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One day he’ll wear theain, but hopefully never learn to wear them properly

Bring my son back to me, and I’ll leave Luna, I pray But who hears a prayer to no one? Not Victra She believes only in the power of herself I hope it is enough It h

Out the gabled ater laps against the stone stairs that lead down to the lake Beyond the shadowed trees, the estate’s Lionguard detail patrol, here only to protect Deanna, Darrow’sDarroill need her when he co he built fro scheduled with Quicksilver to try to market it for his consuer and it ele the concave projector toward myself and dip into a stream of opera I tilt it away

and the streaant

“He built that for you” I look up and see Deanna at the door “He thought you could have your guards use it on you in all those s of yours”

“Always thinking of others” I set the device down on the bedside table “It’s a fly in amber,” I say “The rooms that remain When your husband died, what did you do with his possessions?”

She leans against the doorframe It tires her to stand too much these days Barely over fifty, she’s had a hard life “Used e could Bartered the rest for rations Darrow liked to eat” She searches h time in the past, love The dead need no tears They don’t rest easier for our vengeance, or our guilt” She shrugs “They’d want us to live And life’s about the now and the future, eh? Dale gave me three wee ones to reave me more wee ones to love And they’re all still breathin’, far as I know, so don’t start in’ now We got our family to save, hear?”

“I think you ht be the only person alive who still scolds me,” I say

“That’s because I’rin “Now off your ass, lass, the onna be mad as a piter at me”

—

Laughter comes froine powers down Shuffling footsteps come my way Dancer limps with Deanna around the kitchen corner His smile dies as soon as he sees me

“Well, ain’t this the dirtiest of traps,” Dancer says “Since when did you stoop to politics, Deanna?” He turns to leave, but Deanna blocks him

“Don’t be a bloodyda hands It’s e, Dancer takes a seat across from me Deanna shuffles to the stove and ladles out three bowls of beef stew “I slaved over this for hours By the tireement Or I’ll be back here to paddle the shit out of your ears Hear? Now I’ve got pants to patch Can’t have Pax co back to holes in his knees as well as his family”

When Dancer found out froone with Victra on vacation to Mars, he was not pleased at randfather to the boy as Kavax was A cruel ruse, but necessary to dispel his curiosity at Pax’s sudden disappearance We linger in aard silence I’ve always felt very ht,foolish for the expense of my clothes

Dressed in a scuffed brown jacket, leather boots, and drab gray pants, the resilient riculturalist than the terrorist captain who became a senator who becaet it over with I join him He pauses “That third bowl isn’t for Deanna, is it?” He looks around warily, focusing on the openand the dark gardens outside Pachelbel twitter in the trees