Fet looked to Mr. Quinlan, whose silence and stillness communicated his agreement.
Gus frowned but didn’t argue the point. He respected Fet, and more so, he respected Mr. Quinlan. “You say we can blow a hole in the ground and the Master disappears. I’m down with that, if it works. And if it doesn’t? We just give up?”
He had a point. The others’ silence confirmed it.
“Not me,” said Gus. “No fucking way.”
Eph felt the hairs go up on the back of his neck. He had an idea. He started talking before he could think himself out of it.
“There might be one way,” he said.
“One way to what?” said Fet.
“To get close to the Master. Not by laying siege to his castle. Without endangering Zack. What if instead we draw it to us?”
“What is this shit?” said Gus. “Suddenly you have a plan, hombre?” Gus smiled at the others. “This ought to be good.”
Eph swallowed to keep his voice in check. “The Master is keyed in on me for some reason. It’s got my son. What if I offer it something to trade?”
Fet said, “The Lumen.”
“This is bullshit,” said Gus. “What are you selling?”
Eph put out his hands and patted the air, asking for patience and consideration for what he was about to suggest. “Hear me out. First of all, we dummy up a fake book in its place. I say I stole it from you and want to exchange it. For Zack.”
Nora said, “Isn’t that pretty dangerous? What if something happens to Zack?”
“It’s a huge risk, but I can’t see getting him back by doing nothing. But if we destroy the Master … it’s all over.”
Gus wasn’t buying it. Fet looked concerned, and Mr. Quinlan gave no indication of his opinion.
But Nora was nodding. “I think this could work.”
Fet looked at her. “What? Maybe we should talk alone about this first.”
“Let your lady speak,” said Gus, never missing an opportunity to twist the knife in Eph’s side. “Let’s hear this.”
Nora said, “I think Eph could lure him in. He’s right—there is something about him, something the Master wants or fears. I keep going back to that light in the sky. Something’s going on there.”
Eph felt a burning sensation ride up from his back to his neck.
“It could work,” said Nora. “Eph double-crossing us makes sense. Draw the Master out with Eph and the fake Lumen. Leave it vulnerable to ambush.” She looked at Eph. “If you’re sure you’re up for such a thing.”
“If we have no other choice,” he said.
Nora went on. “It’s crazy dangerous. Because if we blow it, and the Master gets you … then it’s over. It would know everything you know—where we are, how to find us. We would be finished.”
Eph remained still while the others mulled it over. The baritone voice spoke inside his head: The Master is immeasurably more cunning than you are giving it credit for.
“I don’t doubt that the Master is devious,” said Nora, turning to Mr. Quinlan. “But isn’t this kind of an offer it cannot refuse?”
The Born’s quietness signaled his acceptance, if not his full agreement.
Eph felt Mr. Quinlan’s eyes on him. Eph was torn. He felt now that this gave him flexibility: he could
potentially carry out this double-cross or stick to the plan if indeed it appeared it would succeed. But there was another question troubling him now.
He searched the face of his former lover, illuminated by night vision. He was looking for some sign of treachery. Was she the traitor? Had they gotten to her during her brief stay inside the blood camp?