Page 3338

‘‘Twould be quite the hurdle, taking care of it while intangible,’ Kalikos went on, ‘but perhaps that would make it all the more worthwhile.’

Loren exchanged glances with Rezolo. They’d already discussed the other reaper’s peculiarity at length. According to Rezolo, Kalikos wasn’t like this the last time they’d spoken, some thirty years ago.

Which was worrying information. It would’ve been more comforting to know that Kalikos had always just been some kind of kook. Thinking about how or why he might’ve changed... well, Loren didn’t like where his imagination wanted to go.

Rezolo, bless him, decided to take another crack at a conversation. ‘Kalikos,’ he said, which didn’t even manage to draw the other reaper’s gaze toward him. ‘Do you know why Caster is so interested in visiting these strongholds?’

Loren resisted the urge to shake his head. That was a question they’d both asked before, but from Rezolo’s intonation, it sounded like it was being asked for the first time. Perhaps Rezolo expected Kalikos to have no recollection of it ever having come up before and was therefore trying to be more gentle or subtle in his approach, despite any frustration that he might be feeling.

If so, then Loren could certainly relate.

Kalikos, however, appeared not to even hear him.

Loren had never seen a reaper in such a state. He had to wonder if it might be some kind of act. Reapers did have a tendency to be deceitful, sometimes for no other reason than to amuse themselves.

If it was an act, though, then it was a damn convincing one.

Rezolo gave a silent sigh, wrapped in the echo of privacy.

Loren was still debating whether he wanted to ask Caster directly about Kalikos’ apparent condition. It seemed quite a rude and awkward subject to bring up, and while he liked Caster more than just about any other boss he’d ever had in Abolish, that didn’t stop the man from still being rather terrifying, in his own way. They hadn’t been working together long enough for Loren to really know how Caster would react to such questions. Even if Caster didn’t fly off the handle and attack him, it could still cause other types of problems in their relationship.

Yeah. Better to just keep his head down and his mouth shut, for now. That was what Rezolo usually told him to do, anyway.

‘Won’t be here for much longer,’ said Kalikos. ‘Best to take it all in while you still can.’