Linden sets his jaw, looking anywhere but at Quintus' face. The absence of an answer is probably the most telling one the Peacekeeper could possibly receive; there's shame in needing this kind of help, of failing to keep it a complete secret, and in letting it get to this point at all. Pretending that it really is a minor problem is one of the last refuges available to the rundown Mentor.
He doesn't want to consider going on leave. He wants to continue living like nothing is too steep a demand for him until one morning, he just doesn't wake up. But the question about his Avoxed parents brings him back and gets his attention. The fact that Quintus called them "his parents" alone is dangerous; it means that the connection hasn't only been noticed, but it's been assumed that Linden thinks more of them than he would any pair of Avoxes. Avoiding that assumption was one very large reason he had them assigned to 9 instead of 6 once he managed to bribe Jason into giving them up.
When he speaks, his throat sounds slightly raw. "Yes. What does it matter?" he mumbles.
no subject
He doesn't want to consider going on leave. He wants to continue living like nothing is too steep a demand for him until one morning, he just doesn't wake up. But the question about his Avoxed parents brings him back and gets his attention. The fact that Quintus called them "his parents" alone is dangerous; it means that the connection hasn't only been noticed, but it's been assumed that Linden thinks more of them than he would any pair of Avoxes. Avoiding that assumption was one very large reason he had them assigned to 9 instead of 6 once he managed to bribe Jason into giving them up.
When he speaks, his throat sounds slightly raw. "Yes. What does it matter?" he mumbles.