Alchemist (40 page)

Her look was one
of defeat. “You’re right, I would have without you. I’ve managed to
go nearly nine years without coming to harm and now everything bad
seems to be gravitating towards me. Sod’s law isn’t it?”

His brow furrowed.
“What are you speaking of? What is this, sod’s law?”

Terry closed her
eyes for a moment. She could not help but smile at the irony of the
situation. Her father was not familiar with the human expression;
one she had reeled off without second thought. He was right yet
again; she had spent too much time among the humans. “It’s
something they say on Earth, it means everything goes wrong no
matter what you do.”

“I still do not
follow.”

She laughed. “It
means it’s ironic, dad. No one has tried to kill me in years and I
come back home for five minutes and everyone is.”

“I don’t see why
you think that is so funny.”

The smile
disappeared from her face. “I wasn’t laughing at that. I was
laughing at...never mind.”

“Regardless.” Her
father said, wearily. “The next time something happens in Marrich
or on Earth, or wherever, and you feel the pull to go, do not.”

Terry’s smile
returned. “You know, I think I’m quite happy to stick around here
for a while.” Adventure and death was the last thing on her mind
after the events of recent weeks.

Her father’s stern
expression cracked, forming into a warm smile. “Good.” He cuddled
her and for the first time in nearly ten years Terrifallo felt as
if she were truly home.