“
Ghastek leaned back and crossed his arms. “I had a promising career. I had achieved recognition and some infinitesimal measure of security. And then you came along.”
Aha. He and the dozens of hostages working in this building could cry me a river. “Who taught you to draw, Ghastek? That doesn’t even remotely look like an apple. It looks like a butt.”
“More like a peach,” Rowena said.
“I have an inspection in less than twenty-four hours,” Ghastek said, his voice dry. “If we have quite finished critiquing my ability to draw fruit, I have things to do.”
I leaned back. “Are you worried about it?”
He looked insulted. “No. We can be inspected at any point, and we would stand up to scrutiny.”
“If you are anxious, I can make sure he eats something deliciously sweet before he comes over here. Like a generous helping of tres leches cake or a chocolate sundae.”
Ghastek stared at me. “Get out.”
I rose and made a show of sniffling. “Come on, Julie. Clearly we are not wanted here.
”
”