“You don’t have to.”
Bliss rubbed Schuyler’s back. She was sympathetic, but Schuyler had known what she was doing when she hooked up with Jack. She’d alienated a friend, and for what—Jack Force? What did she see in him anyway?
“Look, I’ve got to tell you something: Mimi and I visited Dylan today,” Bliss said. She repeated everything the doctor had told her.
Schuyler was astonished and confused. “So if it wasn’t Dylan who killed Aggie and all those others—who was it?”
“Who knows?”
“Does anyone else know about this? That he didn’t do it?”
“Other than Mimi and me? Yeah. Forsyth,” Bliss said. She realized she somehow couldn’t bring herself to call him “Dad” lately. “Dr. Andrews said he’d called him once the tests came in.”
“But your dad didn’t mention anything to you?”
“Not a word.”
“Or to the Conclave?”
“Mimi said Forsyth didn’t tell them about Dylan at all,” Bliss said, feeling more and more embarrassed about her father’s actions.
“I wonder why . . .”
“Maybe he did it to help me,” Bliss said defensively. “He knew the Conclave would want Dylan destroyed, so he hid him from them.”
“But Dylan’s not a Silver Blood,” Schuyler said. “And he never was. So there was no threat that he would be destroyed. They performed the test, and he passed. Hey, what’s with the suitcase?” she asked, motioning to the half-packed Tumi rollers at the foot of Bliss’s bed.
“Oh yeah, we’re going away.”
“Where?”
“Rio. Forsyth said Nan Cutler called a major Conclave meeting, told them your grandfather needed help, and now everyone’s going.”
“What kind of help?” Schuyler demanded.
“Hey—don’t worry,” Bliss said, seeing the panicked expression on her friend’s face. “I’m sure he’s all right.”
“I haven’t heard from Lawrence in a long time,” Schuyler admitted. “I’ve been so caught up with Jack I didn’t even notice. What else did Forsyth say?”
Bliss was reluctant to say, but decided Schuyler had a right to know. “I’m not one hundred percent sure, but it sounded like Lawrence was in some sort of trouble.”
“What kind of trouble?”
“I wish I could tell you. All I know is this morning Forsyth told us we were going to Rio. Conclave business.” She pointed the remote control in the direction of the television screen and fast-forwarded through the commercials.
The show came back on, and Bliss reached under her bed and handed Schuyler a bag of her favorite jalape?o potato chips. “Anyway, don’t worry about Ollie. He’ll come around. You know he will.”
“I don’t know about that. I really think he hates me, Bliss. He told me it was him or Jack. That I had to choose.”
“And what did you say?”
“Nothing.” Schuyler blinked back fresh tears. “I can’t choose. You know I can’t.” She tossed the empty bag and kicked at a pillow. “Everything’s rotten.”
Bliss kept one eye on the television and the other on her friend. She heartily agreed with Schuyler’s assessment. Everything did feel rotten. Like how Forsyth had never been straight with her about Dylan. Sometimes it felt as if everyone was lying about everything.
After a few minutes of watching the main star of the show break up with her boyfriend for the nth time, Schuyler spoke. “You know, I haven’t heard anything from Lawrence since he’s been there, except that he wishes the weather were cooler. If he’s truly in danger, don’t you think he would have said something to me? Maybe sent me a message?”
“Maybe he doesn’t want you to worry,” Bliss said. “He’s probably just doing it to protect you. If there’s something wrong with Corcovado, he did say he wanted to keep you away from it,” she reminded.
“I guess.” Schuyler played with a tassel on her pillow. “But it feels weird, you know? I mean, Lawrence doesn’t trust the Conclave with anything. Not since Plymouth,” she said. “Why would he call for them now?”
“What are you thinking?” Bliss asked. She noticed there was a purposeful look in Schuyler’s eye. At least the girl had finally stopped crying about those boys. This was the Schuyler she knew and admired.
“I’m going down there. If Lawrence is really in danger, I have to help him. I couldn’t live with myself otherwise.”
AUDIO RECORDINGS ARCHIVE:
Repository of History
CONDUIT: Hazard-Perry, Oliver
POSITION: Van Alen family
Personal Report filed 5/19
<<Transcript notes two minutes of tape were lost in feedback. Transcript begins as follows:>>
Schuyler will tell you that I had no choice in the matter. She believes that I love her because I have to, or because I had no choice, but she’s wrong. She gives herself too much credit sometimes.