Hugh heard Tanya arrived back home and took a deep breath.
He couldn't believe he was about to do this. If you had told him a year or two ago he would do this he would have called you a filthy liar and denounced as a traitor or enemy of the state. In Semirellian of course.
"Tanya?" he asked tentatively. "Can... can I talk to you for a second?"
Tanya looked up from putting her things on the table.
"Sure," she replied, and gestured to the lounge.
The two sat down, but Hugh immediately stood up again. He was far to aggitated to just sit still.
"I umm... yesterday I... I was... approached by... by a member of the SPM."
Tanya sat stock still for a moment, then slowly nodded her head.
"Go on," she said calmly.
"Well, I... they... he thinks that I'm being opportunistic and getting further telepathic training from you before returning back to the base."
"I see."
"He's going to tell them I'm here. And... and I asked if he could get a message to my dad for me..." Hugh swallowed. "Look, I... I'm not... I'm not sure I want to go back. I'm not going to betray them either, mind you. I know you think they've been lying to me about who the real Semirellian King is, and I don't know, maybe they are, maybe they're not. What I do know is this: I like it out here. I like wood working, and they would never let me do that back at the base. I like taking Ga'Revali classes and as insane as it sounds I even like playing basketball. I would never, ever get to do any of these things back there. I feel like for the first time in my life I'm actually able to accomplish things! The only things back there... my family and my... umm... yeah..."
Hugh actually looked a little embarrassed as he thought about the promised human slave he was to receive on his 16th birthday. Now that really startled him - being embarrassed about something he had only a year ago considered his due.
Tanya nodded slowly.
"Well, thank you for telling me, Hugh," she said. "I know it must have been difficult for you."
"I'm not betraying them," Hugh insisted.
"Of course not," Tanya agreed. "And I apprecite the trust you've shown in me by coming to me with this. I know it must have been difficult for you to be presented with a way home - and probably very tempting too."
There was silence for a moment.
"May... may I write a letter to my dad?"
Tanya nodded slowly.
"Just... let me read it first," she said. "I apologise if that seems like an invasion of privacy, but with you right out of rehab..."
"You don't trust me."
"Ha!" Tanya grinned at him. "I trust you well enough, Hugh. It's not a trust issue, however, so much as it is a security one and certain people who shall remain nameless will have my head if I let you send out unsolicited mail, as it were."
Hugh nodded, accepting this explantion, and shrugged.
"I have to censor it anyway," he said sadly. "Otherwise Dad might just get the idea I'm enjoying myself here."
"Can't have that now, can we?"