Isaac picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hi, is Taylor there?"
"Uhh, may I ask who's calling?"
"Sorry. It's Tanya."
"Oh, Tanya! Sorry, I didn't recongnise your voice."
"That's okay. May I speak to Taylor please?"
"Sure, I'll go grab him for you. Just a sec..."
"Thanks."
Isaac put the line on hold and trotted up to Taylor's room and knocked on the door.
"Tay? Tanya's on the phone for you."
Taylor
"Thanks dude," Taylor called back, before picking up the line in his room and pressing the hold button.
"Tanya, hi."
Tanya
"Hi Taylor," Tanya said warmly.
She figured she may as well get straight to the point.
"I'm calling about Blaksley's trial."
Taylor
Taylor dropped the pen he'd been holding, before quickly pulling himself together.
"Ah... yeah?" his eyebrows rose as he ran his fingers through his fringe.
"So they're... being organised... yes?"
Tanya
"Yes," Tanya confirmed. "They'll be held next month. You'll probably get an official subpoena in the mail in the next few days, but I thought I would give you the heads up. They're not going to have Blaksley in the same room when it's your turn to share your testimony."
Taylor
"Thankyou," Taylor breathed, looking to the ceiling.
"Thankyou. Thanks... Tanya. So all the details will be in writing? Or is there more to it?"
He scratched his head.
Tanya
"Yeah, all the details will be in writing," Tanya confirmed. "Not much more to it than that. Thanks for helping to bring him in though."
Taylor
"It wasn't really anything to do with me," Taylor shrugged.
"I was only there in case something went wrong, and... obviously it didn't."
Tanya
"Nonetheless, you went, prepared, just in case," Tanya pointed out. "Just because you're the backup doesn't mean that you weren't contributing."
Taylor
"Well... I guess... but I still didn't do anything so I don't see that I should be thanked. It was all..." Taylor paused.
"It was all Chris. And I am beyond in his debt for this."
Tanya
"Hmph, you're not the only one," Tanya replied. "And I plan to make sure that YIRAAS recognises his efforts."
She was determined to do everything in her power to improve his reputation with the YIRAAS.
Taylor
"Thankyou," Taylor said softly.
"I just hope it isn't too late. To change peoples minds. He's done a lot of good lately... of course I don't know what else he gets up to, but he can't have done much because he's been in training. Before that I don't remember the last time he wasn't being held by someone."
Tanya
"I know," Tanya said. "And it's not going to be easy - there are some people who are going to say that the bad things in his file is will never be over come by any number of good things he does. We can only hope."
Taylor
"Surely there'd be some lenience in what Craig did to him?" Taylor shook his head.
"I mean how often do sex offenders practically get off because they were abused themselves?"
Tanya
"I think that's the only reason why there's only a rehab warrant on his and not a death warrant," Tanya replied. " 'I was raised by the devil' only gets you off so much."
Taylor
"Have you seen the pendant that Craig gave him?" Taylor asked suddenly.
"When he wears it, he's like a completely different person. I keep wondering if it was just another way for Craig to keep his hold on him, but Christian is desperate to get it back."
Tanya
Tanya frowned.
"Spider pendant? No I..." she began, "No, wait, I think I have. Yes, I seem to remember Craig making it."
Taylor
"I don't know much about it," Taylor shook his head.
"Just that it's pretty powerful. It's something like four inches long and two or three wide... huge red stone in its back. I'm guessing that's where whatever's in it comes from."
Tanya
"Red..." Tanya repeated. "Except it's black when he doesn't have it." She remembered it clearly now. How could she have forgotten? Craig had needed her help making it, and she had given that help freely. At the time she thought that there would be no need for the pendant - that they would have brought Craig in long before it would be passed onto Christian.
Taylor
"Really?"
Taylor thought that over for a moment.
"So... you know it then. Ah... Blakesley took it form him when we last went in, and he hasn't seen it since. Apparently the God has it."
He refused to say her name out loud, just in case.
Tanya
"Well, I doubt it would do her any good," Tanya said. "It would be coded just for Christian. Well, I suppose there's always the possibility that - being of a different nature, she may be able to hack into it, but still."
Taylor
Taylor hesitated with a frown.
"And I don't know whether that'd be a good thing or a bad thing," he admitted before glancing at his watch.
"Sorry to keep you like this. I'll be up next week or so for my treatment."
Tanya
"I'm not sure either," Tanya agreed. "Well, it's fine Taylor, I don't mind talking to you. See you then."
Taylor
"Thankyou for letting me know," Taylor added before they said their goodbyes.