Base Nature (121 page)

She
n
o
dded
,
fi
n
g
er
s
twisti
n
g
a
r
o
u
nd
and a
r
o
u
nd
th
e
ms
e
lv
e
s
with n
er
v
e
s.
“
Pr
o
mise m
e
?
I
k
n
o
w
y
o
u
re
ally
can
’
t
bu
t
I
—”

“
O
h y
e
s
I
can,
y
o
u
ng
la
d
y.
A
nd
I
d
o
.
I
p
r
o
mise
y
o
u
that
G
a
rre
tt
G
u
staf
s
o
n
will
b
e fine
and
y
o
u
will
have
y
o
u
r
mate
u
ntil
he
dr
iv
e
s
y
o
u c
r
azy
and
y
o
u
want
t
o
j
u
st
c
h
o
ke him the
way K
e
lly
d
o
e
s
with me
s
o
m
e
tim
e
s.”

T
he
win
d
shi
e
ld
wip
er
s
s
lapp
e
d
the
gl
a
ss
and m
o
r
e
br
ight
b
alls
o
f
fai
r
y
light
b
o
u
nc
e
d
ac
r
o
ss the
d
ash
b
o
a
rd
,
sp
e
ckl
e
d
Ch
e
st
er’
s
ru
gg
e
d
p
r
o
fil
e
.
“
G
o
o
d
.
T
h
ank
y
o
u
.
E
v
e
n
if it
’
s a li
e
, I
n
ee
d
to
h
e
ar
it.”

“
I
t
’
s
n
o
t
a
li
e
,”
Ch
e
st
e
r
s
a
i
d
,
patting
h
e
r
l
e
g
a
gain.
“H
e’
s
a
g
oo
d
bo
y.
H
e’
s
n
o
t
g
o
i
ng anywh
ere
.
He w
e
nt
th
r
o
ug
h
h
e
ll
a
nd
b
ack
to a
rr
ive
at
y
o
u
.
A
nd I
be
li
e
ve
he
d
id
s
o f
o
r a
re
as
o
n.
I
do
n
’
t
think
G
re
at
Spi
r
it
w
o
u
ld
have
p
u
t
y
o
u
in
h
is
l
ife
to
u
p
a
nd
d
i
e
.
T
his
is j
u
st
the
c
o
nc
re
t
e
.
T
he
p
r
oo
f he
n
eed
s.”

“
F
o
r
what?”
She
s
h
o
o
k
h
e
r
h
e
a
d
.
H
o
w
in the
w
o
r
ld
c
o
u
ld
th
i
s
m
e
ss
b
e
pa
r
t
o
f s
o
me
d
ivine
plan?

“
G
a
rre
t
t
n
eed
s
to
k
n
o
w
it
’
s
o
kay
to
l
o
ve
a
gain.
He n
eed
s
to
k
n
o
w
that
he
d
o
e
sn
’
t have to
p
u
nish
hims
e
lf
f
o
re
v
e
r
o
v
e
r
E
il
ee
n.
I
t
was
a
t
r
ag
ed
y
bu
t
n
o
t
his
d
o
i
ng.
He n
eed
s to
l
e
t
it go
and
m
o
ve
o
n.
Bu
ild
a lif
e
.
B
e
h
appy.
A
nd
may
b
e
c
o
mi
n
g
a kiss away,” he ma
d
e
a
ki
s
sing
n
o
i
se
and
smil
e
d
at
h
er
.
A
s
sca
re
d
and
ti
re
d
as
she
was,
she
c
o
u
l
d
n
’
t h
e
lp
bu
t
s
mile
b
ack,
“f
r
o
m
l
o
s
i
ng
it
all
i
s
e
xactly
what
he
n
eed
s
t
o
d
ive
in
h
e
a
d
fi
r
st again and
liv
e
. R
e
ally liv
e
.
W
ith y
o
u
.”

T
h
e
n
she
sta
r
t
e
d
to
c
r
y.
L
iv
h
e
ld
h
e
r
s
i
d
e
and
c
r
i
ed
.
A
nd
he
l
e
t
h
er
.
Ch
e
st
e
r
was wise
e
n
o
u
gh to
k
n
o
w she
n
ee
d
e
d
t
o
.

*
*
*
*
*

“
H
o
w
l
o
ng
’
s
he
bee
n
like
t
h
is
!
”
Be
n
V
erd
e
b
a
r
k
ed
.
He
was
tall
and
a
ng
u
lar
with
d
a
r
k
br
o
wn
hair
that h
u
ng
i
n
h
i
s
f
o
re
h
e
a
d
a
nd
kind
g
ree
n
e
y
e
s.
Bu
t
his
jaw was
s
e
t
a
nd his
br
o
w
dre
w
d
o
wn wh
e
n
he
f
r
o
wn
ed
.
He
d
id
n
o
t l
o
o
k happy
a
nd
that sca
re
d
L
iv.