Ulysses and the Fugitive 15
soccer game for a handful of seconds before continuing. He shook his head.
"I mean, honestly? It's not like they'll even let you two see each other once you're there. You know that, right?
Human governments tell people whatever they want to hear to get them to obey. Once they have you two, you'll
probably both be held in separate cells, likely in different buildings. Hell, they might just warehouse Lee
somewhere across the country for good measure. They'll probably parade him in front of you on occasion,
whenever you get too difficult for the fucking spooks and military to control. Maybe they'll put him across a table
or on the other side of window so you can lay eyes on each other. They'll threaten to torture him or kill him unless
you do what they tell you. Did any of this occur to you?"
Nera stared with sad eyes at Giles. She nodded.
"And what? You're just going to let him go with you anyway?"
"Ulysses doesn't believe the government will ever leave him alone now. No matter what he does."
"He might be on to something there," Giles sighed. "Still, if he just goes home, it might only mean a lifetime of
surveillance. That's still much better than being held at a top secret facility somewhere, cut off from the world for
the rest of his life."
"I understand that you want me to tell him not to go with me," Nera said in an even tone. "To be honest, I also
think that would be the best course of action, but I don't think you and I together can convince Ulysses not to go."
"You're probably right about that. Lee can be a stubborn bastard at times." The muffled noise of the soccer game
became the only sound in the room again for a few minutes. Then Giles said, "what if we didn't have to convince
him?"
"If you're suggesting I leave when he's seeing the doctor, that won't work," Nera said flatly.
"Right, right," said Giles, palming his face. "He doesn't have his passport with him. Neither he nor I could really
afford the airfare to send him back. Living in Australia illegally makes it difficult to find a job. All right, yeah, that
won't work."
Nera pursed her lips. Then she said, "I think I may have an idea. I don't like it, but it would get Ulysses back to the
U.S. and keep him out of custody."
"Oh? I'm all ears."
Nera's face was somber as she gave Giles the details of her plan. His expression matched hers by the time she
finished explaining it.