Desmond Cusick's Diary

I put in a few calls to some contacts in the Black Market and located a supplier who will be able to provide me with the antibiotics that my Ilse requested. The shipment will arrive tomorrow. I only hope it's soon enough.

I spent the rest of the day looking into prosthetics for the children, and I believe I have tracked down a few leads. It is only a matter of a few calls to check the reliability and willingness of those involved, and I believe that the operations can begin as early as a week from now. Then, adoptions can be put into motion.

I must say, it will be a relief to have Blood Meridian headquarters relatively empty again. All of those children running about the place has made it less a retreat and sanctuary for our members and more into a daycare center. After they are given their prosthetics, I believe they will be physically and mentally fit enough to go to real homes. Some of them will stay with the Meridian, of course, but those unsuitable will be sent away.

Raven called Ilse "mawa" today, so it is apparent that Ilse is not the only one attached in this relationship. It will wound her deeply if "Baby-bird" and Aaron are adopted out, but it will perhaps hurt them as well. I wonder if Ilse would be interested in adopting them both?

Julio, the noisy one, was very vocal on the subject of marriage today--specifically Ilse and I being married. He is worse than Mother; at least she doesn't possess the childlike innocence that makes younglings so persistent. All this in addition to Raven's new name for Ilse has made me consider a few things about the future. A marriage would make many people happy. Perhaps it might even make me happy.

Of course, if ever there was a marriage between myself and Ilse, it would have to wait until after our factions were united. We no longer have to sneak about in the shadows, but I would not want our marriage to drive another wedge between Fenrir's Children and Blood Meridian.

I am speaking foolishly.

I was contacted by a reporter, Sara Sichem, who took down some of the information I had to give. We are to meet again tomorrow, and I will be bringing along Wes and the two others who were there during the exchange. I will also bring the physician who treated Mara's wounds. I won't even ask Ilse to speak to the reporter. She does not need to be involved in my crime any more than she has been already.

"Though those that are betray'd do feel the treason sharply, yet the traitor stands in worse case of woe."
--From Act III, Scene IV of William Shakespeare's Cymbeline.

I believe that is an appropriate quote to accompany the copy of the article I send to Mara.