| 3:02a |
@@@@@She understood strength
“Did it bother you?”
@@@@@She understood strength
“Did it bother you?” I asked“Pretending to be one of them?”
“No, not reallyYou see, this host was a lot to get used to–there was so much that was newFollowing the set pattern was quite as much as I could handle at first
“And Curt… You chose to stay with your host's spouse? After it was over?”
This question was more pointed, and Kathy grasped that at onceShe shifted in her seat, pulling
her legs up and folding them under herShe gazed thoughtfully at a spot just over my head as
she answered
“Yes, I chose Curt–and he chose meAt first, of course, it was random chance, an assignment
We bonded, naturally, from spending so much time together, sharing the danger of our mission
As the university's president, Curt had many contacts, you seeOur house was an insertion
facilityWe would entertain oftenHumans would come through our door and our kind would
leaveIt all had to be very quick and quiet–you know the violence these hosts are prone toWe
lived every day with the knowledge that we could meet a final end at any momentThere was
constant excitement and frequent fear
“All very good reasons why Curt and I might have formed an attachment and decided to stay
together when secrecy was no longer necessaryAnd I could lie to you, assuage your fears, by
telling you that these were the reasonsBut…” She shook her head and then seemed to settle
deeper into her chair, her eyes boring into me“In so many millennia, the humans never did
figurelove outHow much is physical, how much in the mind? How much accident and how
much fate? Why did perfect matches crumble and impossible couples thrive? I don't know the
answers any better than they didLove simply is where it isMy host loved Curt's host, and that
love did not die when the ownership of the minds cha |