“We knew. It was our belief that—”
“Your belief? You would have risked everything, the future of every living thing, on your untested theory? You know the role fate has chosen for him. You know that he is to be the one.”
The lupine face of the one-eyed man seemed to become more feral as he leaned close to answer. “I know,” he said, enunciating acidly, “that whatever will happen must be allowed to happen, without interference. You have changed that, and in so doing, it is you who has risked everything.”
Her defense wavered, as if the argument, despite its loathsome source, had merit. “I did nothing.”
“You changed the password of Chiron’s computer to something that he would know.”
“That signifies nothing. He would have figured it out anyway.”
“Perhaps. But what has been done cannot be undone. What we have lost cannot be replaced.”
“You are a hypocrite. If you believe that this was in the hands of fate, then you must accept that what happened — losing control of the entity — was destined. Else you would have taken Chiron out long before this came to pass.”
The man smiled, but there was no humor in his eye. “The experiment had to be seen to its conclusion, no matter the outcome.”
“Then accept that what I did had negligible impact on that outcome.”
“If I believed otherwise, madame, you would already be dead. But there may come a time when you will be tempted to take greater risks to protect Nick Kismet.”
“You are mad. Nothing matters but the Great Work.”
“See that you don’t forget it, madame.” He leaned closer still until she could feel his breath on her face. His words rumbled in her ear like an earthquake. “Nothing can be allowed to prevent my brother from meeting his destiny.”
About the Author
Sean Ellis enjoys a life-long love affair with adventure. As a teenager, he pursued an elusive pirate legend and combed the Pacific coast for buried treasure. He has searched for Mayan ruins in the jungles of Honduras and chased rumors of gold in the American southwest. As a soldier in the Army National Guard, he has served abroad and at home, participating in hurricane relief efforts in New Orleans. Sean also enjoys adventure sports and has participated in mountain bike races, off-road triathlons and even a marathon in Afghanistan. He currently resides in the shadow of Mt. Saint Helens where he divides his time between studying environmental science and pursuing his greatest adventure: fatherhood.