“They expect me to fire you.”

That turned her from the view, and from the albatross. Her tongue felt like a piece of dry meat. “Will you?”

He watched her over his steepled fingers. “What do you think?”

“I love my work. I love my island. But sometimes people need to make sacrifices.” She held out her hands, wrists together, offering them to be bound. She tried to smile. Her hands only shook a little. “Go ahead. Throw me into the volcano.”

He laughed, once. “That’d convince the mainlanders of something. Not, I think, that we’re a reliable investment venue. You’re a great priest, Kai. Maybe a half-dozen people in the Order could have done what you did and come out alive. I respect you, I like you, and I can’t keep you.” He unlaced his fingers, stood, spun the chair around, and gripped the back cushion hard enough to dimple the leather.

“Because of Kevarian.”

“In part.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that even without Seven Alpha we would have had this conversation sooner or later.” Before, she hadn’t realized how dim he kept his office in daytime: no ghostlights, only the sun filtering through the window. “This isn’t the first time you’ve run big risks. During the Kos situation two years ago, you stayed in the pool until the whites of your eyes stained black.”

“That was a crisis.”

“This spring solstice you danced for three gods at once. Almost burned yourself to a cinder. On the cross-quarter you negotiated a loan with the Iskari pantheon, solo. The squid gods just about took over your mind.”

“We lose every exchange we make with the Iskari because we’re too hands-off. Everybody knows it. That costs us clients.”

“You’re the last down off the mountain every night. You should have been home hours before Seven Alpha died. Even Gavin worries about you, and I don’t think he’s seen sunlight since he took holy orders. Do you see a psychologist? Any kind of head-shrinker?”

“You know I don’t.”

“When was the last time you went out?”

“Out?”

“For fun. To a bar. A play. Surfing. Whatever.”

“I go to the gym every day. Went, I guess, before…” She indicated her healing body with a dismissive wave.

“With people, I mean.”

“There are people in the gym.”

“Kai.”

“It’s been a while.”

“I spoke to your mother, when you were injured. She hadn’t seen or heard from you in months. The island isn’t so big you can hide like that without meaning to.”

“Say what you want to say.”