Shireen looked at Lex, his casual smile, his nonchalant demeanor, and searched for signs of arrogance. She searched, in his eyes, in his voice, in his body language, of signs of him looking down on her or her intelligence. Yet she found nothing. All she found was sincerity, which was somehow even more bewildering.
How could he, with genuine sincerity, ask her to discover secrets that determined the rise and fall of powerful races, and treat it as if it was merely a matter of making a small effort? She did not understand.
"What do I get out of this deal, then? Are you offering me something?" she asked, moving on from the impossibility of the task itself.
"Yes, of course," said Lex. "I can offer you many things. I can help you recover from your current situation. I can give you resources that you won't be able to find without me. There are many, many things which I can provide you with. But, if you will humor me, I have a second proposition as well."
