"They are." Cairo agreed. "Glad you've made your peace." Because it made his life easier not to have to deal with someone trying endlessly to escape. "Are you making any effort to get out of the undercroft or planning to stay as long as you can?"
"Neither," Elio replied after a moment of thought. "I'm not keen on the idea of being owned by anyone, but I'm also not fond of staying down there." He wasn't sure what the third option was yet, but he knew there had to be one.















