He drooped forward slightly when Sobek finally let go, letting out a small, weak cry that disgusted even him. It wasn't just from the pain. It was just as much from the withdrawal. How he'd felt when his mind touched Sobek's. Old, so very old. And so very, very hungry. A multitude of mouths to feed, an almost grotesque excess of power. The desire to control.

Some of these things, the Master understood intimately. The rest twisted his gut. Reminded him of things he'd rather forget.

Still, he seemed to have struck this thing speechless. Though it took a moment for the Master to raise his head, he did, steeling himself enough to stare Sobek down calmly. As if he hadn't just been gouged in the chest.

"Well?" he said. "Anything else you desperately need to know?"