"I look forward to the news of your sentence being sent, Steve. Until then, it heartens me to know just how much you’re suffering here in Headquarters." Mathena’s lips parted in a wide, sincere smile, though her face was still pale as parchment. "In fact, that knowledge makes me happier than killing you."
"Great," Valerio put in. "Well, that’s established, then. Xeon, I can take it from here. I’ll set Steve up with a computer and obtain the texts. Why don’t you get Mathena out of here? She talks tough but looks like she’s about to hurl on her pretty red boots."
"Good idea," Xeon answered.
Valerio, as the archivist and researcher, had the most business trying to get information from Steve anyway. Valerio would pass what he learned on to him.
Mathena protested, but Xeon took her by the u
