en descende

s eyes, sharp as a hawk's, swept over the chaos in the hall. Gideon, dripping with coffee. Meredi

ignoring the wet stain on his shirt. "Fat

st his son and stopped in front of Cilla.

n the rug, right next to a clump of mud that had fallen

sperate to get away from the cane. Her back hit a glass pane, pus

tween rows of lush, exotic plants. Mud smear

"Get her out of there! Thos

er eyes locked onto the plant she had just dirtied. The white petal

fog of madness vanished, re

Amazonian Ghost Lily variant. An

s mouth open to yell again. But his foot sudde

n his head echoed, calm and clinical. It's releasing a neuroto

he person who had just spoken. But there was no one near him. Jus

s room, he has maybe a year left. He'll drop

o his chest, but it wasn't his heart. It was

ere vacant. But the voice... the voice had come from

ed in. He didn't have time to ques

art!" he wheezed. He made his face turn red, his br

olden!" He lunged forward, catching

c. Gideon yelled for a doct

s, her body trembling. But inside, s

ld man. Go

er's arms, felt his eyelid twi

and rage swirling in his gut. And I

ily physician, ran in with his medical bag. He

ist with a surprisingly strong

serious despite his "weakness." "Take that plant. Root, stem, soi

step forward.

stepped in his p

he medical wing, Horace turned his head. He looked directly at Cilla, still c