Ember (20 page)

“
I
h
a
v
e
h
ea
rd
th
e
y
poss
e
ss
gr
ea
t
ma
gic
.
”
He
f
e
lt
foolish
e
v
e
n
sp
ea
king
th
e
w
ords
,
but
d
e
sp
e
r
a
tion
h
a
d
a
wa
y
of
sl
a
shing
pride
to
pieces.
“
G
r
ea
t
e
nough
to
p
e
rfor
m
th
e
i
m
possibl
e.
”

Se
conds
tick
e
d
by
.
T
h
e
ris
e
a
nd
f
a
ll
of
song
a
nd
th
e
br
a
ying
of
a
p
a
ssing
donk
e
y
fill
e
d
th
e
sil
e
nc
e
as
Sm
ith
st
a
r
e
d
at
Arch
e
r
w
ith
an
i
m
p
a
ssiv
e
e
xpr
e
ssion
.
Arch
e
r
st
a
r
e
d
b
a
ck
,
not
flinching
.
F
i
n
a
ll
y
,
Sm
ith
w
a
v
e
d
his
h
a
nd
,
th
e
s
ma
ll
e
st
of
m
otions
,
but
a
cut
non
e
th
e
l
e
ss
.

“
C
a
n
’
t
h
e
l
p
y
o
u
.
Y
o
u
’
v
e
been
m
i
s
i
n
f
o
rm
ed.
G
o
ba
c
k
t
o
E
ngl
a
nd
.
”

“
I
’ll
fi
nd
ano
t
he
r
gu
i
de.
”

“
Who
w
ill
get
you
nowhe
r
e.
”
Sm
it
h
t
ook
a
hea
rt
y
swa
ll
ow
of
h
i
s
d
ri
nk.
“
Even
if
t
he
Hu
i
cho
l
cou
l
d
he
l
p
you,
t
hey
won
’t
.
No
t
some
g
ri
ngo
ou
t
s
i
de
r
.
”

“
Pe
r
haps
t
hey
m
i
gh
t
cons
i
de
r
my p
li
gh
t
a
cha
ll
enge?
”
“
Doub
t
it
,
my
fri
end.
”
Sm
it
h
r
ubbed
a
pa
l
m
ove
r
h
i
s
n
i
gh
t

b
ea
rd
,
th
e
r
a
sp
a
udibl
e.
“
W
h
a
t
you
got?
L
e
prosy?
T
h
e
pox?
”

I
t
was
A
r
che
r’
s
t
u
r
n
t
o
l
augh.
“
I
f
on
l
y.
”

Arch
e
r
look
e
d
at
th
e
gr
ea
sy
gl
a
ss
b
e
for
e
hi
m
for
a

m
o
me
nt
,
th
e
n
gr
a
bb
e
d
it
a
nd
down
e
d
th
e
cont
e
nts
in
on
e
gulp
.
V
iscous
fir
e
slid
do
w
n
his
thro
a
t
a
nd
spr
ea
d
in
his
b
e
ll
y
.
He
k
e
pt
his
g
aze
on
Sm
ith
but
h
e
kn
e
w
th
e
e
xits
,
kn
e
w
how
m
uch
ti
me
wa
s
n
ee
d
e
d
to
e
sc
a
p
e
shou
l
d
Sm
ith
a
tt
a
ck
.
He
m
ov
e
d
his
h
a
nd
to
th
e
b
a
nd
a
g
e
s
.
T
h
e
lin
e
n
gaped
e
nough
th
a
t
Sm
ith
could
s
ee
A
rch
e
r’s
f
a
c
e
a
nd
wh
a
t
h
a
d
b
e
co
me
of
it
.

The
man
’
s
b
r
ows
r
ose
bu
t
he
d
i
dn
’t
sca
r
e,
A
r
che
r
wou
l
d
g
i
ve
h
i
m
t
ha
t
.
He
wh
i
s
tl
ed
l
ow
and
l
ong.
“
Can
’t
say
as
I
’
ve
eve
r
seen
t
ha
t
pa
rti
cu
l
a
r
ma
l
ady.
”

“
Doub
tl
ess.
”
A
r
che
r
smoo
t
hed
t
he
li
nen
back
i
n
p
l
ace.
He
was
t
hank
f
u
l
t
ha
t
Sm
it
h
d
i
dn
’t
ask
h
i
m
how
he
’
d
go
tt
en
t
h
i
s
way.
He
adm
ir
ed
a
man
who
knew
when
t
o
keep
h
i
s
cu
ri
os
it
y
t
o
h
i
mse
lf
.

Sm
it
h
fi
n
i
shed
h
i
s
d
ri
nk,
t
hen
s
t
ood.
“
We
ll
,
I
’
d
bes
t
get
pack
i
ng.
”
Sm
it
h
s
tr
e
t
ched
i
n
a
l
azy
f
ash
i
on,
t
he
j
o
i
n
t
s
at
h
i
s
neck
and
back
popp
i
ng
i
n
p
r
o
t
es
t
.