Page 155 of The Pansy Paradox
“I’m afraid so, and Botten needs both of you to complete it.”
“So, is this our solution?” Henry gestured to the house around them. “Eternal exile?”
“Don’t look so glum, Darnelle. You get used to it after a decade or two. Besides, I believe you have some unfinished business with my daughter. That should keep you occupied for a while.”
“Stop being an ass.” Pansy leaned forward and planted her hands on the coffee table, the full force of her glare aimed at her father. “Just tell us what we need to do.”
The barely contained contempt drained from Max’s expression. “Sorry, sweetheart. Your mother would be giving me holy hell for this. So, let’s not tell her.” He paused then, gaze contemplating the two of them as if he were auditioning and rejecting various solutions.
“You said something about sunset?” Pansy prompted.
“Yes, it’s possible to slip through at both sunrise and sunset.”
“It was sunrise when you?—”
“When I came for your mother? Yes. And the silo is my ingress and egress point. Yours, however, is the housing development, as you’ve likely surmised. The question isn’t can you return, but rather, should you? Tell me more about what’s happening in King’s End.”
Henry told Max what he could of the data he’d collected, the imminent arrival of the task force, and that the right analyst, most likely Jack Ling, could pinpoint the epicenter in a matter of hours.
“They were waiting on us,” he said. “Or, rather, for me to be strong enough to take part in the ritual. But they might deploy an advance party or even the task force itself if they’re able to accurately locate the epicenter.”
“Which means you could tumble right into Botten’s grasp.” Max pursed his lips. “That’s not ideal. You’ll only have a few minutes to clear the housing development before the next cycle begins.”
Henry considered that, considered how easy it would be to deploy agents around the perimeter and block the routes from the housing development. “Risky,” was all he said.
“Then, as much as I hate to suggest it, remaining here may be the best option.” Max surveyed the space, his gaze assessing and critical. “Yes, with safeguards in place, it could work.”
“Safeguards?” Henry asked, but Max continued as if he hadn’t heard the question.
“We have to make sure your reality is secure. What did you bring with you?”
“Umbrellas,” Henry said. “Go bags.”
“Right. Those will be in the showcase home.”
Pansy pointed to the umbrellas on the coffee table. “We’re in the showcase home, and…”
The umbrellas flickered, momentarily transparent, before solidifying once again. Henry felt his heart clench.
“And it’s your belief that keeps the image of them here.”
“We’re drinking tea.” She peered into her thermos and took a tentative sip. “It’s real.”
“And Darnelle was cooking a real turkey. Don’t think too hard about it, sweetheart. It’s easier that way. The good news is, they’ll assume you’ve fallen into a fissure.”
Henry raised an eyebrow. “That’s the good news?”
“It is. Granted, that’s one half of the ritual. But agents fall into fissures all the time. You need an incantation to activate a gateway, and an incantation always requires blood,” Max went on, almost as if he were enjoying himself. “Botten could stand at the epicenter for hours, reciting the incantation, but without fresh blood, it won’t work. So, assuming neither of you has donated to the Enclave recently…”
Max trailed off. Perhaps it was their expressions. Henry was certain his must be as horrified as Pansy’s.
“Don’t tell me. Shit.” Max stared at the ceiling, rubbed his hands over his face. “I know the Enclave loves their blood, but how long ago are we talking here? Routine check-up? A couple of months?”
Henry swallowed back bile and forced out the answer. “Yesterday.”
“Well, children.” Max clapped his hands together, and his laugh rang hollow in that gray, empty room. “Things just got sticky.”
Chapter 66
