Dont do this, oh no, not this , he could have said. Or everyone will die.
And I might have, he added in Seraphic, if you had been kinder to this poor, broken thing.
36
THE ONLY NON-IDIOT ON THE PLANET
Hello, King Morgan, said Gabriel, popping his head into the lab. And how is the planets only non-idiot on this fine day?
Screw you, replied Morgan, without turning from his computer.
Ah, excellent, said Gabriel. Im having a lovely morning, too. He came into the lab a few steps and looked around. Have you seen Eliza? She hasnt been home.
Morgan snerched. At least, that was the nearest phonetic case to be made for the sound he ejected from his nose: snerch . Yeah, Ive seen her. The sight of Eliza Jones asleep with her mouth open ruined my day.
Oh, said Gabriel, all helpful good cheer. No, that probably wasnt it. It was probably already ruined, when you woke up from a dream of having friends and being admired and realized you were still you.
Morgan finally turned around to favor him with a sour glare. What do you want, Edinger?
I thought I said. Im looking for Eliza.
Who is clearly not here, said Morgan,
swinging back around. He was on the very verge of saying, with all the considerable snideness in his arsenal, that she probably wasnt even in the country, followed up with the charming assessment that her absence likely accounted for the unusual clarity of the air, when Gabriel spoke again.
I have her phone, he said. She hasnt been home, and shes gotten about a million messages. I honestly didnt think it was possible to survive this long without ones phone. Are you sure shes all right?
And Morgan Toths expression changed. He was still faced away, and Gabriel might have caught the reflection of his look in his computer screen if hed been paying attention, but he never paid very close attention to Morgan Toth.
She went somewhere with Dr. Chaudhary, Morgan said, and his tone was unchanged, as sour as ever, but there was a slyness in his expression now, and a cool, malicious eagerness. Theyll be right back, if you want to leave it.
Gabriel hesitated. He weighed the phone in his palm and looked around the room. He saw Elizas sweatshirt slung over a chair by one of the sequencers. All right, he said finally, walking a few steps to set the phone down next to it. Would you tell her to text me when she gets it?
Sure, said Morgan, and for a second Gabriel hesitated in the doorway, suspicious that the little prig was suddenly being so accommodating. But then Morgan added, Tell you what. Hold your breath until that happens, and Gabriel just rolled his eyes and left.
And Morgan Toth was remarkably restrained. He waited five minutes, five entire minutesthree hundred tiny stutters of the clocks long handbefore he locked the door and picked up the phone.
37
PREOCCUPIED BY BLISS
Are you sure you can do this? Akiva asked his sister, his brow creased with concern. They were in the entrance cavern where, just the day before, the armies had very nearly ended each other. The scene before them now was quite different.
What, spend several days in the company of your paramour? Liraz replied, looking up from making an adjustment to her sword belt. It wont be easy. If she tries to dress me in human clothes, I cant be held responsible for my actions.
Akivas answering smile was humorless. There was nothing he wanted more right now than to be the one spending several days with Karoueven several such days as these would be, persuading their sadistic, warmongering uncle, quite contrary to his own desires, to go back home. Im holding you responsible for more than your actions, he told Liraz. He meant it to sound light.
It didnt. Her eyes flashed angry. What, dont you trust me with your precious lady? Maybe you should assign an entire battalion to escort her.
Or just go myself , was what he wanted to say. Hed told Karou he wasnt letting her out of his sight, but it turned out he would have to, one last time. They had all agreed to her plan, as bold as it was sly, and his own part, as it had evolved, was considerable, and crucial, but it would keep him in Eretz while Liraz accompanied Karou back to the human world.
You know I trust you, he told his sister, which was almost true. He did trust her to protect Karou. When hed asked if she was sure she could do this, hed meant something else. When it comes down to it, will you be able to keep from killing Jael?
I said I would, didnt I?
Not convincingly, Akiva replied.
In the reconvened war council, Liraz had greeted Karous idea with a bark of incredulous laughter, and then stared around the table at each of them in turn, growing ever more appalled that they appeared to be considering it.
Considering not killing Jael.
Yet.
And when, after much discussion, it had all been agreed, she had fallen into a suspect silence that Akiva interpreted to mean that, whatever she might say now, when she stood before their vile uncle, his sister would do exactly as she pleased.
I said I would, she repeated with finality, and her look dared him to question her further.