فصل 19

Chapter 19: The Puppet Dictator

Around one in the morning Tara snuck into Quentin’s room. Quentin had been asleep for more than an hour. “Quentin.” She knelt next to his bed and shook him. “Q.” Quentin’s eyes opened. He jumped when he saw the shadow next to him. “It’s just me. Tara.” “Tara,” Quentin said, rubbing his eyes.

“How did it go with Dr. Hatch?” Quentin just stared at her.

“Did it go all right?”

He hesitated a moment more, then asked, “What were we doing when Torstyn told us about Welch?” “What?”

“You heard me. What were we doing?” “We were playing chess. And it was Bryan who told us, not Torstyn.” Quentin breathed out. “It is you.” He rolled away from her. “Now get out of here. I have nothing to say to you.” “Quentin.”

“Leave. Now.”

“Look, I don’t blame you for being mad. But he made me do it. I had no choice.” Quentin rolled back over. “That could have been my death.” “No, I did it for us. If I had refused, he would have known we were involved. That includes you. Did you say anything in, incrim . . .” “Incriminating,” Quentin said. “No. I knew it was Hatch.” Tara looked both relieved and surprised. “How did you know?” “He quoted from The Once and Future King. The day you read a book, let alone quote from it, is the day I eat it.” “So basically my illiteracy saved you,” she said, trying to soften Quentin’s anger.

“Your illiteracy saved us,” Quentin said. “You would have been on the rat chute right next to me.” Tara swallowed. “It’s a good thing he didn’t go to Torstyn. He’s not as smart as you.” “Did you tell Torstyn?”

“Yes. I told him that if anyone, including us, says anything to him about it, he knows nothing.” “Good,” Quentin said. “We need to come up with a sign so that never happens again. A handshake or something.” “Torstyn and I leave in the morning,” Tara said. “We’re flying to the island.” “Yeah, Hatch told me. Did he tell you that he’s making me the king of Tuvalu?” “No. Congratulations, I guess. How does that make you feel?” “Elagabalus was only fifteen when he became Roman emperor, and Ptolemy XIII was only twelve when he became Egypt’s thirteenth pharaoh.” “I’ve never heard of either of them.” “Ptolemy was Cleopatra’s brother.” “I’ve heard of Cleopatra.”

“Unfortunately, things didn’t work out for either of them. Elagabalus was assassinated when he was eighteen. And Ptolemy’s forces were defeated by Caesar, and he drowned in the Nile while trying to escape.” “Then let’s hope you have better luck,” Tara said.

“You know I’m just a puppet dictator,” Quentin said. “Dr. Hatch will still be in charge.” “I know. For now. But someday you will run all of this. And I’ll be there with you.” She leaned forward and they kissed. “I am loyal to you,” she said. “Don’t forget that.” “Thank you. Now you better go back to bed.” Tara stood. “All right.” At the doorway she breathed out slowly. “If something had happened to you, I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself.” Quentin looked at her for a moment, then said, “Come back.” She walked back over and knelt down next to the bed. “Yes?” “I understand that you did what you had to do. I forgive you.” “Thank you.”

He clasped her hand in a peculiar handshake, the middle and index finger out, the other two pointed in, like a gun. “That’s our handshake. That’s how I’ll know it’s really you and vice versa. Can you remember that?” “Yes.”

“Good. Because our lives may depend on it.” She nodded and stood.

“One more thing,” he said.

“Yes?”

“I’m loyal to you, too.”

Tara smiled, then turned and walked out of his room.