Bird Furious

"It's not what we're getting into!" she yelled. "It's the stakes. Just CHILL." "I guess I can get annoying," she admitted.

Mitis narrowed her eyes at him, hand creeping toward her purse. "No. I'll fight you on this, Lerac." Haly took his hand and traced his palm with her free hand. "You take a lot from me."

"There's no need," she replied just as firmly. "You don't want to know, and you don't want him--" she jerked her head at TAAron-- "to know, either. I doubt it would do anyone here any good, actually." She smiled. "I won! I don't know what I won, but I won something."

"Forget it. We won't let that happen." "Because."

"We won't die. Even if we do, once they erase Essa's involvement, things will change. Haly doesn't need--" There she stopped. "But I'm thanking you anyway," she repeated.

Very well.

"Not their own futures--that's our big advantage. They can't see the pages that are their faults, or that they affected. That rules out Jove, and Essa. Neither of them know how the story ends. I won't either. The books assume that the agents don't get involved, so it--when they do, that removes their one big advantage." "But I'm thanking you anyway." "Because this makes it more real. We're kind of old fashioned. And nobody can just hack a computer and know everything about the universe."

"I'm sure they've decided the outcome already. If they've really decided to erase Essa's involvement, all we can hope for is an outside factor they don't expect. If it gets that far, be unpredictable--don't let anything you do make any sense." She started off between the bookshelves. Haly smiled at Lerac, then at TAAron. "Thanks. You guys are great."

"Danger?" Mitis laughed. "They probably already know we're here." She smiled nauseously at him, then followed Mitis.

Mitis looked around, slightly lost. "Um, we should find the hubs. I think they should be that way." She touched a Beacon. "Yep, that way."

I'm trying to write my talk and it's not working--writer's block. WHYYY? I'm going to die tonight. I SWEAR I'm going to die. Why did the bishop have to pick on ME? Why did he think it was smart to trust me with something like this? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Why your rank? Shall I argue with you?

I don't like cancer. It's creepy. Tropical cancer must be worse.

"Thanks," she muttered. "Essa was here about ten minutes ago," Mitis replied. "Now we look around, I guess."

"Impressive, isn't it?" Mitis asked. Haly stumbled into one of the bookshelves, scattering the tiny manuscripts, and leaned against it. "What did you do?" she moaned.

She relaxed. "No problem," Mitis called. Haly squeaked, squeezed her eyes shut, and gripped TAAron's hand in both of hers.

Abihal nodded and went back to playing her flute.

"Yeah."Haly took TAAron's hand, glancing at him uncertainly.

"I think so." Haly walked over to Ranryu, Mitis following.

"Oh--Shana's the girl?"

"We were eating... kind of. I was eating. He wasn't hungry. And then he zoned out for, like, five minutes."

"Because we have to make sure you know we care, that's why." Haly glanced pointedly at TAAron. Mitis found Lerac's Beacon and Felt it discreetly.

I do not exist anymore, I have decidedl.