Shadows could slay the light of any soul, and it was so with Shantar. Normally his eyes and his face were so expressive. As far away as they were, listening like thieves, he could see nothing of Shantar's expression. Yet everybody knew that the old man had a soft spot for Gershul and didn't want to see him dead. Skandra thought that maybe, if he were Shantar, he could have understood that. Only now there was nothing to be gained from letting Gershul live. He was admitting that he was insane, admitting that he couldn't control his urge to kill and kill. Skandra remembered quite clearly what it felt like to wake up next to a dead wife. He remembered even more clearly what it felt like, learning that his father had done the deed.
"If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it from afar," Shantar said quietly - almost too quiet to be heard. "You know-"
"This isn't the time or the place," Gershul's voice was cold, but he hadn't moved, either. "You had your chance to talk with me. Do you remember what you said?"
Skandra was easy the Vel out of its hiding place at his belt, preparing himself for the shot that would kill Gershul. At this range, with Gershul's back to him, Skandra felt reasonably certain he could kill his father. There were other questions that did not seem nearly so easy to answer. Questions such as the most obvious - how did Gershul do this? And the less obvious - how could it be undone? Yet those were questions to which Skandra might not receive an answer if he struck now. The chance was too great to pass up. He had to do it, and do it now, before he lost his chance entirely.
"I called you a fool," the oldest of them was also the softest. "I told you that your wife was dead, and your child was dead, and nothing you could do would bring either of them back. I told you that you were evil for even considering what you wound up doing. Oh, yes, I remember, Gershul. Are you any closer to having her back? And your son? You've had some many children since then, Gershul, but you can't love any of them because you lost a son you didn't even know. How-"
The vicious backhand that Gershul unleashed had several effects. It whipped Shantar's head to the side, staggered the old Immortal; Skandra's grandfather wound up on the ground with a faceful of fine silver dust to keep him company. Gershul was seething visibly even in shadow. There was nothing about him that suggested restraint.
"When this is done," Gershul's words were driven nails. "I will have an eternity to try, won't I?"