Stefan frowned.
"It always pays to look up, little brother," advised a charming voice above him, and then Damon, who had been clinging to the tree like a lizard, did a forward flip and landed on Stefan's branch.
Stefan said nothing, merely examining his older brother. At last he said, "You're in good spirits."
"I've had a sumptuous day," Damon said. "Shall I name them off to you? There was the greeting-card shop girl...Elizabeth, and my dear friend Damaris, whose husband works in Bronston, and little young Teresa who volunteers at the library, and..."
Stefan sighed. "Sometimes I think you could remember the name of every girl you've bled in your life, but you forget my name on a regular basis," he said.
"Nonsense...little brother. Now, since Elena has undoubtedly explained to you just what happened when I tried to rescue your miniature witch - Bonnie - I feel I'm due an apology."
"And sinceyou sent me a note that I can only construe as provocative, I really feelI'm due an explanation."
"Apology first," Damon rapped out. And then, in long-suffering tones, "I'm sure you think it's bad enough, having promised Elena when she was dying that you would look after me - forever. But you never seem to realize that I had to promise the same thing, and I'm not exactly the caretaking type. Now that she's not dead anymore, maybe we should just forget it."
Stefan sighed again. "All right, all right. I apologize. I was wrong. I shouldn't have thrown you out. Is that enough?"
"I'm not sure you really mean it. Try it once more, with feel - "
"Damon, what in God's name was the website about?"
"Oh. I thought it was rather clever: they got the colors so close that only vampires or witches or such could read it, whereas humans would just see a blank screen."
"But how did you find out about it?"
"I'll tell you in a moment. But just think of it, little brother. You and Elena, on the perfect little honeymoon, just two more humans in a world of humans. The sooner you go, the sooner you can sing ¡®Ding Dong, the Corpse Is Dead'!"
"I still want to know how youjust happened to come across this website."
"All right. I admit it: I've been suckered into the age of technology at last. I have my own website. And a very helpful young man contacted me just to see whether I really meant the things I said on it or if I was just a frustrated idealist. I figured that description fit you."
"You - a website? I don't believe - "
Damon ignored him. "I passed the message along because I'd already heard of the place, theShi no Shi ."
"TheDeath of Death , it said."
"That's how it was translated to me." Damon turned a thousand-kilowatt smile on Stefan, boring into him, until finally Stefan turned away, feeling as if he'd been exposed to the sun without his lapis ring.
"As a matter of fact," Damon went on chattily, "I've invited the fellow himself to come and to explain it to you."
"You didwhich ?"
"He should be here at 4:44 exactly. Don't blame me for the timing; it's something special to him."
And then with very little fuss, and certainly no Power at all that Stefan could discern, something landed in the tree above them and dropped down to their branch, changing as it did.
It was, indeed, a young man, with fire-tipped black hair and serene golden eyes. As Stefan swung toward him, he held up both hands in a gesture of helplessness and surrender.
"Who the hell are you?"
"I'm the hell Shinichi," the young man said easily. "But, as I told your brother, most people call me just Shinichi. Of course, it's up to you."
"And you know all about the Shi no Shi."
"Nobody knows all about it. It's a place - and an organization. I'm a little partial to it because" - Shinichi looked shy - "well, I guess I just like to help people."
"And now you want to help me."
"If you truly want to become human...I know a way."
"I'll just leave the two of you to talk about it, shall I?" said Damon. "Three's a crowd, especially on this branch."
Stefan looked at him sharply. "If you have any slightest thought of stopping by the boardinghouse..."
"With Damaris already waiting for me? Honestly, little brother." And Damon changed to crow form before Stefan could ask him to give his sworn word.
Elena turned over in bed, reaching automatically for a warm body next to her. What her fingers found, however, was a cool, Stefan-shaped hollow. Her eyes opened. "Stefan?"
The darling. They were so in tune that it was like being one person - he always knew when she was about to wake up. He'd probably gone down to get her breakfast - Mrs. Flowers always had it steaming hot for him when he went down (further proof that she was a witch of the white variety) - and Stefan brought up the tray.
"Elena," she said, testing her old-new voice just to hear herself talk. "Elena Gilbert, girl, you have had too many breakfasts in bed." She patted her stomach. Yes, definitely in need of exercise.
"All right, then," she said, still aloud. "Start with limbering up and breathing. Then some mild stretching." All of which, she thought, could be put aside when Stefan showed up.
But Stefan didn't show up, even when she lay exhausted from a full hour's routine.
And he wasn't coming up the stairs, bringing up a cup of tea, either.
Where was he?
Elena looked out their one-view window and caught a glimpse of Mrs. Flowers below.
Elena's heart had begun beating hard during her aerobic exercise and had never really slowed down properly. Though it was likely impossible to start a conversation with Mrs. Flowers this way she shouted down, "Mrs. Flowers?"