Ryan lay there on his back, staring up at the sky. It was much dimmer than it had been before, and it didn’t hurt his eyes so much. It must be late afternoon. In a few minutes, he would get up and continue his inspection, but right now he was too satiated to move. Even blinking his eye seemed a gargantuan effort....
“Having fun?” asked a familiar voice.
Ryan turned his head sharply to see Bael standing a few meters away, grinning at him. A flush of guilt, shame, and indignant anger brought him scrambling to his feet. “What are you doing spying on me?”
“I’m not,” Bael said, and his grin widened. “I was just in the neighborhood and thought I’d drop in. And besides, I could ask you the same question, except that I know the answer.”
Ryan wasn’t sure which infuriated him more—Bael’s glibnes
