But Tay did not back down from his pretense of stony calm.
“No,” he refused flatly.
“Give me back my job, Taris! You have to! It’s written here in black and white,” Mishi jabbed her finger angrily into the folder. “Why did we even write it down, then?! You promised me!”
“I know.”
“Then keep your word!”
“No.”
“No?!” Mishi fumed. “You’re just saying that?! You can’t just change everything on the last day!”
“I can,” he said. And to her resistance he added dryly, “It’s my office. You can sue me over that agreement if you want, but I simply won’t take you back.”
“You simply won’t take me back…” Mishi couldn’t comprehend it and braced herself against the couch. “Well, that’s wonderful of you… that’s what I get for helping you…”
Tay quietly let her jabs pass and didn’t provoke her further. He let her rage subside into pained disappointment. When she looked as if she might start crying, he said calmly:
“I found you a nice clinic in Jordin. It’s a small chateau in the mountains. Forests all around, no people, huge gardens… they’ll take care of you there.”
Mishi lifted a wounded look to him.
“Take care of yourself,” he whispered gently, almost as if begging her.
“I don’t want to take care of myself,” she refused. “I want to go back to the palace. I want to sit there again, Tay.”
“You won’t be an assistant, Mishi,” he said, displeased.
“It’s my decision! I want to come back!” she flared up again.
“No.”
“How NO?!”
“No means no! You’re simply not going there!” Tay cut it off definitively. “You won’t be a stupid assistant, Mishi!”
That stopped her. Since when was her position as his assistant stupid?
Tay fell silent again and, worn down by the futile argument, rubbed his forehead.
“Yes, you’re missed there,” he admitted after a moment, “and I wish those three good-for-nothings could handle at least half of what you can, but… I don’t want you there as my assistant.
Above all, you’re seriously ill—realize that! Even with treatment, you won’t be here until retirement. Why do you keep acting as if you have all the time in the world?! You only have a few extra years; you can have anything, so come up with something you’ll enjoy and that won’t wear you down! The palace is nothing but nerves, and you shouldn’t be putting that kind of strain on yourself at all!
But even if you were healthy, you simply don’t belong there. This isn’t work for you, Mishi. I understand that you want to help me, but I couldn’t stand watching you do something there that doesn’t value you at all… You’re worth more, so don’t play dumb with me and pretend you don’t know it and desperately want to work there!”