He sighed, at the emptiness that replaced the pain as much as her question. "Because he was a... friend is the word I will use, as it is the closest one to describing our relationship. And he never really was... insane, not like Verdelet. He had his own ideas on how to run things, I had mine, and all of our past clashes were mostly because he wanted, and still does, to die. And Jashah, he is nearly three million years old, near as I can figure. He isn't the same. If only because the position I use to examine him from is changed, so he appears different.<br/><br/>And yes, he is still in his first life, and has spent most of it wanting to die, I think. The cure for my tampering would have been easier to give to him than Verdelet, but Verdelet was dead, I was dying, and he was sealed away. And me trying to move the syringes with the cure was my ultimate mistake. I can only hope the notes and the last sample survived, as I didn't live long enough to see if it hit the ground, or if I managed to get my hand under it.<br/><br/>And Jashah, you assume I am going to fight him. Why?"