carry things through to the end?"
It was Demansk's turn to look away. He suspected his own face was pinched.
He heard Jeschonyk sigh. "That's what I thought. The gods save us all."
There was silence, for a time. Then, still without looking at him, Demansk said: "Decide, Ion. You have no more choice in that than I do. We live in a time of decision, whether we like it or not."
He heard Jeschonyk slurping wine. Long enough, apparently, to drain the entire goblet. At least, the sound of it clinking back down on the tile floor had an empty aura about it.
Empty—but, in its own way, firm.
"Oh, I decided last year. I guess I really came up here just to make sure my decision had been the right one. Of course, that's not what I told the Council."
Hearing the old man wheeze as he levered himself back upright, Demansk looked at him again. A bit to his surprise, Jeschonyk was smiling. Almost cheerfully, in fact.
"There's this much, anyway," the senior Triumvir chuckled. "My legs and lungs may not be what they used to be, but my brain isn't rotting.
It was Demansk's turn to look away. He suspected his own face was pinched.
He heard Jeschonyk sigh. "That's what I thought. The gods save us all."
There was silence, for a time. Then, still without looking at him, Demansk said: "Decide, Ion. You have no more choice in that than I do. We live in a time of decision, whether we like it or not."
He heard Jeschonyk slurping wine. Long enough, apparently, to drain the entire goblet. At least, the sound of it clinking back down on the tile floor had an empty aura about it.
Empty—but, in its own way, firm.
"Oh, I decided last year. I guess I really came up here just to make sure my decision had been the right one. Of course, that's not what I told the Council."
Hearing the old man wheeze as he levered himself back upright, Demansk looked at him again. A bit to his surprise, Jeschonyk was smiling. Almost cheerfully, in fact.
"There's this much, anyway," the senior Triumvir chuckled. "My legs and lungs may not be what they used to be, but my brain isn't rotting.