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??. ??? ?????? ?? ??? ????????? ????? ?????? ??? ?????. ??????? ???? ??? ???? ???? ??? ?? ?? ????"?, ??? ??? ?? ??? ????"? ???? ???? ??????, ?? ? ????? ??????, ????, ??? ????? ??? ? ??????. ?"?? ????? ???? ?? ????.

Jules swallowed hard.

???? ?? ??? ?? ????, ? ??? ??????????? ?? ??? ??????. ?????? ????, ????-??? ??????, ????? ????? ??? ????? ??????. ??????????. ? ???? ??. ??? ??????????? ??? ?? ???? ???? ?? ??? ????. ??? ?????? ??????? ?????? ?? ??? ????????? ??????, ??? ??????? ????? ???? ??????? ??? ?????????? ??????? ??? ???? ?? ?? ???. ?? ????????? ??, ?????. ?"? ????????? ???? ????????? ??? ???????. ????? ??? ???? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ??? ??????? ?? ??????? ???????, ??? ?? ?? ???????, ???? ??? ?????? ?????????.

???? ???? ?? ?? ? ???? ???? ???? ?????? ???????, ??? ???????? ?? ????????? ? ?????? ?????? ?? ??. ?????? ???? ??????????? ?? ?? ? ??????"? ????, ??? ?? ???? ?? ? ???? ???????? ?? ????? ?????. ???? ????? ?? ???? ?? ?? ??? ??? ?????, ????? ?"? ????? ???. ?? ??? ?? ????. ?? ???? ?? ????? ?????? ???, ??? ????????? ??????? ? ??? ??? ???. ?"? ??? ??????? ???? ? ????? ????. ?? ??? ??? ?? ??? ??? ????? ?? ??? ???? ? ??? ???? ???? ?? ??? ?? ?????? ??? ??. ??????"? ??????? ??????? ? ???? ?? ?? ???? ? ????"? ???? ? ??????.

Jules stopped to cry. He couldn"t help it. It was a burst of grat.i.tude and sympathy more than sorrow, so he was able to continue after only a few minutes.

???? ?? ??? ?? ??? ?????, ? ??? ??????. ??"? ?? ???, ?????. ???? ?? ??????. ????"?? ??? ?????, ??? ??? ???? ???? ????? ???? ?????? ??? ?? ??????? ????"?? ?????? ?? ??????? ?????????. ???????? ??? ? ???, ??? ??? ??????, ??? ???? ???? ??????? ?? ????? ???? ????????, ? ????? ?? ?????????, ??? ??????? ?? ???? ???? ????? ?????.

?"?? ??? ????? ???????, ???????? ??????, ?????? ???????, ????????? ??? ???????, ?????? ??? ????? ?????????? ???????? ???? ??? ?? ???? ?? ??? ????? ?????? ?? ??? ?????? ??????????. ????? ??? ?????? ??????????. ?? ???? ?????? ??? ????????. ?????? ??? ???????? ??? ??????? ?????.

???? ????? ?????? ??? ???. ?? ???????? ??? ???. ?? ??? ?? ???. ??"? ??? ???? ????"? ?????, ????? ?? ??? ???? ?????? ?? ?? ?????? ??? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ???? ???????? ?? ?? ? ???? ????? ?? ???. ???? ??? ?????? ??? ?? ?? ????? ??? ?????, ??? ????? ? ??? ? ???? ???? ????. ???? ?????? ??, ???? ?? ??? ???? ? ???? ?? ????. ???? ???? ??? ?? ??????? ???? ?? ????? ????, ???????? ???, ??? ? ???? ?????? ????? ????? ???? ????? ????? ???? ?? ?????????.

?????, ?"? ?? ?????. ???? ?????"? ??????? ????? ?? ?? ?? ? ???? ???? ????. ???? ???? ??. ?"? ??????? ??? ???? ????????? ???? ??? ?? ??????. ? ??? ???????? ? ????. ? ????? ?? ?????? ???, ????????? ??????? ???? ??? ??????. ? ???? ???? ???? ????? ??? ?? ???? ?? ??????? ??. ?"?? ????? ???? ?? ???? ?? ?? ????.

Jules lowered the letter to just sob. He cried and cried, and clutched the paper to his chest, falling down upon the bed he and Hal shared. It was the best pain he"d ever felt. He wanted to slay giants and throw himself into a sacrificial pyre to keep the goodness flowing into Keita.

Jules lay there a good hour before Hal came in. Hal took one look at his heated face and dried tear trails, and dumped the books he held to swoop in and collect Jules in his arms. "Jules, Jules!"

"Hal..." Jules pushed the papers toward him.

Hal did take the letter. He sat and read to the end. After, he put the papers down and leaned to kiss Jules"s brow. "You see why I didn"t protest now, Jules? I knew what they"d do for the boy."

"I feel so happy for him that I"m crying," Jules said. "That"s never happened to me before, not like this."

"I"m glad that your Joy unburdens you," Hal said. "Your life, Jules, is only going to get better and better, I swear it. Someday, you"ll look back upon these earlier moments and feel you"re viewing a stranger, at least a little. My family and I will fix every bit of the mess that we can, help you build up and fortify the strength you"ve already gained."

Jules knew that was only the truth. Good to hear, though. "You guys are so unbelievably good, Hal," he said. "Why are you so different? Riches usually corrupt."

"A long time ago, when my family line solidified into unity," Hal said, "our patriarch took a vow that all of humanity would find either shelter or correction under the name Novar. That vow is pa.s.sed into each generation. None of us take it lightly."

Hal curled up behind Jules in order to simply hold him, which Jules appreciated. He drifted in the relief that comes from purging a constantly held, fearful tension.

"You invited your father to stay," Hal murmured as he stroked Jules"s forehead. "That was good of you. Perhaps you can have a relationship with him, some day."

"He"s not such a bad guy. I never thought that. He just went crazy." Jules closed his eyes. "I"ve thought about it some. He knew he made a mistake, deep down, by getting rid of me. Stubborn pride kept him from immediately correcting what he did. Then, Mom died, and there he was trying to raise Luke all by himself. That had to scare him. Some people, Hal, just can"t take what other people can."

"You"re so right, Jules," Hal murmured. "And, your sense of mercy humbles me. Lucien told me when we were in the woods that you"d said I knew what mercy was, and for him to ask for it. Because of that, I refrained from venting my spleen on him as much as I wanted to. He"d made me very, very angry, upsetting the family, harming you, and bringing shame to us."

"Well, no getting around it, you really straightened that kid out," Jules said. "Hot d.a.m.n, I was so freaked out that seeing you all dominant hit me in my glands. If Felix hadn"t been right there with me... I don"t know."

Hal chuckled. "It"s good to know I can stimulate you. I"ll add this information to the file I have. I already know that washing your hair for you is good, and that you"re fascinated with my knot."

"Well, I don"t have one," Jules protested, smiling. "I have to settle for yours. You"ve got enough c.o.c.k to divide in half, anyway."

Their smothered little snorts of laughter lightened Jules"s heart. Jules let go of everything but the feel of Hal behind him, holding him, and eventually fell asleep.
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