Part 6: Only fools rush in.
Quatre, quite literally, jumped, spinning around
sending himself tumbling to the ground while screeching "Holy *Fucking* Jesus!",
and ending up in a rather undignified little heap sprawled upon on the ground.
Quatre felt like crying.
/ Here he is DUO!!!! Duo fucking Maxwell!!! /
Oddly, Quatre also felt like some sort of deranged announcer. / /-and here we have Duo
fucking Maxwell. He runs. He hides. // Quatre winced.
Trowa *must* have put something in his tea, either that or he was completely insane, both
a very definite possibility right now.
Dumbly looking up at the boy standing before him, Quatre dazedly attempted to confirm his
hallucination. Now he was convinced. He really needed to have that talk with Trowa.
As Quatre continued to blink, while absently wiping at the wet dirt on his hands it
slowly dawned on him that he wasn't hallucinating. He shook his head trying
to shake the feeling of vertigo that had just swept up behind him and attacked.
There was something wrong with this situation. Something very wrong.
Quatre didn't know what-- quite yet but he was sure that he would be finding out *veeery*
soon.
As time ticked by in it's endless attempt to annoy everyone Quatre's sense decided that it
was done being on vacation, err.... at least for the next few seconds or so. Tears filled
his eyes at the sight of Duo just standing there, a nonchalant smile dancing across full
lips, fingers gently splayed across lean hips, violet eyes wide as if
he'd never seen someone throw them self at the ground before. Now that was
peculiar.
Quatre managed a weak smile.
"Saa, that's no good!" Duo quipped cheerfully, absently brushing chestnut
strands away from his face while plopping down on the bench where the nice little insane
person had been sitting. Typically the last thing Duo expected while inquiring as to the
general wellbeing of strangers was for said stranger to throw himself at the ground while
practically screaming "Holy Fucking Jesus". It made Duo just a little
uneasy. He knew his appearance was a tad bit odd but he didn't think he was that
fucking scary!
Absently Duo crossed his ankles while looking out at the rolling waves appreciatively.
Settling himself more comfortably on the bench. Setting just minutes before, the sun had
left an almost cool blue mist in it's wake and Duo found himself puzzled again.
He had first been completely confused the moment he had left the quiet comfort of his
hotel room. Spotting this mysterious boy on his way down the stairs, Duo hadn't been
able to help but follow whatever was dragging him toward the sea and. . . He had
absolutely no idea what so ever just who the hell this guy was demo. . something in his
posture. It was almost familiar.
Duo narrowed his eyes in thought, regarding the blonde before him while chewing at his
lower lip. Yep. There was most defiantly something very familiar in those
blinking blue eyes. Duo just didn't have the faintest idea as to what the fuck--.
Now that he was getting a closer look Duo was sure that he knew this guy from. . . .
.somewhere but before he could say anything--
"Quatre."
Duo practically jumped himself, he hadn't noticed anyone approaching. Duo turned to take
in the features of the other man and startled. Standing not ten feet behind the bench this
one had slightly longer, dark auburn hair but what caught Duo the most were the eyes.
It wasn't the color but the look behind that clouded green gaze. Like there was someone
home, only unattainable. He to was familiar. Looking into the eyes of both had shown
Duo that they were dangerous men but Duo was unafraid. When he had looked back at
the blue eyed one, he had seen warmth.
The not-exactly-sane-blonde-one had jumped up taking off in the direction of the new
person almost instantaneously. They had barely spoken two words before turning back and
walking off.
Now he sat in cool despair as he watched the two of them walking off back in the direction
of the hotel. He wanted to scream out. To beg them, to know. . . . They were
soo familiar.
Duo closed his eyes, tilting his head down. One solitary teardrop falling upon his
thumb. He must have been imagining things because for a moment-just a moment he had felt
like he was holding onto something solid. That feeling was gone now leaving Duo
alone.
With the sound of water swishing in over the sand coupled with the moon rising and giving
the earth an almost silver glow, Duo was reminded of Jarod. He was utterly alone in this.
Not just alone, but lonely. Duo sucked in a deep breath attempting to calm himself.
There wasn't a soul on the face of this earth that gave a damn about
him. Duo shook his head a little trying to free it from the pain that had started behind
his eyes. By now--Jarod had to be dead. . .
*****
It may have been the sweet smells coupled with the warm
wetness, Trowa's gentle ministrations or a combination of all that brought Wufei from his
dreams.
Trowa grimaced, placing the blood stained rag back into the basin Quatre had set up for
him Rinsing it out again before bringing it back up to the purplish green bruise
marring Wufei's left cheek.
Trowa again cautiously repeated the action, taking care to mind Wufei's small wounds.
It had been such a long night. Slowly, for the last four hours Wufei had been
drifting in and out of consciousness.
Wufei's fever-like state had seemingly passed in the last day and Trowa was hard pressed
to get moving again. Neither he nor Quatre had said more than two words about
finding Duo demo--Trowa shook his head. He knew Quatre wouldn't let it rest.
Quatre had been opposed to leaving Duo in the first place, now that Duo was found again. .
. . Trowa let his mind wander while absently turning on the bed beside Wufei to look at
his beloved.
Gazing down upon the blond haired angel , moonlight gently caressing Quatre's seemingly
innocent features Trowa couldn't help but smile. Shaking his head as he recalled the
circumstances that had brought the two would be Death's Apprentices together. Trowa turned
back to the sick Wufei. Lying helpless among all the pillows and extra blankets that
Quatre had insisted upon. Trowa was caught somewhat off guard, Wufei looked so-- less
menacing.
Trowa sadly sighed as Wufei unconsciously turned his head toward the warmth of the white
washrag. Even within the deepest recesses of slumber Wufei still seemed utterly
alert, aware of what was going on around him. Wufei knew he was safe now. Trowa's brows
drew together in a frown as he watched Wufei's eyes flutter. Over the last few days
it had slowly become more and more clear that Wufei hadn't just been fighting. No, he had
been attacked and he had lost. God only knew what happened.
Trowa scowled upon that thought. Damnit he'd even been shot and not noticed.
Whatever had captured their minds had been powerful, to powerful. With the announcement of
the *new* colonies Trowa had been met with more than simple anxiety. Fear had
plunged deep within his heart. He didn't know how or why but the lost
explorers had to be much more dangerous than everyone thought. God only knew
what those people had been through. . . .and they had to be more than a little pissed at
the fact that they'd simply been left to die. Trowa grimaced at his own
reminder-- that encounter it had given hell a whole new meaning.
Brushing the disturbing thoughts away for now Trowa took note of Wufei's now open eyes.
Trowa's eyes widened briefly not knowing what kind of reception Wufei would give however
upon seeing the fear fade from Wufei's features Trowa decided to take on a less serious
tone, hoping to bring Wufei out of his misery.
"Feeling better?" Trowa's inquiry taking on a somewhat mocking tone.
Wufei tried to sit up but his body just wasn't ready. Attempting to stifle a groan
h\as he fell back to the bed Wufei looked up at his new nurse. Seeing that half
smile coupled with Trowa's earlier condescending tone Wufei decided that he would in fact
rise to the bate. Picking would make him feel better. Anything to get his mind
off of the pain.
Wufei's features darkened for a moment at the memories that were now flooding back with a
vengeance that stung no less.
Watching as Wufei bit down on his raging emotions Trowa decided to add a little more
kinlin to the already building fire. If he could get Wufei pissed enough recovery
would come more easily. No one was ever at their best while feeling sorry for
themselves.
Trowa moved to help Wufei up into a sitting position but paused as he watched a rather
unusual look pass over his friends pale face. "What is it?" He asked.
Wufei squirmed a little more, muscles protesting with each movement but he just had
to be sure. "Where are my clothes?"
*****
Heero scowled down at the disk in his hand while
walking down the hall of his latest hotel, bag slung across his back. / This had
better be worth all the hell I just had to go through *AGAIN* !!!! /
Breaking into the base had been easy. Locating the main terminal, fun even. Decoding
their protection programs, had been simple. Bypassing passwords--a walk in the park.
Obtaining the information needed--
sheer, utter, contemptible, HELL!!!!
It wasn't even that it all had been hard to find!!! No it was all there, right in
front of his face. There had been just too damn much of it. Backup's up the wazoo
and then some. The title "paranoid skitzo" as Wufei liked to so bluntly
put it, came to mind.
All of it being simply organized to the point that Heero could taste bile. It was all he
could do to pick and choose things that looked good. Finally he had simply linked
all the files and then downloaded everything onto a host computer. Then while
scattering the trace Heero had run out of time!
Covering his tracks Heero had had to leave! So he'd gotten the pleasure of breaking
into the now overly- protective-currently-pissed-off-because-they'd-been-breached-base
*again* simply to find the location of his new host.
Heero paused in the lobby overlooking the hotel's parking lot. / and damn it's hot out
there! / He added this latest bit of news to his list of things going wrong.
With a rather resentful sigh Heero pulled back the big glass doors and sauntered off in
the general direction of the truck he had parked somewhere out here in this mess of
tourist vehicles. Teach him to be on the coast during the summer. It was still
early so thankfully he didn't have to deal with any people. Spotting the dark blue
mass of truck Heero headed over, kicking up little clouds of dust on the way.
Heero was becoming annoyed with himself. Since when did he have to come back twice
just to finish a job? It was degrading! He should have taken into account that
the information was like candy. Easily obtained, exquisitely sweet, and tooth
decaying.
Heero shook his head, while pocketing the disc. Slipping on a pair of
sunglasses, and jumping up in to the truck he'd *borrowed* Heero turned the ac on high
while briefly contemplating the idea of keeping this truck. It might come in handy.
With those parting thoughts Heero sped off in the general direction of the highway but
first he needed to grab something to take with him to eat on the way. Once he
got back they would all need to get moving and knowing Trowa there wouldn't be time for
anything. Yeah and HEERO was the one with the stick up his ass!
Granted they had no idea whatsoever as to just where they needed to get moving to! But the
idea of moving could never steer them wrong. It was something they had all
learned a looong time ago. Never stay in one place too long, people start trying to
get themselves involved. You never need people involved. It was a rather nice rule. It
meant that Heero didn't have to socialize that much. A stupid quality Heero never liked in
the first place.
*****
Duo groaned as he was shoved (none too gently)
again! He'd forgotten just how exasperating clubbing could be. No wait.
Duo upset with clubbing. He didn't know why but something just sounded *very* wrong
with that thought. Duo guessed he just wasn't in the mood today. Or
would that be this morning? Either way seeing those two boys yesterday had set
Duo's teeth on edge.
The brief encounter had also granted Duo one big assed headache which only confirmed to
Duo that `he knew those dipshits from somewhere'. And they had to have known him,
recognized him even. That would explain
the blondes violent reaction to him. Ok so maybe violent was going just a tad too
far.
Duo shook his head. He didn't need to think about those two any more right now. All
thinking could do was amount to another grand headache. Duo sighed but then brightened
considerably upon taking note of the bar
not ten feet away.
Music vibrating the floor, lights going everywhere, Duo with liquor. Duo sighed contently,
catching a couple eyes in the crowd. He couldn't help but grin. Maybe things
would go well after all. Downing the contents of his glass Duo began to walk back to
the floor. After making a little more than eye contact with one of the male strippers Duo
came to the conclusion that this night could go *very* well.
Hell it might even be informative!!! Duo looked around slyly not that information
was what he was here for anyway. Duo smirked lifting his chin up a little. It was
all he could do not to burst out into giggles. Well at least he was entertained. . .
*****
Wufei groaned while turning onto his side causing the
blankets to slip down some exposing his back to the cool of the hotel room and granting a
smartassed remark from Quatre. He didn't care, Quatre and Trowa were still
picking at him. They needed to be ignored.
After about five minutes of Wufei's silence and a few moans coming from the bed behind him
Wufei got the hint and spoke up. Disregarding the noise coming from no less than two feet
away Wufei bit his lip. He knew he didn't want to know the answer.
"Well?" "You never answered my question."
"Maybe that's because you never asked the *right* question." Quatre teased.
"All right you little shit! Where the fuck are my clothes?!"
Quatre smiled, that would be Wufei!! Callously blunt and to the point, Wufei wasn't
hurt *that* bad. He couldn't be if he was feeling well enough to call Quatre his favorite
nickname. / Little shit. / Quatre shook his head, and he was taller than Wufei.
"Well it's good to see you're feeling better. . ." Trowa remarked from his spot
on the bed beside Quatre.
"KI. SA. MA!!!!!."
Quater giggled at that while getting up to finally take pity on the poor Wufei.
Quatre had waken up upon Wufei's calling Trowa a bastard and then two of them had begun
pestering him about his lack of clothing, never really giving him a straight answer.
Of course Quatre had been quick to supply Wufei with some very vivid, albeit to
detailed for Wufei's taste *reasons.*
Wufei was finding it rather difficult to breath while on his side, that and the burning
pain that was defiantly radiating from his rib cage. / Shit! Broken ribs. / Just what
Wufei wanted to deal with. With another groan Wufei rolled onto his back leaving his
chest uncovered. Oh fuck he was exhausted!
Wufei again *politely* asked for his clothes. And upon calling Trowa a bastard for the
fourth time Quatre had settled himself on the bed beside Wufei declaring that Trowa was
indeed a bastard but Wufei had better leave Trowa alone and just quite hitting on him
because Trowa was Quatre's bastard and Quatre was in no mood to share.
Wufei just rolled his eyes at that. Enlisting Quatre to pester him for the next ten
minutes suggesting that he and Trowa had ravaged Wufei's virgin body while taping the
whole thing, and then dressing Wufei in drag. (silver lip gloss included)
For Wufei (who was really not amused at this point ) this entire endeavor was really
becoming way too much of a hassle.
*****
Everything was black he couldn't even see stars. It was
freezing-so fucking cold. Duo bit down on a sob. He didn't know where the hell he
was-what the fuck was going on. . . . To say he was scared shitless would be a
complete understatement.
Duo tried to hold back the stinging that he could feel in his unseeing eyes. Tiny
bits and pieces of what was going on were slowly becoming reality. He wasn't some
spy! He didn't have the faintest idea as to what the fuck he was doing, he just
wanted to find Jarod.
They'd beat the ever loving shit out of him! Calling him a spy. They wanted to know who
sent him. Who he was working for. What he wanted. They'd beaten, tortured, raped him
even and when he still couldn't give them the answers they wanted, he just got more.
They wouldn't believe him for an instant saying that they knew who he was. Duo attempted
to shake his head only discovering that he couldn't move. When he'd first waken he'd been
tied to a chair. He didn't know how long now but he'd been drifting in and out of
consciousness each time finding himself somewhere else.
This last time he remembered being hit upside the head. Hard. His whole body felt numb he
was lucky to even know that he was laying down. That they wouldn't believe him made his
stomach heave.
He couldn't help but be flooded with doubt. What if they really did know who he
was... who he had been? In the last two years he'd never seen so much hate, so much rage
veiled beneath such innocence. Who ever he had been-- he couldn't shake the feeling
that he deserved this somehow. Someway. This was penance. Justice.
He was lost and no one had come yet which meant that he was probably left to die.
They'd always known when he was awake. They were freaks, monsters,
probing into his head. Torturing him with brief glimpses of his past.
Every glimpse, every tiny shred that he'd seen, every clouded gaze, it had all been evil.
Who ever he had been-- he deserved to die. Ten times over. His body was un-numbing
now and the pain was becoming to much. He longed for the sleep that would grant him
respite. He longed for Jarod and the only home he knew...
They'd broken him--forced him to pay his debt. He hurt. Maybe now death would come
for him.
Part 7: Pennance
It was early morning. A gentle breeze waning, playing
with the curtains of the partly opened hotel window. At two stories up the
room that Heero had picked not only provided ideal get-away but it also showed the ocean.
With the sun rising at the other side of the hotel it had seemingly begun painting
the sea in an almost purplish maze of watercolor.
Quatre grimaced. Absently staring out the window again. He was waiting for some kind of
depreciation from Trowa.
Something.
Anything.
He knew better than to expect one but he was waiting none-the-less.
When silence continued to wane Quatre turned.
"Well fuck! Trowa just what are we supposed to do then?"
"Nothing."
Nothing.
Well what else could Trowa say? "Yes Quatre! Brilliant idea lets drag Duo off
the street, tie him up and shove lots and lots of painful memories down his throat!"
Not quite but Quatre just could not stand the idea of just sitting here twiddling
his thumbs --when he could sense something was wrong. Seriously wrong with the
American ex-pilot--and DO NOTHING.
He had seen it before held deep within that violet gaze-- such a violent storm attacking
that fragile heart. To have all of that bound inside... with no one to turn
to. That feeling of all alone that made Quatres very nerve endings scream.
Quatre had been keeping a covert eye on Duo since the first moment he'd had the amazing
chance to glimpse into that haze of confusion.
There was no one there for Duo. Otherwise why would Duo have curled up into such a
tight ball out there on that bench? Alone. And it was Bullshit.
This morning when Wufei had finally broken past the fever, waking for a few hours
and demanding that his clothes be returned-- Quatre had left the room in search of
more towels taking the opportunity to look out into the parking lot for that jeep he'd
seen Duo take off in.
It wasn't there. Duo hadn't come back last night. Finally after hours of pacing back and
forth from the hall window to the room-- he'd decided to inform Trowa only to get no
response. Not even Wufei would help him with this one saying that the American was
not their responsibility anymore and that Quatre would be a fool to attempt dragging Duo
into this shithole of a mess they'd been thrown in.
At Quatre's scowl Trowa tried to offer some sort of explanation. "Heero will be back
soon and we need to be able to leave at a moments notice. . . I can not take Wufei
by myself."
"Bullshit." Quatre replied turning his back to Trowa again. Placing himself so
as to stare menacingly out at the color filled haze of ocean again.
Trowa sat across the room. A small dinette table had been provided. He was sitting
there also scowling. Giving his halfway full rum glass such a smoldering look that Trowa
was almost surprised that the whole thing didn't just burst into flames.
He'd be damned before he let Duo into this life. Hell, they were already fucked
three ways to Sunday! And, of course, Quatre just wouldn't use his head.
With Quatre it was always the heart. It didn't matter how many times the lil
shit got himself hurt.
Constantly throwing himself in with such reckless abandon-- Trowa couldn't help but
chuckle at this, drawing another rather discussed scowl from the blond at the window.
It was already seven thirty in the morning and Wufei was still asleep. Thank god at least
someone was getting sleep. Wufei'd woken up just enough this morning to tell Quatre that
Duo didn't need a keeper before falling quickly back into oblivion.
As it was Trowa had been woken up this morning by Quatre's restlessness. He'd
noticed the blond taking such an interest in Duo that this argument had been damned to
happen.
He'd noted Quatre's constant excuses to leave the room. The way Quatre would draw his
brows together in frustrated confusion at what Duo was doing. The way it hurt
Quatre that he couldn't just go ask.
It had been difficult for Quatre to understand two years ago-- it was even more
difficult now.
No matter how many times Trowa attempted to convince himself that the American was no
longer their concern, his heart kept telling him otherwise. He too felt as if
something were wrong but he would be damned!
Why did life have to be so fucking complicated? And Quatre so damned stubborn?
Trowa leaned back in his wooden chair, crossing his arms and scowling deeper. He couldn't
help but feel that some twisted, thoughly deranged, part of himself was laughing it's ass
off right now.
Not far across the room Quatre had been feeling much the same.
Being able to stand this frustrated silence no longer Quatre stormed from the room leaving
behind a thoughly confused Trowa and a chuckling Wufei.
At Trowa's large eyed, open mouthed gaze, Wufei had found it in him to stop laughing just
long enough to shake his head at Trowa.
"Let it be Trowa. We're all stressed."
"Damn him!" Trowa punctuated his frustration by slamming his fist down onto the
table. "And who the hell said you could move?!"
*****
It was an endless sea of chaotic emotion. The summit--
infinity and back again.
The very fabric of life raging through his veins.
Painful blows stealing what little air came to his lips.
It was blood.
Was power.
He was gagging, drowning in air.
Choking to the point of oblivion. . . but he didn't care.
It was the sweet justice of pain filled slices of memory biting into flesh.
Ripping and tearing, ravaging his mind, his soul, his body-- it was what he deserved.
Torment had never been so exquisite.
So deserved in it's rage, it's hate, it's love. . .
Emotion was there. Pouring through him. Licking at the fires of his broken
mind.
Bits and pieces of memory were flooding his mind. . . .To begin with they had brought him
down to his knees screaming. His throat was raw with the effort, no longer even producing
whimpers as he watched. Blood, ashes, the smell of death. It was all around him.
They had all died. All burned because of him. The smiling innocent faces that
retained beauty even in death. The gentle hands that had cared for him-- covered in blood.
. . . All because of him. His inability to love, to give even the slightest damn.
His hands covered in the blood countless. His semen mixed with the blood of
innocence.
He was hell for so many.
He emanated pure evil.
The son of satin.
He was death. . . .
*****
Leaning back, enlisting a tiny moan from an old wooden
chair, Sahera smiled. It wasn't a kind smile, not one filled with love and laughter.
No. But a smile filled with hate.
A raging tempest of hate that had consumed the passion, the very innocence of a young
girl. Now, that passion had turned into a blood filled rage. Consuming
everything within it's path. The innocence into perversion. The girl, into a mere
shadow of a woman. All within such a short time span. Then again
not less than six years ago she had been the embodiment of innocence. An
Angel.
Hoping to bring peace, innocence back to these humans. They were after all the
ancestors of the Angels. Having been hidden away for so many years the humans
had forgotten about their ever existing. According to the elders records things would have
been covered by these deciet filled humans long ago.
However Sahera's generation had felt different. Hoping to bring tranquility to these
humans as the prophet had ordained. The prophet had been a damned fool.
They were all fools! Sahera had had the privilege of learning her lesson long ago.
Seven years to be exact. When they'd first made contact. Those Oz patrols had
taken in the Angel's Peace Delegate with open arms. Promises of wonder dripping from their
bloodied lips. Lips that would pillage, violating until their was nothing left.
Only despair and hopes of vengeance had gotten her this far.
Although Sahera would have liked to have believed herself the most opportune canadate for
the job-- She hadn't even seen it coming. She should have known not to trust such
vile creatures as humans. The elders had made it perfectly clear that the humans
were the embodiment of evil itself.
They were the ones left behind. The ones that never evolved into something more.
She'd never even had a chance to speak of these things with the humans.
The moment those men had gotten her alone....
Sahera grimaced, shuddering at those memories. Her first lesson of humanity and it's
ways.
Sahera's grimace turned into a smile as she eyed her quarry laying helpless in the bed
next to her chair. He was a pretty little thing.
Albeit a little thin but that was only to be expected. Although he has stopped
screaming a few hours ago Sahera could still hear a tiny whimper here and their.
Certain that *now* she had broken him Sahera began to lovingly stroke the spider silk of
chestnut that gracefully cascaded down the mans back. How she could have once been
afraid of him. How she had been afraid.
By the time she was finished he would be begging to do what ever she asked-- Even killing
those of whom he didn't even know he loved.
That would bring her even greater satisfaction. He wouldn't even know until it was
to late!
She'd seen enough into his mind. Those other four Gundam pilots had been all he ever
cared for, the rest were dead by his hand. . . strange that she hadn't had to plant *that*
into his head, that he already believed those deaths to be on his hands. That this human
could feel anything honest like remorse.
That was *if* she ever allowed him to probe his own mind. He would suffer for
what he had done to her. She couldn't care less about what he'd done to those
disgusting humans. Her smile darkened, ebony eyes growing narrower.
But now he belonged to her. He would believe the truth as she showed it to
him. He would become aware of the pain he had so lovingly inflicted upon the innocent,
and now he would feel that same pain.
"The truth can hurt like such a son of a bitch."
"Can it not?"
"Duo?"
The last -- whispered into his ear. Spoken with a lovers caress. Sahera would treat him
tenderly. With such gentleness that it could only hurt that much more when she let
him fall. And fall he would... When she was through with his mind. His
heart, his very soul all of him had to be destroyed. Just as he had helped to
destroy her.
At first he had made her want it. To be abused. Punished. To feel the sensual sting
of blood spilled.
She had watched it pool upon her wrists before vengeance had been vowed. Soon enough
he would know the damage he'd caused. The evil he'd created. He would
know his spawn. And he would watch it destroyed.
Fitting that he should take part in the destruction of something he'd created.
Created with her blood. Instead of draining her of life he'd given her life
back. Why had he taken pity upon such a wretched thing? If not to let
*her* live with it. The despair the agony. . .
It hadn't exactly been easy finding him. This Duo Maxwell. But she'd known
that they had had him. They'd probed him looking for her. Luckily the mind link had
sustained even after such a long time. The psych was strong with him. But he
was weak in dealing with it. . . . That had enabled her to prevent them from knowing.
Their link to her proved to them that she was still alive. The only way she could
break it would be death. A death that she would gladly take if she didn't have two
little hell spawn to protect. But she had to protect them. If only for
their destruction. They would die. Then her own death would be most
welcome. . . .
* * *