Piet pushed his chair back and stood. "Do you have peace, Stephen?" he asked softly.
"Sometimes," Stephen said. He felt the corners of his mouth lift in a wan smile. "More than I did. You know, sometimes I think that eventually I may be able to sleep a whole night through without, without. ."
Piet walked around the desk.
"Piet, I never knew how important it was to be needed," Stephen whispered.
Piet took Stephen's hands in his. "I need you, Stephen," he said.
"You needed somebody like me, Piet," Stephen said harshly. "You don't need me if you're going to put the hidalgo back on his throne-if that's even possible."
"I need a friend, Stephen," Piet said simply.
"Then listen to me, Piet!" Stephen said. "The best thing a friend can tell you is to get out now. Leave the wars to other people and invest in the stars instead. God knows they've cost us enough already, you and me."
He put his arms around the smaller man. They hugged like lovers.
"God knows what they've cost," one of the men repeated; but not even an observer in the room would have been sure who spoke.