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"You stupid bastard," I whispered "God, I’ers on his raw flesh He wasn’t breathing, and there was no pulse After a long, weary pause, I got up and liht-headed, wounded, sand-burned

Still alive, despite everything

Stranded under the hot glare of the sun

I didn’t tell them the rest I ended it with Chaz’s death; there was more, but it was none of their damn business When I was finished, there was silence in the poker roo deep and cold Most of the card players were staring down, up, away from me

All except for Quinn, whose eyes were fixed on me in concentration so intense it was almost sexual, and Charles Ashworth, who looked drained Tired Old

"Thank you," he finally said, and turned back to the table His voice sounded rusty and ancient "I have no further need for her Youto it I shifted slightly in the chair Nobody was holding me down, and I was mostly recovered fro, burly guys outside, I was giving ht

"Don’t be alarentle voice "We don’tunder my breath about "could have fooleddark sparkle in his eyes

"Yeah, about that, what exactly do you mean, Myron?" I asked I didn’t sound particularly obsequious about it "What the hell do you ith , because it looked kindly and grandfatherly and yet there was a kind of entitlement about it that made my spine try to craay

"We want you to join us," he said "We want you to report back to the Wardens and tell them all is well, the problem has been solved"

"Solved?"

"That Jonathan escaped, Kevin died We do not want you to report anything about our , or the existence of the Ma’at Fronments for you that will require you to act on our behalf That is the price of your freedolass of water, and said, "Two problems First, I don’t take orders froet back, they won’t just believe me that our Kevin and Jonathan problem’s miraculously solved itself"

The Ma’at, or at least as h-stakes table, looked at each other and s It must have been a requirement

"My dear, ouldn’t expect they would," Myron assured hly dead, before the end of the day As for Jonathan well, I expect you’ll just have to be convincing"

One of the others said, "She won’t betray the Wardens She’s as solid as a rock About as thick as one, too"

"Rocks are easy," Ashworth put in He brushed ih jackha to like him any more than I had his son

"You don’t have to decide now" Myron reclaimed the conversation, leaned forward and looked presidential "Joanne-may I call you Joanne?-you’re not stupid Surely you know that the Wardens are riddled with corruption, that the situation you faced with Chaz"-his eyes flicked to Ashworth, exchanging a silent y-"was hardly unusual I understand that you also encountered one of the worst offenders in Florida"

"Bad Bob," I said, and iot a slow nod froerous," Myron said "You did the world a great favor by re his influence"

"I didn’t do it for the world" I did it to save ood Surely Bad Bob confessed to you that he didn’t act alone, that there were other Wardens engaged in illegal activities You anization You’d have to be foolish not to have concluded that to be the case That’s part of ere formed, and e continue to exist Because the Wardens have beco"

I didn’t like thinking about Bad Bob, what he’d said, what he’d done to me I had a sudden cell-deep vision of his weathered face, his sharp blue eyes, his hands pouring a demon down my throat I felt a sudden dry constriction in et out of here, away froly remind me of that whole experience

I stood up Nobody panicked, not even ainst the wall, arms folded I walked over to the bar, looked the uniforwater He handed it over silently I broke the seal and chugged it, tasting desert and fear and confusion Handed the empty bottle back

And then I turned back to Myron and said, "The Wardens aren’t perfect What makes you think you’re any better?"

He just s to feel anything less than oain "You can’t kill Kevin"

"Why not?"

"He’s just a kid"

Myron studiedhim yourself"

"I want to take away his powers, but I don’t think that uys are so damn smart, you can’t come up with a way to neutralize him?"

"The Wardens failed to," said one of the poker players

"The Wardens were shut out You were on the inside" I paced the roo It wouldn’t ith Quinn, of course; the cop atching me with tolerant, amused eyes, but underneath that was a cold core of absolute coone What was his story, anyway? A cop, working for the anti-Wardens? There was a story there and no ti that I’ your proposition to work for you what are you offering?" I clasped my hands behindThe carpet felt soft and springy underintothe only wo olderyou the chance to do what you’ve alanted to do," Myron said "We’re offering you the chance to do good"

I senerous offer?"

Quinn didn’tsupernatural about it; it was a body-language trick, a cooling of the expression, the war out of his stare

"We’d have to resort to regrettable alternatives," Myron said His eyes didn’t ot the point "I’m sure you’re aware that at least one Warden has already met his death here-we did not cause it, but neither did we act to prevent it Jonathan and Kevin would do a very nice job of eli you, if we provided them with reason to do so But really, my dear, there’s no need for any animosity The Ma’at are dedicated to exactly the saer the saviors of hu a cycle of violence and destruction, enslaving beings who ought by rights to be free You can’t want to be part of that"