We are the Nobodies.

It surprised Larkin when his hand was taken from him, put back against the face that he so enjoyed to touch. It was a moment before he could grasp what the boy was doing. But he knew behind that face was the mind that held the truth: he had seen the way it angered Larkin to be rejected so, afraid he’d be tossed aside now that his purpose had been served, and it had, mostly. Larkin was just greedy and hungry enough for something different that he might keep Tic, and, maybe, discover what sort of power the boy was harboring inside of him.

Larkin took his hand from the boy’s cheek, after pretending to be surprised just for a longer touch. Not that Larkin needed this as a reason to touch Tic. He could touch the boy whenever he wanted to, but he could not let on that there was a certain irresistibility Tic had over him. Even though there wasn’t much point to Larkin’s game now, he played it and would continue to play until he had lost interest, or simply won and there would be no more to play for.

He patted Tic’s cheek gently, dismissing the affection as something else, and went behind the desk, taking his seat once again. He reached over, taking the map in his hands and staring hard at it. It was funny where these marks were - not places he would expect rebels to hide. Maybe he still had a reason to keep Tic; the boy may have been lying to him or simply not telling him everything he needed to know to get to the Sink. Yes, he’d have to make it clear that there would be no lying whatsoever to him.

“For my sake, as well as your own and that girl’s, you had better not be lying,” he said, rolling the map and slipping a ribbon around it, then tying and placing it into a drawer. Larkin locked the drawer and put the very tiny key into a safe place beneath his shirt. Then, he stared across at the tear stained face in front of him. “I don’t like to be deceived,” he said, just barely hinting at the way Tic feigned need for touch, “but… I can distinguish between the good lies and the bad lies. Some people simply do not need to be told… certain things.”