Page 50 of Guiding Reason
“Obviously,” Senlas said, his pupils dilating, clearly hoping he was going to be asked to “help” Orrey very soon.
“Keep it up, little brother,” Col said and waved at the lot of them.
He wasn’t very surprised when Hyran followed him, not touching but not leaving Col to his own devices either.
“Just me,” the Guardian said in the low light of the hallway.
“I figured.”
“I wanted to make sure you had everything. And were comfortable.”
“Are you going to sleep outside my door if I don’t let you sleep in the room?”
“I, ah. I’ll be fine. You’re hurt. You need to rest and take another pill, I’m afraid. But then you get to rest as much as you want.”
“I think that’s a yes, Hyran.”
The tall Guardian was flustered. The world around him had dulled, but Col still noticed that much.
“You shouldn’t worry about me, Col. In fact, I should be worried. You shouldn’t have been doing any of the work you did today at all. And I should have stopped you.”
They got to the door of the small Conduit room Col had picked. “I think the Op-AI was surprised you didn’t pull me from my team lead position. It remarked upon it.”
“Well, did you want me to do that? I can. Then you wouldn’t have to worry about AIs or replacing them at all. I can take youhome—Argentea, your home, I mean—and we can grow to know each other. You could go back to leading your team after a break. Would you like that?”
Col couldn’t help himself. He broke out into giggles as he touched the door and it slid open in front of them.
“You mean to suggest I spend a year with you until the imprinting settles, maybe make a decision about having children and actually having them during that time like most of the stories go?” He waved Hyran into the room with him since Hyran really didn’t look like he was going to barge in after Col.
“Well, would that be very bad? I didn’t want to bring it up, but one of my mothers demands to have grandchildren. I never thought about children, but she demands them. Hound-crap, I shouldn’t have said that, should I?”
Col stood in the middle of the room as the door slid closed and looked at Hyran. Surrogacy or artificial gestation was quick and reliable, and within just a few months, they could have children if they chose to. Several, before the year was out, to raise as an age group. It was an utterly and profoundly surreal notion, and Col couldn’t help himself. He laughed until tears stung his eyes.
“Oh, fuck, Col, I’m an idiot. I don’t know why I said that,” was what Col heard after the worst of his laughing and crying fit was through, after Hyran had successfully led him over to the bed and sat him down.
“I can’t have children,” Col said and giggled.
Hyran nodded. “Understood. And it’s not like I need them, at all. I mean. All the cleaning. I think you have to keep them pretty clean at all times, but they tend to get dirty quite easily. Seems like a bother to me.”
For some reason, that made Col’s laughter bubble up yet again, but his cheeks could barely take the strain anymore, and he wanted to sleep.
“You’d make beautiful babies. Redheaded and tall. Too pale though. Why are you so pale, Hyran? It’s almost like you’re made of paper.”
“I’m not made of paper at all. You felt me, inside you, Col. I like to run at night, so I don’t get much sun. Here, you take this,” he said, holding out the medication for Col he’d grabbed from somewhere. When Col took it, Hyran sped off to get him a glass of water.
Col’s head felt like it was wrapped in plastic.I really do need rest. Fuck. I shouldn’t rest. We need to make this city go on without an Op-AI in all likelihood, and I don’t know how to do that.
“You can stay, Hyran. I like sharing my bed, and you’re warm.”
“Then I’ll stay,” Hyran said. “I’ll keep you warm.”
The tentative smile around his lips made the Guardian look like a different person, or so Col thought before his meds kicked in.
19
HYRAN
Coldis buffered. It felt wonderful, so good that it woke Hyran a few times in the middle of the night when all around them, the suite was silent. Col slept through it, the buffering something he couldn’t help, like breathing.
