Chapter 14: With More Time

Miss Jekyll asks intently. "Who will we be sending to do this ... scouting?" Her hard gaze lingers on Napoleon for moment.

Unsure of the direction this talk was taking, Melville waves his hand in the air bushing the question aside. "We will answer that question when we get to it." he says impatiently.

"I will have the protectors draw lots." Napoleon adds in a put upon tone to her. "will that be to your satisfaction?"

"I think you need people who are sneaky" Orion buts in, he is a big beefy man with a shock of black hair sticking up on his head. I wonder if he was not a protector at some point in his life. He seems to have a better grasp of strategy then most of this group. He does not rely only on Napoleon's suggestion only, or take them at face value. I will have to make it a point to ask Nim about him later.

From there the meeting easily progresses toward the end I had hoped for. A small group to scout the territory. The use of the Hummer. And they would be back in time for Yule. That is if nothing goes wrong.

"Point." Nimrod raises his hand to get Melville's attention. "I think a healer should be appointed to this group like the others. So far it has been the healer's grasp of compassion that has helped in the last two outing."

Many of the council heads nod in agreement.

Orion smirks and rubs his prickly hair with the palm of his hand. Yet he says nothing.

"so noted." Melville says and looks around the table for any objections. Seeing none He asks Nimrod. "Who would you send?"

Nimrod, gives Melville a thoughtful look ans says "I am not sure, so far the only two who have experience in this have only been home for a few days at best. And I would be loath to send them out so soon." I find myself standing a little straighter as Nimrod gives Saul and me the most romantic love struck look I have ever seen.

I hold back a blink of surprise, What is he doing now?

I reach forward to gently brush his shoulder with my real hand as I touch the base of his neck, Nimrod gives me a reassuring pat. The feelings I get from him are that he is dead calm and he knows what he is doing. This time, I have to blink in surprise. He is playing Napoleon. Can he do that?

I glance at Saul and see that he has a grim line across his mouth but his hands are relaxed.

"We can not afford to have anything go wrong. Nim." Melville warns him.

"It will have to be one of your two..." Napoleon gropes for the right word. Love seems to be stuck in his throat. With a wave of his hand at us he stops groping for the right word. he looks straight at me. With my hand still on Nimrod's shoulder and his hand wrapped around mine. Napoleon gives us a tight calculating smile. "Chronos is the only real choice, is she not?" he asks the council.

Saul hisses in outrage. Nimrod grips my hand tighter and pulls me closer. "Chronos, but she just got home." He manages to get off a credible whiny tone.

"Really, Nim, you can not keep her from doing her so called job just because she bends over when you say. " Napoleon sneer's at us.