The Hand That Mocked Them (Part 2)

Hieronymus glanced around at the change of scenery with mild interest, then settled back down. "Where are we?"

"We're in the last stretch before the darklands."

He sat up, eyes widening. "We--the darklands? So soon?"

"It's not something that can wait."

(@Teddybear lookit that!)

"But...I thought we had farther to travel!"

"Then you must have misjudged the distance."

"I....suppose I did."

"Would you like me to leave you somewhere, perhaps set up room and board for you while I go into the dark lands?"

He shrugged. "I go where you go. You're my new master, after all."

"No, Hieronymus, I'm not. I don't own you. You're free to do as you like. I have every intention of getting you a more, um, discreet body as soon as I have access to the required resources so you can do that more easily, but if you choose to leave and do, whatever it is your want to do, before then please do. I'll stop the cart wherever you ask me to."

"If all that were true you'd have let me stay with my master."

"I won't leave you with a dangerous and abusive man who has left you to die before."

"He hasn't," he insisted.

"I will not have this discussion again. That man would have killed you."

"He wouldn't. He needed me."