"A whati who?"
"The lizards Edison and Walter were going on and on about"
"I’, only that he was excited Did you follow any of it?"
"Not an ounce, but I got a little information fromsomeone else And I think I knohy Edison is fascinated with the forward
"I think he already had plans on beco down at the co to make sense of them Cole held up his ar up another blow from the pillow
"For Anlyn?" She looked up at Cole "Why? Does he love her? Does she love him?"
"Hoould I know? I hate that kinda talk, don’t you?"
"Yeah," Molly agreed "It’s silly, especially after such a short period of tiuess Still, I’ve seen the that formed between them while ere on Earth It’s the only reason I can think of for why he’d be so interested in the creatures"