"What do you mean Bina?"

"The B-botfly. C-can't t-tell about t-that."

"But this is her job Bina! She might even know how to kill it!"

"N-no. The botfly l-lies, or w-worse it d-doesn't lie and it c-can actually d-do what it p-promises!"

"What it promises? You think it's actually talking to Gregor?"

"M-maybe? - Yes? - I don't k-know b-but that's n-not what I meant. It m-made promises to o-other p-people too. Joesephine -"

"You think it talked to Josephine?"

"N-no! Shh! Let m-me t-think! Joesephine wanted to make f-flying p-palaces, and to s-solve all the w-worlds problems w-with elect-t-ricity. The b-botfly g-gave her a way to d-do that."

"It made electricity when people looked at the symbol."

"Y-yes. It's s-so hungry. If it c-can't g-get people to w-watch it w-with bribery, it will g-get someone to kidnap t-them and force them to look at it. G-gregor w-was n-no Josephine. No flying palaces for h-him. He w-wanted something else, s-something less useful t-then in-infinite energy in t-terms of attracting p-people. S-something p-personal."

"What - Piotyr? You think he did all this because his dog died?"

"Y-yeah. It s-sounds s-silly but I t-think his d-deal prob-probably h-has to d-do with b-bringing her b-back from the d-dead."

"That doesn't seem to have gone off particularly well. If Gregor was willing to kidnap all these people in order to revive her, I can't imagine he's happy with the version of Piotyr that is the Hound."

"M-maybe n-not, but s-she's alive. W-wish g-granted. That's what it d-does. G-give the b-botfly what it w-wants, feed it, help it become, and it g-gives you what y-you want. It's n-not p-perfect, not the way you w-would l-like maybe, but you g-get enough to k-keep you c-coming back. I-it m-makes you useful. Y-you d-don't even h-have to know it exists t-to m-make th-the deal. J-joesephine certainly d-didn't. You j-just have to be c-close enough f-for it to n-notice you."

"OK, I think you might be kind of jumping to conclusions again, but even if you're right, and I hope you're not, but even if you are right, I think Elizabeth might still be OK. I haven't known her very long, and most of that time she was threatening to stab me with a pair of scissors, but she seems to have her head screwed on straight. I don't think she'll pull a Gregor on us and-"

"D-doesn't m-matter. Sh-she could be f-fine and it s-still w-wouldn't m-matter. D-do you t-trust her b-bosses? W-what about th-their b-bosses? She's part of an o-organization. If you t-tell, and she tells, the information g-gets everywhere! Eventually t-that information g-gets into the h-hands of someone who isn't f-fine. F-forget the b-botfly w-waking up f-for a s-second and ih-imagine w-what happens when H-Her Greenness t-tries to g-grant the wish of a real monster."

That's a disconcerting thought.

"Please K-Kendra…"



"Y-you c-can't t-tell her. …"

Notes