Cortin watched Pritchett carry the reporter out, Chang accompanying them, then she turned to Odeon. He looked tired and a little shaken, but nowhere near as bad as he had after Shayan's "lesson". "Are you all right, Mike?"
"I will be, after a nap." Odeon rubbed his temples. "He said the operation would be nothing compared to the lesson, and he was right—but it was rough enough. I don't have the kind of strength he does."
"You're a human, not a fallen angel," Cortin said drily. "I was thinking about emotionally, though—you don't look quite as wound up as you have been."
"Not quite," Odeon admitted. "I do feel a bit more human, now I've made some constructive use of what he put me through. My studies are helping, too, but …" He shook his head. "I'm not back to normal, no."
"Close enough for unity? I'm still convinced that's what you need."
Odeon thought for a moment, then shook his head again. "No, I don't think so. I'd like it, but I'm still afraid of touching you. Give me another day or two of Tangerine and studies, though, and I think I'll be okay."
Cortin looked at him curiously. "Really? A kitten and studying the place our ancestors fled from seem like odd therapy. On the other hand, I'm not about to argue with anything that works."
"Truth to tell, I'm surprised how much the studies, especially, do help." Odeon rubbed the scar across his lips, unsure of himself. "I'm just scratching the surface, of course—can't do much else with nothing but comm intercepts and what's left of the records the Founders kept—but even this early, I'm starting to develop respect for the Imperials. Maybe a little bit of liking, too."
Cortin's expression became quizzical. "That's pretty fast, isn't it? Especially for you?"
"Faster than I'd expect, yeah." Odeon paused, frowning. "I'm not even as upset as I was yesterday about the Protector maybe coming from there."