#scarsdale

Zara perches on the couch... arranging Earl so she can cradle his head in her lap.

Earl protests just a little less as Zara does that.

"-Zara-....." she says just as the girl pins herself down ".... has something to tell you."

She grimaces. She is caught. Damn.

"So? Tell."

Spidery hands push back her bangs (which promptly fall back over her eyes. "Paler is dead. it is over."

Earl's head, comfortable in a lap, would normally be most relaxed.

SHOCK.

These are old men, it might kill them?

Zara doesn't elaborate, expression veiled by her hair, eyes cast down.

Earl looks up into those down cast eyes, and mouths 'it's going to be okay'

They set down their mugs and almost collapse into chairs; it's comical as they do it simultaneously. Hannah watches smuggly. "What!?!?!" in unison.

"I shall tell Miriam, too."

"It was a united effort to free someone from his clutches. Paler...crossed too many people too often." Earl says

"And you didn't CALL us!??!!?!" HIrim seems outraged.

"Or her?" Ratchet joins in.

Zara's head sinks lower, a bony shrug.

"Everything, every detail, now." It doesn't really matter which one said it, they both lean forward eagerly. Hannah drops herself into a chair to listen again.

"Paler took August. We went with his Trueheart to rescue him. The Baroness slayed Paler and Golnaz, the DeBukes executed Klay. It is over."

They look at each other, and back to Zara. "Details."

"And you guys weren't invited because we didn't have time to decide what other loved ones to put at risk, nevermind that Paler would have expected you and deception was part of the plan" Earl says "And someone, not naming names, 'Hirim' isn't always good at going along with plans. Now, Zara treasures life... and she's not theo ne who slew him but she wishes it went another way so... she needs support"

"The Baroness took his head."

Sharply. "I'm fine. I should have... I should have done this months, years ago, before so many were hurt."

"He'd be dead just the damned same!"

Earl takes a hand from Zara "Hey.." soft "What he's done is not...your fault"

She pulls her hand free.

Hannah takes a few minutes to share details with the Uncles that Zara told her the first time around.

Earl tries to sit up

Zara lets him... and, once freed, she stands and stalks over to the fireplace... away from everyone.

"Down." Hannah says firmly to Earl.

"I'm getting more vegetables. And duct tape." She bustles out.

Earl bites his lip "But..."

Earl is a good boy so..for now, he obeys

Hirim and Ratchet begin arguing about what they -would- have done if they'd been there. Graphically.

"Not helping guys" He says

Zara wraps her arms around her torso, silent.

Earl says "Zara, please. "

"What? What do you want?"

"I..." A sigh "Nothing you necessarily can help. I want you to not hurt. I want you to not blame yourself for his death or the harm he's done to others. But.. you need time."

"I'm fine."

"We were remarkably fortunate, and this is the best outcome we could have hoped for. Golnaz is dead. Paler is dead. They cannot harm anyone else."

Ratchet and Hirim have indeed subsided, watching Zara. Hannah returns, puts a bag of corn kernels on Earl, and reseats herself. She plonks the roll of duct tape down on the coffee table menacingly.

"What, this isn't a mitzvah?" Hiriam asks. "He's better off dead."

Earl coughs getting the hint from the placed down duct tape

"We should have done it ages ago. Maybe then Rudy would have lived. Or that poor girl would be living her life. Or Miriam could have come home."

"So, aye. Fine. A mitzvah."

"we gave him a chance to back off...mercy is no sin, even if it is refused."

"Then why the farbisseneh punim?"

A hiss. "I am fine. Happy, aye. This is a triumph, nu? It could not have gone better."

Both uncles seem totally lost, even Hannah is confused. She rises and approaches Zara. "Bubalah?"