She cared from him, but was well aware that there was no one on this earth who could irritate her more. This thought occured to her when she realized just *how* he had found out that Akkasur was still after her.
"So just *how* did you find that Akkasur was as close as Eshnunna, and just *why* would you be close enough to know what he intended?" she demanded, at length.Methos looked down, sheepishly. A mere boy not yet a thousand, he scarcely knew all there was to know about dealing with creatures like Akkasur.
"Do not bother answering!" she then snapped, holding up a hand as he was about to make some excuse. Then, she softened. "You were thinking of me, weren't you?"
He nodded.
"Don't. You can't fight my battles for ...."
"And you *won't* fight them for yourself!" he fumed. "You brought this on yourself, and you won't let me..." A look crossed his face, and he asked, suddenly,"Why didn't you just take his head?"
Anath-Sin paused. It was a different time, a different place, a different code of justice they knew then.
"It wasn't his head that offended me," she answered, simply.
He couldn't stand anymore of her talk. "You simply did what occured to you--you never think!"
"Lower your voice," she hissed, nodding in the direction of the boy. She would not have him hear a harsh word spoken to her in front of him...he was a child, but strangely protective of her.
"You never think," Methos whispered, and his eyes were more sad than furious, and he placed his hand on her face and brushed back her hair. "You were angry when you ordered it done. You do these things...like adopt this boy, and then you pay the price. And then you wonder why."
It was true, and she knew it, but didn't like it, and responded--
"We all have a price to pay for what we do...maybe not *you*, Methos, who will probably live forever...I hope you do!" she spat. "But don't you see? Now, what you've done...you met with him, spoke with him..."
"I said you were headed to Taurus."
"And then you headed here. To find me. And he would have followed you."
Methos grew pale at the realization.
"At the schools, they call it *galam-hurum*--so smart that it's foolish. Does this not describe what you've done? Methos, perhaps the best way for you to help me, is not to help me at all."
Posted on Aug 18, 1999, 8:08 PM from IP address 207.103.134.84