kidnapper or 'er accomplice. This looks sorta like the lorry they described 'em usin'. And I cain't imagine any other reason for flamin' a bloody good lorry, other'n to get rid of evidence. I 'ope there ain't a body in there. We better get the bobbies in on this."
They crunched away and Rachel started to breathe again. It was strange to hear herself talked about that way.
A kidnapper or an accomplice? Suddenly she remembered a man coming out of the tent, seen across the body of the pain-racked Sorcerer. She bit her lip.
"Well, now we know one thing," Rachel said as they got to their feet. "You were seen. I guess I couldn't have pulled off the 'they-went-thataway' gig anyway. So what do we do now?"
"We?" He looked at her, his feelings suddenly obscure to her. "Did I not understand them to say that they believe the woman mayhaps was abducted? An thou goest now, they will believe thee to have escaped."
Rachel looked up at him as that sank in. She didn't want to go.
It must have been written all over her face. He smiled, hesitantly, gentle. She dropped her eyes.
"I ...uh, I can't go back now. Not without ..." You, she thought, but she said, "... Rollin. I need to find out what happened to him. It had something to do with you, as a statue... and once we find out, find him... I just want everything back the way it was... I mean, can you make me one? When you get your full power back? I know it's strange but, well, that statue could be the best thing to ever happen to us, career-wise. Though I suppose that might be kind of, well, cheating, since we'd know where it came from and everyone else would just be hypothesizing." She snorted. "Oh, my dear... poor dear Professor Rollin Ambrose and his silly British humor... Will I ever see him? Oh, I don't know. I'll think about that later but – "
"What did you say?" Zanalon was suddenly staring at her, his eyes narrowed and intense. Rachel stared back, puzzled by his sudden interest.
"I said everyone else would – "
"No, no. Who? Ambrose? "
Suddenly Rachel felt cold. "Do you know something about him?" For some reason, she regretted it as soon as the question popped out of her mouth. He couldn't know, unless ...
His eyes glazed as he turned them from her and brought a hand up to his forehead. He closed his eyes. "Something ... so afraid ..." Trembling. He said something, mumbled, so low she couldn't make it out. Or maybe she didn't want to make it out, because if she thought about it, it might have sounded like he said, "Death ... death ..."
That scared her. She knew she needed to know but she didn't want to. Before she thought about it too much more, she grabbed his arm, tugged. "Never mind. Don't worry about it, now. We have to get you out of here." He let her pull him along a few steps, then dug in his heels and pulled his arm from her grasp. For the moment, he still seemed too dazed to successfully pull off his annoyed and indignant act at her controlling behavior.
"Okay, then, Zanalon...” She twisted her lips, getting familiar with the new name, and held her hands up, palms outward. "Well, as I was saying ... What was I saying?" She started off, letting him follow, leaving the questions she didn't want to face behind. "Oh, but ... but you might need my help in this time. Like you said, you're blind. Actually, so am I, but, oh well.” She poked at the bridge of her nose. “You know, another thing, your rival might be looking for you but he won't be expecting me. I might be able to scout things out for you. I've just got to see this through, make sure you get your power and everything... And I think if we find Hafgan, we'll find Rollin, too." She glanced over her shoulder at him, did a double-take when she saw his expression.
He'd listened to her stumbling rationalizations, patiently. A slow smile, mischievous, spread across his face. He looked like a different person, smiling like that. “You care about... him...” he said, then gave a slight shake of his head,
They crunched away and Rachel started to breathe again. It was strange to hear herself talked about that way.
A kidnapper or an accomplice? Suddenly she remembered a man coming out of the tent, seen across the body of the pain-racked Sorcerer. She bit her lip.
"Well, now we know one thing," Rachel said as they got to their feet. "You were seen. I guess I couldn't have pulled off the 'they-went-thataway' gig anyway. So what do we do now?"
"We?" He looked at her, his feelings suddenly obscure to her. "Did I not understand them to say that they believe the woman mayhaps was abducted? An thou goest now, they will believe thee to have escaped."
Rachel looked up at him as that sank in. She didn't want to go.
It must have been written all over her face. He smiled, hesitantly, gentle. She dropped her eyes.
"I ...uh, I can't go back now. Not without ..." You, she thought, but she said, "... Rollin. I need to find out what happened to him. It had something to do with you, as a statue... and once we find out, find him... I just want everything back the way it was... I mean, can you make me one? When you get your full power back? I know it's strange but, well, that statue could be the best thing to ever happen to us, career-wise. Though I suppose that might be kind of, well, cheating, since we'd know where it came from and everyone else would just be hypothesizing." She snorted. "Oh, my dear... poor dear Professor Rollin Ambrose and his silly British humor... Will I ever see him? Oh, I don't know. I'll think about that later but – "
"What did you say?" Zanalon was suddenly staring at her, his eyes narrowed and intense. Rachel stared back, puzzled by his sudden interest.
"I said everyone else would – "
"No, no. Who? Ambrose? "
Suddenly Rachel felt cold. "Do you know something about him?" For some reason, she regretted it as soon as the question popped out of her mouth. He couldn't know, unless ...
His eyes glazed as he turned them from her and brought a hand up to his forehead. He closed his eyes. "Something ... so afraid ..." Trembling. He said something, mumbled, so low she couldn't make it out. Or maybe she didn't want to make it out, because if she thought about it, it might have sounded like he said, "Death ... death ..."
That scared her. She knew she needed to know but she didn't want to. Before she thought about it too much more, she grabbed his arm, tugged. "Never mind. Don't worry about it, now. We have to get you out of here." He let her pull him along a few steps, then dug in his heels and pulled his arm from her grasp. For the moment, he still seemed too dazed to successfully pull off his annoyed and indignant act at her controlling behavior.
"Okay, then, Zanalon...” She twisted her lips, getting familiar with the new name, and held her hands up, palms outward. "Well, as I was saying ... What was I saying?" She started off, letting him follow, leaving the questions she didn't want to face behind. "Oh, but ... but you might need my help in this time. Like you said, you're blind. Actually, so am I, but, oh well.” She poked at the bridge of her nose. “You know, another thing, your rival might be looking for you but he won't be expecting me. I might be able to scout things out for you. I've just got to see this through, make sure you get your power and everything... And I think if we find Hafgan, we'll find Rollin, too." She glanced over her shoulder at him, did a double-take when she saw his expression.
He'd listened to her stumbling rationalizations, patiently. A slow smile, mischievous, spread across his face. He looked like a different person, smiling like that. “You care about... him...” he said, then gave a slight shake of his head,
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