With the girls gone, Relda folded her hands and rested them on the table.
"They will be cared for well with me," she assured, "but you're their grandfather won't take them away?"
"He can't have them," Raylay spoke up. "They're being raised against the Dialorians, and he's a loyalist to the Regime. Even though he's their slave."
Relda pursed her lips, and then unpursed them.
"I see," she muttered.
She directed her attention back to Eyan. There was a pause between them while dread weighed inside Relda.
"As I mentioned before," she said, "I would like clones. Seven of them."
Eyan sat down and asked, "Well, what are you willing to pay? Cloning is not cheap."
Relda fumbled in her pocket. The bracelet was still secure. There was a sharp pain in her chest.
"I have a bartering payment," she said, "but it needs to be returned to the creature I stole it from."
Eyan squinted at her. He smiled, but the corners of his mouth went down instead of up. Relda noted he rolled his irises sideways and his expression eased.
"I see," he said as he regained composure. "Well, I can give them to you free under the conditions that you enlist them and your adopted daughters at the age of thirteen."
"Thirteen?" Relda questioned. "That's young."
"Or you can give me the stolen item."
"Enlisting them could end slavery," Ty added. "A stolen item won't."
Relda clutched her pocket and nodded. Ty had a valid point.
"I'll enlist them," she agreed.
"Good," Eyan said. "Now if you'll follow me to the medical wing."