A few hours later, an exhausted Mazé'Yum lightly pushed open the door that the fyrette had slammed shut, and poked his head inside.
- Ah, it's you," he says.
- That's me," she replied.
- Have you come to finish the job, or have you come to your senses?
- My spirits," she mumbled, "if I already had one... How can I have more than one?
Mazé'Yum sighed, and finally entered. A touch of humor was a good sign.
- I'm fine. I spent some time looking for you in the area, after the seizure you had when you woke up. Tell me what happened and where you've been.
- It's up to you to tell me.
- I wasn't expecting such a violent reaction.
- Meaning?
- You managed to get away, mostly. My last test subjects were pretty weak when they woke up, and...
- And they didn't last long, did they?
- Never mind," replied Mazé'Yum. The circumstances had nothing to do with it. May I examine you?
Eeri winced as she stood up and approached the operating bed. She removed the scalpel, which was still there, and placed it on the table.
- Is that me?
- That's you.
- Tell me all about it.
- Some other time. I already want to check what state you're really in. Lie down.
- My arm moves," she replied.
- So it worked... Does it hurt?
- Worse.
- This is normal. I have to study your blood first, then we'll see.
- We'll see... What? The other damage it caused?
- You're alive, that's already a success.
- You mean, a surprise?
Mazé'Yum's only reply was a small sigh, then he turned to the shelf to prepare his equipment: a few empty and full vials, a scalpel and some needles. Eeri watched him for a moment, then lay down, not without shivering a little, on the operating bed where she had woken up a few days earlier. And suddenly, something had changed. Yes, something was no longer the same. She realized it now, looking up at the ceiling of the laboratory, the ceiling she'd contemplated for long hours between two states of consciousness. Past the pain, the shock of awakening and the loss of bearings, there had been a change. She turned her head to the right, looked at the wall, uninterested, then to the left, at the Zoraï, from behind, still working. No, it wasn't that, her one functioning eye still had the same capabilities, her vision hadn't changed. She ran her left hand through her hair, then lightly pinched her ear. That wasn't it either, her sensations weren't much stranger than before. It was much deeper. She felt a restlessness, a growing chaos that was once again shaking her consciousness to the core.
- You did, didn't you? Did you use it?
Mazé'Yum froze for a second, then continued her preparations without answering. What was there to say? She'd given her consent for him to go through with it, so he had nothing more to say. He finally turned and approached her, a vial in his hands. He lifted her left arm and announced coldly:
- Make a fist. I'll take some of your blood,
The operation was quick, Eeri was used to it and it was a fairly easy process, even for the Zoraï's trembling hands.
- I'll have some work to do studying it all. You should rest in the meantime.
- I can also stay and help you.
- You're in no condition. You're in no condition. Get some rest, go into the next room, there's some food. And get some sleep. We'll talk later.
- I'm in a total state! I need to know...
Mazé'Yum sighed.
- Eeri, let me work and you can rest. It's not a request, it's an order.
- Ah, it's you," he says.
- That's me," she replied.
- Have you come to finish the job, or have you come to your senses?
- My spirits," she mumbled, "if I already had one... How can I have more than one?
Mazé'Yum sighed, and finally entered. A touch of humor was a good sign.
- I'm fine. I spent some time looking for you in the area, after the seizure you had when you woke up. Tell me what happened and where you've been.
- It's up to you to tell me.
- I wasn't expecting such a violent reaction.
- Meaning?
- You managed to get away, mostly. My last test subjects were pretty weak when they woke up, and...
- And they didn't last long, did they?
- Never mind," replied Mazé'Yum. The circumstances had nothing to do with it. May I examine you?
Eeri winced as she stood up and approached the operating bed. She removed the scalpel, which was still there, and placed it on the table.
- Is that me?
- That's you.
- Tell me all about it.
- Some other time. I already want to check what state you're really in. Lie down.
- My arm moves," she replied.
- So it worked... Does it hurt?
- Worse.
- This is normal. I have to study your blood first, then we'll see.
- We'll see... What? The other damage it caused?
- You're alive, that's already a success.
- You mean, a surprise?
Mazé'Yum's only reply was a small sigh, then he turned to the shelf to prepare his equipment: a few empty and full vials, a scalpel and some needles. Eeri watched him for a moment, then lay down, not without shivering a little, on the operating bed where she had woken up a few days earlier. And suddenly, something had changed. Yes, something was no longer the same. She realized it now, looking up at the ceiling of the laboratory, the ceiling she'd contemplated for long hours between two states of consciousness. Past the pain, the shock of awakening and the loss of bearings, there had been a change. She turned her head to the right, looked at the wall, uninterested, then to the left, at the Zoraï, from behind, still working. No, it wasn't that, her one functioning eye still had the same capabilities, her vision hadn't changed. She ran her left hand through her hair, then lightly pinched her ear. That wasn't it either, her sensations weren't much stranger than before. It was much deeper. She felt a restlessness, a growing chaos that was once again shaking her consciousness to the core.
- You did, didn't you? Did you use it?
Mazé'Yum froze for a second, then continued her preparations without answering. What was there to say? She'd given her consent for him to go through with it, so he had nothing more to say. He finally turned and approached her, a vial in his hands. He lifted her left arm and announced coldly:
- Make a fist. I'll take some of your blood,
The operation was quick, Eeri was used to it and it was a fairly easy process, even for the Zoraï's trembling hands.
- I'll have some work to do studying it all. You should rest in the meantime.
- I can also stay and help you.
- You're in no condition. You're in no condition. Get some rest, go into the next room, there's some food. And get some sleep. We'll talk later.
- I'm in a total state! I need to know...
Mazé'Yum sighed.
- Eeri, let me work and you can rest. It's not a request, it's an order.
---
Eeri"Quand on a le nez trop près de la bouteille, on ne voit plus le bar"