“We’re still getting them back together, but now we’re doing itduringthe race,” I said. “Come on, everybody. Let’s say goodbye to Li Na.”
[ 60 ]
I leftGrigori in the garage with Hedy and Jamal, and we entered the safe room to find Dong sitting on the couch, sobbing with Bigs on his head, glaring at me. Bigs completely covered the old man’s head, and it took me a moment for my mind to figure out what I was looking at. Tipid and Imani were on the couch as well. Tipid was patting the old man on the shoulder while Bucket Boy stood by, looking helpless. Dong’s health was still in the green, but it was clearly going down.
“Healing potions or blessings don’t work,” Imani said, speaking quietly. “I can slow the descent of his health, but I don’t think I can stop it. He has an hour and a half. Maybe less.” She put her hand on my shoulder. “I’m going to talk to Li Na.”
Jacobus buzzed around Bigs and Dong. The little fairy zoomed right up to Dong’s mouth and lifted his lips and peered inside before Imani yelled at him to get away. The little fairy zoomed off, following Imani.
“You’re not my favorite person right now, Daddy,” Bigs said from her position atop Dong’s head, swinging her hatchet in my direction. “First, you ain’t killing that Li Na murderer, and now you’re playing the bad guy in Dong’s love story. We sluggalos have a code. That code is ‘unity, support, family, andkneecapping bitches.’ You ain’t providing no unity, no support, you’re not watching after your family, and you’re not even letting me kneecap a bitch. That makesyouthe bitch.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry,” I said.
“Wait, I am?” Bigs asked.
I turned to Donut. “You guys, follow Imani. I’ll be there in a minute. I need to talk to Dong. Porky, stay here.”
Donut and the others left. I returned my attention to Bigs.
“Yeah,” I said, “I’ve been a dick. I’m doing my best. A long, long time ago, I said something like ‘We need to help each other. Otherwise, what’s the point?’ When we stop doing that, that’s when we stop being...”
I paused.
Being humanwas what I’d said to Brandon.
We needed a word that went beyond that.
“Real Gs?” Bigs asked.
I smiled. “Real Gs.”
“Does that mean we’re going to slaughter Li Na and laugh as she drowns in her own blood?”
“No,” I said. “She’s a lot like me. She’s lost her way. We’re going to send her somewhere where she can help and not hurt any more of our friends.”I hope.
“You’re a good daddy,” Bigs finally said. “But I’m not the one you need to apologize to.”
She slimed off, leaving an orange streak on Dong’s head.
The older man had stopped crying and was just looking at me.
I took another deep breath. We didn’t have time, but at the moment, I didn’t care. “For the first part of this floor,” I began as I pulled a towel from my inventory, “I was happy that we were on rails. That we didn’t have a choice about what we were doing. It was so much easier than before. And even though the danger is just as high, if not higher, it was nice, for a little bit at least,that everything was so simple. Christ, whatisthis stuff that the sluggalos leak? Why is it so sticky?”
Dong blinked at me, not saying anything. I continued.
“But I quickly realized that this floor was a deliberate trap. It’s a drain designed to catch those of us who’ve been spat out of the bottom of Faction Wars and dared to go on. It’s a drain that spins faster and faster the closer we get to the hole, and suddenly we’re just gone, and it happens so fast, we don’t even realize it until it’s too late.”
“My good sir,” Dong began. “Carl.”
I held up my hand. “I know we don’t have much time, but I need to say this. I’ve been trying to keep you out of this quest, and it’s because I’m scared it’s not going to work and I’m scared that you’ll mess it up, not because I don’t trust you but because you’re too close to it. The fact that you are in love with this guy is a complication, not an asset. The smart thing to do is to keep you away while we get this done.”
I paused, taking a deep breath.
“But that’s not what we’re going to do. I’m going to have to attempt this Corcunda reunion during the race. I can bring three mercenaries. It’s going to be the fleshmancer guy, Porky here, and you. We’re going to do our best to save your friend.”
Dong sat up, deliberately not looking at Porky, who stood behind me, not saying anything. “Carl, I’m dying. Jefferson said I was a bad investment. And now I am weak, and my health is seeping away. I will not be able to help.”
“Maybe not,” I said. “But I’ll make sure you get to say goodbye to your friend.” I put my hand on his shoulder. “I won’t lie to you. We have to do some awful things to get through this, and oftentimes it’s at the expense of others. Sometimes we can’t take a moment to spare the feelings of a friend because there simply isn’t time. But if it’s worth anything, I want you to know that I’m sorry I tried to keep you two apart. I’m sorry I’ve beena jerk about it. Survival has more than one meaning. I am trying so, so hard. But sometimes...”