After calling the number on the card Cordell gave us, we were allowed just enough time to change out of our costumes into normal clothes. All of us ended up bringing our bags into the hotel room since we didn’t know how long we were going to be debating the whole matter. The stern-faced bald man who immediately appeared didn’t allow any of us to leave the room to change, so we had to do a lot of girls and boys turning their backs toward each other while we undressed. The ladies weren’t thrilled that the teleporter constantly kept everyone in his sight while we changed, their grumbles and protests were met by an uncaring and cold silence. The guy didn’t have any eyebrows, and Lizzy made sure we all knew it with the jabs she threw at him.
At least Val got to keep her sword on her. Her having her weapon made me feel a lot safer. She was the only girl changing out of her costume who didn’t throw jabs or barbs at Baldy either. With her height, muscular frame, sword, and Anomaly, she didn’t need things like verbal insults to get under someone’s skin, if one could even get under Baldy’s skin.
The instant we were all dressed back in normal clothes, we were transported to a huge chamber in what was either a cave or a mountain, leaving only Shelly and Megan behind. Disoriented for a moment, I looked up at the spacious area above my head. Gray stone curved and came together in a dome above us, completely smooth and void of any imperfection. The air was dry and a little chilly, not humid and damp like I recalled the cave leading to the Tomb being. Looking around more, I discovered half a dozen pathways lit by torches, three on each side of me. The dancing flames only illuminated so much, so I didn’t waste more time trying to peer down the halls. Instead, I focused on the five stone chairs, each seating a person wearing a white cloak and a skull mask. In the center, the largest stone chair was home to the only one without a mask, our great friend Cordell.
“Welcome to the home of the White-Cloaked Sentinels!” He stood up and clapped for his guests. “It’s a pleasure to see all of you again.”
The uneasy feelings I had for the guy returned in full force. Since we were technically their guests, I didn’t put up a barrier between the two of us like I did on the yacht. I didn’t know the temperament of his colleagues, how powerful they were, or what they could do. I just assumed they all had powers that were significant enough to be useful to Cordell, and that was enough to keep me on my best behavior in their home.
Besides the unease I got when Cordell spoke, I immediately felt another strange sensation. It was warm and beckoning. It was walking into my heated home after being outside on a cold winter’s day. It was getting the softest hug from my mother after she baked brownies for the entire family. It was the jubilation of getting out of school to start the sweet freedom of summer break. Through the mess in my head, I could distinctly hear a woman’s soft singing, calling me closer to...somewhere. Somewhere nearby in whatever strange structure we were in. The sound—the feeling—was everywhere, at war with the revolt and fear that Cordell filled me with.
“That look on your face...you hear it, don’t you?” Cordell asked. He slowly walked up to me, his eyes narrowed into slits. It took every bit of strength, willpower, and restraint I had to not try and blast the guy away or throw a Shimmer-Spear at him. Stiff as a statue, I let him walk up to me, making sure to keep all my senses alert. “Answer me, young man. I had the same reaction as you when I first walked this great chamber. You can hear the Spheresong, can’t you?”
“The what?” I hissed through clenched teeth. I tightened my hands into fists involuntarily. It was hard not to take a swing at him. His talking was getting in the way of the beautiful music that I heard.
“Ah, you’ll learn in time. It’s unimportant right now.” Cordell shook his head and turned to the rest of the group. “Can the rest of you hear it?”
To my surprise, everyone in the group agreed they could hear something with varying degrees of success. No two people seemed to react to the sounds the same way. Alex and Lori could barely hear anything and couldn’t determine what it was exactly. Lizzy heard some rhythmic music that she claimed reminded her of a prom night. Val heard her friend that McLeod killed in her youth. Everyone else confirmed what they heard at the same time, so I couldn’t make out what they all said with everyone succeeding at talking over each other.
“Does it beckon to you? It has almost a physical pull, does it not?” No one else said anything, so I felt compelled to nod my head and admit that it was actually calling to me. “Good. Hearing it is the most important part, but the allure of the Spheresong is reserved for, ah, a special kind of individual. Its intoxicating calls to dance cannot be denied for long, Ethan. Perhaps later I’ll show it to you.”
“Show what to me?” The singing in my head died down somewhat, so I was able to relax my body in response. Cordell still made me sick, but the warmth from the song, or whatever he called it, had made me feel better. Better enough that I didn’t feel the need to impale the man who was standing in front of me.
“It’s a part of you. A part of everyone in this room. It’s a part of even those who cannot hear its call. It’s a part of every tree, rock, blade of grass, and ounce of water that calls this planet home. It’s why we all stand here today.” Cordell spoke of this thing like it was his wife or his children. No, he spoke of it like it was a deity he worshipped. He glowed with pride and awe about this thing like he was in the presence of said deity. “Soon I’ll show you. Not yet, but soon. Being in its presence alone would make standing in a magnificent city of gold feel like you were standing among cardboard cutouts masquerading as buildings.”
Why did he have to be completely weird and cryptic on top of being untrustworthy? That last bit didn’t even make a lick of sense to me.
“Anyway, there’ll be time for all that later,” he said, drifting back toward his throne. Around him, the other Sentinels only stirred when beckoned to. “Come, come. Introduce yourselves to our guests. Why don’t you give them a little taste of what you’re capable of?”
The one on my far left slowly stood up and removed their mask, revealing a man who had the exact same skin complexion and hair color as Cordell. The only thing that set him apart was that he had the wrinkled face of a middle-aged man. With a blank look in his eyes, he lifted his hands out in front of him. In seconds, the most intricate crystal sculpture of a deer I’d ever seen was built between us. A beautiful black-purple creation, reminding me of my own Shimmer creations. It wasn’t until I touched it that I realized it was ice, not crystal, my fingertips stinging under the cold burn of the sculpture. The man’s only reaction to me touching it was a slow, uncoordinated bow, followed by sitting back in his chair. “I’m Ordosi.”
The next one did something similar. They stood up and removed their mask to reveal a teenage boy, easily younger than myself. Like Ordosi, he had the same complexion and hair color as Cordell. When he lifted his hands, a bunch of multicolored coral of various shapes, sizes, and textures erupted from the ground beneath his feet. It was a display equally as beautiful as Ordosi’s. Like the older man, he sat back down and flatly told us his name, “Devon.”
Next up was a girl around Lori’s age. Pattern recognition told me that she’d have a pale face and dark hair too, and as usual, I was completely right. A maelstrom of lava and burning rock enveloped her, leaving only her dull, empty eyes staring out. Just as quickly as it appeared, the lava and rock vanished into nothing. It was faster than I would have been able to break down one of my Shimmer weapons. “Paritry,” she mumbled, planting herself back in her seat.
The last one was a woman around Abigail’s age. Unlike the others, her power didn’t have anything to do with nature, and it took longer to show us. There was a light rumbling in the corridors around us before dozens of faceless mannequins burst out. Some had limbs that were segmented, with some kind of string or rope holding the parts together, hanging loosely at their sides. A few of them dug their fingers into the smooth wall and climbed up to the ceiling, looking down at us. Even without eyes, I could tell they were able to see us. “Cregene.”
“Some creative names there,” Alex said, poking at one of the mannequins without any unease. It moved from his touch but didn’t react in any other way. Somehow, that felt worse than if it sprang up and punched him in the face. With a simple flick of Cregene’s wrist, all of the mannequins ran off through the corridors. “Ain’t Cregene a toothpaste or something?”
“Well, what can I say? We’re a creative bunch! It makes sense they’d want to use the names of greatness for mundane products. Everyone’s more than a little tired from planning the party, so you’ll have to excuse their antisocial behavior.” Cordell sighed and looked at his companions like a disappointed father. “They’ll be in better shape tomorrow.”
“Yeah, okay, right. Any reason why they all just happen to have your exact same skin and hair colors?” Lori knew something was weird about that too. Even though it was obvious to anyone looking, I was glad I wasn’t alone in noticing.
“I know that you all must be exhausted,” Cordell said, completely ignoring Lori. “Why don’t we have a nice night of rest and we can talk about it tomorrow morning?”
“Absolutely not,” I said, crossing my arms. “We came here to form an alliance with you against a threat. We did not come here for a sleepover.”
“Well, if you’d like to leave, the door is right behind you.” Cordell sent one of his metal cables past me to a massive set of wooden doors. With a little bit of effort, he opened the door to reveal a nasty snowstorm, frozen wind piercing the chamber we stood in. I beat down the urge to shiver and show weakness. More concerning than the snowstorm was the fact that I couldn’t see any ground outside the door, which sold me on the idea that we were in a mountain. “Any takers?”
When no one budged, Cordell laughed and slammed the doors. Warmth immediately returned to the chamber, unnaturally fast, and I knew the warm and welcoming feeling was just to disguise whatever this bastard had planned for us. A surge of anger ran through me right then. We really all agreed to try and partner with this guy, and it had us trapped in a damn mountain. Maybe Shelly was right about us just being kids. Stupid kids who had no idea what they were doing, all following a desperate woman looking to avenge her husband and son.
“Walk this way, I’ll show you to your rooms. I know you’re all tired.” Nothing like a snake leading us to an enclosed area with no easy way of escape to help us get to sleep.
A miserable night of sleep in a situation I hated made for one grouchy Ethan. Rebecca was apologizing for voting to bring us every time I tossed or turned. It didn’t matter since I wasn’t mad at her. I wasn’t mad at any of my friends. They all made a call they thought was for the best, and more than that, it was done. Being angry at my friends wasn’t going to get us anywhere good. If I had grievances to air, there would be a place to do it, and that place wasn’t inside of a damn mountain.
Even outside of everything I already knew about Cordell, I hated him. Hated him beyond what was rational. I felt like Lori when she had one of her swings of intense anger, but this wasn’t fading after a little while. I woke up stiff and sore, despite the exceptionally comfortable bed Rebecca and I shared. I woke up angry, too. I made sure to turn my head to get my glaring out of the way. Rebecca was upset enough with herself for the both of us. She didn’t need my random bouts of anger to make her feel even worse.
There was a trunk at the foot of our bed, two outfits for us to wear were laid out, so at least we got to change into something fresh. There was no bathroom where we slept, so we had to change our clothes with our backs toward each other. I thought that part was a little cute. It was like we were both shy, nervous teenagers—which I was—and we were trying to work around being awkward. After throwing on my shirt, I heard Rebecca let out a deep sigh, and almost turned around on instinct. I managed to stop myself, almost regretting it, but not wanting to feel like I invaded her trust and privacy either.
“I’m so sorry for bringing us here,” she said, opening the day on just a cheery note.
“I’m not mad at you, honey dearest,” I said, trying to add some sickening sweetness to my voice to make her laugh. And it was the truth. I wasn’t mad at her, but she didn’t seem to believe it, so I tried to stay lighthearted. “I’m mad at the cable guy, that's for sure. Seriously, only one show on this thing? I thought we were some kind of big shots around here.”
I gestured to the window above us that I had noticed when we went to bed, pretending to be unimpressed. It managed to stay free of any snow, giving us a beautiful, unobstructed view of the sky. Looking out at the window on the wall, it left no doubt in my mind that we were staying in a mountain, our room over a particularly nasty-looking sheer drop down to jagged rock and ice. The sun was out and reflected harshly off the snow that was at least a couple hundred feet below us. Unless we could tie every bed sheet on Earth together to form a long rope, there was no easy way off the mountain from our room.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
“It is kind of beautiful, isn’t it? I’ve never seen anything like it.” Rebecca's voice sounded far away. She was rubbing at the marks on her hands. I wondered how much she resented her powers, especially in that moment. I didn’t have the nerve to ask her, and again, I didn’t want her to feel worse about herself. If we got through everything in one piece, I decided I would ask. If we could create a world where she didn’t have to be a pawn in anyone’s game and didn’t feel like her Anomalies defined her in the eyes of others.
Instead, to offer some silent comfort, I wrapped my arms around her in a tight hug. I was hers and I was with her. I supported her decisions and how she felt about them, even if she was regretting her vote. It wasn’t going to hurt me, hurt how I thought about her, or hurt our relationship. Those were all things I wanted to tell her, so I hoped my feelings could come through in the embrace. From the way she put her face against my shoulder and seemed to ease up against me, I thought I did an adequate job wordlessly telling her how I felt.
“I’m sor-”
“Shush.” I put a hand on her head and ran it down over her silky red hair. My other hand rubs small circles over her back. “We’re here. I’m not holding it against anyone, least of all you. You’re the one who they’re obsessed over, not me. No more apologies, okay? We’re going to get through this and do our best with what we have.”
“But-”
“They were going to find us anyway,” I said, feeling bad for the interruptions she honestly needed. “If they knew who we were, they would find a way to get to us if they truly wanted to. If anything, this saves time and cuts out the middleman. I know you’re going to feel bad, so I won’t tell you to stop. Just know I’m not mad at you or our friends. I am mad at Cordell for making moves on my girl, though.”
She pulled back, grinning at me with a twinkle in her green eyes. “Oh, so I’m your girl now?”
I shrug, trying to look indifferent. “We share the same bed and take care of the same kid. We’re basically in the weirdest non-married marriage ever.”
The idea of marriage did...something to her expression. I couldn’t quite read it. It almost made me regret saying it. I hadn’t even been thinking properly when I did say it. It wasn’t like I had proposed. It wasn’t like we’d truly discussed being married together. I wanted to slap my palm against my forehead. Marriage was a huge deal to women, right? Weren’t they looking for The One when they got into relationships with guys?
After a few seconds of awkward silence, she giggled, releasing me from the tightness in my chest. “You know, it is kind of like that, isn’t it? I think our romance roadmap is a little all over the place, covered with scribbles and bad directions, with a bunch of detours and scenic routes taken.”
“It’s been a weird journey, that’s for sure,” I agreed. I pulled her back in the hug, placing my chin on the top of her head. “I guess we should go hunt for our friends and see what these weirdos have planned for us today.”
Rebecca nodded, breaking the hug again. She slipped her hand in mine as we went through the hall Cordell brought us through the night before. Knowing it was bright out, the darkness of the halls seemed eerie. Shivers not born from the cold outside ran up my spine. Something had to have been watching me. No shadowy figures popped out at me like they did when I was still under the influence of my parents’ murderer’s Anomaly. It was something different. I was a lab rat being forced to go through a tunnel in a labyrinth, only I knew there wouldn’t be a treat or a reward waiting at the end of it. Maybe like a good little rat, I shook off my fear, squeezed my girlfriend’s hand, and pushed forward.
There was an absolute feast—and a table that hadn’t been there the night prior—in the main chamber. Lori and Alex were already there, eating away, though with some unease on their faces. Alex was inhaling anything he could find, but Lori only took small nibbles, like she was scared the next bite of food would bite back. When Rebecca and I sat down to join them, the others in our little group weren’t far behind. Most of us were hesitant to eat anything given to us by these guys. We didn’t know what might be poisoned or what might have something worse in it. Sadly, hunger was the second hardest opponent to defeat, behind only Father Time. It wasn’t long before we were all eating at least a little bit of all the food in front of us.
“How is everything? I put a lot of effort into it.” Cregene appeared by the table, slipping by all of us like Cordell had the night before. Her hair and skin were still the same as Cordell’s. The difference came in her eyes. Her eyes were much livelier, and there was a noticeable pep to her movements. Even her white cloak seemed to move with more life. She was a far cry from the woman who was a step above a zombie just a single sleep before.
“It’s good,” I admitted, taking a bite out of the best flaky biscuit I’d ever had the fortune of eating. Even my mom’s cooking couldn’t have held a candle to it. “It’s a shame about our hosts.”
“I’m sorry about last night. A lot of things happened and we were so tired. Planning those yacht parties takes a lot out of us.” Cregene shifted uncomfortably before pouring Lizzy a glass of orange juice. The expression on her face bordered on being pained. Was she hurting? Was it the mess of the yacht party coupled with putting together a feast? “Please, enjoy. If you need anything, just call. I won’t be far behind.”
I couldn’t imagine any of them would be far behind one another. They gave me the creeps, and that wasn’t just the pale skin and dark hair combo. It dawned on me that she could have been watching me in the hall before I made my way to the table. The food suddenly didn’t look as appetizing as it originally did, so I tried to find some positivity in the scenery.
The table and chairs were extraordinary. They were something that only the finest royalty could use for dining many centuries ago. Looking at them—touching them—I could tell they had stories to tell. They were objects with personality. And yet, they were the only things in the chamber, not counting the Sentinels’ seats and the torches. It was almost disappointing. They went through the whole process of giving us a grand feast with nothing else to look at. Five stars for the food, until I got creeped out and didn’t want another bite. Two stars for the atmosphere, and a fat negative five stars for the service.
I felt a bit off. The circumstances of our stay weren’t pleasant, sure, but the thing that bothered me the most was the lack of conversation. Despite the yummy food, no one was saying a damn word. It was driving me up a wall. We weren’t discussing any strategy or any negotiation tactics. We had just come from a costume party and most of us were eating like kings and queens, getting nothing done while each passing second meant the world was a little closer to McLeod’s next attack. I was getting into my own head with that one, making myself more pissed off. I just couldn’t help it. There was so much agitation in me.
When we all finished our meals, Cordell just happened to slither out from the same corridor that Cregene vanished down. Nothing was a coincidence with him, everything was a calculated maneuver. We all had to play his stupid game. When he stood at an empty part of the table, he put his hands down, leaning over excitedly. In that one instance, he was like an adorable puppy, genuinely excited. If he could have just been like that all the time, I would have been fine. But no, we were stuck with the weird dude. Maybe it was for the best he didn’t put on a trustworthy act.
“As a show of good faith, I’ll show Ethan the most valuable object on this planet.” His eyes sparkled. In the distance, the warm singing enveloped me, making everything just perfect for a single moment. Of course, he just had to ruin the beautiful moment for me. “I understand that you have your doubts about me and about my friends. I shouldn’t have acted the way I did on the yacht, and I am truly sorry. I promise, what I’m about to show you will make all of that seem like a speck of dust floating by in the wind with how insignificant it was.”
I rolled my eyes, not buying his nonsense, despite the song in my ears telling me otherwise. The singing might’ve been the greatest thing in the world. “Okay, why just me? Let my friends see it too.”
“Patience, young man. There will be time for all of you. You are the one who has the most rage inside. Among you, you’re the one it calls to the most. The intimacy of this meeting shouldn’t be spoiled by a crowd.”
Back to his stupid cryptic nonsense again. He was right about me getting pissed. With a huff, I pushed my seat out as loud as I possibly could, just about the only act of defiance I could get away with. I hoped it scratched his stupid floor. The smart part of my brain was pleading with me to bring someone else, the intoxication of the song overruling that smart part of my brain. Slipping in my ears, it promised me that everything was going to be fine and it was excited to see me. Something was strange about it, though not unwelcome. I knew I wouldn’t be able to resist the offer for long.
Wordlessly, Cordell took me through the far-right corridor from the entrance. No one followed us. The light sounds of friendly chatter soon vanished when we got far enough away. Someone could have heard if I yelled, but it would have taken more than a few seconds to get to me. Through the lovely song in my head, I focused on how far away I was getting from my friends.
Cordell wasn’t aggressive in his body language. To the contrary, he was almost skipping like a giddy little schoolgirl. Even if he wanted to manipulate my girlfriend’s power for his plans, he was genuinely thrilled to be taking me to this thing. After about a minute more of walking, we entered another chamber much like the first one we ate breakfast in. He made such a big deal about the whole thing that I was expecting something grand. Maybe trumpets and banners and another feast.
When I saw it, I was disappointed. It was a white sphere, slightly bigger than a volleyball, with thin lines running through it, cutting segments into its otherwise featureless body. The most remarkable thing about it was that it hovered a foot above a stone pedestal. The pedestal had a crescent shape cut into it, almost like it was evaporated away by the Sphere getting too close. It was a perfect crater, free of any blemish. A light radiated off the Sphere, dim, just enough to illuminate the immediate space around it. Torches in the darker areas did the rest of the job.
But the disappointment of the visual was nothing compared to what I heard. When I laid eyes on it, it felt like the Sphere had been awakened. I knew that the song was coming from it somehow wiggling inside my mind. I almost paused at how absurd it was. The floating ball in front of me was communicating with me directly in my brain. When I stood only feet away, I finally recognized the singing as my mother’s, one of the most joyous sounds I held onto from my childhood. Hearing it again, the wonderful sound trumped all the feelings of getting out of school early the song previously put in me.
“This is it, Ethan. This is the source. The very thing that pulls on my heart and makes me complete.” Cordell reached a hand out for only a second before stopping himself. His hand trembled before slowly going to his side. “The Spheresong brought me here, just like it brought you here. The intoxicating allure is too much for any mere man to withstand. It has been here long before my time, and it will remain long after I’m gone, the stories passed down to the next protectors, just as they were passed down to me.”
“It’s incredible.” My voice wavered and I felt like I was about to cry. Not from sadness or even joy, but from the fact that I knew I was staring at something incredible. Despite the simplicity of it being a floating orb, my brain was having trouble processing the whole thing. “What is it?”
“I don’t know,” Cordell admitted, deflating some of the awe that ballooned up inside of me. “As I said, it was here long before I was. I do not know what it is. I only know it is my duty to protect it.”
A sour note played in my head. The urge to rush over and coddle the Sphere ran over me. I had to force my body to stand still, despite the pleading honestly being too much to bear. I gritted my teeth so hard I was afraid they’d start to crack. Whatever I was feeling, Cordell wasn’t. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him staring at the Sphere with love in his eyes. No, not just love. Lust. He was looking at it the same way a lecherous perv would eye women in skimpy bikinis at the beach on a hot summer’s day.
And that infuriated me, so much so that I created a small Shimmer-Dagger in my left hand. Hidden at my side, Cordell didn’t see it, the light it gave off not enough to pull his eyes away. The Sphere played me a calming song, the same one my mother would use on me when I hurt myself and couldn’t stop crying. I noticed that there weren’t really words, only sounds that were vaguely similar to words. It was odd, almost alien, and it using my mom’s voice made it weirder. Using that, I calmed down and dissipated the dagger, stopping myself from getting into trouble.
“See, isn’t it better that you saw this alone? This is what being a White-Cloaked Sentinel offers. The greatest sense of protection and purpose.” Cordell wrapped an arm around me, snapping me out of the Sphere’s calming spell, nearly causing me to puke at the same time. The shift from its influence to going back to reality made me want to curl up on the cold ground beneath me. “Come, let’s tell your colleagues.”
They all looked surprised when they saw me, so something on my face or in my body language must have changed. I couldn’t help it. Every cell in my body wanted to touch the Sphere for whatever reason. I needed to, I just didn’t know how or even why. I could tell it needed...something. A hug? I wasn’t sure. With how Cordell looked at it, I didn’t think he’d take too kindly to someone else getting their mitts on it, especially since he had to restrain himself from doing it.
“Guys, it’s...” I struggled to find the right wording. “It’s incredible. I’m not sure what else to say other than it’s incredible. When you see it, you’ll find out. You’ll get why, I promise.”
I wasn’t trying to be vague like Cordell, not when I was just so frustrated by him. In my head, I legitimately couldn’t find the words I wanted to use to describe the sensations I felt. It was pretty easy to describe, honestly, but the brain of an overwhelmed eighteen-year-old boy isn’t always the best place to find eloquence. Because of that, everyone looked at me like I was just a little bit insane. Maybe I was. After all, I was hearing something that was almost my mom’s singing in my head. Generally, not a normal thing to hear in the presence of a volleyball.
“You all will get to see it in due time.” Cordell sat down at the table, folding his hands in front of his face. While everyone looked skeptical, no one was going to complain about the uplifted mood. “Here’s the part I know you won’t like. All of you can stay here, completely safe from the outside world, free of harm. Despite his power, this place is out of his limits. The only condition is you relinquish complete control of Rebecca to us. She becomes a full-fledged member of the White-Cloaked Sentinels.”
“No,” I said, quickly and flatly. “That’s not going to happen, so you need to stop asking. She isn’t just some object to ‘relinquish complete control’ of.”
“You say this, and yet you answer for her,” Cordell countered. “Are you not using her to stop McLeod? Is that not why you rescued her from the cave?”
“I...” I paused, struggling for a moment. Not because of his questions, those were stupid and easy to answer. None of them were the verbal traps he thought they were. I stopped because I did completely answer for her. If she wanted to end the whole thing enough to join them, what was I going to do to stop her? Quickly, I regained myself. “Fine, I answered for her, and that was wrong. But we didn’t even think she was a person when we first heard about her. The story was presented like she was an object. We rescued her because everything was chaos and she was the only good person there. She is not a pawn to be used by you. None of us are.”
“Apologies, I didn’t mean to offend.” Cordell put his hands up defensively, glancing in Rebecca’s direction. “My wording was poor, but I wanted to be blunt to clear up any misunderstandings before they arose. You all will know the greatest power you possibly could here. However, that is my condition, and it is non-negotiable. I’ll leave you all to discuss it and sleep on it tonight.”