He doesn't get any farther than she's taking me back before Zoe shakes her head, slowly at first, as if her body's still catching up with her mind, and then faster, more vehemently. It's as if she hasn't even heard the part about it being temporary. Maybe she hasn't.

"No."

That's all, at first, just one syllable of almost toneless denial. Then, fear and the beginnings of anger creeping in,

"No, she can't--"

Later on, it will occur to her that she can't is, if not a flat-out dangerous thing to say in reference to an Endless, at least a foolish one. Right now, if it did occur to her, she wouldn't care. The thought won't be stopped.

"She can't let you come back and then take you again."