The Fires of Spring

Chapter Fourteen

"You're here," he said. And then he bit his lip and raised his eyes in such a show of shyness that Lilith was forced to believe his words were truthful.

"And you think I can keep you safe?" she asked. He had confessed to her, and she now tried to keep her tone kind and - as much as possible - gentle as she spoke.

"You've always kept me safe, Lilly," he said. He was fiddling with his sleeve but stopped and looked directly at her. Her hands, folded before her, were still.

Lilith arched her eyebrow. "What an interesting conception you have of that word," she said to him.

He grinned, white teeth flashing. "You're not denying it, though."

"Is your idea of safety is my keeping your sordid little secrets safe?" she asked. She turned back to the flowers.

"It is. And aren't you supposed to be smart, Lilith?" he challenged. Had he not sounded so cheerful and full of praise, and had Lilith not wanted to provoke him into another dispute, she would have rebuked him for that. As it was, she stayed silent. "Or did you just forget getting tortured instead of giving anything up on me?"

"That's not keeping anyone safe. Besides, I would have given you up had I known what it was they wanted," she said. She let the very tip of her finger brush exceedingly gently over one of the white petals of the nearest arrangement - white roses and lotus flowers, her personal favourite of all the bouquets - and savoured the plant's velvet touch against her skin.

"Excuses, excuses," he said. She turned back and he waved his hand. "You still admit you keep me safe."

Lilith hadn't thought it a good idea to dispute with him any more on the subject.

The second day Lilith passed the inspections of the doctors and insisted - albeit gently - to them that she be allowed to go home. Christopher supported her in this, apparently eager to leave the hospital.

He was less eager about the androids, however, as they glided about husband and wife. They were burdened all with the tokens of her well-wishers, and Lilith was on Christopher's arm for appearance's sake.

"I don't like them here," he said, not daring, however, to take a swat at any of the androids in public or with Lilith by his side.

"You won't have to see them at home, then. I'll give them orders not to trouble you. Even Thomas," she said. "Though that would mean you'd have to dress yourself."

Christopher scowled. "They'd still be in the house. How do I know they won't fucking kidnap us again?"

"It was the mechanic I had in to fix Thomas's neck, I'd assume," said Lilith. Her voice was calm and measured - this was something she had considered at length the past few days. "And since they've been to repairs since then, the problem has been fixed. So long as we have them serviced by those we trust it won't happen again."

Christopher grunted and then, flashing a smile at a handsome nurse as tall, scrub-clad creature went by, seemed to let the subject drop. This was curious behaviour for him, but Lilith did not point that out. Nothing had been ordinary this past little while and now she was eager to restore their lives to what they ought to be.

There were ten reporters clustered on the landing pad between the doors of the hospital and the Farrars' hovercraft. They surged forward, mouths moving with questions. Lilith was momentarily grateful to Christopher for his admittedly stunning press conference a few days ago but then, when she saw his jaw tighten with anger at the sight of the reporters, she was irritated with him.

Lilith and Christopher usually stayed out of the public except when Lilith coordinated carefully-staged encounters or interviews. Neither was hounded by reporters when they did not want it, so now Lilith was so repulsed by the sight of the five journalists, accompanied by their film-droids.