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He said it with a finality that debarred any further conversation.

L & L stuff is protected, so it wouldn’t have been online, and he probably didn’t make a backup either, for the same reason.

There probably wouldn’t be any more memory of Darker Island, except in Blake’s head and maybe some obscure corner of Blantyre, wherever that is.

“Are you going to be all right?” I said.

He leaned back in his seat and shut his eyes again.

“Emmett,” he said, “What do we have power over in this world?”

“What, absolute power?”

“Absolute power.”

“Well… nothing, I guess.”

“Nothing,” he affirmed. “Actually… some of those biscuits.” This last bit to the waiter, who’d found us and was hovering.

“‘Biscuits’?” the waiter repeated incredulously.

“Them fancy biscuits like what he has.” Blake pointed to the man who’d wanted to download his sister, who had a plate of faving viennois.

I tried to hide behind my menu.

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I’ll admit I only have a vague direction on this so far.

He didn’t apologize. “Quite a day out, isn’t it?” he said, and grinned.

Blake is one of those people who tend to look a little different every time you see them. Today, I was sure he was quite a bit fatter than the last time I saw him… but he wore it well, so I wasn’t going to complain.

He sat down across from me, picking up a menu. “So, did you order yet?”

“Nah,” I said, “I just got here. Missed my bus, had to call a taxi.”

“I missed the bus, too. I think they’re running ahead of schedule today. But I figured I’d walk, since it’s only a couple of blocks.”