Chương 167: 80 - BEYOND THE GRAVE

That evening, T'balt made a house visit to Tyene and German. Tyene had probably the biggest house in the entirety of Graceland, only eclipsed in height by the Redeemer's tower. But it was definitely a mansion twice as wide. It was a constant reminder that she still clung to the opulent lifestyle she had before Zero Day, but at the very least it was somewhat isolated from the rest of the city. She sat on the couch, wearing a thin robe and pajamas, with a glass of wine in one hand. She was watching some old movies.

German answered the door, letting T'balt in as he went to finish cooking dinner.

"Yo, T'bag." Tyene said, a little slurred. Her prosthetic leg was off, on the floor, while the rest of her laid on the couch and cuddled with her bomb pets, Edgar, Allen, and Po. They watched the movie with her, rolling around the couch cushions like laughing marbles.

"You came at the perfect time. I was just about to put on Bridesmaids, and German never laughs at any of the jokes." She patted the couch, gesturing for her to take a load off next to her.

"No thanks. I'm here for something else." She heard the severity in his tone and paused her movie, as Edgar the sumo faced bomb eyed T'balt closely.

"What have I done now?"

"It's time to let Corlander go," he said. Tyene scoffed, this being a statement she'd heard before.

"You know I can't yet."

"It's been long enough. Cannon's been dying all this time. He needs his second chance loot…"

"Not until he answers for what happened to my mother," She said gravely.

"Five years locked in a basement with no food or water isn't enough for you?"

"No. Physically answers. I want to know exactly what he did, and only then will I know exactly how to punish him."

"Have you made any progress?" She frowned, chewing her tongue.

"He still can't speak. Just babbles like a child." T'balt sighed and glanced at German, who was doing his best to stay out of the conversation.

"At some point you have to realize it isn't working and move on."

"I could say the same thing about your search for the other Redeemers. Just stop. It isn't working. It's no use, right?" T'balt scratched his head, noticing her detached limb on the ground, and left when Tyene excused him by resuming her movie. He sat for a while, contemplating in his living room. T'tania was resting in her mother's lap like a sleeping angel as Ellie petted her tenderly.

"It's so nice to have everyone around again. Did you see how big Genya's gotten? She's so well-mannered now." But she could see T'balt's mind was on anything but.

"What was that? Sorry…"

"What's the matter, my love?" she said sweetly.

"Tyene still isn't budging on Corlander."

"Did you expect her to?"

"No, but you'd think she'd have had the time to think rationally about it by now."

"She's a Redeemer. If I remember right, time doesn't quite work the same for you all. 5 years might be a while for you, but who knows what that really means for her."

"I know."

"But I don't love what's become of Cannon either. Personally, I think Corlander should've been dealt with 5 years ago. Then Cannon would be fine today."

"It isn't that simple. Part of me thinks this is Tyene getting back at me for making her live this long despite missing two limbs. But more likely it's because of what happened to Vienna. And why shouldn't she? I'm probably the only Redeemer living the life he really wants right now. I know they're just placating me by letting me play this out." Ellie continued to rub T'tania's hair, not letting her rhythm be swayed by the sadness in her face.

"You're afraid they'll take it away from you?" The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"They could whenever they wanted… Uriel seems pretty content. But Tyene still drinks and… does whatever. I just want everyone to be happy." He knelt to T'tania, lightly kissing his daughter on the forehead.

"If they're happy, then we can continue to be." Ellie switched her petting from her head to his.

"But I feel for Cannon's friend. We can't leave him like that forever. You may have to choose the lesser of two evils." T'balt glanced at her. But it was T'tania who spoke, eyes opening peacefully from her sleep.

"Can't you just do what you want, daddy?"

"No, not exactly, kiddo."

"You're scared of them. But you're the same as them. They might be scared of you too." He wanted to laugh.

"Scared of me. They've got no reason to be—" There was a knock at the door that took all their attention. T'balt answered and let German inside. T'tania wiped away any sleep from her eyes and ran to him.

"Uncle Jerm." It was her cute nickname for him.

"Are you here to make more of your special pancakes?" He glanced down at her, none of the sharpness having left his gazes over the years.

"And how will you pay for these pancakes?"

"Ummm… well…"

"Nothing is for free, little one. But I wouldn't mind offering you a discount just this one time. It will cost you one smile." T'tania couldn't stop her toothy grin at the amazing deal she had stumbled on. But before she could capitalize on it, T'balt sent her outside to play with Acelin and Genya as the former showed the latter how to swing a baseball bat. When it was just the three adults in the room, T'balt sat down, letting German stand stiffly like he always did during important meetings.

"Thanks for coming, German," T'balt said.

"I'm glad you were paying attention when I asked."

"Well, I've told you before, stepping into my home gives me full authority to access your mind as I sit fit."

"Which is why we typically do dinner at our place," Ellie brought up. T'balt shrugged.

"So how much did you read?"

"Your suspicions are correct," German answered.

"I've gone to interrogate Corlander many times, but I've never gotten any hint that his mind would return to him. He can't even seem to think of his old memories. Even with prodding, they simply don't exist."

"And you've told Tyene?"

"I have, but she can be just as stubborn as he was… as all of you really. She's convinced you all might still find a loot that can repair him."

"If Uriel doesn't know how to create it with the Bestower, then I don't know what she could possibly expect," said Ellie.

"If even he's never encountered something like that, then what hope do we have of that?"

"Practically zero," German said matter-of-factly.

"But I don't imagine any of the Redeemers are where they are for their ability to see that kind of reason." T'balt crossed his arms, not knowing if he should take that as a jab.

"That may be true, but either way, it's on you to convince her." German raised an eyebrow at him.

"Me?"

"The more I get to know you, the more I realize how diligent you are in your search for information," T'balt said.

"It would've been very easy for you to find out what happened to TYene's mother. All that time you were with Corlander, you wouldn't have even had to ask. He just had to think about it while you were paying attention." German cocked his head, looking at the accusation as nothing more than a fact.

"I respected my boss's privacy. And he never gave me permission to read his mind." T'balt scratched his head, coming close to believing German. One didn't get that close to a billionaire without some form of loyalty.

"But…" German said.

"He was not my boss when he went to war for Gracealnd. I was within in his mind, when Tyene asked him." Both T"balt and Ellie widened their eyes at him.

"And?"

"The truth will not aid the situation." T'balt sank into his chair, even more at a loss than he was before. He probably should've been angry at German for not telling him sooner, but he understood exactly why he would keep it close-mouthed.

"Which truth?" Ellie asked with scorn in her voice.

"What happened to her mother or the fact that you knew and kept it from her?"

"Both," he said without looking at her. She wrestled with the information for a moment and then looked to T'balt.

"So what should we do?" He thought for a long while as both of them stared at him. It was somewhat his decision to make. Something that might decide the fate of this life, and as a leader of Graceland, he couldn't just let the other one do what she wanted. Not while his friend suffered. He had to think of a way to keep everyone happy.

"Can we fake it?" he asked. German was perplexed.

"Fake what?"

"Forge a document or evidence of some kind. Something they could pretend was made by Corlander. You can pretend to have found it in a place that you knew about, and Tyene didn't. Then give it to her." German considered.

"And what would it say?"

"Whether the truth is on it or not, I'll leave it up to you. You know her better than even I do. If you think she can handle what it says, then it's on you. I'll trust your judgment. The truth of that will be between you and her." German took a deep breath, processing it all. But Ellie looked annoyed.

"That's manipulative, T'balt. You can't just lie to her."

"And I can't just let Cannon stay like that either… lesser of two evils." German rubbed his hands.

"I understand. By the end of the week, the situation with Corlander will have changed." T'balt stood and patted him on the shoulder as he led him back out the door.

"Thanks, German. You've always been invaluable to us. I want you to know that." German scoffed to himself.

"You sound like a real businessman now." But he only thought it, allowing T'balt to hear.

"Before I go." He stopped at the door.

"I needed to inform you of a suspicious character who came in with the people of the church."

"Really? Define suspicious."

"Nobody of the church seemed to know who she is. I think she wandered in with them, but she was asking for you by name." T'balt then got a strange feeling in his stomach. That next morning, he found her sitting on a park bench, looking at the sky, waiting for a speck of dirt to come and blind her. T'balt sat next to her.

"It's nice to see you again, Ann." She eyed him curiously.

"That's funny. I didn't know we had met before."