"No, no, trust me, you've been more helpful than I could have hoped for," Nell said graciously. She and Richard exchanged the customary awkward telephone farewells. Then the girl moved back to the kitchen nook where The Afterdark waited with his bare feet on the table.
"I'm wondering why we didn't call Sneak Peek the first thing."
Nell blushed. "I didn't think of it."
Derek sighed. "I take it he was helpful?"
"Yes."
"Report," he commanded, and the order made a chill run along Nell's back. She stammered the information to him while he watched her impassively--the girl got the distinct sense that he was only staring at the new scars on her face that branched from her neck. She scratched that side of her face instinctively.
When she finished, Derek said, "You talk too fast and your voice gets screechy when you're excited.
Nell frowned was wasn't slowed down. "We should try to figure out where he was--is, sorry--and we can go there."
"We?" Derek asked suddenly. "We? You're a liability, Nell. You can't come."
She ignored him, perhaps in part because she didn't want to hear his forbidding comments. "I think he's near the city. Probably just outside it, like the forest by the hospital."
"Yep," but Derek was already standing up and walking to his computer room. He opened the door and entered. Then he closed the door on Nell before she could enter.
She was surprised and offended. He really thought so little of her that he wouldn't let her even know where the place was? It mattered to him that much that she not get in his way? Was she really so useless?
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"I'm wondering why we didn't call Sneak Peek the first thing."
Nell blushed. "I didn't think of it."
Derek sighed. "I take it he was helpful?"
"Yes."
"Report," he commanded, and the order made a chill run along Nell's back. She stammered the information to him while he watched her impassively--the girl got the distinct sense that he was only staring at the new scars on her face that branched from her neck. She scratched that side of her face instinctively.
When she finished, Derek said, "You talk too fast and your voice gets screechy when you're excited.
Nell frowned was wasn't slowed down. "We should try to figure out where he was--is, sorry--and we can go there."
"We?" Derek asked suddenly. "We? You're a liability, Nell. You can't come."
She ignored him, perhaps in part because she didn't want to hear his forbidding comments. "I think he's near the city. Probably just outside it, like the forest by the hospital."
"Yep," but Derek was already standing up and walking to his computer room. He opened the door and entered. Then he closed the door on Nell before she could enter.
She was surprised and offended. He really thought so little of her that he wouldn't let her even know where the place was? It mattered to him that much that she not get in his way? Was she really so useless?
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