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I turn to her

“What do you want?” There’s a dull ache betweenits way intolike we’re old friends, pretending that we ht have patience for it “Why did you bring me here? It wasn’t to co to die Is that why you’ve stopped pretending you’re senile? Because you knoon’t last the night?”

“No It is because I want your help”

“My help?” I laugh bitterly “Why would I ever help you? I gave you the war you all seeh?”

“Who said I wanted war?” She tries to get up from the bench Goroth rushes to help her, his own knees crackling as he coreat difficulty She extends a hand to me “Come I will show you”

I hesitate, then take her hand I support her as she leads us back through the door through which Aruka disappeared earlier It leads us into a humid artificial solarium that smells like flowers and pastries Luminescent ivy crawls up the walls The steward is there, pouring tea at a low table at which sits a lone, hunched woman with short dark blue hair in a prisoner uniform

“Pytha?”

She bolts upward and bowls towardher arht, the top of her head under ainst mine

“You’re alive,” she says intoalive”

I did not expect an eiven one myself

“Pytha…there’s so I have to tell you About Cassius…”

She pulls back, eyes red “I know”

I s the stone in my throat “Where have you been?”

We sit sipping tea at the table as Pytha recounts her trials She was not accorded the same comfort Cassius and I were She was tortured by Pandora on the first night ere captured and has trouble re what she revealed Here on Io, she’s been treated well, but she’s still famished and devours a plate of thin sandwiches that Aruka serves I nibble on one without tasting it,over what she’s told me Gaia picks tobacco from her pipe with a short knife

“You still haven’t told me,” I say Gaia looks up, confused “What you want from me…from us”