Under_The_Whispering_Door_by_TJ_Klune

“Don’t I?” the boy asked. He glanced around at the others as if to say Can
you believe this guy? His gaze lingered on Wallace for a moment before he
looked back at Hugo. “But, for the sake of argument, why don’t you tell me
what I, an endless being of dust and stars, should’ve done.”
Hugo leaned forward, face stony. “He was suffering. Lost. My former
Reaper knew that. He fed off it. And still you did nothing. Even after
Cameron turned into a Husk, you didn’t lift a finger. It wasn’t until Lea that
you decided to do something about it. It should never have taken that long.”
The boy scoffed. “Perhaps, but it all worked out in the end. Lea’s mother
is on the road to healing. Cameron found himself again and continued his
journey to the great and wild beyond. I don’t see the problem here. Everyone
is happy.” He grinned. “You should feel proud of yourself. Kudos all around.
Hooray!” He clapped his hands.
“Could you have helped him?” Mei asked.
The Manager turned his head slowly toward her.
She didn’t look away.
“Well,” the Manager said, dragging the word out for several syllables. “I
mean, sure, if we’re getting down to brass tacks. I can pretty much do
anything I want to.” He narrowed his eyes. Wallace felt a chill run down his
spine as the boy’s voice became clipped. “I could have stopped your parents
from dying, Hugo. I could’ve kept Wallace’s heart beating its jazzy little jam.
I could’ve grabbed Cameron by the scruff of his neck the day he decided to
flee and forced him through the door.”
“But you didn’t,” Hugo said.
“I didn’t,” the boy agreed. “Because there is an order to things. A plan,
one that goes far above your pay grade. You would do well to remember that.
I’m not sure I like your tone.” He pouted, his bottom lip sticking out. “It’s not
very nice.”
“What is that plan?” Wallace asked.
The boy looked to him again. “Pardon me?”
“The plan,” Wallace said. “What is it?”
“Something far beyond your capability to comprehend. It’s—”
“Right,” Wallace said. “What’s on the other side of the door?”
It was subtle, there and gone in a flash, but Wallace saw the bewildered
expression before it disappeared. “Why, everything, of course.”
“Specifics. Tell me one thing besides what we already know.”