Either could cause a break.
Was that what had happened to theirnemesis? He’d adopted a physical presence and had a psychoticbreak?
She shook that thought, that excuse.People were what they were. They might be influenced by outsidefactors—in truth were—but the basic person remained thesame.
This being wasn’t an animal acting oninstincts and he wasn’t an intelligent being acting inself-preservation. There was no threat to him.
The entity that had attacked themneeded to be destroyed because he recognized no one’s needs ordesires beyond his own.
There was no redemption for such abeing, no saving them, no redeeming qualities to mitigatecircumstances, and it was for damned sure they never wanted it toget lose again.
Chapter Six
Tau was in so much turmoil when heleft their shelter that he would have been easy prey if the enemyhad been laying in wait.
Fortunately, that was not thecase.
Because even when it occurred to himthat he had been dangerously distracted, he had difficulty pullinghis mind from what he had done and, more specifically, what doingit had done to his psyche—his entire body.
Nor could he decide how he felt aboutit.
Regretful that he had not pursuedit?
Yes, he thought he was.
Annoyed that he had not recognized itfor what it was?
Absolutely.
But then his heart had pounded so hardagainst his chest wall that it had alarmed him, especially when hehad discovered he was having difficulty breathing and beginning tofeel lightheaded.
He finally concluded that it had beenenjoyable on the whole even though there were some aspects of itthat had left him under a great deal of distress—mostlyphysically—so that he wondered for a time if the body he’d acquiredwas malfunctioning in a way that might mean death.
He dismissed it when the distressbegan to ease, finally focused upon his surroundings.
When he did, he saw something in thedistance that struck him as ‘familiar’ when he knew very well thatit was not.
Nothing in this world wasfamiliar.
Except Ultima’s face—which he hadstudied until he had memorized every inch of it—mostly while shelay sleeping ... because they were alone then and even she wouldnot know it.
Because he felt … uncomfortable, notabout doing it, but about others knowing he was doingit.
Focusing again after a moment, it cameto him finally why it seemed familiar and then excitement of adifferent nature filled him.
Everyone had gathered up their fewsupplies and was gathered in a rough circle eating the remainder ofthe food Quan had found for them when Tau returned.
He crouched in the circle, took thefood Xi handed to him and ate it, focused inwardly on the puzzlepiece he had collected.
It was a piece, he was certain, justas he was certain that it was only a piece.
When he was finished, everyonerose—except Ultima. He helped her to her feet.
She studied him for a long moment, herexpression … filled with discomfort? Finally she reached for him,grasped his cock and balls, which he discovered he had left hangingout after he had urinated, and tucked them very carefully insidethe opening and tugged the closure shut.
He studied her face, trying to decidehow she felt about it and finally shrugged inwardly. “Thank you,Ultima.”
Ultima looked up at him then, lifted ahand to pat his chest and smiled at him affectionately. “You’rewelcome, Tau. More comfortable now?”
