Under_The_Whispering_Door_by_TJ_Klune

“How did it go?”
Hugo started to shrug but stopped halfway. “It went.”
“That good, huh?”
“He’s angry. I get it. I really do. And as much as I want to, I can’t take that
away from him. It’s his. The best I can do is to make sure he knows he
doesn’t have to hold onto it forever.”
Wallace was dubious at best. “You think he’ll listen to you?”
“I hope so.” Hugo smiled tiredly. “It’s too soon to tell. But if it starts
getting out of hand…” A complicated expression crossed his face. “Well,
let’s just say it’s best to avoid that if possible.”
“The Manager.”
“Yeah.”
“You don’t like him.”
Hugo looked off into the dark. “He isn’t the type of being to be liked. As
long as the job gets done, nothing else matters. I’m not exactly ambivalent,
but…”
“He scares you,” Wallace said, suddenly sure.
“He’s a cosmic being overseeing death,” Hugo said dryly. “Of course he
scares me. He scares everyone. That’s kind of the point.”
“You still listened to him when he offered you a job.”
Hugo shook his head. “That has nothing to do with it. I took the job
because I wanted to. How could I not? Helping people when they need it
most, when they think all is lost? Of course I’d agree to it.”
“Like Jesus,” Wallace said solemnly. “Got that savior complex down
pat.”
Hugo burst out laughing. “Yeah, yeah. Point taken, Wallace.” He sobered
slightly. “And then there’s the fact that he might be a liar given what he’s said
about the Husks, and that scares me even more. It makes me wonder what
else he’s kept from me.”
“Make any headway with that?”
“Not yet. I’m still thinking. I’ll get there. Just not yet.”
They fell quiet, leaning against the railing.
“I think he’ll listen,” Hugo said finally. “Alan. I need to be careful with
him. He’s fragile right now. But I know I can get through to him. He just
needs time to work through it. And once he’s better and I can show him how