235 Back in the Container

"Is it true?" Julius heard a muted question behind his back. "All three of you are infected with an STD?"

There was no anger or panic in the question, just calm, cool matter-of-factness.

"I'm clean," he assured. "Those two... There is suspicion."

Behind his back he heard a soft snort as if a quiet, suppressed laugh.

"Apparently, your friends used the argument of illness to protect themselves from unpleasantness," he said.

"But, you promised...!" Julius looked over. The man walking behind him was calm, cold. If they had met under different circumstances, he would have been a total Linden type.

"I was with you then, no? And by the way, everything worked out fine. Don't look at me like that, or I'll decide to keep you... for myself after all."