The back of Lyle’s hand began to creep from a cool, slow touch and Lyle lowered his eyes to watch Arius trace sharp fingernails over his knuckles. Long, pale, delicate hands ghosted over his thick, tanned, calloused ones. “Who knows, hmm?”
Arius was staring directly at him when Lyle was finally able to tear his gaze away from their hands. “Perhaps we were meant to take over,” Arius whispered. “Perhaps evolution has realized man for the parasite that it is, and wants it to be eradicated. Maybe we are this planet’s only chance.”
I should probably pull my hand away, Lyle thought. Instead, he merely said, “That’s a mighty high way of looking at yourself. Besides, committee be damned and my father be damned, you’re never going to convince me that eradicating humanity is—”
“What makes you thi
