Page 169 of Light Leech
His laugh was an unsettling squeak. “The girl right next to you.”
“What was her plot?”
His beady eyes continued to stare, making his subtle smile all the more frustrating.
“You talked about my past when we were walking to the lake of wine,” she said. “You know where I’m from.”
“I do.”
“What am I? You said I am ‘another matter’ when comparing everyone to ants. The white light I used to crack open your shell. The lack of a past in my memory. I want answers.”
“I do not see any purpose in that.”
“I’ll pull your tube.”
“I can bear suffering, should it be necessary.”
“Then why were you talking so openly before?”
“Because, like I said, the more you understand the Gongtide and its significance for all existence–not just humanity–the less unnecessary pain you will cause to the world.”
“What? That doesn’t make sense. You know we’re not going to bow before your god–”
He wheezed out a laugh. “Time changes opinions.”
“It doesn’t change the truth. Why were you so candid about my past before?”
“Oh, I never shared anything you did not know. You’re of Arabasian birth, anyone with eyes can see that.”
“It doesn’t mean I was born there.”
“That fact makes little difference. You’re going to kill me anyway. I am fine taking this narrative to my grave.”
She groaned, shaking her head in frustration.
I placed my hand on her shoulder. “Let’s just take him back.”
“What do you mean?”
I looked at the homunculus, still feeling a perpetual disgust at the creature’s existence. “Why kill him when we can take him back to the monastery?”
“Why?”
“I’m sure we can work with Ral to find some way to crack him. What is better than another dead Beacon on our list?”
“One we can use ourselves.”
“Exactly.”
We both turned to look at the shrunken humanoid.
“Fools. That is all you are. You are as the ancient Sisyphus; you cannot push the tide to the top of the mountain. It will always win. Entropy. Fate. This is what happens because humans are foolish enough to plague the Earth again with the same filth that destroyed the last one.
I ignored his ramblings and entered my neurospace.
Petya: Hihow. We need help.
Raia: Need a ride home?
