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I stand up and edge around the desk My gaze settles on Dervish’s narrow back I feel an ale to put a hand between his shoulder blades Partly I want to touch his See me” But mostly I want to absorb his memories and secrets, learn what makes him tick If I knew ht find soh the barriers he’s erected and make him see me as a person, not just a direct line to his dead nephew
But that would be wrong I’d be stealing I already feel bad for unintentionally taking from Beranabus, Meera and Reni I won’t do it on purpose, not even to make life easier forDervish hunched over the computer, his secrets intact, the coldness between us preserved
FRIEND INDEED
Meera Fla up out of the blue, the way she nor television when she arrives I know it’s her by the sound of her motorbike, which is much louder than Dervish’s, but I wait for her to knock before going to let her in I don’t want to appear overly desperate for company
“Hey girl, looking good,” Meera laughs, givingbefore I can duck She breaks away quickly, spotting Dervish on the stairs I don’t take much from her, but what I do soak up is new, memories I hadn’t absorbed before It see fresh That’s useful to know
“How have you two been?” Meera shouts, taking the stairs three at a tiiant staircase which fors him as if he was a teddy bear
“We’ve been fine,” Dervish replies, s warmly He never smiles at me that way, but why should he? I’m an interpreter, not a friend
“Sorry I haven’t been byin Monsterland—de to”
“I heard,” Dervish says “Shark has been in touch It sounds bad”
Meera shrugs “De new”
“But in such numbers…”
She shrugs again, but this time jerks her head in my direction Dervish frowns Then it clicks— “Not in front of the girl You hten her” I see a small, unconscious sneer flicker across his lips He doesn’t think of htened by anything as mundane as talk of demons But he respects Meera’s wishes
“Come on up,” he says “We can discuss business in my study”
“To hell with business,” Meera laughs, pushing hiht it
was tiht soht ht suit you,” she says to me “We can test theeous red hair Unless you don’t want to?”