Page 55 of House Divided

Epilogue

“I’m nervous.” admitted Madeline. “Look, my hands are shaking.” She lifted them up for Aria and Jack to observe.

“Yup, those are shaking hands all right,” agreed Jack.

“Jack, don’t be such a beast,” scolded Aria and moved to hug Madeline. “It’s going to be okay, I promise,” Aria said soothingly.

“What if I don’t even recognize him?” fretted Madeline. “What if I look at him, and he just looks like a complete stranger?”

“I swear, it’s not like that,” explained Jack. “The ID altering process is subtle. It’s meant to change the exact points that face-recognition technology keys in on. So people will look at Enoch and think, maybe he reminds me of someone, but that’s all. And as far as technology and detection is concerned, they will look at the most wanted man in the galaxy and see just another human.”

“As long as he’s still Enoch to me,” fretted Madeline, pacing back and forth.

“This way, you and he have the chance of something like a normal life,” promised Jack. “You can be together and not be on the run all the time.”

“And I can have the opportunity to catch up with my real father,” smiled Aria.

“I know. I know,” breathed Madeline. “The whole point of the dramatic ‘suicide attack’ was to give a fresh start to Enoch,andto his loyal soldiers. Everything has worked so far, and no one has any reason to believe that any of them are still alive. I just…I just don’t want to lose my Enoch.”

“Here he comes,” announced Aria in excitement.

The door to the medical bay opened, and a new man walked through. Madeline gasped.

He was still her Enoch. That was absolutely clear, in his eyes, the set of his chin, his body language. But he was definitely changed. In a flash, Madeline understood what Jack had meant about key points of facial recognition technology. While still being absolutely the man she loved, there were subtle differences in the terrain of his face. However, that was not the largest difference.

Enoch Immanuel looked like years of anguish had fallen from his face. He looked as if he had never had to endure years of sadness and privation.

He looked free.

Madeline gave a cry of happiness and ran forward to bury herself in his embrace. She held him tightly, as if she was never going to let him go. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, and Enoch leaned into the kiss, and the two of them were swept up in each other, and finally knew joy.

“My love,” Enoch said, his eyes bright with love and tenderness and happiness, “my days of war and hiding are over. I’m finally home.”