O'Flannery handed the pizzas to Ulysses, then set his and Giles's bags down. The agent seemed
eager to dial 911, but Ulysses asked him to hold off for a few seconds when he noticed Nera staring off
into the distance. He approached and touched her shoulder.
"What's up?" He said.
"I was...coming to terms with our situation," Nera said, without facing him. "I knew they were
pursuing me, but I didn't expect them to endanger your people too. I assumed notua and humans
were...different enough that the hyssopshebolith wouldn't be able to prey on you. I was wrong."
"You couldn't have known that, " Ulysses said, putting his hand on her shoulder. Nera offered
him a weak smile.
"It doesn't matter now; they're here." She said, as her gaze drifted from Ulysses, to Giles, to
O'Flannery, and then toward the mountains. All of the warmth drained from her eyes. "They won't
stop until I'm dead. If that happens...you humans probably won't last long."
"Yeah, we're all probably fucked if something happens to you. But Nera, we need to run right
now so we can regroup. If we get arrested, it'll be really easy for these things to get to you."
"I understand that," Nera said. "I need to talk to him, then we can go." She walked over to the
agent.
"Are we all set? Can I call 911 now?"
"Soon," Nera said, "first we need to talk."
"Spit it out."
"I want to face the hyssopshebolith. It seems like the only viable choice for my survival and the
survival of your species."
O'Flannery rolled his eyes. "I don't know if you're the only viable choice. I think based on what I
know now, I might be able to get some guys at the Pentagon to come up with a few options."