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.They stuck by theirconvictions, and he had to admire them for it.Mara was opening the van door just as Rocky reached her.He heard a smallsqueak from inside before he moved Mara out of the way and leaned inside.Monte hadcovered Doc protectively with his body.Natiri was pressed back against the far wall.Sareed just looked bored."Monte, this is Mara, Doc's mom," Rocky explained as he pulled Mara over tostand next to him."She's the doctor I told you about.She can fix Doc up but we need toget him inside so she can treat him."Monte stared intently at Mara for several moments then slowly moved out of theway, allowing Rocky to lift Doc out of the van.Rocky was impressed when Sareedjumped out of the front seat and helped him carry Doc into the house.The man didn'tseem that interested in helping anyone but himself, but he'd come through for themseveral times."Bring him in here," Mara said as she led the way into a small exam room shekept set up in her home."Just put him on the table."Rocky and Sareed placed Doc carefully on the table.Rocky turned to find Monteand Natiri hovering in the doorway."Why don't we go into the other room and let Marawork?"Monte shook his head.He walked into the room and hovered next to Doc."Can Ihelp?" he asked.Mara glanced up with a look of surprise.She pointed to a bowl of water and apile of washcloths."Try and wipe as much blood off Petey as you can but stay awayfrom the wound.We don't want it to get infected.""Petey?""She means Doc, Monte."Monte turned, his eyebrow raised nearly to his hairline as he mouthed silently,Petey?Rocky chuckled, amused by the look on Monte's face."She's his mother, Monte.That's what she calls him."Monte nodded and turned his attention back to Doc, carefully wiping the bloodoff his body.Rocky watched for a moment then turned and led Sareed and Natiri downthe hallway.He pointed out the bathroom then led them to a guestroom."You can get some rest in here if you need it.I'll see about getting somethingtogether for us to eat.""When are we going to leave?" Sareed asked."You know they will figure outwe're here sooner or later."Rocky nodded.He knew."Let's see what Mara has to say about Doc's conditionand go from there."Sareed rubbed his hands up and down his arms as he walked over to look outthe window."It's not safe here.""You can leave anytime you want, Sareed," he replied."You're not a prisonerhere.""Aren't I?" Sareed asked."If not here then out there.Wherever I go, I'm aprisoner.""Do you want to return to Unseelie Court?"Sareed snorted."I'd rather be a lab rat."Okay.Interesting.An Unseelie elf that didn't want to go back to the UnseelieCourt."Then what do you want, Sareed? You're an adult.The choice is yours."Sareed glanced over his shoulder, and Rocky caught his breath at the lost look onthe man's face.He'd judged Sareed as someone who knew what he wanted, who had notrouble going after it.But the vulnerability he showed now gave Rocky pause."Can I stay with you?" Sareed asked."Just until I make a decision?""Of course," Rocky replied."You can stay as long as you need to.""And me?"Rocky smiled over at the small, winged man."Yes, Natiri, you can stay too.""I want to go home," Natiri said."I just want to go home.""Where is home for you?" Rocky asked.He turned to address the strange-lookingman directly.He thought he'd seen the weirder side of things when he met Eljin.Hethought it strange to discover elves were real, but Natiri? He took the cake.The manhad wings."My home is in the forest between the two courts." He looked at Sareed for amoment then glanced down at the floor, his face flushing."We don't mix much with theothers from our world.""You mean you choose not to get involved.""We do not involve ourselves in the petty squabbles between elfin cultures, thatis true," Natiri said, each word punctuated carefully, "but we do not fight pettysquabbles as you do, either.My people care more about the good of the community andnot the individual.""Bullshit!" Sareed snapped."Your people care more about keeping to themselvesand holding onto what is theirs rather than trying to help those in need."Rocky could see where this was going.Both men had a different view of life, heassumed based on the cultures in which they were raised.They would never agreeregarding what was right and what was wrong [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]