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“Yeah, yeah, but people like to have more than the other guy,” Jace pointed out.

“Humans feel this way? Yes, they do. I saw that in my research. It is most illogical,” Khoth said with a shake of his head.

“Yeah, it is. I just find it hard to believe that all Thaf’ell are so… good,” Jace admitted.

“It is not out of goodness. And the logic behind it is enforced by strict rules against breaking the norms,” Khoth admitted.

“So everyone has the same home as you and your family even though she is the High Councillor?” Jace asked.

“No, her station commands greater resources. But it is the position, not her, that requires this,” Khoth answered.

Jace wondered if that was true. It wasn’t like Nova Voor was keen on letting those greater resources go. He had assumed it was because she had a vision for the Alliance, and she likely did. But he also wondered if she feared losing those greater resources and the admiration they brought. But he wasn’t going to press that, because whatever the weaknesses in the Thaf’ell’s way of doing things, humanity’s was worse.

“I just realized something a little… freaky,” Jace said with a grimace.

“What?”

“Well, your point about how there are starving people? That there are people who have more than they could ever spend? That things could be… evened out?”

“You are thinking that you now could do that? With the Osiris’ help?” Khoth guessed.

“Totally. In fact, right now, the Osiris is offering me a method to move the ones and zeros that now represent most money on Earth…” Jace raked a hand through his hair. “But it would cause a cascade of other problems. I can’t just pull one thread and expect the rest to stay put. And no one is asking me to play god, which it would be and--”

“You do have so much power, Jace. But you will seek the wisdom from within and from others to know what to do with it,” Khoth said without hesitation.

Jace could hear the solid thump of Khoth’s heart in his left ear. It was soothing and he needed soothing right at that moment. Because Khoth’s words were sort of freaking him out. In the past few days, he had been so focused on the tasks before him that he hadn’t thought much ahead of that. Now he realized that maybe he had been thinking too small.

“After the Khul are dealt with… I have some choices to make, don’t I?” Jace asked softly.

“You could change the whole trajectory of the human race more than you already have,” Khoth agreed.

Jace lifted his head up and stared at Khoth’s face in horror. “More than I already have?”

Khoth lifted his right eyebrow. “Yes, Jace, you have introduced humanity to the stars and to the Alliance. That will change everything.”

“Yeah, but that was always going to happen!” Jace cried, suddenly desperate to not be responsible. “Humans would have either figured out the tech or the Alliance would have broken down… eventually.”

“You did meet my mother today, didn’t you?” Khoth lifted the other eyebrow.

“Uhm, okay, I see your point but it's not like she is going to live forever! Like… like me… oh, my God…” Jace lowered himself--or more like collapsed--onto Khoth’s chest as he contemplated these things.

Khoth’s hand was back in his hair and his steady heartbeat thumped in Jace’s ear. Jace just closed his eyes and breathed. Khoth smelled incredible too. A mixture of spice and incense.

“Calm yourself. You are getting ahead of the moment,” Khoth urged. More stroking. Jace wanted to purr.

“I don’t know…” Jace murmured. “How can I forget this now that I see it?”

Would you like a sedative? The Osiris asked.

No, no, I want to be awake with Khoth, Jace said. Maybe later.

He had to admit that there was something alluring at the thought of dreamless sleep though in Khoth’s strong arms. But he rather liked being awake in Khoth’s arms, too. Besides, Khoth’s words were almost soothing. Yet his brain plucked at him.

Jace continued, “If I don’t think about the future then I won’t be prepared for it--”

“There is much between now and then, yes? Much to do. Much to decide. Much will happen,” Khoth asked and his fingers curled around Jace’s right ear.

“Uh, yeah. Like a ton,” Jace admitted. Now he was getting stressed about that! But Khoth kept petting him.