The House of the Earth Part 2 (1/8): Dew on the Grass
Title: Chapter One: Dew on the Grass
Pairing/Characters: Kal-El, Bruce Wayne, Kara Zor-El, Alfred Pennyworth
Notes: " The House of the Earth" is an AU in which a few thousand Kryptonians escaped the destruction of Krypton to flee to Earth and enslave its people.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2600
Summary: After the rebellion meeting, Clark and Bruce attempt to negotiate their new and ambiguous relationship.
The very first mourning doves were starting to coo at the graying horizon as three figures made their way through the El compound: Kara Zor-El, her cousin Kal-El, and the human slave Bruce Wayne. They made their way from the archives toward Kal's quarters, Bruce falling in behind the other two as they floated. Around them, the household was beginning to stir to life. Kal could hear sleepy voices beginning to prepare for the day, the sounds of cooking and cleaning.
At the door to Kal's rooms, Kara stopped. She met her cousin's eyes for a brief moment before turning to Bruce and taking his chin in her hand, tilting his face toward her. "You be good to my cousin, Brucie," she said cheerfully, her voice that of the public Kara. "Treat him every bit as nicely as you treated me." She rummaged in a pocket and came up with five small spheres like silvery pearls; smiling, she pressed them into Bruce's hand. "A little token of my affection for my sweet pet. A memento of our nights together."
Still smiling, she turned to Kal, but the smile fell away at the look on his face.
"How can you bear it?" Kal whispered, appalled.
For an instant, Kara's wide blue eyes glinted steel. "We all do what we must, cousin," she said almost coldly. Then her face softened, and she leaned forward and placed an affectionate hand along his face. "Kal, dear Kal," she said. "I've missed you so. And I'm so happy--" She choked for a second and started again, "--so happy to finally have you in the House where you belong." She leaned in and kissed his cheek lightly, then was gone.
Kal stepped into his quarters, Bruce's footsteps following after. As the door swung shut behind them he said "Bruce--" But Bruce was laying a finger across his lips, his eyes sharp. As Kal stared, he took the five spheres and walked to the bedroom to place one carefully in each corner of the room. Then he held the last one between two fingers in front of him in the middle of the room and tapped it in a careful, deliberate pattern, and all five rose into the air simultaneously, the center one rising all the way to the ceiling. A low hum filled the room.
Bruce turned back to Kal. "Sound dampers," he said. "It's a fairly effective block to even Kryptonian hearing."
Kal peered at one of the spheres. "I didn't know humans had access to technology of that level."
Bruce curled up in a large circular chair, his long legs tucked under him. "Humans have access to a lot of things you don't know about."
"Well, I want to. I want to know everything you'll tell me."
Bruce waved one hand in the air between them. "Ask."
"What was that green stuff on Selina's whip?"
"Kryptonite." Bruce grimaced. "When Krypton exploded, there was a chain reaction that rendered many of the fragments of your home world radioactive, harmful to your kind. Enough of it can kill you."
Kal brought his feet down to the floor and took a couple of cautious steps before toppling onto the bed. "Only humans know about it?"
"We believe the most high-ranking Kryptonians know about it, but they haven't told most of you."
"How much do you have?"
Bruce looked pained. "I...don't know. The cells I work closely with have gotten their hands on a fair amount. It's being kept in...a safe place. Only a few people are allowed to know how much we have in case we're captured and questioned." He brought a fist down on his thigh absent-mindedly. "The more radical cells have a fair amount as well. Damn him. He'll ruin everything with his--"
"Wait, how are you getting it?"
A fierce flash of grin. "The Green Lanterns are forbidden from interference. Active interference. But there are three humans who somehow were chosen for Green Lantern rings, and they figure they were chosen for a reason beyond what the Guardians understand. They've been quietly, carefully supplying us with Kryptonite and other 'non-active' aid. They're playing a risky game, but they seem to think it's worth it."
"The man tonight, at the meeting. He was one of them?"
"Sentinel? No. He has a power ring, but it's not exactly a Green Lantern ring. It...kind of is, but it's magic, and...." He broke off and shook his head. "It's a long story."
Kal felt a wry smile tug the corner of his mouth as he stood up gingerly and held on to the bedpost, just working on standing. "I like long stories."
"Well, we have plenty of time for them. We can't leave the El grounds until Kara gets her hands on a new set of documents to replace the ones you incinerated."
Kal knew he should feel bad about that, but somehow he couldn't quite manage it. He opened his mouth to ask another of the questions crowding his mind, but stopped when Bruce stretched and yawned hugely. "Sorry," said Bruce, looking a bit sheepish. "Long day."
"We should catch a little sleep," Kal said without thinking.
There was an awkward silence as they both eyed the single bed.
"I'll sleep on the couch," Kal said hastily. "It's comfortable."
Bruce's eyes were cautious again. "It's not my place to take your bed, Master."
"Don't call me that," Kal snapped, and Bruce's face went stiff and blank.
"As you command...Kal."
There was a long, pained silence between them which cut into Kal and twisted. "Does it...does it have to be like this?" he heard himself saying. "Does it have to be so hard?" Bruce just looked at him. "I don't own you, not really. The papers are forgeries. You chose to be here. Can't we--can't we--"
Bruce's mouth was a stubborn line. "Kal. If you decided to kill me right now, you could, with no repercussions. That the papers are forged doesn't change the fact that there would be no punishment for you in doing what you wanted to me. You could drag me out into the garden and eviscerate me slowly and all that would happen to you is your aunt might complain that you put her off her breakfast." He touched the collar around his neck gently. "In any real sense, you own me. My life is in your hands. It's not a fact that's possible to ignore."
The despair twisted below Kal's ribcage, cutting, the pain bringing a strange fatalistic resolve. "Call me whatever you like, then." He stepped away from the door frame, tottering, trying to stand on his own feet. "But when the day comes when you've destroyed this system, the day when I won't even need to destroy those papers because they won't matter anymore--when that day comes, I would like to have had practice in how to interact with you as an equal. As two men, face to face."
Bruce uncurled from the chair and rose to stand in front of Kal. When the Kryptonian wasn't floating, they were almost the same height. "In that case, I'll take the bed tonight...Kal." The corner of his mouth twitched. "But you get it tomorrow night. We'll take turns."
Kal tried not to smile and failed rather spectacularly. "Sounds fair." The glint of Bruce's collar caught his eye and his smile turned abruptly to a frown. "How do you get that collar off?"
A snort. "A human can't. The catch is workable only by Kryptonian-level strength. Simple but effective."
Kal reached out, then stopped. "May I?"
"If you're willing."
The silver was cool under his hands; Bruce's skin was warm where his fingers brushed it. Kal felt the tinest tremble starting in his hands and hastily undid the catch, drawing the smooth shining collar off, revealing pale skin beneath. He felt a sudden urge to throw the bright, poisonous thing across the room. He put it down on the cabinet; it rattled against the mahogany and he realized his hands had begun shaking in earnest. "I'm sorry I didn't take it off right away," he said. "I won't forget again."
"I'd appreciate that," Bruce said.
Kal limped slowly toward the door to the living area and his couch. Bruce's voice behind him halted him. "Remember, on the other side of the door you'll be outside the range of the sound dampeners." Kal looked back at him and Bruce hesitated for a second. "That's why Kara and I shared a bed," he said after a moment. "So we could make plans until we fell asleep."
The words seemed to have extra meanings that Kal couldn't puzzle out at the moment; he was too tired, his brain numb from too many revelations. "I don't think I could do that," he said. Before his treacherous tongue could say anything else, he stepped through the the arch into the living room, past the perimeter of the spheres. Beyond the line, he looked back over his shoulder. Bruce was still standing in the middle of the room, watching him. "Good night," Kal said.
Bruce's mouth moved. Good night, his lips shaped. Then after a moment, they moved again. Kal.
: : :
Kal woke to the sound of someone moving around the living room. It had only been a couple of hours, based on his clock. "Mmrw?" he asked lucidly.
Bruce was laying out a robe across a chair. "I took the liberty of going through your closet, Master, and choosing a possible ensemble for today. A sky-blue under-robe with a navy surplice should bring out your eyes, I believe."
Kal rubbed his eyes and stared at Bruce, whose face was solemn to the point of absurdity. Then he pulled himself off of the couch and floated into the bedroom, glancing to make sure the spheres were still hovering. Bruce followed him. "You enjoy making me uncomfortable," Kal said when Bruce had passed through the arch.
"Maybe just a little." The slight twinkle in Bruce's eye faded. "But it's deadly serious as well. Outside of these quarters--outside of this room--our lives depend on playing those roles. Slip and people become suspicious, and we become useless to the rebellion--and probably dead."
Kal dropped to the ground, ignoring the aches and needles in his muscles. He hobbled a few steps. "I suppose we should go to breakfast." He pulled his robes over his head, trying to keep his balance. It was very hard to let gravity hold you down just enough without collapsing.
"We could eat here. After all, people will expect that you'll be busy playing with your new companion for a few days at least."
Kal looked away from Bruce hastily, trying not to think about what people were assuming the two of them were doing. "That would be nice--eating here, I mean."
"If you'll call down to the kitchens, I'll go and fetch us something. It will give me a chance to see Alfred again."
Kal watched Bruce's face, marveling at how young and eager he looked when thinking of Alfred. "Have you had any chance to really speak to him?"
Bruce shook his head. "No. That time in the gardens was the first--Kara was kind enough to arrange it so he didn't run into me in front of many people. Then when shelling peas with you. That's it. So...a chance to just see him, even for a few moments, would be very welcome."
Kal stood. "I'll do more than that." He grabbed a pager and dialed the kitchen. "Could you have Alfred send up breakfast to my quarters, please? And tell him to be ready to stay through the meal." He hung up the phone to see Bruce frowning thunderously. "What?"
"You're too polite. 'Could you'? 'Please'? You'd damn well better act like you're aware that you're a member of a superior race. Kryptonians don't make requests, they bark orders." Kal grimaced, and Bruce pointed at him angrily. "Your uncle is keeping an eye on you for seditious tendencies already, you can be sure of that. If you start being publicly polite to slaves, you're going to get both of us in a lot of trouble."
"Surely I can relax in front of Alfred."
Bruce's frown did not abate. "I'm afraid not. I can't tell him about you--I mean, not that you're working with the humans. He's in a vulnerable position and I don't want to put him at risk--or you at further risk, for that matter. It's safer if he doesn't know." He looked at Kal's face. "If it makes you feel better, I'll tell him you're a kind Master."
Kal felt his hands clench. "I don't want to be a 'kind Master.'"
Bruce's face was stony. "We all make sacrifices for the cause, Kal. Pray that the worst you ever have to endure to keep our cover is being described as a 'kind Master.'"
Kal started to retort, but Bruce was walking through the arc into the living room, out of the charmed circle. Kal followed him, realizing that Alfred would be up soon and he wouldn't be able to hear the door through the barrier. Indeed, in a few moments there was a polite knock. Kal lifted slightly into the air, still glowering at Bruce, and said "Enter." The door swung open to reveal Alfred--Kal realized with a shock that Alfred must have a family name, just like Bruce did. He'd never thought to ask. He made a mental note to ask Bruce later.
The older man was carrying a platter of danishes and fruit as well as a pitcher of orange juice. He set it down on the table and smiled at the two men. "Good morning, young master," he said warmly.
Kal waited for Bruce to respond, then started as he realized Alfred was talking to him. Of course he was. "Good morning," he replied, floating to take a danish off the plate. "Would you mind staying here until we're done?"
Alfred looked torn. "The kitchen is very busy in the morning, but...I would be happy to stay here."
Kal nibbled on the fruit and talked with Alfred about the household: dinner plans, a cook sick with the flu, a stove that needed replacing. He kept waiting for Bruce to join in, but the other man stayed silent, his hands folded in front of him and his eyes cast down. Kal kicked himself; he hadn't given Bruce permission to eat. "Bruce, please, have some breakfast. Alfred, would you like some too?"
Alfred looked surprised but acquiesed, and the three ate together in silence for a while, Kal growing increasingly uncomfortable. Wasn't Bruce going to talk to Alfred? What was holding him back? Why was--
Oh.
Kal swallowed his food hastily and rose, trying to look regal and arbitrary. "I feel like taking a stroll around the grounds alone. You two, finish this meal up. I wouldn't want to waste food." He moved to the door. "I'll be back in a half hour. Please--" He broke off and started again more imperiously. "Make sure everything's cleaned up by then."
As the door swung shut, he caught a glimpse of Bruce's face. The gratitude he saw there eased the pain of knowing his presence was a burden to the two men.
The gardens were empty in the morning sun. Dew sparkled on the grass as Kal moved slowly above it. If he lowered himself, he could brush the dew from the blades with his feet, feel the cool of it on his skin. But that would leave a trail, make his influence clear.
The grass stayed undisturbed, pristine. Kal wandered the gardens alone and was grateful no one came across him there, yearning in vain for the touch of the earth.
Pairing/Characters: Kal-El, Bruce Wayne, Kara Zor-El, Alfred Pennyworth
Notes: " The House of the Earth" is an AU in which a few thousand Kryptonians escaped the destruction of Krypton to flee to Earth and enslave its people.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2600
Summary: After the rebellion meeting, Clark and Bruce attempt to negotiate their new and ambiguous relationship.
The very first mourning doves were starting to coo at the graying horizon as three figures made their way through the El compound: Kara Zor-El, her cousin Kal-El, and the human slave Bruce Wayne. They made their way from the archives toward Kal's quarters, Bruce falling in behind the other two as they floated. Around them, the household was beginning to stir to life. Kal could hear sleepy voices beginning to prepare for the day, the sounds of cooking and cleaning.
At the door to Kal's rooms, Kara stopped. She met her cousin's eyes for a brief moment before turning to Bruce and taking his chin in her hand, tilting his face toward her. "You be good to my cousin, Brucie," she said cheerfully, her voice that of the public Kara. "Treat him every bit as nicely as you treated me." She rummaged in a pocket and came up with five small spheres like silvery pearls; smiling, she pressed them into Bruce's hand. "A little token of my affection for my sweet pet. A memento of our nights together."
Still smiling, she turned to Kal, but the smile fell away at the look on his face.
"How can you bear it?" Kal whispered, appalled.
For an instant, Kara's wide blue eyes glinted steel. "We all do what we must, cousin," she said almost coldly. Then her face softened, and she leaned forward and placed an affectionate hand along his face. "Kal, dear Kal," she said. "I've missed you so. And I'm so happy--" She choked for a second and started again, "--so happy to finally have you in the House where you belong." She leaned in and kissed his cheek lightly, then was gone.
Kal stepped into his quarters, Bruce's footsteps following after. As the door swung shut behind them he said "Bruce--" But Bruce was laying a finger across his lips, his eyes sharp. As Kal stared, he took the five spheres and walked to the bedroom to place one carefully in each corner of the room. Then he held the last one between two fingers in front of him in the middle of the room and tapped it in a careful, deliberate pattern, and all five rose into the air simultaneously, the center one rising all the way to the ceiling. A low hum filled the room.
Bruce turned back to Kal. "Sound dampers," he said. "It's a fairly effective block to even Kryptonian hearing."
Kal peered at one of the spheres. "I didn't know humans had access to technology of that level."
Bruce curled up in a large circular chair, his long legs tucked under him. "Humans have access to a lot of things you don't know about."
"Well, I want to. I want to know everything you'll tell me."
Bruce waved one hand in the air between them. "Ask."
"What was that green stuff on Selina's whip?"
"Kryptonite." Bruce grimaced. "When Krypton exploded, there was a chain reaction that rendered many of the fragments of your home world radioactive, harmful to your kind. Enough of it can kill you."
Kal brought his feet down to the floor and took a couple of cautious steps before toppling onto the bed. "Only humans know about it?"
"We believe the most high-ranking Kryptonians know about it, but they haven't told most of you."
"How much do you have?"
Bruce looked pained. "I...don't know. The cells I work closely with have gotten their hands on a fair amount. It's being kept in...a safe place. Only a few people are allowed to know how much we have in case we're captured and questioned." He brought a fist down on his thigh absent-mindedly. "The more radical cells have a fair amount as well. Damn him. He'll ruin everything with his--"
"Wait, how are you getting it?"
A fierce flash of grin. "The Green Lanterns are forbidden from interference. Active interference. But there are three humans who somehow were chosen for Green Lantern rings, and they figure they were chosen for a reason beyond what the Guardians understand. They've been quietly, carefully supplying us with Kryptonite and other 'non-active' aid. They're playing a risky game, but they seem to think it's worth it."
"The man tonight, at the meeting. He was one of them?"
"Sentinel? No. He has a power ring, but it's not exactly a Green Lantern ring. It...kind of is, but it's magic, and...." He broke off and shook his head. "It's a long story."
Kal felt a wry smile tug the corner of his mouth as he stood up gingerly and held on to the bedpost, just working on standing. "I like long stories."
"Well, we have plenty of time for them. We can't leave the El grounds until Kara gets her hands on a new set of documents to replace the ones you incinerated."
Kal knew he should feel bad about that, but somehow he couldn't quite manage it. He opened his mouth to ask another of the questions crowding his mind, but stopped when Bruce stretched and yawned hugely. "Sorry," said Bruce, looking a bit sheepish. "Long day."
"We should catch a little sleep," Kal said without thinking.
There was an awkward silence as they both eyed the single bed.
"I'll sleep on the couch," Kal said hastily. "It's comfortable."
Bruce's eyes were cautious again. "It's not my place to take your bed, Master."
"Don't call me that," Kal snapped, and Bruce's face went stiff and blank.
"As you command...Kal."
There was a long, pained silence between them which cut into Kal and twisted. "Does it...does it have to be like this?" he heard himself saying. "Does it have to be so hard?" Bruce just looked at him. "I don't own you, not really. The papers are forgeries. You chose to be here. Can't we--can't we--"
Bruce's mouth was a stubborn line. "Kal. If you decided to kill me right now, you could, with no repercussions. That the papers are forged doesn't change the fact that there would be no punishment for you in doing what you wanted to me. You could drag me out into the garden and eviscerate me slowly and all that would happen to you is your aunt might complain that you put her off her breakfast." He touched the collar around his neck gently. "In any real sense, you own me. My life is in your hands. It's not a fact that's possible to ignore."
The despair twisted below Kal's ribcage, cutting, the pain bringing a strange fatalistic resolve. "Call me whatever you like, then." He stepped away from the door frame, tottering, trying to stand on his own feet. "But when the day comes when you've destroyed this system, the day when I won't even need to destroy those papers because they won't matter anymore--when that day comes, I would like to have had practice in how to interact with you as an equal. As two men, face to face."
Bruce uncurled from the chair and rose to stand in front of Kal. When the Kryptonian wasn't floating, they were almost the same height. "In that case, I'll take the bed tonight...Kal." The corner of his mouth twitched. "But you get it tomorrow night. We'll take turns."
Kal tried not to smile and failed rather spectacularly. "Sounds fair." The glint of Bruce's collar caught his eye and his smile turned abruptly to a frown. "How do you get that collar off?"
A snort. "A human can't. The catch is workable only by Kryptonian-level strength. Simple but effective."
Kal reached out, then stopped. "May I?"
"If you're willing."
The silver was cool under his hands; Bruce's skin was warm where his fingers brushed it. Kal felt the tinest tremble starting in his hands and hastily undid the catch, drawing the smooth shining collar off, revealing pale skin beneath. He felt a sudden urge to throw the bright, poisonous thing across the room. He put it down on the cabinet; it rattled against the mahogany and he realized his hands had begun shaking in earnest. "I'm sorry I didn't take it off right away," he said. "I won't forget again."
"I'd appreciate that," Bruce said.
Kal limped slowly toward the door to the living area and his couch. Bruce's voice behind him halted him. "Remember, on the other side of the door you'll be outside the range of the sound dampeners." Kal looked back at him and Bruce hesitated for a second. "That's why Kara and I shared a bed," he said after a moment. "So we could make plans until we fell asleep."
The words seemed to have extra meanings that Kal couldn't puzzle out at the moment; he was too tired, his brain numb from too many revelations. "I don't think I could do that," he said. Before his treacherous tongue could say anything else, he stepped through the the arch into the living room, past the perimeter of the spheres. Beyond the line, he looked back over his shoulder. Bruce was still standing in the middle of the room, watching him. "Good night," Kal said.
Bruce's mouth moved. Good night, his lips shaped. Then after a moment, they moved again. Kal.
: : :
Kal woke to the sound of someone moving around the living room. It had only been a couple of hours, based on his clock. "Mmrw?" he asked lucidly.
Bruce was laying out a robe across a chair. "I took the liberty of going through your closet, Master, and choosing a possible ensemble for today. A sky-blue under-robe with a navy surplice should bring out your eyes, I believe."
Kal rubbed his eyes and stared at Bruce, whose face was solemn to the point of absurdity. Then he pulled himself off of the couch and floated into the bedroom, glancing to make sure the spheres were still hovering. Bruce followed him. "You enjoy making me uncomfortable," Kal said when Bruce had passed through the arch.
"Maybe just a little." The slight twinkle in Bruce's eye faded. "But it's deadly serious as well. Outside of these quarters--outside of this room--our lives depend on playing those roles. Slip and people become suspicious, and we become useless to the rebellion--and probably dead."
Kal dropped to the ground, ignoring the aches and needles in his muscles. He hobbled a few steps. "I suppose we should go to breakfast." He pulled his robes over his head, trying to keep his balance. It was very hard to let gravity hold you down just enough without collapsing.
"We could eat here. After all, people will expect that you'll be busy playing with your new companion for a few days at least."
Kal looked away from Bruce hastily, trying not to think about what people were assuming the two of them were doing. "That would be nice--eating here, I mean."
"If you'll call down to the kitchens, I'll go and fetch us something. It will give me a chance to see Alfred again."
Kal watched Bruce's face, marveling at how young and eager he looked when thinking of Alfred. "Have you had any chance to really speak to him?"
Bruce shook his head. "No. That time in the gardens was the first--Kara was kind enough to arrange it so he didn't run into me in front of many people. Then when shelling peas with you. That's it. So...a chance to just see him, even for a few moments, would be very welcome."
Kal stood. "I'll do more than that." He grabbed a pager and dialed the kitchen. "Could you have Alfred send up breakfast to my quarters, please? And tell him to be ready to stay through the meal." He hung up the phone to see Bruce frowning thunderously. "What?"
"You're too polite. 'Could you'? 'Please'? You'd damn well better act like you're aware that you're a member of a superior race. Kryptonians don't make requests, they bark orders." Kal grimaced, and Bruce pointed at him angrily. "Your uncle is keeping an eye on you for seditious tendencies already, you can be sure of that. If you start being publicly polite to slaves, you're going to get both of us in a lot of trouble."
"Surely I can relax in front of Alfred."
Bruce's frown did not abate. "I'm afraid not. I can't tell him about you--I mean, not that you're working with the humans. He's in a vulnerable position and I don't want to put him at risk--or you at further risk, for that matter. It's safer if he doesn't know." He looked at Kal's face. "If it makes you feel better, I'll tell him you're a kind Master."
Kal felt his hands clench. "I don't want to be a 'kind Master.'"
Bruce's face was stony. "We all make sacrifices for the cause, Kal. Pray that the worst you ever have to endure to keep our cover is being described as a 'kind Master.'"
Kal started to retort, but Bruce was walking through the arc into the living room, out of the charmed circle. Kal followed him, realizing that Alfred would be up soon and he wouldn't be able to hear the door through the barrier. Indeed, in a few moments there was a polite knock. Kal lifted slightly into the air, still glowering at Bruce, and said "Enter." The door swung open to reveal Alfred--Kal realized with a shock that Alfred must have a family name, just like Bruce did. He'd never thought to ask. He made a mental note to ask Bruce later.
The older man was carrying a platter of danishes and fruit as well as a pitcher of orange juice. He set it down on the table and smiled at the two men. "Good morning, young master," he said warmly.
Kal waited for Bruce to respond, then started as he realized Alfred was talking to him. Of course he was. "Good morning," he replied, floating to take a danish off the plate. "Would you mind staying here until we're done?"
Alfred looked torn. "The kitchen is very busy in the morning, but...I would be happy to stay here."
Kal nibbled on the fruit and talked with Alfred about the household: dinner plans, a cook sick with the flu, a stove that needed replacing. He kept waiting for Bruce to join in, but the other man stayed silent, his hands folded in front of him and his eyes cast down. Kal kicked himself; he hadn't given Bruce permission to eat. "Bruce, please, have some breakfast. Alfred, would you like some too?"
Alfred looked surprised but acquiesed, and the three ate together in silence for a while, Kal growing increasingly uncomfortable. Wasn't Bruce going to talk to Alfred? What was holding him back? Why was--
Oh.
Kal swallowed his food hastily and rose, trying to look regal and arbitrary. "I feel like taking a stroll around the grounds alone. You two, finish this meal up. I wouldn't want to waste food." He moved to the door. "I'll be back in a half hour. Please--" He broke off and started again more imperiously. "Make sure everything's cleaned up by then."
As the door swung shut, he caught a glimpse of Bruce's face. The gratitude he saw there eased the pain of knowing his presence was a burden to the two men.
The gardens were empty in the morning sun. Dew sparkled on the grass as Kal moved slowly above it. If he lowered himself, he could brush the dew from the blades with his feet, feel the cool of it on his skin. But that would leave a trail, make his influence clear.
The grass stayed undisturbed, pristine. Kal wandered the gardens alone and was grateful no one came across him there, yearning in vain for the touch of the earth.