No, he thinks, almost bitterly. If it were possible for Alecto to displease him for any significant length of time - their small disagreements about household management and Avery's education were nothing really, in the grand scheme of things - perhaps the mere prospect of losing him - maybe even losing Avery - wouldn't terrify Joshua to this degree.
He recalls the early years of their acquaintance now, his hurried reframing of what Nathaniel had done, had been like, in light of Alecto's revelations. How offended Josh had been at the prospect of trapping a selkie on land, denying such a vital part of his existence, out of selfishness and pride of possession. How adamant he had been at the time that he would never do such a thing, that he would simply help, that things would be cleared up quickly so Alecto could be free again.
He - hadn't, actually, done what Nathaniel had done. But how convenient it was, that he'd been able to reap the benefits of that original crime, without ever getting his own hands dirty.
But he knew he was getting close to it now, even just in his thoughts, simply by maintaining silence.
"It'll be a little farther than usual, probably six days in total," he explains, naming the shared location of the bank and the headquarters of the law firm. "It's almost a three day trip, one way." He pulls Alecto close again, suddenly unable to bear even the slightest prospect of separation. He could wait - he thinks - send everything out by post, wait in place for the answers to come eventually, at the mercy of the mail service. He could - linger in ignorance, in the sweetness of their time together, storing up memories for the inevitable absence.
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He recalls the early years of their acquaintance now, his hurried reframing of what Nathaniel had done, had been like, in light of Alecto's revelations. How offended Josh had been at the prospect of trapping a selkie on land, denying such a vital part of his existence, out of selfishness and pride of possession. How adamant he had been at the time that he would never do such a thing, that he would simply help, that things would be cleared up quickly so Alecto could be free again.
He - hadn't, actually, done what Nathaniel had done. But how convenient it was, that he'd been able to reap the benefits of that original crime, without ever getting his own hands dirty.
But he knew he was getting close to it now, even just in his thoughts, simply by maintaining silence.
"It'll be a little farther than usual, probably six days in total," he explains, naming the shared location of the bank and the headquarters of the law firm. "It's almost a three day trip, one way." He pulls Alecto close again, suddenly unable to bear even the slightest prospect of separation. He could wait - he thinks - send everything out by post, wait in place for the answers to come eventually, at the mercy of the mail service. He could - linger in ignorance, in the sweetness of their time together, storing up memories for the inevitable absence.
"I'll be leaving the day after tomorrow."