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[What are your weaknesses, Jane True?] the creature asked

At that question, two answers popped into my head, simultaneously The first was: foot rubs The second was: pastry I kept both to myself

"Is this a test?" I asked, "Like those tests you created that I went through outside?"

[I did not create any tests,] it answered, with a non answer

"So you had nothing to do with those tests?"

[That’s not what I said Noer my question, Jane What would seduce you? What would make you turn your back on your friends? Your family?]

I frowned "What do you mean, turn my back?"

[I mean leave me be Then Phaedra and her friends will have the opportunity to force my prison open To "free" me Unfortunately, my prison is vast And built under much of your North America]

"Well, then there’s not a lot you can offereveryone I know and love be destroyed"

[Ah,] it thought [Are you sure?]

And with that, another one of those flat,over the creature’s enor,] the creature purred [How about wealth?]

And with that, the e of what I could only describe as the love child of Jane True and Paris Hilton It was ner gear, sitting in a li in as h Seriously? I thought

"If I wanted stuff, I would have just stayed with Ryu," I told the tentacle

[Ah,] it said [Ryu What if you could have a Ryu anted what you did? Rockabill, and a fae shifted fro carpenter-fit jeans and a flannel shirt, holding not one but two babies

I laughed even harder That’s not how things work, I thought, not bothering to try to control e people into what you want them to be

I didn’t comment on the fact that that’s exactly what Ryu had wanted to do withone,] said the creature [But there are things I can change]

And with that, theat his own tail as if itto sentient life and take off with his butt, when he suddenly sat up hat appeared to be an eulfed in a circle of green light, and then he was standing, a led hard

[I could give you your lover back,] the creature whispered, letting its e to letto say yes, I adht of Anyan safe and sound was a powerful draw

But he’d only be huh to die with the rest of us

"As much as I want Anyan back the way he was, I can’t take your offer," I said, knowing I was doing the right thing but still wanting to kick ood you are,] the creature said, its voice arch I snorted

"Not good, just realistic We’ll get Anyan back the way he hen all of this is settled"

[What about death?] was the creature’s next, unexpected answer

"Sorry?" I asked, not understanding the question

[What about death?] it repeated [What if I could bring, say, your mother back from the dead?] And with that, theher red wrap-dress, the hand-ure I noticed, however, that my nose was my father’s, for he had joined her in the mirror Obviously, he was older than her now, but--because of the goblin healer’s intervention--still healthy He eed him back They stayed like that, frozen in the tableau that had been reatest childhood fantasy

"You can’t do that," I whispered

[Can’t I?] the creature asked And this ti

I had to adht of my father’s face hat did it: He looked so happy, and I kneould be that happy

But for how long? askedyou back your real mother, the point is it’ll be your ain She can’t stay with you on land She couldn’t the first tiht back different, so she won’t leave? whispered an ugly, selfish part of my brain

Then she won’t really be yourit was true even as I thought it And you don’t get to bring back somebody already dead,