Juliet drove the car on backroads, trying to lose their pursuers, if there were any to be had. She was still upset that Butler didn't recognize her, but hopefully Quassia could do something with him.
The sprite looked over her patient, who was eyeing her warily. Ignoring his looks, Quassia checked him over and called up to her driver, "Juliet, looks like amnesia to me. Synapses are shot, no conventional healing can repair it."
Butler nodded, concurring with her assesment. "That's what we'd decided back at the compound."
Quassia rolled her eyes. "And now you tell me. But I think I can fix it with what I have. Sit still." The sprite rolled up her sleeves and placed her hands on the sides of Butler's shaven cranium. "Heal," she whispered. Blue sparks flew from her and lit the car with unnatural blue light, knitting together his broken memory. And his broken body. The magic sought out Butler's still-healing scars and erased them as well as restoring his memory.
It took a while, but when the lights faded, Quassia blew out her breath in a long sigh and slumped back in her seat. "That took more than I expected."
Juliet gave her an impatient look in the rearview mirror. "Yes, but did that laser healing thing of yours work or not?"
Butler touched his shoulder ruefully. "It must have been the whip cuts, I'm sorry." Then he registered his surroundings and observed, "That was no laser, that was fa-"
Quassia had no choice but to take a diving tackle toward the man's mouth. She clamped both hands across his mouth before he could say another word. "Juliet doesn't know what I am," she hissed into his ear. "She thinks I'm a government agent. Please, don't say or do anything that could compromise the mind wipe." Butler nodded understandingly. Though Juliet probably posed no threat to the People, it was just better if she stayed unaware.
Quassia removed her hands from the man's face as Juliet glanced back at them. "Are you two OK back there?" She searched her brother's face anxiously for a few moments before turning her gaze back to the road. "Dom, do you remember me?" she asked quietly.
Butler reached up and placed a calming hand on his sister's shoulder. "Juliet, I'm fine. She did her job well, I've recovered my memory. Those new... laser healing techniques of hers are some good stuff."
Juliet's smile stretched from ear to ear and her hands tightened on the wheel. "Good to have you back, bro. Dom, what happened to you?"
Butler sat back with a sigh. "I'll explain it all to you later, I promise, but there's something I need to do first. Julie, we have to go back for my friends, Marcella and Rogont. They did a lot for me and I don't feel right leaving them in there." He forestalled her protests with a wave of his hand. "Look, they'll be at the marriage celebration and Fantasia tomorrow. All we have to do is go down and buy them." He gazed at her with the look he knew always convinced her. "Please"
Juliet opened her mouth several times, as if to protest. But her brother had that look of his on and Quassia looked all for it, so she sighed and said, "I guess we can try."
