He kept his hand out for a few more insistently hopeful seconds, wasted seconds that were getting me no closer to my Aldo’s revenge. I battered the sword against the unyielding force field with every word.
“Don’t. You. Touch. Me. SPLINTER!”
Slowly, shakily, he lowered his hand.
“I’ll just talk then, okay?” His tears were spilling out again. “Just listen to me for five minutes, your way or theirs, it doesn’t matter, and I swear, if you still want to kill me—”
“You stole Aldo Kessler’s life!” I shouted. “There’s no explanation that could ever make up for that!”
“I am Aldo Kessler.”
“NO YOU’RE NOT!”
“Mina, it’s me! I’m the same person I’ve always been!”
“Only better?” I guessed. “Is that the idea?”
“No!”
The force field around me shivered on impact with one from the original force
