his help as badly as she had, he didn't have any choice but to
try giving it, even though he wasn't sure he could endure such surgery
again.

That lack of choice was even more emphatic since the ones needing his
help included his Family. He had to submit to that surgery, endure it
to the best of his ability, and pray he'd have the strength to survive
it.

Live or die, he thought grimly, he'd be losing those he deeply
loved--and he wasn't sure whether he should indulge himself, tell them
all goodbye, or if it would be better to just go ahead and do it. That
decision could wait, though; he didn't want it to be obvious he hadn't
slept or--yet--that he was bracing himself to leave. He had just about
time to clean up and say Mass before he'd have to go in to breakfast.

* * * * *

Odeon removed his stole and kissed it, then folded it and put it in his
tunic pocket. Saying Mass had helped more than he'd expected; he was
feeling somewhere between resigned and serene when he went to the
dining room for breakfast. He'd also decided or been guided, he wasn't
sure, that since he was going to go, he might as well get it over with.
Brief goodbyes after breakfast, then ask the Protector to make the
necessary changes.

Fortunately for his peace of mind, he thought, the children weren't
there--maybe deliberately, because the Family's expressions told him
they knew something was going on. And, to his surprise, the new
Protector was sitting between Joanie and Jim, his plate holding more
food than Odeon would've thought reasonable for someone his size--if an
Aspect of God had to eat at all. Still, Jeshua had . . .

As Odeon sat down and began filling his own plate, Keith chuckled. "As
long as I'm in body," he said, "I do have to eat. And a Sandeman
warrior has a pretty high metabolic rate, so I have to eat a lot. Yes,
your Family knows what you've decided to do, and that you made that
decision primarily to help them. They also know I won't hurt you in
the slightest. We'll take care of it after breakfast, as you're
thinking. All right?"

"As you will it, Lord."

Keith grinned. "Better start getting used to giving orders instead of
taking them, Michael. Do you want just the abilities, or the mind-set
as well?"

Odeon tried to return the smile, but was sure it came out more like the
grimace he really felt. "I don't think you need to ask, Lord
Protector. If I'm going to do it, I'll do it