A Change of Heart

Thursday March 4 to Friday March 5, 1490

"Oh, no," cried Ynez. "I will not have him in the orphanage!" Gathering up her skirts, she swished forth grandly to confront him. Ghallim, however, paused to offer me his arm gallantly and escorted (or rather, supported) me past the ward line.

"Why have you come?" Ynez demanded with no attempt at courtesy.

Thanos spread his arms in a mock-conciliatory gesture. "Why, Ars Temporis but told me that you young ones would...have need of my services. And so I came in case my vision spoke true — as I see that it has." He nodded over Ynez's shoulder at the bloody, mangled body of Vanessa bani Bjornaer, and at the hysterical little boy beside it.

Convinced by neither his words nor his tone, Ynez crossed her arms and set her chin stubbornly. "And you would do this out of the goodness of your heart?" Her tone proclaimed that she wouldn't believe him even if he swore by our Father and all His angels in Heaven that he'd frozen the Tower of the Winds.

Again without using any Foci, Thanos swiftly slowed time so we could negotiate before the hue and cry arose. He smiled benevolently at us. "Of course not," he said. "I would not, nor would you believe me if I claimed to. So let us be frank with one another. In exchange for returning Vanessa bani Bjornaer to life and saving your House, I want something in return."

Ah, here it came.

"Eez eet not reward enough to prevent zis city from descending into political chaos?" Ghallim inquired. "Since you say zat you wish to save Athens?"

An amused smile flickered across Thanos' face. "That is an excellent attempt at manipulation. I commend the effort." Consternation and chagrin chased each other across Ghallim's face. "But alas, no, it is not sufficient reward. For Athens will not descend into chaos — House Criamon alone will fall."

Gathering up my wits like a bandage and focusing on the conversation with a commendable effort of my own, I asked suspiciously, "Why are you still here? You already froze the Temple of the Winds. Haven't you saved Athens already?"

His gaze lingered on the bruises and gashes around my neck. "I'm here to help my family," he said simply.

"Your family? But why are you at the Parthenon?"

"Family matters."

Family matters? Did that mean he had relatives among the Bonisagi? Dear gods, please don't let it be Thoren!

Thanos had already turned back to Ynez. "You know what I want."

We exchanged a quick glance. "Is it the you-know-what?" I hissed, thinking of the loom.

"I think so," she mouthed back. Then she shook her head firmly at Thanos. "You can't have it."

"Why not?" he inquired, as if he were buying onions at the market. "You don't believe in gods anyway."

Beside me, Ghallim had begun a one-sided conversation with Ashton. "I know! We can create extra chaos in ze city! Zen eet will be well worth eet for 'im to 'elp us now."

Thanos ignored him and shrugged offhandedly. "You know I can take it anyway, should I wish."

Ynez and I frowned at each other again. As far as we knew, the loom was protected not only by the layers of wards around the orphanage but by the fires of the Hearth itself. How did Thanos propose to "take" it so easily?

A thought suddenly struck Ynez. "Wait, are we talking about the same thing?" And, to my exasperation, she opened a private mind link with Thanos.