Page 165 of Compromised
"And in the intervening period."
"The kitchen," Alistair said. "The view from the windows. The fire, if the fireplace works." He turned to Tav. "You sitting on the sofa and reading while I draw." "I have a lot of drawing to catch up on."
Tav studied him.
"You've been drawing throughout the assignment," he said.
"I've been drawing in the margins of the assignment," Alistair said. "Between things. On the secondary phone when there wasn't anything else." He held the look. "I want to draw with time. The full attention." "I want to draw you with full attention."
Tav was quiet.
"You've been drawing me for months," he said.
"Quick studies," Alistair said. "Margins." He held the look. "I want to do it properly."
Tav watched the ambulance ceiling.
"All right," he said.
"All right," Alistair said. "Six weeks of you sitting still."
"I don't typically sit still."
"You will at the safe house," Alistair said. "The physician has ensured it."
"The physician—"
"Has been very clear," Alistair said, with the flat voice of someone quoting an authority they intend to uphold.
Tav studied the ceiling.
"I'll sit," he said.
"Good." Something in Alistair's voice was warm. "I'll draw."
"Four hours," Tav said.
"Less now," Alistair said. "Two and a half."
"And then the coast."
"And then the coast."
Tav closed his eyes.
Not sleep — just the restful peace he decided that the present moment is sufficient. The ambulance.
The movement. The person beside him.
The network confirmation had registered the previous night — eleven hours earlier, at the moment Tav had pulled the drive from the hub port and held it in the cold rooftop air and the countdown had reached zero.
All eighteen nodes confirmed. Distribution active. By 7 a.m., it was in twelve languages.
Tav read the confirmations in the car on the way north, while Alistair slept beside him with the deep unguarded sleep he had been running on reserves for longer than was sustainable. He had fallen asleep with his shoulder against Tav's — the right shoulder, always careful about the left — and Tav had not
moved, and the car moved through the country side and the morning arrived incrementally outside the windows. At 9 a.m., Naomi's first message arrived.
FINANCIAL RECORDS LEADING. EXACTLY AS I PREDICTED. THREE
