Chapter Five:

Wednesday

Another gray day on Newhope and in Du Chang in particular, the grayish light shone through the large windows in one of the villa's seemingly countless comfortable sitting rooms. There was a fire in the hearth surrounded by two identical plush couches facing one another and several chairs with end tables designed to hold a cup of tea and a half read book. The room seemed to exude comfort. And even as Simon was lead into it by armed guards and saw his clearly uncomfortable parents sitting stiffly on a dark red velvet couch, he couldn't help but feel slightly more relaxed for being in such a comforting environment. River must have felt the same, he reasoned, she was sound asleep, looking peaceful and perfect, curled up in an overstuffed leather armchair.

"What's this?" Simon asked cautiously. "Family story time?"

"Don't be sarcastic," Gabriel snapped. "We have something very important to discuss with you."

"By discuss I suppose you mean that you'll tell me what you think and expect me to sit quietly and nod my head in shame," Simon said, easing himself carefully down on the other couch, facing his parents.

"This is very serious Simon," Regan said. "We are very serious."

"I never thought any of this was a joke," The boy assured them honestly.

"We've talked it over," his mother continued, "Your father, your godfather and I and . . . we don't want you to get hurt dear."

"Good," Simon said, looking at his mother suspiciously, waiting for the other shoe to drop. "I don't want to get hurt."

"What your mother is trying to say, son," Gabriel said, in a kinder voice than he’d used with Simon for years, since before River's letters. "Is that we think you need to turn yourself in."

"What?" Simon said, exasperated. "Are you totally insane?"

"This is something we want you to do of your own volition," Regan said. "We know it would be hard for you but --"

"You’re both out of your minds," Simon said, staring at his parents with horror. "Don't you understand what will