[RuthFL]

good reason, and that the reason would be made plain to him in the proper time. Until that moment, however, he could enjoy the extreme luxury of being comfortably alone in his protégé‘s company for the first time in years. Jarod was unique, inasmuch as Sydney knew he didn’t need to Pretend or put up any façades. Jarod knew Sydney as well as Sydney knew himself. It was a comfortable feeling of almost familial closeness; and with Jacob now two years dead and buried, Sydney could appreciate the preciousness of that intimate knowledge. “Sydney?” “Yes?” Jarod turned at looked at his mentor, studying his features as if seeing the real person sitting there for the first time. Sydney had aged since last they had seen each other-maybe not so much physically, but there was a sadness in the eyes that was a little more pronounced every time they met. “Do you think they’ll ever give up-hunting me, I mean?” Sydney shook his head. “I honestly don’t know, Jarod-but I suspect not. The Pretender Project was the most important and lucrative Centre project for quite a number of years; and most if not all of the influence the Triumvirate now exercises over Centre activities has come about in the years since you left and put the Project on stand-by. It’s entirely possible that the Tower believes recapturing you may be the only way to stave off a complete Triumvirate take-over.” Jarod nodded, hearing truth in the older man’s softly accented words, and sighed. “That’s what I was afraid of.” There was a tone of finality in the younger man’s voice that made a shiver travel up and down