"Not much of a chance to keep them free, otherwise. If I fought, broke through for a second, warned them...well, that'd be it then, wouldn't it? They'd know, and then they'd kill them or infest them and there'd be nothing I could do while my hand shoved their heads into the pool." He curled his fingers against the living view port. "So long as I kept my peace, didn't cause trouble, Iniss made sure no one took notice of them. No one pushed them to become controllers. Unwilling or not. They'd leave them alone." His freedom had already been lost, what more could fighting have done except put them at further risk?

He swallowed, turning and smiling, though it looked more like he was trying not to be sick. "Jake made a deal. At the end of six months, Iniss moves out. I-he-there was this girl-she-they...were...are...friends." He swallowed, feeling like his mouth was full of glass, hardly able to force the words out. "She wanted to protect him. It didn't seem like a big deal. I should keep it. It's just a little longer, right? Then I can come back to my friends."

He should keep Jake's deal, and Dani's deal, and everything that came between. Not run off and be reckless and stupid and selfish.