Ember (62 page)

H
er
c
o
l
d
f
i
n
ge
r
s
c
l
e
n
c
h
ed.
“
N
o.
Y
ou
a
r
e
w
r
o
n
g
.
”
S
h
e
wou
l
d
no
t
become
a
mons
t
e
r
.
She
wou
l
d
no
t
g
i
ve
Ma
rti
n
t
he
sa
ti
s
f
ac
ti
on.

Billy
ma
d
e
a
nois
e
of
indiff
e
r
e
nc
e.
“
D
on’t
know
why
you’r
e
so
f
ea
rful
of
a
bloody
us
e
fu
l
t
a
l
e
nt
.
”

“
I
’
m
no
t
a
fr
a
i
d,
”
she
s
a
i
d
w
it
h
mo
r
e
conv
i
c
ti
on
t
han
she
f
e
lt
.
“
I
t’
s
s
i
mp
l
y
a
moo
t
po
i
n
t
as
I
won
’t
be
us
i
ng
it
.
”

“
Y
o
u
’
r
e
g
i
v
i
n
g
u
p
f
a
nn
i
n
g
t
h
e
n
?”
H
i
s
e
x
p
r
e
ss
i
on
w
as
sk
e
ptic
a
l
to
s
a
y
th
e
l
ea
st
,
a
nd
h
e
r
insid
e
s
writh
e
d
,
th
e
urg
e
to
a
void
his
g
aze
ma
king
h
e
r
f
a
c
e
h
ea
t
.

“
No,
”
she
said.

“
D
i
dn
’t
t
h
i
nk
so.
”

He
sh
ift
ed
t
o
f
ace
he
r
.
“
Found
a
be
tt
e
r
way
do
de
f
end
you
r
se
lf
,
have
you?
”

S
h
e
si
m
ply
gl
a
r
e
d
.

“
Look
it
,
f
ann
i
ng
i
s
f
o
r
babes.
I
f
you
’r
e
go
i
ng
t
o
go
ou
t
,
l
e
t
me
show
you
a
d
iff
e
r
en
t
game.
One
whe
r
e
we
can
make
mo
r
e
b
l
un
t
,
and
you
’r
e
no
t
hang
i
ng
i
n
t
he
w
i
nd.
”

“
I
don
’t
know.
”
Absen
tl
y,
she
s
t
uck
he
r
hand
i
n
t
o
he
r
pocke
t
t
o
f
ee
l
t
he
c
o
i
n
h
i
d
i
ng
t
he
r
e.
H
i
s
co
i
n.
She
d
i
dn
’t
b
ri
ng
it
ou
t
,
l
es
t
it
ca
t
ch
B
ill
y
’
s
eye.
She
s
till
d
i
dn
’t
tr
us
t
t
he
c
r
ook
f
a
rt
he
r
t
han
she
cou
l
d
t
h
r
ow
h
i
m.
“
I
’
m
t
h
i
nk
i
ng
of
l
eav
i
ng
London
a
lt
oge
t
he
r
.
”

“
And
go
wh
e
r
e
?
”
Billy’s
a
pp
a
ll
e
d
ton
e
i
m
pli
e
d
th
a
t
th
e
e
ntir
e
ty
of
th
e
world
wa
s
cont
a
in
e
d
w
ithin
th
e
a
r
m
s
of
th
e
T
h
ame
s
a
nd
th
e
riv
e
r
Lea.

He
r
thu
m
b
r
a
n
ov
e
r
th
e
bu
m
ps
a
long
th
e
surf
a
c
e
of
th
e
coin’s
c
e
nt
e
r
m
oon
.
“
I
’
v
e
an
a
unt
in
F
r
a
nc
e.
O
r
so
I
’
m
told
.
”

“
L
i
v
i
n
g
w
i
t
h
f
r
og
s
?”
H
i
s
n
o
s
t
r
i
l
s
f
l
a
r
ed.
“
Y
o
u
’
r
e
o
f
f
y
o
u
r
nu
t
if
you
’
d
r
a
t
he
r
li
ve
w
it
h
a
bunch
of
f
ancy
fr
og
l
egs
t
hen
spo
rt
w
it
h
me.
”

M
ir
a
nd
a
bit
off
a
s
m
il
e.
“
Pe
rh
a
ps
I
am.
”

“
Come
on,
l
uvy
,
t
h
i
nk
of
a
ll
t
he
r
eam
swag
we
cou
l
d
pu
ll
.
”
He
wagg
l
ed
t
hose
b
r
ows
aga
i
n,
and
she
nea
rl
y
l
aughed,
w
h
i
c
h
h
e
s
a
w
,
a
n
d
p
r
e
ss
ed
h
i
s
ad
v
a
n
t
age
a
cc
o
r
d
i
n
g
l
y
.
“
I
suspec
t
you
li
ke
t
he
t
h
rill
of
dange
r
.
Jus
t
a
b
it
,
eh?
Te
ll
us
t
he
tr
u
t
h,
now.
”
He
ri
sked
h
i
s
damaged
a
r
m
t
o
g
i
ve
he
r
a
li
gh
t
nudge.