“These people saved our lives!”
“Our lives wouldn’t have
Emma gave up on Enoch and turned to the boy. “If circumstances were different, we’d welcome you with open arms. But as it stands, our entire civilization and way of life are in danger of being snuffed out. So it’s rather bad timing, you see.”
“It isn’t fair,” the boy moped. “Why couldn’t I have started disappearing ages ago? Why did it have to happen
“Every peculiar’s ability manifests in its own time,” said Millard. “Some in infancy; others not until they’re quite old. I once heard of a man who didn’t realize he could levitate objects with his mind until he was ninety-two years of age.”
“I was lighter than air from the minute I was born,” Olive said proudly. “I popped out of me mum and floated straight up to the hospital ceiling! Only thing that stopped me from rolling out the window and into the clouds was the umbilical cord. They say the doctor fainted from the shock!”
“You’re
Millard, visible thanks to the coat and boots he wore, went to the boy. “What does your father think about all of this?” he said.
“Naturally, we don’t want him to go,” Bekhir said, “but how can we properly care for our son if we can’t even
“Do you love him?” Millard asked bluntly. “Does he love you?”
Bekhir’s brow furrowed. He was a man of traditional sensibilities, and the question made him uncomfortable. But after some hemming and hawing, he growled, “Of course. He’s my child.”
“Then
Bekhir was loath to show emotion in front of his men, but at this I saw his eyes flicker and his jaw tighten. He nodded, looked down at his son, and said, “Come on, then. Pick up your bag and let’s go. Your mother’ll have tea waiting.”
“All right, Papa,” the boy said, seeming at once disappointed and relieved.
“You’ll be fine,” Millard assured the boy. “Better than fine. And when this is all over, I’ll look for you. There are more like us out there, and we’ll find them one day, together.”
“Promise?” the boy said, his eyes full of hope.
“I do,” said Millard.
