“I did not express myself well. He wants you to respect him as man worthy of a woman such as yourself.” A beat. “And perhaps there is a part of yourself that would give him that chance, even if it meant risking his life in the process.”

“Excuse me?”

Shig’s knowing gaze met hers. “I understand your fears, Talina. You live increasingly alone, ever more separated from the rest of us.”

“Men don’t last long in my life.” She gestured around the room. “Besides, see these people? I’ve dedicated my life to keeping them alive. In the doing of it, I’ve committed acts that I’ll never atone for. I told the guy—and I meant it—that before I’d let Demon turn him into a monster, I’d put a bullet in his head. I know what kind of shit he’s facing. But for a sliver of luck, I came pretty close to disaster myself, if you’ll recall.”

A weary smile bent Shig’s lips. “Then take him out in the bush while he comes to terms. Rork Springs worked for you. Two Falls Gap is another option, as is Wide Ridge Research Station up north.”

“Aren’t you forgetting something? Kalico sets store by the guy. For all the distaste she had for him when he arrived, after that stint in the forest, they definitely have a rapprochement. You think I’m alone? So’s Kalico. And Dek’s her kind of people. He’s a Taglioni who can talk to her about all those fancy places, about people she knew back in Solar System. He comes from her world.”

“You are correct. Kalico values Dek’s company, as he values hers. What you do not yet understand is that the future of their relationship is now set. They will be friends and colleagues and nothing more because Dek has embraced his bohdichittai. But, though in many ways he has become a Siddhartha, you remain his arhat. He made that commitment when he shared blood with Flute. Once a Tao is set, there is no other path that one can walk.”

“I swear to God, Shig, there are times your Hindu crap makes me want to hit myself in the head with a hammer.”

“What I just told you was Buddhist crap.” He considered her thoughtfully. “Talina. I never forget that you have a young soul, but so does Dek. He is unaware that he came here to sell water by the river. Like you, he is a tamas-filled young warrior seeking to leave the karma of his old self behind and discover his true dharma. To do so, he has already surrendered himself to Donovan. And you.”