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“Shut yourabout”
Gerald touched his esture looked just like that of an ordinary person, a ginger touch to assess the dae, but when he drew his hand away fro out of place on his unharmed mouth It didn’t look like real blood now, somehow
It looked like he was playing a game
“Struck a nerve, did I?” Gerald asked froround
“Obviously,” said Alan “Is that what you came here to do?”
Gerald cli any sudden movements, as if he wanted a wild animal to come closer to him
“I came because I wanted to make a proposition to you,” he said “I can’t do it with the demon here”
They atching each other the saic and a knife between them
“Aren’t you curious?” Gerald asked, after a long moment
Alan’s mouth twisted into a shape a shade away from a so work on your car? Just for a little while?”
“What?” Nick demanded “No”
He shifted his stance, braced against the wall as if Alan would’ve had a chance if he tried to push him physically out of the room
“It won’t do any harm to hear what he has to say”
“It’ll do you some harm if he fries theyou alone with him”
“I won’t be alone,” said Alan “If Mae agrees to stay with me”
He turned his eyes to Mae, and she started She was al a play and suddenly one of the actors had spoken to her
“I have to confess I probably won’t beplan to save Nick before you arrived was to toss a kettle at the ician’s head”
Alan grinned “You willing to defend me with a kettle?”
“Putting your faith inskills doesn’t strike htest idea ever”
“I think I could do a lot worse,” said Alan, and looked back at his brother “Nick He’s determined to talk to me, and I’d like to knohat he has to say You’ll be within earshot”
“And what,” Nick retorted, “I’?”
“Co,” said Alan
Nick’s h whether that was at his brother or at the thought of shooting, Mae didn’t know
“Nick,” Alan said “Go”
He looked at Alan and reached behind hiesture ht, like a child clutching at a favorite toy
Or heit
“I don’t like what you’ve done to ly, and moved fast
He went for the door and stalked out, sla it shut behind him The crash of the door was the only sound in the kitchen for a moment
Then Mae moved past the counter to stand shoulder to shoulder with Alan as they faced the ician
Gerald, clearly unimpressed by the awesome threat they presented, took a seat at the head of the kitchen table and stretched his long legs easily out before him
“You seeive you,” he observed “That’s almost cruel”
“Yes,” said Alan “I know”
Mae sat down, leaning her elbow against the table and her chin against her fist and training her gaze on Gerald She’d noticed that herstare very disconcerting
Gerald looked back at her, eyes bright blue and tranquil
“Do you love him?”
“Who?” Mae demanded, then closed her eyes and cursed herself as she realized that Gerald had of course been talking to Alan
When she opened them, Gerald looked a little amused Alan seemed not to have noticed
“Alan,” said Gerald, “do you love him?”
“It’s none of your business,” Alan replied “But as a matter of fact, I do”
Gerald tilted his head, giving Alan what seeenuinely sympathetic look “That must be terribly difficult”
“Don’t you love your family?” Alan asked mildly
Gerald actually flinched “No, I don’t,” he said “But that’s not important”
“Oh,” said Alan, soft,it clear he knew he’d scored a point
“What’s i “And what he’ll do”
He clicked his fingers, and light ca in from unexpected places, under the back door when there was no daylight left outside, filtering like steam from the kettle
p>
“Shut yourabout”
Gerald touched his esture looked just like that of an ordinary person, a ginger touch to assess the dae, but when he drew his hand away fro out of place on his unharmed mouth It didn’t look like real blood now, somehow
It looked like he was playing a game
“Struck a nerve, did I?” Gerald asked froround
“Obviously,” said Alan “Is that what you came here to do?”
Gerald cli any sudden movements, as if he wanted a wild animal to come closer to him
“I came because I wanted to make a proposition to you,” he said “I can’t do it with the demon here”
They atching each other the saic and a knife between them
“Aren’t you curious?” Gerald asked, after a long moment
Alan’s mouth twisted into a shape a shade away from a so work on your car? Just for a little while?”
“What?” Nick demanded “No”
He shifted his stance, braced against the wall as if Alan would’ve had a chance if he tried to push him physically out of the room
“It won’t do any harm to hear what he has to say”
“It’ll do you some harm if he fries theyou alone with him”
“I won’t be alone,” said Alan “If Mae agrees to stay with me”
He turned his eyes to Mae, and she started She was al a play and suddenly one of the actors had spoken to her
“I have to confess I probably won’t beplan to save Nick before you arrived was to toss a kettle at the ician’s head”
Alan grinned “You willing to defend me with a kettle?”
“Putting your faith inskills doesn’t strike htest idea ever”
“I think I could do a lot worse,” said Alan, and looked back at his brother “Nick He’s determined to talk to me, and I’d like to knohat he has to say You’ll be within earshot”
“And what,” Nick retorted, “I’?”
“Co,” said Alan
Nick’s h whether that was at his brother or at the thought of shooting, Mae didn’t know