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The Rewind seems sincere—but Connor knows he’s not the best judge of character. He made a crucial mistake trusting Starkey. Connor won’t make the same mistake again. “You expect me to believe that? Why would you bring down the people who made you?”
“I have my reasons.”
“Are you going to tell him?” Una asks Connor, her patience failing. “Or do you intend to string him along all day?”
“Tell me what?” Cam looks back and forth between them.
Connor thought he’d relish giving him the news, but now it just feels empty. “Sorry to disappoint you, Pork-n-beans . . . but Risa’s not here.”
The despair in the Rewind’s eyes is as soulful as any legitimate human being. Connor wonders if maybe the Blue Fairy paid him a visit after all.
“But . . . but . . . the news said she was traveling with you!”
“Yeah, the news also said I attacked a harvest camp in Nevada. You of all people should know not to trust the media.”
“So, where is she?”
“I don’t know,” Connor tells him, then adds, “But if I did, I wouldn’t tell you.”
The Rewind stands in frustration. “You’re lying!” Connor rises just as the Rewind lunges toward him. Connor levels the gun at his chest, and he stops in midlunge.
“Just give me a reason, Pork-n-beans!”
“Stop calling me that!”
“He’s telling the truth,” says Una. “It’s just him, Lev, and some low-cortical girl. Risa Ward wasn’t with them when they showed up.”
It’s more information than Connor wants him to know, but now he seems to accept the truth. He drops to the ground, putting his head in his hands.
“Sisyphus,” he mumbles. Connor doesn’t even try to figure that one out.
“You realize I can’t let you go. I can’t take the chance that you’ll tell the authorities where we are.”
“I’ll tie him up again,” says Una, advancing toward the Rewind. “No one comes out to this old sweat lodge anymore.”
“No,” Connor decides. “We’re not doing that either. We’ll take him back with us to your place.”
“I don’t want him there!”
“Too bad.” Connor looks at both of them, judging their frame of mind as somewhat stable, and he clicks the safety back on the rifle. “Now, we’re going to leave here and walk to Una’s place like three old friends back from an afternoon of hunting. Are we clear?”
Both Cam and Una agree reluctantly.
Then he turns to the Rewind. “Whether you deserve dignity or not, I’m going to give you some.” And although Connor finds this hard, he says, “Should I call you Camus?”
“Cam,” he says.
“All right, Cam. I’m Connor—but you already know that. I’d say ‘pleased to meet you,’ but I don’t like to lie.”
Cam nods his acceptance. “I appreciate your honesty,” he says. “The feeling is mutual.”
• • •
Pivane is there when they get back to the shop. Connor hears his deep voice upstairs talking to Lev as they enter.
“He can’t know about Cam,” Una says. “The Tashi’nes must never know about Wil’s hands. It will destroy them.”
The way it destroyed you? Connor wants to say, but instead he just says, “Understood.”
