“Allie.” Revik held out a hand. “Please. Give it to me—”
“No.” I took a step back. “Please, Revik. You have to listen to me. He expects you to do this. He’s counting on it.” My voice lowered, growing angry, but not at him. My eyes blurred as they filled with tears, but I couldn’t care about that either. I knew I was right. I had no idea how I knew, but I did.
“Please,” I said, my voice thick. “Please, Revik. Please...just listen to me.”
“I’m listening, Allie,” he said. “Put the gun down...”
I shook my head, gripping it tighter. He wasn’t listening to me. I could feel it. I’d become a threat in his eyes, a dangerous animal. But I knew he wouldn’t listen to me if I gave him the gun.
“He wants to shoot at you,” I said. “He knows I’ll do something. Fold something, or break something...or light something on fire. I can’t control it. He must know that, too. It’s gotten worse, Revik...”
“Allie!” Jon’s voice rose, pulling me to look at him. “Jesus, are you going to shoot Revik? He saved our lives!”
“Who, Allie?” Cass said. Fear leaked into her voice. “Who wants us to do it? Do you mean Terian? Is Terian here?”
“No.” Revik’s voice sharpened. He held out a hand towards Cass. “We’re all right, Cass.” He looked at me, and now he felt angry. “Put the gun down, Allie!”
I heard all this, and it affected some part of me, but I didn’t take my eyes off his face.
“Please, Revik...”
“Please, what?” he said. “What do you want me to do?” He looked at Maygar, and the anger in his face worsened. “What do you want from me, Allie?”
I shifted my weight, and felt my resolve falter. “Did you give me those numbers?” I said. “On the ship. I thought you were dead...but you did it to keep them from Terian. That was you. It had to be you...”#p#分页标题#e#
Revik’s eyes drew a blank.
I saw Maygar turn, startled. He stared at Revik.
“It’s important,” I said. “It’s really important, Revik.”
“Allie, I don’t know what you’re talking about! I would tell you, I swear I would! But we have to go now...please!”
“You helped design it,” I said. “The rotating hierarchy.”
He blanched. Then his jaw hardened more. “Even if I did. I don’t remember...”
“None of it came back with Terian?” I said. “That’s what he wanted from you, isn’t it? The succession order? So he could go after Galaith?”
Jon and Cass’s expressions grew openly startled, just before their eyes swiveled almost in unison to Revik’s face. It was enough to confirm what I’d suspected. Then Jon’s voice rose, angry.
“Did Terian help him remember? You mean when he was beating him unconscious every day? Is that what you’re asking, Al?”
I turned, staring at Jon.
I saw Revik look at Jon too, telling him to be silent with his eyes. I focused on the bruises on Revik’s neck, how his clothes hung on his long frame. I lowered the gun slowly, staring between them, then down at my hands, holding the gun.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” I said. All the resolve and tension left my limbs. “I don’t want to hurt anyone...”
“Maybe not shooting us would be a first step,” Jon snapped. “Jesus, Allie. Have you lost it completely?”
“Jon,” Revik warned. “Stop.”
I looked at Revik, startled. Then Maygar spoke up from where he leaned against the wall, out of sight of the high window.
“Yeah, Jon,” he drawled. “Take it easy on little sis. We need to know what we’re up against..and Rook-boy here used to be evil. Or did he forget to mention that in all of your touching inter-species bonding?” He nodded towards me, his voice openly approving.
“...About time someone went to the source for answers.”
I felt Revik turn before I saw him, felt his anger flare into something closer to hatred as soon as it found a target. His voice nearly shook.
“You’re right,” Revik said. “...she’s not completely wrong. I do remember more now...Maygar, is it? Your mother, for instance. Does she still work for them?”
Maygar’s expression turned hard as glass.
“Watch your forked tongue, Rook...”
“I remember you,” Revik said. “You were a little shit when they brought you in. A thief...half-recruited yourself. Are you the reason my wife’s got a gun on me now? Didn't I stay dead long enough for you?”
“As a matter of fact...”