Green: The Beginning and the End Read Online Free PDF Page B

that a vial of Thomas Hunter’s blood was taken by you, Dr. Raison, for security.”
    They did not deny it.
    “And these eyes of mine exposed a few other secrets,” he said. “Turns out that Thomas’s blood allowed anyone who used it to wake up in the reality that the Books of History came from. Is it in fact another reality? Or is it our future? Either way, that makes the vial of blood a potent little vessel of a whole lot of fun, don’t you think? Not to mention a path to some pretty powerful books.”
    Billy couldn’t stop the wild grin that twisted his lips. He was sweating, he realized. Profusely. It beaded up on his forehead and ran past his temples. With each passing week he seemed to have more difficulty maintaining control of his nerves. The tics and the sweating were the worst. Thankfully he’d managed to suppress the tics thus far. Wouldn’t do to start jerking about like a short-circuiting robot before asking them to trust him with their deepest secrets.
    He took a deep breath and made an effort to appear reasonable. “Seriously, friends, I know it all. And I’ve come to ask you to bring me in.”
    “In?” Monique asked, one brow raised.
    “Trust me. Use me. I’m all yours.”
    “To what end?”
    “To what end?” It was a fair question, no matter how obvious the answer seemed to him. “Sorry, being through what I’ve been through makes that question sound a bit silly. For the purpose of survival, naturally. To that end. So that we can take this messy, crazy world and make sense of it again.”
    “And just how do you propose to do that?”
    “For starters, as I’m sure you realize, some would consider me a fugitive. Have been for over two years, ever since the Tolerance Act in the fabulous United States of America turned people like me into bigots. Wackos at the least. That doesn’t sit right with all people. The world is primed for more than simple, regional conflicts. Surely you can see that. The very laws that are meant to bring peace and love are gonna bring the big boom, baby.”
    A bit too free with the colloquialism there .
    “And?”
    “And we may have the one thing that could set things right.”
    Both stared without showing any reaction.
    He stood and paced. “I need to connect with my past. And with the future. Are you catching my drift here?”
    “Not really, no.”
    “I need the blood.”
    Silence. Dead giveaway.
    Monique cleared her throat. “I don’t think you understand, Mr. Rediger. Even if we knew where this figment of your imagination was, this so-called vial of blood, what exactly do you think you could do with it?”
    “Go into Thomas’s dreams! To the place all this began. Please, don’t tell me you haven’t tried it.”
    No admission. No denial.
    “You have no idea how much work it took to uncover these dark secrets of yours. Only a handful of people know what actually happened: That Thomas Hunter’s blood was altered when he crossed into the other reality. That it contained unique properties. That when even a single drop of his blood mixes with a person’s while they are dreaming, they, too, can go where he went, which might well be the future. That, my two lovely friends, sounds like a very major trip. You can’t possibly go your entire life knowing about such a thing and not try it at least once. Kinda like sex, right?”
    They still didn’t seem to appreciate the simple honesty he was laying down here.
    “No?” he pressed.
    “Not really, no,” Monique said.
    “You haven’t tried it?”
    “Sex?”
    “The blood!”
    “We haven’t established that this blood you talk about even exists. If it does, perhaps you can tell us where we could find it. The powers you describe sound incredibly valuable.”
    So, they would play it this way. What he would give to dive into their minds right now.
    One way or another, he would have his way with both of their minds.
    “Cute,” he said. “We’re going to pretend, then, is that it?”
    Kara walked back to