The Last Days of Krypton - Kevin J. Anderson [66]
In a determined, almost scolding tone, Lara said, “Stop feeling sorry for yourself. That hurts me more than all of these cuts.” She held out her bandaged arms.
She took his hand again and led him across the grounds to where the dismantled fountain showed white marks, chips, and scratches from the flying debris. That fortunate barricade had saved both of their lives. Nearby, broken crystals, shattered mirrors, and fragmented components of the seismic scanner lay strewn across the scarred garden. “Study this. Find out what went wrong. I’m surprised the Sapphire Guards haven’t already taken every scrap.”
For her sake, he straightened. Had he made an error in his calculations? Had he assembled the pieces incorrectly? Was Kryptonian technology incompatible with the alien’s systems? Had the power conduits been insufficient to carry the load he had distributed into the scanner? He drew a breath as possibilities crossed his mind. “You’re right. I’m a scientist. I have to learn all I can while I still have the chance. I can solve the problem.”
“Yes, you can.”
He gazed at her, feeling a deeper emotion than he had ever experienced before. “I’m sorry, Lara. After all of my grandiose blueprints and prototypes, I intended to make something that would show the Council the urgent need to do something. I should not have been so impulsive.”
“Don’t be ashamed because you were enthusiastic and decisive. Being impulsive is not a bad thing at all. Even though a terrible accident happened, you’re still a good person—and I love you for it.” She smiled at him unabashedly, as if daring him to contradict her. “Yes, I do love you, and I think you feel the same about me. That’s why we need to make some good come out of this.”
He blinked at the realization and then couldn’t stop himself from smiling. “Yes, Lara. I love you. There’s absolutely no question in my mind, even under these circumstances.” He stopped, then looked at her with an intensity that surprised even him. She had encouraged him to be impulsive, and so he plunged ahead in a rush of words without pausing to think. “In my dedication to my work, I sometimes forget what I need most—like sleep and food and…you. It’s been hard for me to stop thinking about you for quite some time. Lara…I want to be your husband, and I want you to be my wife.”
Jor-El could not breathe for several seconds, and he turned away, his thoughts spinning, his heart pounding. Suddenly he realized that he was being incredibly selfish to ask. He was in disgrace, and the Council could very well sentence him to permanent imprisonment. How could he ask her to make such a sacrifice?
He realized that she was smiling. “It’s about time you asked. I can help you get through this crisis—and everything afterward.” She slipped her arms around him.
He looked all around him, indicated the wreck of the seismic scanner as if that symbolized the magnitude of his crashing dishonor. “I can’t let you be dragged down with me.”
“Then I’ll have to keep you from being dragged down, won’t I? If I’m at your side, I can help hold you up.”
Jor-El hugged her for a long moment. He knew she would do exactly that. Just by looking at her, he could tell Lara was sincere. Marrying her was truly what he wanted. And it was what she wanted, too.
CHAPTER 28
Xan City was a metropolis of ghosts and ruins and forgotten lives. Aethyr drank in the lost wonders with her dark eyes and painted in details with the brush of her imagination.