Edith raises her eyebrows. "This isn't exactly something you 'try out', you know," she says, setting her mug down on the table and helping herself to a chair. "You're kind of stuck here. We don't just let people change their minds and wander off."
Keslin swallows back his emotion, keeping his voice steady. "When I first found Terliss, I realized I could use him, but I needed to convince him to be loyal to us. I...I tethered him to us, so to speak, by forcing an oatmeal addiction upon him. As long as he did as I asked, I would supply him with enough of the drug to avoid withdrawal. I was always careful not to give him too much. I did not want him going completely mad, or becoming permanently attached to Aya. But I--"
He cuts off, gritting his teeth.
<<Come on, you've gotten this far,>> Chris says.
<<I am so incredibly tired of admitting my failings as a leader to my own people,>> Keslin responds, weary and embarrassed.
<<Let me, then,>> Chris responds. Keslin flushes a little, not particularly fond of the idea that he is incapable of finishing the conversation himself, but then he sighs and nods, his shoulders slumping.
<<Okay,>> he whispers, sliding out of control.
Chris blinks up at Soren, his eyes regaining focus. "Hey, it's Chris," he says quietly, flexing his fingers a few times. The trembling they display when Keslin is in control has vanished. "Listen, Kes...he did what he thought was best for us. To keep us alive and to make progress against the Empire. He knew the oatmeal would work because...because Keslin's been addicted to the stuff for a long, long time." His lips lift in a small, sad smile. "We need your help to understand how...how the oatmeal biologically impacts the Yeerks who are addicted. We know it fundamentally changes them somehow, but we don't know how. And if we don't figure that out, we can't figure out if there is any way to reverse it."
