out to be anything but who she is. And when all this craziness is done, I’m going to be the one who discovers that disk that proves that a mistake has been made, and Zahra is actually a murdering bitch. Is that understood?”
“Understood,” he said quietly. “It will save lives, Jill.”
“Stop trying to soothe me. I know it’s necessary. We can’t let our trying to keep Varak from starting his slaughter all over again begin a war of its own. But it’s a lie, and I hate it. So go away and do what you have to do. I’ll look at it as one of those dark Grimms’ fairy tales instead of a story that I can be proud of. I’ll block it out and be fine with it in a few days.”
“No, you won’t,” he said. “And I’m not fine about any of this. I don’t want you to send me packing. You scared me to death,” he said hoarsely. “I just want to sit here and make sure you’re not going to fade away.”
“Well, now you’ve had your time to do that,” Eve said brusquely from where she was standing in the doorway. “Now get back to work, Novak. Joe said you know all those diplomats and politicians better than he does, and he needs you to keep them at bay until we get the results back on Varak’s DNA. The situation is getting explosive. Right now, no one is sure that we didn’t perform our very own coup.”
“Maybe we did.” He got to his feet. “My director said that it was only a question of semantics. However, you’ll be comforted to know that Jill and I discussed a way we might avoid a civil war.” He was heading for the door. “But there are a few more things that might be helpful. I think I’ll give Gideon a call.” He looked back at Jill, and said sharply, “Stay in that bed until you see the doctor.”
Before she could answer, he was gone.
“If anyone can stop the tanks from rolling, he can,” Eve said with a grin. “He might just roll back over them.” She came across the room and dropped down in the chair Novak had vacated. “Joe says he’s watched him, and he’s incredible at pulling strings and manipulating situations. Rather like someone else I know.”
Jill flinched. “Mine was a onetime effort. And I’ve tried to make up for it.”
Eve’s smile ebbed. “I’d say throwing yourself in front of a bullet for me might qualify. But it wasn’t only a onetime effort. You pulled the strings that brought Varak to Robaku.”
“And almost got you killed.” She looked at Eve’s bandaged hand. “Varak said he hurt your hand. Are you okay?”
“Just bruised. And don’t be ridiculous. We all knew what the stakes were. We were all ready to pay them.” She leaned forward. “I’m not going to thank you. That goes without saying. I just need to tell you that, in spite of the way we started out, I’ve been thinking of you as my friend for a long time now. I keep my friends, Jill. I have no intention of letting you slip away because you’re still having guilt feelings. So get a grip and realize that we’re in it for the long haul.”
“I’ll try to oblige.” She found her throat tightening with emotion. “Though I’m not sure Joe wouldn’t agree that the guilt is justified.”
“You still have a cracked rib from the bullet you took for me. Joe might just think you walk on water right now.”
Jill chuckled. “That won’t last.”
“You can never tell. Life has been nothing but surprises since I got to Maldara.”
“But you’ll be very glad to leave.”
Eve nodded. “I want to go home.” She paused. “But not quite yet. I’m going to take a quick trip to see Michael and Jane while Joe and Novak settle all the furor that happened at Robaku. Then I’m coming back to finish the reconstructions of those children. It shouldn’t take me more than a few months, and I want to finish what I started.”
“What I started.”
“Whatever. You’re doing it again, Jill. Stop it.” She got to her feet. “Now I’m going to tell your doctor that you’re awake. And then I’m going down the hall to see Dalai. I tried before, but she wasn’t talking to me. She’s kind of shut down. She seems very much alone.”
“As soon as they let me up, I’ll go and see what I can do,” Jill said. Then