IC inbox for Snowblind

[ecks]

This device belongs to Ecks. Messages dictated to it will be received by Ecks.

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Comments

[ecks]

If we do not find the center of the spiral we will die. Exploring is important.

I do not know where Duster is. It is not practical to find him now.

[heavensreader]

[That's right. Good. This is exactly the thinking Kesara wants to encourage.]

It isn't practical. And Dr. House doesn't want you to. He wants it to be over and done, just as Duster does.

[ecks]

[Ecks's next message does not arrive immediately. She heard what Kesara said. She heard exactly what Kesara just said. If she had doubts before, if she hadn't seen through Kesara's talk before, that's over now.]

Both of them want it over and done?

[heavensreader]

[It doesn't immediately sink in. Kesara is normally good at reading such meanings, but with the tablet's flat rendering she doesn't quite see the significant of Ecks's echoing phrase. Not at once.]

I've been speaking with Duster about what House had said before, and he -

[It's like a trickle of water through a crack, a funny feeling of wrongness building, building, and then it snaps. Icy horror floods Kesara's mind. Her tongue turns to lead. She thinks of a lie, and finds that she can't say it without stammering.]

He s- he said -

[ecks]

[What Ecks is feeling now is something like betrayal. Hsiaoke has always been a subject of caution for her, even when they agreed they did not have to be enemies anymore, but she did not think the girl would lie to her about something so important.]

Did Duster say that he killed Doctor House?

[heavensreader]

No! [That isn't a lie. It isn't a lie. Duster didn't say anything. It was all Mr. Solomons - no, he hadn't said anything either - she'd worked it out herself. And now Ecks has too. Duster only confirmed...

And now Kesara has, too. She has. It's her fault.]

Dr. House said it's done. He doesn't want anything more to do with it!

[ecks]

Doctor House is a liar. Doctor House is bad at not dying and bad at not being murdered and he is a liar.

[heavensreader]

He's a liar, but he has ways to get what he wants. He has tricks. If he'd wanted someone to, to go after Duster, to get him, he'd have made it happen! He could have told everyone!

[ecks]

I know he does not want it. He lied to me and told me it was an anomaly and would not let me do anything.

[heavensreader]

You really mustn't do anything. No one wants you to do anything, Ecks, do you hear me? Dr. House would have ordered you to, if he knew. He surely would have.

[ecks]

I CANNOT do anything

[She's hitting a wall here. She mustn't, she can't. She doesn't even know what she even would want to do if she knew where Duster was and if Doctor House would let her.]

I understand.

[heavensreader]

[Cannot. And stressed, that way, too. Maybe she does understand. Maybe she does understand? Kesara's throat and ribs ache from holding her breath. This is what she meant to do, isn't it? To give Ecks an order? Has she done it? Has she fixed it?]

I'm sorry for what happened. I'm terribly sorry. But you must leave it now. You should wait for us instead in the tunnel. We'll come and look after you.

[ecks]

[Look after her. Does she need looking after?

Must leave it. She has her orders. She doesn't know what else she might do, much as it aches and makes her sick, and so for the moment, not knowing yet just how close by Duster is, she grudgingly acquiesces.]

acknowledged.
i will wait.