The light of comprehension dawned in her eyes. “I am beginning to see why he insisted on privacy for your conversation.” It was a fact to her, a piece of a puzzle found, and nothing more.

Now I laughed. “He said you'd say something like that, and maybe I'm just a wimp that's too afraid to actually off herself, but when he put it like that . . .” I shrugged. “I told him I'd try my best. I mean I can always change my mind later, right? Hard to change your mind after you've killed yourself.”

“True,” she agreed.

“So I figured it's not a bad idea to try my best at living first. Heck, I even promised him.”

One of her delicate eyebrows arched, and I got the feeling she thought I was missing something. “Did you now?” she asked, sounding amused.

I nodded. “Yep. No promises beyond that because it occurred to me that a promise to an 'incarnation of Justice' might turn out to be more binding than I'd like down the line,” I said with a grin. “Just that I'd try my best.”

As simple as that.

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