Enchantment (137 page)

Sure
enough,
St
r
y
k
er
appeared
dressed
in
full
leathers,
with
a
huge
sc
o
wl
on
his
face.
“
I don’t
have
ti
m
e
for
y
o
u
and
y
o
u
r
stupidi
t
y
tod
a
y
,
”
he
said
forceful
l
y
,
folding
his
large
ar
m
s across
his
chest.

“Look,
I
apologize, all
right!
Yeah,
I’m
an
ass.
I’ve
got
that
part
figured
out.”

The corners
of
Str
y
ker’s
lips
curled,
but not enough
to be noticed
b
y
m
ost.
“I’m glad
y
o
u’
v
e co
m
e to
y
o
ur sens
e
s.”

H
i
s
i
c
y
blue
e
y
es
bore
into his
friend’s
face.
“I’d
like
y
o
u
to
consider doing
a
favor
for
m
e.” “Co
m
e on,
I
al
m
ost died
for
y
ou
y
e
s
terd
a
y
.
What
m
ore
could
y
o
u wan
t
?
”
he
m
ocked.

Kerrigan
wasn’t
laughing.
“
I
’m
serious,
Str
y
ker.
I’d
like
y
o
u
stay
here
in
my
house
when
I leave.
You
will
need
to
watch
over
Threeo
and
the
babies
until
I
return,
and
I’m
not
exact
l
y
sure h
o
w
long
I’ll
be.”

Str
y
k
e
r
threw
his
ar
m
s
in
the
air
and
stepped
back.
“
N
ot
like
l
y
!
I
don’t
ba
b
y
s
it or
ho
u
sesit!” Kerrigan
walked
to
the
desk
and
opened
the
drawer,
re
m
o
v
ing
the
old
tattered letter. “St
r
y
k
er,
y
ou
know
there
isn’t
a
n
y
b
o
d
y
else
I’d
trust
in
my
house
or
with
Threeo.
You
have

to
do
this.
Besides,
Paddy
and
Todd
are
just
through
the
tunnel.
You
kn
o
w
y
ou
love
M
o
m
’s cooking.”

“I
have
a
life!
This
m
ausole
u
m
isn’t
cool
for
a
bachelor
of
my
caliber,”
he
w
hined.

Kerrigan
w
a
s
dead
serious.
“
Str
y
ker,
I
wouldn’t
ask
y
ou
if
I
didn’t
need
to.
I
thought
y
o
u wanted
m
e to
go
get
Meeka.”

Str
y
k
e
r
frowned.
“
Y
es,
but,
but…”

“No
buts.
A
nd
there’s
one
m
ore
thing.
While
I’m
gone,
y
ou
will
be
the
new
Enforcer.
I
also need
y
ou
to
s
peak
to
those
asshole
Cou
n
selors
and
tell
them
to
back
off,
or
I’ll
kick
their
sorry
s
ouls
one
by
one.
I
want
no
interruptions,
regardless
of
who
exits
or
enters
Enchantment.
I
think this
world
is
about
to
change…and
I’m
sor
r
y
I
have
to
leave
y
o
u with
the
m
ess.”

This
t
i
m
e,
all
expressions
left
St
r
y
k
er’s
face.

“You
do
not
have
a
choice,
Str
y
k
e
r.
It’s
an
order.
N
o
one
but
y
ou
is
qualified
to
be
the Enforcer.
Y
ou’ll
do
a
great
j
o
b,
I
have
no
worries.”

“W
h
y
not
just
hit
m
e
in
the
head
with
a
battle ax
e
?
This is
very
serious.” “It
is
serious,
but
y
o
u can
do
it.”
Kerrigan
nodded
p
o
sitiv
el
y
.

Kerrigan
studied
the
letter
in
his
hand.
“I’m
sure
my
missing
biological
parents
can
tell
m
e h
o
w
to get
to Earth.
A
nd
I
am sorry
I don’t
know
h
o
w
long I’ll
be
gone.”

Str
y
k
e
r
stuck
out
his
hand
toward
Kerrigan.
“Well,
hap
p
y
f
l
y
i
n
g
,
swi
m
ming,
or
w
hatever.
G
o
get her,
bud
d
y
.
”

Chapter
F
orty

T
h
e
lette
r
fr
o
m
h
i
s
p
a
r
e
n
t
s
la
y
ca
r
e
f
u
l
l
y
f
o
l
d
e
d
o
n
t
h
e
d
e
s
k
.

W
h
a
t
wil
l
t
h
e
y
l
oo
k
like
?
D
o
I
l
oo
k
lik
e
t
h
e
m
?
Wi
l
l
t
h
e
y
h
el
p
m
e
?

Re
s
o
l
v
e
d
no
w
,
h
e
e
xh
ale
d
.
T
h
e
r
e
w
a
s
n
’
t
a
n
y
t
i
m
e
f
o
r
d
a
y
d
r
eam
s
.
S
qu
a
r
i
n
g
h
i
s
s
hou
l
d
e
rs
,
h
e
lai
d
h
i
s
h
a
nd
s
p
al
m
-
u
p
a
n
d
cl
o
s
e
d
h
i
s
e
y
e
s
i
n
c
on
ce
n
t
r
ati
on
.

Elect
r
i
c
c
h
a
r
g
e
s
s
izzle
d
fr
o
m
t
h
e
m
i
d
d
l
e
o
f
h
i
s
p
al
m
s
a
n
d
f
o
r
k
e
d
u
p
t
h
r
oug
h
t
h
e
ceili
ng
.
Sw
ea
t
t
r
ic
k
le
d
fr
o
m
h
i
s
t
e
m
p
le
s
.
K
e
rr
i
g
a
n
f
o
r
ce
d
al
l
h
i
s
e
n
e
r
g
y
ou
t
w
a
r
d
li
k
e
a
b
eac
on
,
hop
i
n
g
h
i
s
p
a
r
e
n
t
s
w
ou
l
d
r
ec
ogn
iz
e
h
i
s
call
.
T
h
i
s
h
a
d
t
o
w
o
r
k
.

H
i
s
w
ho
l
e
bod
y
f
el
t
t
r
a
n
s
p
a
r
e
n
t
.
Fr
o
m
a
d
i
s
ta
n
ce
,
i
t
o
cc
u
rr
e
d
t
o
h
i
m
h
e
r
eal
l
y
d
i
dn
’
t
kno
w
w
h
a
t
t
h
i
s
e
x
e
r
ci
s
e
m
i
g
h
t
d
o
t
o
h
i
m
.
I
t
m
i
gh
t
k
il
l
h
i
m
.
T
h
e
t
hough
t
w
a
s
r
e
m
o
te
,
d
etac
h
e
d
,
a
s
i
f
i
t
d
i
dn
’
t
r
eal
l
y
m
a
t
te
r
no
w
,
eit
h
e
r
w
a
y
.

D
i
s
c
o
m
f
o
r
t
bu
il
t
un
ti
l
t
h
e
a
ngu
i
s
h
w
a
s
e
x
c
r
u
ciati
ng
.
M
o
r
e
p
o
w
e
r
c
ou
rs
e
d
t
h
r
oug
h
h
i
s
n
e
r
v
e
s
a
n
d
v
ei
n
s
t
h
a
n
h
e
’
d
e
v
e
r
f
el
t
b
e
f
o
r
e
.
H
i
s
h
ea
d
pound
e
d
li
k
e
i
t
w
a
s
go
i
n
g
t
o
e
xp
l
od
e
.
D
a
r
kn
es
s
s
eeme
d
t
o
ov
e
r
ta
k
e
h
i
m
,
bu
t
t
h
e
s
oun
d
o
f
c
r
y
i
n
g
ca
ugh
t
h
i
s
atte
n
ti
on
.
W
h
e
r
e
w
a
s
i
t
c
o
m
i
n
g
fr
o
m
?
H
i
s
c
u
r
i
o
s
it
y
r
e
f
o
c
u
s
e
d
t
h
e
e
n
e
r
g
y
.

S
t
r
ai
gh
t
i
n
fr
on
t
o
f
h
i
m
,
t
h
e
ai
r
s
ee
m
e
d
t
o
f
o
l
d
i
n
t
o
r
i
pp
le
s
,
w
h
ic
h
s
lo
w
l
y
c
o
ale
s
ce
d
i
n
t
o
t
w
o
p
e
op
l
e
s
ta
nd
i
n
g
b
e
f
o
r
e
h
i
m
.