{\rtf1\adeflang1025\ansi\ansicpg1252\uc1\adeff0\deff0\stshfdbch31505\stshfloch31506\stshfhich31506\stshfbi0\deflang1033\deflangfe1033\themelang1033\themelangfe1041\themelangcs0{\fonttbl{\f0\fbidi \froman\fcharset0\fprq2{\*\panose 02020603050405020304}Times New Roman{\*\falt Times New Roman};}
{\f11\fbidi \fmodern\fcharset128\fprq1{\*\panose 02020609040205080304}MS Mincho{\*\falt _l_r __f_};}{\f34\fbidi \froman\fcharset0\fprq2{\*\panose 02040503050406030204}Cambria Math{\*\falt Times New Roman};}
{\f37\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset0\fprq2{\*\panose 020f0502020204030204}Calibri{\*\falt Calibri};}{\f40\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset0\fprq2{\*\panose 020b0604030504040204}Verdana;}{\f42\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset0\fprq2{\*\panose 00000000000000000000}Lucida Grande;}
{\f43\fbidi \fmodern\fcharset128\fprq1{\*\panose 00000000000000000000}@MS Mincho;}{\f44\fbidi \froman\fcharset0\fprq0{\*\panose 020b0604020202020204}Lora{\*\falt Cambria};}
{\f911\fbidi \froman\fcharset0\fprq2{\*\panose 02040706060306020203}Minion Pro Cond{\*\falt Cambria};}{\flomajor\f31500\fbidi \froman\fcharset0\fprq2{\*\panose 02020603050405020304}Times New Roman{\*\falt Times New Roman};}
{\fdbmajor\f31501\fbidi \fmodern\fcharset128\fprq1{\*\panose 020b0609070205080204}MS Gothic{\*\falt \'82\'6c\'82\'72 \'83\'53\'83\'56\'83\'62\'83\'4e};}
{\fhimajor\f31502\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset0\fprq2{\*\panose 020f0502020204030204}Calibri{\*\falt Calibri};}{\fbimajor\f31503\fbidi \froman\fcharset0\fprq2{\*\panose 02020603050405020304}Times New Roman{\*\falt Times New Roman};}
{\flominor\f31504\fbidi \froman\fcharset0\fprq2{\*\panose 02020603050405020304}Times New Roman{\*\falt Times New Roman};}{\fdbminor\f31505\fbidi \fmodern\fcharset128\fprq1{\*\panose 02020609040205080304}MS Mincho{\*\falt _l_r __f_};}
{\fhiminor\f31506\fbidi \froman\fcharset0\fprq2{\*\panose 02040503050406030204}Cambria;}{\fbiminor\f31507\fbidi \froman\fcharset0\fprq2{\*\panose 02020603050405020304}Times New Roman{\*\falt Times New Roman};}
{\f912\fbidi \froman\fcharset238\fprq2 Times New Roman CE{\*\falt Times New Roman};}{\f913\fbidi \froman\fcharset204\fprq2 Times New Roman Cyr{\*\falt Times New Roman};}
{\f915\fbidi \froman\fcharset161\fprq2 Times New Roman Greek{\*\falt Times New Roman};}{\f916\fbidi \froman\fcharset162\fprq2 Times New Roman Tur{\*\falt Times New Roman};}
{\f917\fbidi \froman\fcharset177\fprq2 Times New Roman (Hebrew){\*\falt Times New Roman};}{\f918\fbidi \froman\fcharset178\fprq2 Times New Roman (Arabic){\*\falt Times New Roman};}
{\f919\fbidi \froman\fcharset186\fprq2 Times New Roman Baltic{\*\falt Times New Roman};}{\f920\fbidi \froman\fcharset163\fprq2 Times New Roman (Vietnamese){\*\falt Times New Roman};}
{\f1024\fbidi \fmodern\fcharset0\fprq1 MS Mincho Western{\*\falt _l_r __f_};}{\f1022\fbidi \fmodern\fcharset238\fprq1 MS Mincho CE{\*\falt _l_r __f_};}{\f1023\fbidi \fmodern\fcharset204\fprq1 MS Mincho Cyr{\*\falt _l_r __f_};}
{\f1025\fbidi \fmodern\fcharset161\fprq1 MS Mincho Greek{\*\falt _l_r __f_};}{\f1026\fbidi \fmodern\fcharset162\fprq1 MS Mincho Tur{\*\falt _l_r __f_};}{\f1029\fbidi \fmodern\fcharset186\fprq1 MS Mincho Baltic{\*\falt _l_r __f_};}
{\f1252\fbidi \froman\fcharset238\fprq2 Cambria Math CE{\*\falt Times New Roman};}{\f1253\fbidi \froman\fcharset204\fprq2 Cambria Math Cyr{\*\falt Times New Roman};}{\f1255\fbidi \froman\fcharset161\fprq2 Cambria Math Greek{\*\falt Times New Roman};}
{\f1256\fbidi \froman\fcharset162\fprq2 Cambria Math Tur{\*\falt Times New Roman};}{\f1259\fbidi \froman\fcharset186\fprq2 Cambria Math Baltic{\*\falt Times New Roman};}
{\f1260\fbidi \froman\fcharset163\fprq2 Cambria Math (Vietnamese){\*\falt Times New Roman};}{\f1282\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset238\fprq2 Calibri CE{\*\falt Calibri};}{\f1283\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset204\fprq2 Calibri Cyr{\*\falt Calibri};}
{\f1285\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset161\fprq2 Calibri Greek{\*\falt Calibri};}{\f1286\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset162\fprq2 Calibri Tur{\*\falt Calibri};}{\f1287\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset177\fprq2 Calibri (Hebrew){\*\falt Calibri};}
{\f1288\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset178\fprq2 Calibri (Arabic){\*\falt Calibri};}{\f1289\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset186\fprq2 Calibri Baltic{\*\falt Calibri};}{\f1290\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset163\fprq2 Calibri (Vietnamese){\*\falt Calibri};}
{\f1312\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset238\fprq2 Verdana CE;}{\f1313\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset204\fprq2 Verdana Cyr;}{\f1315\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset161\fprq2 Verdana Greek;}{\f1316\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset162\fprq2 Verdana Tur;}
{\f1319\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset186\fprq2 Verdana Baltic;}{\f1320\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset163\fprq2 Verdana (Vietnamese);}{\f1332\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset238\fprq2 Lucida Grande CE;}{\f1333\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset204\fprq2 Lucida Grande Cyr;}
{\f1335\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset161\fprq2 Lucida Grande Greek;}{\f1336\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset162\fprq2 Lucida Grande Tur;}{\f1337\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset177\fprq2 Lucida Grande (Hebrew);}{\f1339\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset186\fprq2 Lucida Grande Baltic;}
{\f1340\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset163\fprq2 Lucida Grande (Vietnamese);}{\f1344\fbidi \fmodern\fcharset0\fprq1 @MS Mincho Western;}{\f1342\fbidi \fmodern\fcharset238\fprq1 @MS Mincho CE;}{\f1343\fbidi \fmodern\fcharset204\fprq1 @MS Mincho Cyr;}
{\f1345\fbidi \fmodern\fcharset161\fprq1 @MS Mincho Greek;}{\f1346\fbidi \fmodern\fcharset162\fprq1 @MS Mincho Tur;}{\f1349\fbidi \fmodern\fcharset186\fprq1 @MS Mincho Baltic;}{\f10022\fbidi \froman\fcharset238\fprq2 Minion Pro Cond CE{\*\falt Cambria};}
{\f10023\fbidi \froman\fcharset204\fprq2 Minion Pro Cond Cyr{\*\falt Cambria};}{\f10025\fbidi \froman\fcharset161\fprq2 Minion Pro Cond Greek{\*\falt Cambria};}{\f10026\fbidi \froman\fcharset162\fprq2 Minion Pro Cond Tur{\*\falt Cambria};}
{\f10029\fbidi \froman\fcharset186\fprq2 Minion Pro Cond Baltic{\*\falt Cambria};}{\f10030\fbidi \froman\fcharset163\fprq2 Minion Pro Cond (Vietnamese){\*\falt Cambria};}
{\flomajor\f31508\fbidi \froman\fcharset238\fprq2 Times New Roman CE{\*\falt Times New Roman};}{\flomajor\f31509\fbidi \froman\fcharset204\fprq2 Times New Roman Cyr{\*\falt Times New Roman};}
{\flomajor\f31511\fbidi \froman\fcharset161\fprq2 Times New Roman Greek{\*\falt Times New Roman};}{\flomajor\f31512\fbidi \froman\fcharset162\fprq2 Times New Roman Tur{\*\falt Times New Roman};}
{\flomajor\f31513\fbidi \froman\fcharset177\fprq2 Times New Roman (Hebrew){\*\falt Times New Roman};}{\flomajor\f31514\fbidi \froman\fcharset178\fprq2 Times New Roman (Arabic){\*\falt Times New Roman};}
{\flomajor\f31515\fbidi \froman\fcharset186\fprq2 Times New Roman Baltic{\*\falt Times New Roman};}{\flomajor\f31516\fbidi \froman\fcharset163\fprq2 Times New Roman (Vietnamese){\*\falt Times New Roman};}
{\fdbmajor\f31520\fbidi \fmodern\fcharset0\fprq1 MS Gothic Western{\*\falt \'82\'6c\'82\'72 \'83\'53\'83\'56\'83\'62\'83\'4e};}{\fdbmajor\f31518\fbidi \fmodern\fcharset238\fprq1 MS Gothic CE{\*\falt \'82\'6c\'82\'72 \'83\'53\'83\'56\'83\'62\'83\'4e};}
{\fdbmajor\f31519\fbidi \fmodern\fcharset204\fprq1 MS Gothic Cyr{\*\falt \'82\'6c\'82\'72 \'83\'53\'83\'56\'83\'62\'83\'4e};}{\fdbmajor\f31521\fbidi \fmodern\fcharset161\fprq1 MS Gothic Greek{\*\falt \'82\'6c\'82\'72 \'83\'53\'83\'56\'83\'62\'83\'4e};}
{\fdbmajor\f31522\fbidi \fmodern\fcharset162\fprq1 MS Gothic Tur{\*\falt \'82\'6c\'82\'72 \'83\'53\'83\'56\'83\'62\'83\'4e};}{\fdbmajor\f31525\fbidi \fmodern\fcharset186\fprq1 MS Gothic Baltic{\*\falt \'82\'6c\'82\'72 \'83\'53\'83\'56\'83\'62\'83\'4e};}
{\fhimajor\f31528\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset238\fprq2 Calibri CE{\*\falt Calibri};}{\fhimajor\f31529\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset204\fprq2 Calibri Cyr{\*\falt Calibri};}{\fhimajor\f31531\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset161\fprq2 Calibri Greek{\*\falt Calibri};}
{\fhimajor\f31532\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset162\fprq2 Calibri Tur{\*\falt Calibri};}{\fhimajor\f31533\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset177\fprq2 Calibri (Hebrew){\*\falt Calibri};}{\fhimajor\f31534\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset178\fprq2 Calibri (Arabic){\*\falt Calibri};}
{\fhimajor\f31535\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset186\fprq2 Calibri Baltic{\*\falt Calibri};}{\fhimajor\f31536\fbidi \fswiss\fcharset163\fprq2 Calibri (Vietnamese){\*\falt Calibri};}
{\fbimajor\f31538\fbidi \froman\fcharset238\fprq2 Times New Roman CE{\*\falt Times New Roman};}{\fbimajor\f31539\fbidi \froman\fcharset204\fprq2 Times New Roman Cyr{\*\falt Times New Roman};}
{\fbimajor\f31541\fbidi \froman\fcharset161\fprq2 Times New Roman Greek{\*\falt Times New Roman};}{\fbimajor\f31542\fbidi \froman\fcharset162\fprq2 Times New Roman Tur{\*\falt Times New Roman};}
{\fbimajor\f31543\fbidi \froman\fcharset177\fprq2 Times New Roman (Hebrew){\*\falt Times New Roman};}{\fbimajor\f31544\fbidi \froman\fcharset178\fprq2 Times New Roman (Arabic){\*\falt Times New Roman};}
{\fbimajor\f31545\fbidi \froman\fcharset186\fprq2 Times New Roman Baltic{\*\falt Times New Roman};}{\fbimajor\f31546\fbidi \froman\fcharset163\fprq2 Times New Roman (Vietnamese){\*\falt Times New Roman};}
{\flominor\f31548\fbidi \froman\fcharset238\fprq2 Times New Roman CE{\*\falt Times New Roman};}{\flominor\f31549\fbidi \froman\fcharset204\fprq2 Times New Roman Cyr{\*\falt Times New Roman};}
{\flominor\f31551\fbidi \froman\fcharset161\fprq2 Times New Roman Greek{\*\falt Times New Roman};}{\flominor\f31552\fbidi \froman\fcharset162\fprq2 Times New Roman Tur{\*\falt Times New Roman};}
{\flominor\f31553\fbidi \froman\fcharset177\fprq2 Times New Roman (Hebrew){\*\falt Times New Roman};}{\flominor\f31554\fbidi \froman\fcharset178\fprq2 Times New Roman (Arabic){\*\falt Times New Roman};}
{\flominor\f31555\fbidi \froman\fcharset186\fprq2 Times New Roman Baltic{\*\falt Times New Roman};}{\flominor\f31556\fbidi \froman\fcharset163\fprq2 Times New Roman (Vietnamese){\*\falt Times New Roman};}
{\fdbminor\f31560\fbidi \fmodern\fcharset0\fprq1 MS Mincho Western{\*\falt _l_r __f_};}{\fdbminor\f31558\fbidi \fmodern\fcharset238\fprq1 MS Mincho CE{\*\falt _l_r __f_};}
{\fdbminor\f31559\fbidi \fmodern\fcharset204\fprq1 MS Mincho Cyr{\*\falt _l_r __f_};}{\fdbminor\f31561\fbidi \fmodern\fcharset161\fprq1 MS Mincho Greek{\*\falt _l_r __f_};}
{\fdbminor\f31562\fbidi \fmodern\fcharset162\fprq1 MS Mincho Tur{\*\falt _l_r __f_};}{\fdbminor\f31565\fbidi \fmodern\fcharset186\fprq1 MS Mincho Baltic{\*\falt _l_r __f_};}{\fhiminor\f31568\fbidi \froman\fcharset238\fprq2 Cambria CE;}
{\fhiminor\f31569\fbidi \froman\fcharset204\fprq2 Cambria Cyr;}{\fhiminor\f31571\fbidi \froman\fcharset161\fprq2 Cambria Greek;}{\fhiminor\f31572\fbidi \froman\fcharset162\fprq2 Cambria Tur;}
{\fhiminor\f31575\fbidi \froman\fcharset186\fprq2 Cambria Baltic;}{\fhiminor\f31576\fbidi \froman\fcharset163\fprq2 Cambria (Vietnamese);}{\fbiminor\f31578\fbidi \froman\fcharset238\fprq2 Times New Roman CE{\*\falt Times New Roman};}
{\fbiminor\f31579\fbidi \froman\fcharset204\fprq2 Times New Roman Cyr{\*\falt Times New Roman};}{\fbiminor\f31581\fbidi \froman\fcharset161\fprq2 Times New Roman Greek{\*\falt Times New Roman};}
{\fbiminor\f31582\fbidi \froman\fcharset162\fprq2 Times New Roman Tur{\*\falt Times New Roman};}{\fbiminor\f31583\fbidi \froman\fcharset177\fprq2 Times New Roman (Hebrew){\*\falt Times New Roman};}
{\fbiminor\f31584\fbidi \froman\fcharset178\fprq2 Times New Roman (Arabic){\*\falt Times New Roman};}{\fbiminor\f31585\fbidi \froman\fcharset186\fprq2 Times New Roman Baltic{\*\falt Times New Roman};}
{\fbiminor\f31586\fbidi \froman\fcharset163\fprq2 Times New Roman (Vietnamese){\*\falt Times New Roman};}}{\colortbl;\red0\green0\blue0;\red0\green0\blue255;\red0\green255\blue255;\red0\green255\blue0;\red255\green0\blue255;\red255\green0\blue0;
\red255\green255\blue0;\red255\green255\blue255;\red0\green0\blue128;\red0\green128\blue128;\red0\green128\blue0;\red128\green0\blue128;\red128\green0\blue0;\red128\green128\blue0;\red128\green128\blue128;\red192\green192\blue192;\red0\green0\blue0;
\red0\green0\blue0;\red8\green20\blue62;}{\*\defchp \fs24\loch\af31506\hich\af31506\dbch\af31505 }{\*\defpap \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 }\noqfpromote {\stylesheet{
\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\f0\hich\af0\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 
\snext0 \sqformat \spriority0 \styrsid12081604 Normal;}{\*\cs10 \additive \ssemihidden \sunhideused \spriority1 Default Paragraph Font;}{\*
\ts11\tsrowd\trftsWidthB3\trpaddl108\trpaddr108\trpaddfl3\trpaddft3\trpaddfb3\trpaddfr3\tblind0\tblindtype3\tsvertalt\tsbrdrt\tsbrdrl\tsbrdrb\tsbrdrr\tsbrdrdgl\tsbrdrdgr\tsbrdrh\tsbrdrv 
\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\f31506\hich\af31506\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 
\snext11 \ssemihidden \sunhideused Normal Table;}{\s15\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \rtlch\fcs1 \af42\afs18\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs18\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\f42\hich\af42\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 \sbasedon0 \snext15 \slink16 \ssemihidden \sunhideused \styrsid6769574 Balloon Text;}{\*\cs16 \additive \rtlch\fcs1 \af42\afs18 \ltrch\fcs0 \f42\fs18 
\sbasedon10 \slink15 \slocked \ssemihidden \styrsid6769574 Balloon Text Char;}{\s17\ql \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\f911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 \sbasedon0 \snext17 \spriority0 \styrsid7012530 text;}{
\s18\ql \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\f911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 
\sbasedon0 \snext18 \spriority0 \styrsid7012530 center;}{\*\cs19 \additive \rtlch\fcs1 \af911 \ltrch\fcs0 \sbasedon10 \spriority0 \styrsid12862252 apple-converted-space;}{\*\cs20 \additive \rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911 \ltrch\fcs0 \i 
\sbasedon10 \sqformat \spriority20 \styrsid12862252 Emphasis;}{\s21\ql \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\f911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 \sbasedon0 \snext21 \spriority0 \styrsid540762 p7;}{
\s22\ql \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\f911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 
\sbasedon0 \snext22 \spriority0 \styrsid540762 p8;}{\s23\ql \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\f911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 \sbasedon0 \snext23 \sunhideused \styrsid540762 Normal (Web);}{\*\cs24 \additive \rtlch\fcs1 \af911 \ltrch\fcs0 \sbasedon10 \spriority0 \styrsid540762 s1;}{\*\cs25 
\additive \rtlch\fcs1 \af911 \ltrch\fcs0 \sbasedon10 \spriority0 \styrsid2842141 story_title;}{\s26\ql \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 
\ltrch\fcs0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\f911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 \sbasedon0 \snext26 \spriority0 \styrsid2430421 p3;}{
\s27\ql \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\f911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 
\sbasedon0 \snext27 \spriority0 \styrsid15164992 p5;}{\s28\ql \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\f911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 \sbasedon0 \snext28 \spriority0 \styrsid7279876 p6;}{
\s29\ql \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\f911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 
\sbasedon0 \snext29 \spriority0 \styrsid7279876 p4;}{\*\cs30 \additive \rtlch\fcs1 \af911 \ltrch\fcs0 \sbasedon10 \spriority0 \styrsid3964017 apple-tab-span;}{
\s31\ql \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\f0\hich\af0\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 
\sbasedon0 \snext31 \spriority0 \styrsid8156881 ps;}{\s32\ql \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\f0\hich\af0\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 \sbasedon0 \snext32 \spriority0 \styrsid10044868 p10;}{
\s33\ql \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\f0\hich\af0\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 
\sbasedon0 \snext33 \spriority0 \styrsid5601466 title-text;}{\s34\ql \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\f0\hich\af0\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 \sbasedon0 \snext34 \spriority0 \styrsid5601466 stars;}{
\s35\ql \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\f0\hich\af0\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 
\sbasedon0 \snext35 \spriority0 \styrsid10762359 p30;}{\*\cs36 \additive \rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \ul\cf2 \sbasedon10 \ssemihidden \sunhideused \styrsid11147400 Hyperlink;}{
\s37\ql \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\f0\hich\af0\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 
\sbasedon0 \snext37 \spriority0 \styrsid11498235 p20;}{\*\cs38 \additive \rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \sbasedon10 \spriority0 \styrsid11498235 s2;}{
\s39\ql \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\f0\hich\af0\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 
\sbasedon0 \snext39 \spriority0 \styrsid11498235 p21;}{\s40\ql \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\f0\hich\af0\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 \sbasedon0 \snext40 \spriority0 \styrsid16348839 pfi;}}{\*\revtbl {Unknown;}}{\*\pgptbl {\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp4\itap0\li0\ri0\sb450\sa0\brdrb
\brdrs\brdrw15\brsp160\brdrcf1 }{\pgp\ipgp82\itap0\li0\ri0\sb450\sa0\brdrb\brdrs\brdrw15\brsp160\brdrcf1 }{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0
\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp75\itap0\li0\ri0\sb450\sa0\brdrb\brdrs\brdrw15\brsp160\brdrcf1 }{\pgp\ipgp74\itap0\li0\ri0\sb450\sa0\brdrb\brdrs\brdrw15\brsp160\brdrcf1 }{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp16
\itap0\li0\ri0\sb450\sa0\brdrb\brdrs\brdrw15\brsp160\brdrcf1 }{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp14\itap0\li0\ri0\sb450\sa0\brdrb\brdrs\brdrw15\brsp160\brdrcf1 }{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp19
\itap0\li0\ri0\sb450\sa0\brdrb\brdrs\brdrw15\brsp160\brdrcf1 }{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp17\itap0\li0\ri0\sb450\sa0\brdrb\brdrs\brdrw15\brsp160\brdrcf1 }{\pgp\ipgp23\itap0\li0\ri0\sb450\sa0\brdrb\brdrs\brdrw15\brsp160\brdrcf1 }{\pgp\ipgp0
\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0
\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp
\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0
\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}
{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp24\itap0\li0\ri0\sb450\sa0\brdrb\brdrs\brdrw15\brsp160\brdrcf1 }{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp54\itap0\li0\ri0\sb450\sa0\brdrb\brdrs\brdrw15\brsp160\brdrcf1 }{\pgp\ipgp22\itap0\li0\ri0\sb450\sa0
\brdrb\brdrs\brdrw15\brsp160\brdrcf1 }{\pgp\ipgp58\itap0\li0\ri0\sb450\sa0\brdrb\brdrs\brdrw15\brsp160\brdrcf1 }{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp61\itap0\li0\ri0\sb450\sa0\brdrb\brdrs\brdrw15\brsp160\brdrcf1 }
{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp63\itap0\li0\ri0\sb450\sa0\brdrb\brdrs\brdrw15\brsp160\brdrcf1 }{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp67\itap0\li0\ri0\sb450\sa0\brdrb\brdrs\brdrw15\brsp160\brdrcf1 }{\pgp
\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp69\itap0\li0\ri0\sb450\sa0\brdrb\brdrs\brdrw15\brsp160\brdrcf1 }{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0
\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp71\itap0\li0\ri0\sb450\sa0\brdrb\brdrs\brdrw15\brsp160\brdrcf1 }{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp77\itap0\li0
\ri0\sb450\sa0\brdrb\brdrs\brdrw15\brsp160\brdrcf1 }{\pgp\ipgp81\itap0\li0\ri0\sb450\sa0\brdrb\brdrs\brdrw15\brsp160\brdrcf1 }{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}{\pgp\ipgp0\itap0\li0\ri0\sb0\sa0}}{\*\rsidtbl \rsid264753
\rsid273036\rsid415159\rsid423579\rsid540762\rsid722751\rsid787141\rsid853009\rsid1132725\rsid1206222\rsid1312978\rsid1334685\rsid1399092\rsid1473348\rsid1642802\rsid1643511\rsid1647068\rsid1789601\rsid2037716\rsid2183377\rsid2366953\rsid2430421
\rsid2499334\rsid2627489\rsid2842141\rsid3155965\rsid3369142\rsid3495282\rsid3565641\rsid3740405\rsid3825845\rsid3893828\rsid3964017\rsid4065897\rsid4281521\rsid4553596\rsid4749554\rsid4803083\rsid4984597\rsid5054376\rsid5387946\rsid5451368\rsid5601466
\rsid5660371\rsid5702826\rsid5729008\rsid5798274\rsid5851729\rsid6188447\rsid6760436\rsid6769574\rsid7012530\rsid7026937\rsid7148455\rsid7230755\rsid7279876\rsid7298411\rsid7762445\rsid8140675\rsid8156881\rsid8209350\rsid8266647\rsid8523615\rsid8728715
\rsid9176679\rsid9308423\rsid9384073\rsid9439929\rsid9718436\rsid10044868\rsid10163102\rsid10617741\rsid10707377\rsid10761426\rsid10762359\rsid11147400\rsid11149555\rsid11153277\rsid11292938\rsid11420468\rsid11498235\rsid11739993\rsid11931828\rsid12081604
\rsid12321165\rsid12417777\rsid12483071\rsid12783248\rsid12803532\rsid12862252\rsid12876050\rsid13248527\rsid13508223\rsid13577819\rsid13841573\rsid14293119\rsid14296218\rsid14684495\rsid14692712\rsid14816758\rsid14879591\rsid15034782\rsid15085787
\rsid15164992\rsid15284961\rsid15302108\rsid15495292\rsid15730012\rsid16348839\rsid16470965\rsid16602056}{\mmathPr\mmathFont34\mbrkBin0\mbrkBinSub0\msmallFrac0\mdispDef1\mlMargin0\mrMargin0\mdefJc1\mwrapIndent1440\mintLim0\mnaryLim1}{\info
{\author Becky Catchings}{\operator Jenny Cunningham}{\creatim\yr2017\mo3\dy21\hr11\min25}{\revtim\yr2019\mo12\dy22\hr9\min27}{\version38}{\edmins93}{\nofpages140}{\nofwords64276}{\nofchars366377}{\*\company Principled Technologies}{\nofcharsws429794}
{\vern4121}}{\*\xmlnstbl {\xmlns1 http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2003/wordml}}\paperw12240\paperh15840\margl720\margr720\margt720\margb720\gutter0\ltrsect 
\widowctrl\ftnbj\aenddoc\trackmoves0\trackformatting1\donotembedsysfont1\relyonvml0\donotembedlingdata0\grfdocevents0\validatexml1\showplaceholdtext0\ignoremixedcontent0\saveinvalidxml0\showxmlerrors1\noxlattoyen
\expshrtn\noultrlspc\dntblnsbdb\nospaceforul\formshade\horzdoc\dgmargin\dghspace120\dgvspace180\dghorigin720\dgvorigin720\dghshow2\dgvshow2
\jexpand\viewkind1\viewscale100\pgbrdrhead\pgbrdrfoot\splytwnine\ftnlytwnine\htmautsp\nolnhtadjtbl\useltbaln\alntblind\lytcalctblwd\lyttblrtgr\lnbrkrule\nobrkwrptbl\snaptogridincell\allowfieldendsel\wrppunct
\asianbrkrule\rsidroot6769574\newtblstyruls\nogrowautofit\usenormstyforlist\noindnmbrts\felnbrelev\nocxsptable\indrlsweleven\noafcnsttbl\afelev\utinl\hwelev\spltpgpar\notcvasp\notbrkcnstfrctbl\notvatxbx\krnprsnet\cachedcolbal \nouicompat \fet0
{\*\wgrffmtfilter 2450}\nofeaturethrottle1\ilfomacatclnup0\ltrpar \sectd \ltrsect\linex0\endnhere\sectlinegrid360\sectdefaultcl\sectrsid9384073\sftnbj {\*\pnseclvl1\pnucrm\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang {\pntxta .}}{\*\pnseclvl2
\pnucltr\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang {\pntxta .}}{\*\pnseclvl3\pndec\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang {\pntxta .}}{\*\pnseclvl4\pnlcltr\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang {\pntxta )}}{\*\pnseclvl5\pndec\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang {\pntxtb (}{\pntxta )}}{\*\pnseclvl6
\pnlcltr\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang {\pntxtb (}{\pntxta )}}{\*\pnseclvl7\pnlcrm\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang {\pntxtb (}{\pntxta )}}{\*\pnseclvl8\pnlcltr\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang {\pntxtb (}{\pntxta )}}{\*\pnseclvl9\pnlcrm\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang 
{\pntxtb (}{\pntxta )}}\pard\plain \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\wrapdefault\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid6769574 \rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {
\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs40 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\fs40\insrsid6769574\charrsid9384073 
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs96 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\fs96\insrsid6769574\charrsid9384073 
\par \hich\af0\dbch\af31505\loch\f0 Baen Books
\par 
\par \hich\af0\dbch\af31505\loch\f0 Free Stories 201}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs96 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\fs96\insrsid11147400 \hich\af0\dbch\af31505\loch\f0 9}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs96 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\fs96\insrsid6769574\charrsid9384073 
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs40 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\fs40\insrsid6769574\charrsid9384073 
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs40 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\fs40\lang1024\langfe1024\noproof\insrsid14816758\charrsid14816758 {\*\shppict{\pict{\*\picprop\shplid1025{\sp{\sn shapeType}{\sv 75}}{\sp{\sn fFlipH}{\sv 0}}
{\sp{\sn fFlipV}{\sv 0}}{\sp{\sn fLockRotation}{\sv 0}}{\sp{\sn fLockAspectRatio}{\sv 1}}{\sp{\sn fLockPosition}{\sv 0}}{\sp{\sn fLockAgainstSelect}{\sv 0}}
{\sp{\sn fLockCropping}{\sv 0}}{\sp{\sn fLockVerticies}{\sv 0}}{\sp{\sn fLockAgainstGrouping}{\sv 0}}{\sp{\sn pictureGray}{\sv 0}}{\sp{\sn pictureBiLevel}{\sv 0}}{\sp{\sn fFilled}{\sv 0}}
{\sp{\sn fNoFillHitTest}{\sv 0}}{\sp{\sn fLine}{\sv 0}}{\sp{\sn wzName}{\sv Picture 2}}{\sp{\sn dhgt}{\sv 251658240}}{\sp{\sn fHidden}{\sv 0}}{\sp{\sn fLayoutInCell}{\sv 1}}}\picscalex196\picscaley200\piccropl0\piccropr0\piccropt0\piccropb0
\picw2822\pich4233\picwgoal1600\pichgoal2400\jpegblip\bliptag255{\*\blipuid 9186b3da85d074e792d7785b25a3196f}ffd8ffe000104a46494600010100000100010000ffdb004300020101010101020101010202020202040302020202050404030406050606060506060607090806
0709070606080b08090a0a0a0a0a06080b0c0b0a0c090a0a0affdb004301020202020202050303050a0706070a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a
0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0affc200110800f000a003011100021101031101ffc4001e0000010403010101000000
000000000000040203050701060800090affc4001c0100020105010000000000000000000000000102030405060708ffda000c03010002100310000000f8ab95
c7391964645293552394d99c5e835464c548618a4781e84999c5d849e8316b4189c5e84aecd1734cce2dc93b16a4c7ab15c0f0da9c3048ba536e506e43d0199b
524c544ed30da5543ab4fa3f29499a91769b66a27e9b544c319a892d258a8b71348bcd3721d833a84c0af0523cc85d8ec90d646b43325d5fc5f6cb6f906cfcd1
d9b5582e8583d72b46c0c757aa73b69b2509116b56b6cf58954a4db45539075a0cd40988fc240d68974da45d59c0b75ddb96ec3ccbe91d17b77c85d32a7ed3aa
bfa465a1f2342f3d332ba3d58f06fb5793b392a0cce2a24fd230c44d28434d2d3229bbab926cfa55dd2d37a6603a03ce1bde87d3b5eb4f9be7aa8ea7af5afc5f
6a83dfb0dcf5d9754c31d048969f9a4b6863a8b0b13721b5a4e52dcaa5206b45b9ac23c164e0af6b4ced91311c8c99944a8c9892431682d2f129bc45cfd15f0e
f5ca737ec3c074fd7a6f9ae7e9df40e95bae8f95adb7cc45ada2666634ec9d17df74db3f99e7a8be9dafddfa265eb6ca5bd5bd1704dcc269c9a940672dbf1173
d1fe76de6f6e27b57327a3f4783b2abd29c8366d07a0610fc3ddd01d1305d39c5f6b91c95bd39d170ba3e5ed6dad172f1391a3c95ea0e7986793cb4349495b4e
e4e13b96bd9ab4d4ba0e12c3e59b1c267ecb61c45cea7b7e335bca5aef5a1e6a236ac759fa365e9ee9381b3f9d67b41da31ba074ac0286d85afc8f661a71c820
0b80db62c91084b1869c1ae228120cb32190c8171614a3c1dd7b588aa8c88a11923062491a84a78662517212522414a32518c922981494844220e3a6e5e12688
b4d111903389f100927d02cc193210d0e40420d99294a4d1240c94c53ad195289d0941d48cbc26338b6c11c65a130e6a4231429b03c353f49eb55e3888412323
11643c11928ce52961b8c9adc2de7aed7a629271aecce01d0ba838b76732be7b77b9c1d4d92d3b84bd2fc3e9bdb2d94c98a643d43d11b9c7ca4e45b0c5352111
63d7ea47e84798fafcc6bfe92dd750e1ff005cbc926abb3dcebf3b6a7f69b9f8f5eece0bce1d831e5c59038792958b10199470dc844c21a0b4f52b9fa7fe37f7
cf12765e6d65ea743a8b9adbdc181d7b813b05ce99b6763bb35ce03f33bd77c260a51928bf321a51908c940480c1271056fb0783eff7273ff556fb88e7940ee9
380c9774d8f01c92a9dcba16d36b93ec8e33cafe467b93c76d8e2e68f4e22513948e108086ca80629772f9f7a0742f2df426977dcb6a5dbe1238df51de1a8681
a6e4b00f5de6ecdd6ef3e3dfb87c4196c305a79690c7e2866110650e6212dff4fb8fae7e24f5053f9dd16bad8ee367c4e5b74c56bda1ec309da50aef64d97e72
fae3ce6154454402489400c38088b3d32e949bab0876fe9cf903b07366fbd07987a76bb2d86b966e6d765a37fdb1c2767e5cf4379629bde6c90d6c54a7a7d583
6d4c4649620948410733c3362d10a7f42bc9dd876ad4bb2d3bb76726b1a59f88d43893d2be68a87a2e1e2eac65221f0a90b3a6d347a93c9389a649866444a4d2
72483714edcd2331aee5ec2a9dd2cf2ea0ae2d84a8e3a419110094c923271a804a0d369715272b4e7221abd4829af292c0d88412188a59940324a0908cd128a5
12316d34c8d8941c8b6a43e49822ea6b4dd6949b1252506b108d82d3e0701f4cfa43ceb3d7760ef3c2f0f21847998036206c5b10853491f91f3dba0e139bb64c
7bf0948b6853fd03e36af64d2a9e0c83745f2af0edbe0a8cf6a446d8d4dc36ab0d2f50c975bfa4745f078301f09f216fc15710643654a0d9fa0bc65c760dbd4c
06407a4f89b82ee362e6ed61f23437db886c7b258f39f3fccf6ff67d572180c87c36c950e0fb9a620e401a23d8dceb3961e16ec60f0fc1e0f0b2180c83e0c02c
66a239ae61dfb0f516c363e4a41b50d40e036d3a818320a1a84d0781e1ad03494bc5c448f0bc3ca3ffc400321000010303020502050305010100000000010203
04000511122106131422311741101516233220426107242536513352ffda0008010100010803afe2b635e76af3b50dbe000cfc3f9adc6f593f0c03e32680f71d
b5e7e3f21be51e1fbcd7d3f7bf35f4fde86e93c3f79cedf4fdeebe9fbd0afa7ef74387ef746c37c3e4d86f7ec2c37ccd7c82fb4387ef55f4fdefc0360be57d3f
7aa4f0fdeebe417bfddf20bd5757286d5d549aea64e715d549f7eaa45097271425c9daba9935d549aea64d7532bc1eaa5f9aea6557532abab93424c9f35d4caa
eaa4935d64aa12a4d14ef80682bfeeea3b637c0e1208325ed73ef91a148e9eaed754dcc21a69762bbb447324dba5c2783127e9dbda91aa9e8cec75965e856ab8
ceef892ed371843992c0da929f7a1413db407bd78a19ac03b2771914a1ee304ec784b692fd5caef122ca2c3b225b536621d6b882e322033aa3f0b7df92f5c64c
819b8f52e5f24c0b8a9b6d9bca5222261b1166c28708c690e1ee3a53fc6d5ec348f158c8ed055edbe0d1045127cd28106ac9714db96ebcf5c270992fa9424e97
828deaf4c5cbb1ab75c956f775b6bb9585c7ba8953a54796ad513e7d1a4b3c8b9bb3ecfc8e4c10352a8057e74327babc781ace535b9c5156462bdb7df151ecf7
2948d4c3f6e9d0527aa51df7d0e206544007623146bfe65bb54e7d8ea23e4d0068ec8c527cf72413f8ec37a51d55ef5e1442827b350b7f2553da0f5d91739c13
f2d9b3eef121f266f0cc161f7557191c49183caeb9db6f0fc9b833d638e70c95325d816cb31b9485c7a570d2586d6b951e04b76d21d4db2d326e8e2996470e44
772cc7930a4c67ba3717c36d45d28b85cad5d0a429b4ea51edfdb8a5a71dd472ac9a4e2a1451365a2289b0ae76863a86604a7dfb575333870a5775291c44daba
fd55744aa4599088bc2887390fbaab138976e929c45e96a76e6a0b89feb09ab116859ca111e7dae2c9d4c4db8bf2e736fb122e2d28055eaef6db688227c34e05
1ce3511822b56d436dc36ad2ad74c711dd19fc275f2e5711a24c492fc2744a65fe20b83ec965712ef361a70d4ae20b94d4f25d83727adea5ad890f3afbdcf791
77988869b736ccd93017ae32789eea07db5dc26adf129cfa92e2a1a5f9f7397705ff00723ce689ced5923c7476f3f8f47009a1121f8ae9208a4c5828f062c039
51e8a11daba186b24a5306128e074704d0890b18ae9207bf4504f6a7a18ba4d7476fc574b0eba2823c88703c9e92dff95745071b203414a4b98d1f885690aad3
81debcb596827491a294d94ad4d8525ec2c964152c25b0121dc389d2bed759284e43dca6d38c96b0d6b184e939d396caa93f96e80839a01953383ba7b6b080ad
4b25b4928a472b410a4a5bd6398a479349c388d014b52f63808516a929ff00eb38dc730ea0aadd55e128c93fb46dfb1671ab4275ac1296f75d2033e1d2a0a4ef
adc09d6a19f2362d12bd4127536de33b8f349fb6e6a04e7729e5e7ef12bc85056852f66d2a503a13d3b7a30704eda55a355274856f9c9522b569a70ad2394b49
52770b1a1cd0d90560ad69057d894af2bd2d1590ef31434fbe90158559b83de90812aebd470dd87b63b7c5aeba74c655f0ad3a6e32786ec3766caedb74b3bb66
5f2a7256d82490829473025b68e30e212951c369e739f752a737505a703516d4da0ea2acab2e152919ed4adb42f553856e3aa715f8d70bd89a6d9179b8dd6f0f
ca70b4c70549bf19c199fe47db96d46e5ff908f65b2441d4b48e23b45ca49870f895774627ae05c55a714b5246a0c04250afba0a7714971084908c00a1ad5f91
2138f0a525b08c5292e957dc6f979c3d68b60b9dc111dbb9ad1a79298edde25482ddbd73edb63734ce83c486e8c966c10ed6869f1367f1271149e2674c3876b8
688ae830f8a62a67d9d17341520c6ada997b94720293ef8a1dc296ad6a268b8ad3a6bca714acbb9769c75c71210ae076bfc9bae2a425d9f78105323a9691ca81
6fb44b92fa57768713a77d32e0cdb94b988790e640ed4b6fa9ac2d301226daa4465029002d2f74f8fedf252ad997395ab23ce696e296735cbed2a1f6f9630120
fe285210e2554b082ae6d70690ddc1f61d8f6e716fc99ada587a4c379db270f26fbc4bcd44d911ba1bb7ca9d95c3f6a8ee72e541e1c817194eb11ed7626a74a9
16f7ed05b8915d75fe5f29d09716ad475a54078182925256de948505f2b57db41c79f273432720214946e5c51ffdeacd317027b53c8d6874aa2b6d3b259763de
a3dbe7c6e1d4b16abec72f4ab7dc6ae0c4b92e871bb330f42993997b872eed5c6287cf11c8e8ad620a11deee5d38f14b4252bd3471ec15da41f87b629d404ed4
0b7c83846b7806540676160969b940440937c81798ca524be264c3aa5a3e70da396debbcfee8ee5d4c805362b226d8caa74cbc4e72ecf19051cbce1ed941284b
01f5216da3158a4242d60576d63da9cd21450ca90a4fe494a483a996f9ae68a2ad0e6a6ed7c510e634225ea4f08c497fdcc05708cf4ab66b8364b9b3dcbb170f
a32eddef526eeee16aecd486f14d84e080d21725d0d358d2ac2fced4d250a57dd4a01f25184e4f2d7a7550da88c2b6469cf769a8e9efa665ca8c7530389ef694
0487aef7a71014f2fb8ea3a0ab2518dab148516dc0e51dce694e2d49d0740c6eb469edaf3594e8d2af6ac562b7a4b6bca0b6ea390f1d78f8a40d5dd9d04a5b68
1ceba2818ca5a08e60d69082aeefe6bc9dd6428562b1470a56429090ad29eec6918a00f818a4a751c56286c6938d5952f4939420e0f71c64e1a46bcb6105bd0a
d7a3edeaac52309502a4e33dca439a5257c39c131af36744f5fa670ebd33875e99c3af4ce1d7a670ebd33875e9943a1fd368c90523d33875e99c3af4ca1d7a67
0ebd33875e9943ae2ab322c5704c06d34ea169594b85bc0c92a2afcb807fd619fd0738ed79a9d1da7a75d1773b80b1b4e9796fdaa6b28abc5c2708ce945ce63f
16d485b0ebebb629a5b7fa3fa8c33c449158e590a4e73e54db496f50c57021cf0d327f42b2124a5f17893283b2a6b172b8dbd2faf9372bbcf61d91c44c4b916f
2d4394cba6da19a6ed9226bacb49fd1fd444a4f11235388423094a729391818ac55b38aae36682dc16c71f5d71aabd40ba57a8174af502e95ea05d2bd40ba57a
8174af502e95ea05d2bebeba692aaf502e95f5fdd457d7b7224f2fd40ba55eeeaf5e66754f103d820a8e918ac5003dcefe06d5a4a7f2c562b14704ed8ac56052
929fd98a1a148d27158ac562bfffc4004210000102030505050505070207000000000100020311210405123141102251619213324271e120528193a2062391a1
c11453627273b2d133b1344043546382f0ffda0008010100093f03ff00903ec5d717a15d91fa15d71ba15d91ba15d91fa15d71ba15d91ba15d71ba15d71ba15d
71ba15d91fe5abb23742bb23742bae3742bae3742bb23742bae3f42bae3742bae2f9e0575c7e85687752b53fa94789d655a1fd6ad113ad5a5fd455a1fd4ad4fe
a5687f5ab53fa95a1fd6ad0fea5687f5a8f13ad5a1fd4ad113ad5a1fd4ad2feb5687f52b4c4f2c450f66135df7593c4f5575c3773ec82b1321d7c2d155607cdc
6439ab390e3e1576bbe244d34b48cc382b239e06ba2b1b9ade3b74d83609943f1d83454923ff004bf5575b231e2f0ac6c82011bb0d3a4e2ea1e09f8e2b40c25d
a4f55f6818d93bfd3738ab487383a5356d6d961b6815eec8c4f02724ea4f7567c36b7cca08e68ec29d34c73b132424a191e6b2c4a13849d99550ea382bae297f
00fa15608702b4c2e335642fe6c2ae49ff00e48cfaaa219215453b6047e0b86aac111c3de951595ec9ea45167cd439070ddc4334668ec2ac315d0ce4f96cf8a6
9cea81927550f3d93280f8a6e59aee768312b506cbc38a4ac1305b27b9d922c384c842709d78ab6b66d6d2195159020fbefd55e50e39e192b408661b66e2e0ad
d0d8c6775d2ef2bdfb382317dd89e588aeeb46f3dd9355f909f106985377e7403c4af68505eef04b12b6438c3f8170aa0132850cb409b3e09c2193e27ab7e3ae
f060a04241c0e6330a78709202198a2136b61b775bc10dc1291e6b22dfd51cb20bf76ffee2bdf38e5aabbad0628d31ab2b83d846112aab91f22685d308399319
1339a915f8a6135aa7229c43b3054407cc28f4e01694582473dd513c8151e4cd431b24d1be255d15717058430022a389470b5da230584e6f0caab4b8c469a3e6
990a28e1161cd44121935a2436147357dd9683f7aafbb1f976aafcb27cc57ed93e6abeec75c8f68afab1fcd57e593e6abeac9f315f964f84457e58fe62bf6c72
fea2beec9f355f7649ff00555f96496bf78afdb273fbd57f593e6abf6c9f315f76497f555f7649738aafcb27cc47e29e13b31920453751cc0c54404e7de25372
159af0d1e9d229b2e21380e72eea14c34a2894233013b3d13eba0e2a79a0b34e9391124c206b24fc4dd0c934e2f0a8b9e78544c52d5344f14f2d11fc5198e2b5
14539a6b77792d3f2523c81544146c5cf8ac53f199e8abc912d98a159a130e12ded86be1aaa5355c3601f1aa74d1c8530a64b4a6aa8387053cb7aba2337788cb
f243e09b49e69b34f6c8f88b534870d53759d457645c61b94d484b3a55009dba21c9c70e9aa609ea0b53a5347f94a89d8c2394396fbbfc2b3c063c789fbf1176
e7c9b2562c4d39f6f001088b2c43c37a19fd4280412cd329f19f050e7314ae4a2367961d544af8b0e402ca74f25170ea4955a6b552ae814333069543335428b1
906731394c290989c9c76367fb886efee510b5bef6a7fc2bacfecf84e288e8549ac23ff556c9338121aac50c5265ee3a7c5358f870e9db96d01fe10a3622dc8e
8472921bd34e761e0e44cf56e14c9d289866448ef2143aa145397258bb4077b829e2e054e5cb34d2585fbc78054630502b1b1827bf698aaf78f6cb448eeb28d0
74c9606c40378c5d39ab7bed0f03c746cf8a8861d8186aed631ff0861c3f9aefc1dc719f80faaef62d82bc679285a20a7319219a90c3c027e7a26e59d51a3724
dac3807e09d26e6f3c9358d87d999b9fe11f0cd426616b641c061a68a4c30ea44e5309f87b7384b478208d3e28480c82d164f6151645a68163ceb8d538af1365
b1d9f008f773929e29d786c6cc03dd2809389dd69c91fbc7c0fcc15797ecee63a53ec71d17db0851fb26559fb28579f6305929b8411bdc945cded01e0660eabe
d2c184e3593c4bf557d35cd86d69115ac9874fe2a398512cef0dee4c1d668eeb419a70e72aa0d13d00c91fcb352a8cd645629735972dacc44640e4a1b463f0f6
7443771e174961776922c9e455d4cb1437b7bf678a2be724d1dbb9cd88e9ba5acd364e65a990e2fe34fd57d9cb1db061efc788d0e1caaac70ece5ee0e1061198
682de4bfe21803621f7805df8a77bc93b33bd5d8f98e32d9f0f622874bdd4d133c7ffa8a300d1963392fcd6ec40d940762cc2b745742d44d5b1f108ca7556e8a
1a3badc4af48df34abc6217727554421bc38a84d12eeef78782c52fe150f7b53c535c672044b6bf0f3721b1cec1cd3654a274a94a2701ccadd96ad2a8ed22ff9
5107f3422a3bbf0511d24f6b9dee313b0c20775813e6de32cf635d8fc124244aaa0bbbac950714333bae4d323ddd8e9f34e238cb63a4e1dc186733c15a1ec3fc
255be2739956d8b85d9553c932acd339f96d74bf9761a4e68ca944d20eb3d849a6ed7253da53b79c6923509e4bf88393b60d869aa886594f884cdd6f78e19c90
32c5df2b29aa09196d24bb57128ec872144668d386c1b0cbcf6b6627509b21c109b6756f14136ba150e6ed1c4a1e5b1b31c10a21423754620bc998c5c0a8e7ab
d1473d5e8a39eaf451cf5fa28e7abd1473d5e8a39ebf456932767bde8a39eaf45683d7e8a39ebf451cf57a28e7abd15a0f57a2885c3b2c553c6685745de9d538
720ab4909e8bde77f77b19e8af20cc27eedb0ceecb9cc21822c5ee970d27456a7c46447b5a71f3a2b2ba1b5b301eed51df73284f192b7ba335c5a1d8a5ecff00
dbb7fdca7d79688799e29f3272969c767bcec873f61b33c38afb38f88d619b1ae8d0e5e7de561c119aeff4718cbcf25779b3c282ec4eed1c26e232949598c579
f08701feeac8d8c7009c274aaae8fd8e042787c4991bdca9ecba9d83667e2519996f15f9a3b216ee6daf12a0d0675f450feaf450feaf450feaf450feaf450fea
f450feaf450feaf450feaf44d1e58bd143fabd1431d69b403c4e0143fabd1661b8515aed0848701b1ba6bec0f609cab31b24dc233977bd9fffc4002810000202
020104010501010101000000000111002131415161718191a110b1c1d1f020e1f130ffda0008010100013f32df30301a9cfb10202143972c505c31b2b9577ea0
84d1025ef7621053588109ee51f79a64be9c40ff0046250ccda7798d43d8e2788f9d694e63717975138bcd1f763e3daea7b39780817cb8e823af784a0d1e5719
fcb9f9739471b1059138b67367cb89583b141d51d94b5f7706ff00767ec870139396c3ce72ce349efc07c87ce3d1d9858bc7286e205d1a586dc187dc8272e23b
779c7ef478dbdf16403f2841cbdbc0a7f2e1b85c3aa346fef88963ca55c1d7507e554cabd9845b22b0e4119187988147e610c258b4610a07ac5790600a539844
d870444125a812f10121823594c721d8127d4c05ad4f425cbbbbac300bd36217b1a9799ac6c7b108682f50c8b15f7875670a8fb3c5cdca0841e8a99d9e8e91e7
5ada02120ef0c7028e7ac950004187e88123c6e41b3b9006e63dd92e1d396b849bf0f9842e6fb55c544c8496d1316f45e480bc46e8c0ccc31705abfa26964b31
72509a3219225ac5c82170e3db8da5612ad2a399684798c03f94df839462ae8836b86c13c650414800c5c24daac45a10fc3310b2b5077e022150e7e54eecb40b
e440d39f28b78305a409c7114d50d11c9a8483a8f550814000d38840496799a350d4e25505ad49802879a902ef30f0bd5f7c84196b69159eccb0ba4d780b6144
9da5cb1be8a304810889d978d4518003e2056b10cf8b6113003380943ed4a809f46a36d2990649c4cae66e1bdfc3b8199e17e1dc4f4e2295d2191ce0892f218f
983099ef640a0b8028159e8270d678fc0825a3416fbc00d92136d2889e7699e4d7c40dc0143819ee207bc5aeff005868f15b80fbcd07994c68280449509a79a8
3789ce43b8864201c5c462eab7b801c06ae67c342808c24126141cc28f9471351386e24f99db551737686b726aa00eea1b8574a5b0046180e26c64ff0013ada1
e691b6054da86eb80b2cb5051a0fc4b8a91511bd2851ab158882ff0010e7e90df3d43964042e13f31d25514f5032441e1b95ac0621c4381b0a36e39061abe04b
989c7528f7888d38606f675844b5e33131ac311813ce524838536c58b3860a22c8206002702c2c31826015b8702bb4bed1be766b8339f582f83e4cd7ef889615
7ea12e38281a968e6254f201b731a2bb01096bc018c62496f206a177b38e301a00fd2280dc07423dc1ef4c41e09b65890abaf079cddc1c40a4427513a17bbf98
011518a9088bb58de1c523254768d424eccd74d205aeb51c99830e0c41ce460c2f12840c18e91656f3b88d3e9050295d83fb42aa2801f100e349c4f6e82aa192
e015d87de045c45bee5b34f2e0f1d65ecb694472e07f408aa01de9590c4be45d81013511a0b022c16304bf500b0e5e622022baf1d60a041c4a7e665d998ef002
d61d511ca1dcdfb9cc95ec73028659db10a19c500fa9682a196131903732e44448d4f7e6101a652e38d59394b8e904e90d91b84e24f31d74090d08324dc29300
115960331a226e158133d9d500bfb13280c083f510558bc46e5507078881842d9333db95ee0306370b58e0550c7610f38458de198a913ca19245f8ca3458cb03
28dc33b81d9b9616ef49e25f7c25000e74e0d2c63b40420830dd422508ba2d03d63300bc144f68d952a042be212c85870c35d1c7d447cceda230f52aee1d2e5d
c4bf4421f318a8f6808ebe0ef78f89db28a09c3c7154e617a61c68a79b700ec52e4a406ce7ac2c1ccc676e90fb008860e09cefe200aa19cd981928236dff00b2
d872851808101b875c7ac00aaee2440e570e500433240b95690f00c54c63218f1de23917d8ca5f2f13ba1708c87f211e40522e8413f8810c09facb5b016007f3
0b024b9bc8b47f5c4048dec00e4c2b93e94ee08001625c77330697685420e864ead4143c2361ee0833484f17fdee018cf3774186765001fd1d0d3fec25060801
029fb875c162b4a594c1e39401f8b8f2e7d4389234070860416c572c0edfa104581ba8b4e47ac5be84cfa38ebd5475279503ccaf1d0e2256c4385bfc23a6347f
39dad30781f6fba2d652c9c80bedfa83c8bdc6479d450d088ca1ea4dfb8c0325d20d40744a4255a0cea162fa03241630d0d3265752a530180a34db3ac3968a81
ec6a169601a08629b9a0dcec7c9085078fd008203359b845fc4963b221cd908bf33cccd9e01801000081a8d95c182a11f71355a8ef96fbc23102c4b178c47a40
5107fec10883c643911b00a3b8c54444210833b7f03da117bf1a848076fb4289789d9d256d1617478e9366a838b1deae2c2525c72c43e7cc480d128926b062cc
b8a933cc25532e4745d290944a043911cdc66bc01d3e0a1882d7720865842298b97c43c7092a008cc4cf88d3a55430ee8a29642f75ea305d9fb4053521d5b803
ce88824ff8c3610f022c16432a1b0f0f25be7728357a5002b0e07bf12011c880dc0ba3147b4b3757936984804c7ee74004abd279a2dea52573b9c47c1880b535
f489d2a0554d65b00133992ba1f3ee1ac822f1b7cc6e141a97bc4069fbc04b9eae000227ba8735ea01140b775fc42a986615010e144d8e5d76417854e0c1ec2a
da1f12601b0b5e21238ecffe41ec889c2c14c590022c5441a3fcf32a679b597278899b302ad12addc768273f30447a8538af985f34a6377500fd40ccba7c4a67
3f42731d61132aaf780c915b96562adfba84c3980b0c8851a0d919e22d2077807784024b123237004e94e7f9b9b18bfcd879ef07ee5fb6e1a95f9e2cb9d91a00
10731cd533dd083412e8f303e0400d944f262901d48c007225d4400b2bf9998588f096e4f602b3f88a02585951599bef1a3066000070dcd582510eb70d81b2cf
b99750fb16915c83c11a7c326c37536f530d46ab39c74920282d2697b9db07523e4d112c1924939300eac802d9cc0e10e46dca242048b47a0a7817686eea00d7
2d769879c298cc896bcf5830d9a1b875da2187067af33b99662d411d2160081ac06042dd09e980d926d301ab8a2ca08cca0c1536504fa42ddc10eed4008a441e
819bac41c25a9d80d4c3e8a4180843a84246809808198d67e81590fe8c21d5f42813123a4029c034ee416a21c0088aa46d182683c476cf62049a06ab989c2259
1fc7f5406e642eca8f3f886f9710a88d91cc011243b0054110745a706221a02c1c7ff0fbefbcfbe7176a2e7b7fe1f48e57f56f96517acd44b0f42000ee7f9f30
16a0a608a10d1096c18196a108d27f5797f8bb4a652fc795cf30f30f00b22c812991d88330782576e006d198e1719eec0ca82880118fa23d624ecca38ff29f56
0b2a399016791f30b1b8b6c2e31d110b865f8f3010c431a03b26ff00e0d348504676ad09a4871a739a5aa84b5039842d9ce5d80011ddb308ed5706cd84070400
fd1d69c7ba90f982d011c94c9d7f907a0ab311e3ac06bc7884120a2d031ea77a785f4d38409b7043c4349e73063f473a7874f0e961d27d0a74bf4180d8990369
fa2c400720e1fa86ff00b0ce7d28a204408390092fe604725710442c9203ebf22ad1971b22ee502d42c71195969ddbfa5541ab8249000f035f5c2acde82a80a6
3a05fd21698840132e0ff9ff00ffc4002710000202020202020105010100000000000111002131415161718191a1b110c1d1f0f1e120ffda0008010100013f21
56032c4d462b62203601184c6137c2140138625c381a3fedc4c698d2a7284088818a116ab83011cd4a4880fda38c8016cb30b3a2187305c06a302d00a05e2193
959ac0fde37d14477ff6524a74b80122b0ccc00f1c0664585427e39b0e600b0e5e219b07322eef1287a9c9551347d473b08416a519507959b30e38c806ed6518
1c51ff001e071b783031cf605bfc4381140e5117a380aefe271c49a2757f729f68651e6ef98e25a8a0b9fee68f905ff58098fbe80f98b1a317ff004cc32422df
ef033505197db8095de284fdc36208e99fb840f30631fdc506f65d7f72c8a3bfe78f5e144fe7880d60904e43f33bee14903e611a33bfbdc3d5c31b7ee5a21a0d
d3cb770e078b0fe6345037c7f71513b699be615e12d9ca891186408b5c467709f28a13342080e1d0ca714252c8006626ed0485a791036bc9f542c7b8a6d33925
7547faa62bc598f018b9d9d4307903e90593d8bd40c354ba24278a9bee31fca80de1b40f739c07cbd43159c62194012290dc27962115c19c38c8921df714d376
848690019cc83a59c12c8310981af21038440154c980121a72c8f1fa2088113309d3814624098261650b9986dac15643daa96ac4c66129a294794589c2840ca8
280d01188a012d5be761c916ce4f265498a0b645cb72b112c21be1f51770ac60886cbe50b5d4c8dcc85b8202172edc983afc99ca94568f23a3a70810685a6097
7735c6b12a16d9480c80111c651b294a0b0fc125bbd21396e3c68b51b6eb0b01b836d7c3d0b9706a48d02d9ce7e6065871c7c83bf5018a698791a3e2b988a895
3d81d40f3c945a0feca842608e68d7cb504cc35999525467f1c4560e2c6de8cb02b669c43d35521ff60c0f400e4764cac34420099dc220300322f115570fcf4a
3e8c07fd04c1f4b4fa71d1f4295c2f50e0d59606499cfa980c60d0ea564031c18b4c80615f1161c4fa1d4142d241bc42a3608f50ce982328feb2e01904798009
869f7a105843b47aaf71722f860420607685dba6a02dc8967803a8dbc640d2ba020668ef96dda21299a48473d823c4a656c72a43d18c255303100b1555423535
e6188acb19ff00aacaa72ffb8df087421f80187b80af28e49426c0eb29740b027c9117de4a32840e1c3bfc276850f4164cdba8121089b02de57ee2a18cff000f
46f2436bdce2390334c16f6a0734b98841218ceb8961331fd4d008eabb872df317def1cc2082752f6ccb434e23dbee03b851b53a67e60900c0af755b150cfd57
a9a18698a6a5646c0ec2f712c03d8a0cd58cc8409c0e4a7081558d573810c4f437e2e21c239a1a5573362dd1b047ab7a96164a1e0284067e44001a11d5451501
8cface54f7a4cf16fe54c5e993d4a44315bb403ff50ffc452bdecf833ca2dc0b8e5db30c13c180b9b8380b6a359541fe0826ff00d86a4e089115e96e6460042c
08496612d2db3191630c9fcc3d6ce91fcadc1e40f7262961788b2ad58f037b879ef8bb19c412ee200e3260fb5de0562106f9a9f8a61ef6575825bacfd4260c41
24020ca703750089476d1b61db3d0d01e2a11b58d8ae512a272e8a23c07c43e1bd8bcb8dce721d9a279ea0b4740408c126b9043bcca25710606a5917577ea2a1
c45713cfe652f13976d46313854bc6e18afa06856917e0ab503b5c5d30d0bea37240c50e63f2b847f73e257a7395d711fda83600e9c3cbfd8174a072d82a5ce3
066367f885b3a3e604bf4c54034d02872f444b22ae01a900cd5d34613262253c7244a0f0004ec6defb8aa44b44139bd2993f2047a1e54fdc178a1be00a911e4b
7d4ac4520b16dd675c88da40cc80034c066c40ccc48697f731bf6d466ae72a06e43cc0c420ad8dc3fe6d59ab1e2e345d22527043fc44776918cd715129660c02
12067b5e94676d311f0f870164a2a967a8d5579dea2490cf405f30d43665089a18e032cb841b6854fb80efd09209f1f9475ac4560e8f200f9e6396d070a27fe3
f30b588a42ce757b6aa18db516ac57975ea5f6390852c2f8cd29a8b92f3ec75fc42f0af2c2014dc3df11691288ca98d7880005126ffef7312d40440e10cabb55
947f419fb80901d9353812ae12de5c0249f63bff0092b04641484bf2a5a32aca326ba30bb8a2f9d75e675f9609f51176aed23364667059a244b8671f686c9932
286c8ec7d43ba376901e51fe4fd82a8013090f1c822a38ee81281856667c0461afbd42375c9306522f998c9506ca8df851497b1f27315465b5502b6cdd9ee646
572698d39824ac00b0f9b51e0a121008b79f90e6090a3148a78ea028d2187c30e15892a56b1ff605b64348c8000d97ddcc3c8e221fc11034b094248c78da9919
a9071700d601e8cd1377f30d591df03f826528b00607265d259e15416ad64798c94954d4b05a94828b50c727a10df79c09106c8f03101924e7d02c7b3f138401
a624db5f80907548e1de8086e38411e7640314d7d36f0917e92ba8c0fb88afc521ac7d4bbdc42552fe2306029aa6ac862355a8a8de0e0df687db9f451a2151c6
473026fc86df0d912bb95b09629736d56e6c2c6079f12fde990098e2f1823065da412125ed9e4de674b482603019d6a1fa4a2dd643db3aa960a36384101da11f
10080800804865181d60d575bb75b1f3e0571950fecd6ccaea6d01863bb35c9e206fbe2228740282eb80eba41bd18fb9dd451e20056cc153ebbe40143c400e9c
05709497035820e3a846232896f18a65c567c40e081676188bb403eb81a5857a70cc22b859a5f74c43ea1ee0234a1d5106144b6506c24c61a2fd887d41d8586c
0dd46e3c8428656b3a971420c01e378430b8009706a5f4a611a2aba33dce69be96c13646422b1eb1612f8a6a10dbff000f595a0998d3512ea7bf214f990e544d
90ab1c80331d292840f2050244211d98502dad29af1d0d6cb341207121e5763919a0b53f231ce053fc160e7b67e3ca56d92e182fe6552d3722c0f99532cc0244
138cf3f570a5466c7ee5910a831c4927fbcc23c8e0a0764d401c0c0c39a64ecf660106664594ff007dc21852104d945c6401880b7532904c82778dc2ade97c81
f2cc7a207a9df3fcc203687408960b068811cc3704baa248016346cb86a097f2e680eb27509c772f11fef43513d802800c010ca22033d083615f133091f4b551
25d70104259da5703ece064ed4b1dd784b8c017399bc5038b6a3044f72c4c544822854005af1025cc54224eb4156cf28450b2215d0b6f31806cb22807fb08597
b7767c0c29102fd6288014b1f10f2b3b249a8136e7242b1bb55777d00e05c5dec83678c1051c289b4c4d8cd0a54327b8acecdbb029fbc3d4c03e83f826180a7a
4c706446c43314f6bea0511b01db9eafad429ad9b1206003819a388f623e1a562b0fa753c242046502bcbad20ec5a269ecc7224345880b6293bc6aa1c2d3ca36
4a938768647db50eac50fa8a000c928a104c62089e85fc6e0d384406834f42acc1a9e0052b1681641f83cc0d78bacac40c51f13e74cdb0ec11853997501914a8
77a26060f78fc1598c2a94c663865428e47c4a7d85f13131c983d9894981a20c4b17b9f746f7151161ff002274ef5acedd1250d5d2b010d974794f708600f114
fa67739c01041869703f3118e8b08662934db16a6743d4088733b300f1b7b830fe84022898b207f4189680662cd8f01cbea6259247640c9be21b23812252301e
fc4bb0ff00ff00ba1c91a79c710bdbf3907eff00d18f5720ca0275081b6740e48a041b0730aa36792c70819c0101fbc850033a7a81592557cea251896e9f3dd8
ff004cd05277b2dbc1f516d181191b46b8a82f5629236737b25c282f5a6bf33a411f0863a09b2073d6e5882cc8cb11f883edca991bee13754980151a122892a3
6caa4b307c43842583240785125f51fd0c3350e180d33a6e30a31e88492ef310e10bb8fda3fd387ed890347c057c80634a0c5afb48b074b75e5333a37708fe3f
93d449b9b839c432cc1927365004a28e22904c1cc3e2ecd826f0945afd2501dde63414628dbe606a05002f37b965f078aa081006d7dc4b7825b4dba071018cc8
1816862f3e1ee2d3146ed61cadc525b30c190442ee4001200f368c15807db3d5b8cabd5c83f77004f7d42847b1dc34a4c071f815145b15cdc2a63e4c7cb7b749
b5e21d83812c31a6cb095f72fdf0b0d393c0ecc43c2c1d4a661da83580c14b056a09288092d998a33504a6af1886a139f39a5433e6aa3146d6e4d829054bf3b8
61a3a1996d75c080f0c9d0d474e42680d0b3fda15476ccb09bbb51b2673f2dcd6161c51b93b10c2630802744ed4bc2b854f2ee11200005bbb8dd80c80e1fda1b
53b0adc351449dfc278345182bba7dc2fd81e60740192062aad102d5e66b98a726464094b8b845025018508707600fe3312937572e4ca853d04170427a1602bb
0942699562ea318015b02362acb38689801534c033e891f704a45011a24347d33f333b868bc0c00ccf097bac4b28546d41014d178fe651600680761ea17d735c
b29ee5a112530f0c6efb8242fd3310ba7b873011912ac20f059c282e98e8d10964596cd7b43f62b00062db209a8792619de7cf3122249c0078ab8d86b3e23ca2
a7176283047d5bb83f7b3b81c80fafdfff00175d72b1ff008c3ae305fe18b4000f981fa5c2cfcefd062cb677fd570d4cabd50a380d4b8b5e540bd847fd46a526
2a3ea27ada8a09c86011546ee298c08910685fd4d1affc6a6d3a40fb95a981aa05981e7428211222edfc0e91f339d6697c79e07221715958210c968c901e9c2d
39739607cfed05394585cd5006581a32a03fa9ee21d52f76a14a4a430222d3380583b88856c8b03bb96aeeb1b00487920160a8b0255a816f28a02878111fd11d
c2e8264e009685d5f719bf4500f06091a6d798d0159984c7c9212f226a85fd9e2ea92314e162c05241216197dc4b2bb85c01c622995dc65c62a37afe50707118
20fd169f5a9bbcc1882120499363d11bdbe20f852848b92a308c4822e7880a57f3f130896c7e00b832db95ba2bd3619c2743e31fe463fc0c7f998ff3b1d0f8c7
f898eafc63784c058ec700bec41c1f841cb9a08bb22f5c4130ada3019a567a0493070be319163e16587c25f204ca5abfb8a46816c982019280705360368b55a3
b50abf6411f249e730803a02ff000e26c5b0048a0603d1635fa0790e335826e1c6a221e8380efe7f4048fc96e3682ddbf1f332550a69b808963baf1fa2e7e699
c46c2a9ac0987e868e8d4fffc4003311000005030106050304020300000000000001030405020611211012151631411314202226073251232461713033353642
ffda000801020101080118ee306431818c03a4cc606b81a02fc0c118dd21fd7b8baee903fc1e2ac8c636607325bc29b9600732dbfd0f99a02ad0cae680c6bccb
6f0e66803230572dbc40ee5b7815c96e902b8edeee7725bb81ccb6e83b9a00732dbc0ae5b747335be0ee6b78732dbfd8ae5801c1e28c87088a21c262f191c222
f1a144460e0f1791c222b51c262f0384458e13163854519648a2227a0e13140a26287088ac8e1315d07098a1c222c887078907131608f4c8a720e9cf42c5240b
a645f0f5cc7c650a230c9dd334d3cc256fc64d337952cfe9948eaeadca5ac8337a55f8072f16957bb522e125e8f11372f1a352fd66d24c5d1ee2262a32ce0196
a0eaf703fc116a0c8866a22c9e87a8a34d0648b52fa89ff0f40b4a327968f355946349368cd527b6e47d52d3a685574d745b1114b56713c257853a1c59652b16
f15f159ca1494f1a8f26d8d4abfa578b615d4b33a2b50fbe752218d4f27a1823323d4c8bbe83390444429323217844bb97634376b6943ba878c341c2949d481d
256b5b12b172be69c5c96f537032f08e2d85e10ed3ca2512d65d2cd521c9f2d0d2be6e2e846ed76be562cd340332fb46845805a832a7391a1022d477d8b3f668
7fb117ccddd5848bf82ad3aea3a48b26081741fd2d24cda9992e3405f7641f4d0f1df504581d06342c7feb024955508e5544e19fc6bc93af8bb4b6285a44d58f
bb67f84b5f029b22e2a89436eacadc31f11a2a95f9126aee2b2738d62da52e543bde3ea469ad29c756fd125554ea4249a4623e2af5df2cd3c575b0936524d7cc
a0addecc95ae8421ee76330bf8541eef7c7b85279d01680c3e77447b4adc28995a1733ff000299e8a5a025bc16d75d1e62d4a555fe9bf835c55610794577a7ef
7ea5356e7422ad33742c9d8eda952c38e67c1096aaf0ff00b70fa84e57e2b4a26b319e918426ea5b16f2f151ee1bb9616fce433aaea8eb7ee675c60a3dc823ec
35ced513a544ce8a96fa7d1de3788dd8d98c5bb825d7958d6d2cc6a68b4658c8463aa55a266d08d985bc736f6536254ab73390094d34a1b9c345a70ec7cb5127
6721272953eae620184f2454b84ecca924bc20d61239a33a9b514d95e5d7f15ac55b2d239c9b9ab66015caf47333c1cccf0732bc07723c30572bd21cccf015cc
f088733bcc0e65783995e0e657a3999d90e667791cccf0732bb1ccaf0732bc0572bd1cccf01ef63418c8ce7a162ad474d41191964669d01e088f3d481ff156f7
62a8c6f7bb1b33b7ddbdb33f82c983c8f7634231d2ac8221fcedc69b3f23f91a82e9ae843b033abb10222e9b3bfa0cb258d9af620592207818acf3b33aedd016
3aeca752d4b6634d48b61741397c22d2b36f1f5a772dc1ee709d915560ed69a8ef7b76977cfc457b8f626658ce36f1da60c675c0c982e80cf05a601032331d34
d9833205ed2d9775c6b2ab1c632898541b2655a97b3583f29bedf1551566b8d9095a16fd83db8ae07ea6e2fcb734c1a7995ad36b0aac7d0f58ea088f1a9f4d06
3263a96dd720b18d35ed3925c2a2d4702253af7fc5a9cab1cd90de714339398a3283cb7298e5b7e4de4dbea98d4cda5ad6c36b793274e251735d23f1ac9775c6
ce28c2ad73b0c88cb1e8c6060b610221f5054c44a7413324d8c19bba914d354ceb72e9da4d5b55e55cd64ed2a905da45366eb278c19ea7536a572dc375bece69
1529d453bddf190659d98f460f00bf03ea12755718928554955c393682b7eaa2b249c84eb96515b9e5107be7624ded28cdccd54e53733d28d50a6a379712ece8
45641f575ba994893ce476d9a18c82cedd060117617047f148855b120a515b23a5c1ac923baa46af22ceb963add4638249276dc26bb34324a3c5925dab7ad396
8d558bd3a45a2d388cd54eaae9482047ea21eedf18ee0c5d714bc2bfa9fb7b7dfc0be448aa49bb267924156f10a57bf5d0d622ae8b36864db9f893d38acc3da5
a33b7e19384604816cab776ebb4bf9d3619e08569d0a5074573364be60b9b8896f75bd61fa4ee9bc1a554eab5e8d522f6a74dc97357ba9405b4ce091cd3d76fd
a59dbaf61919f41680cc2ec59bb2c2d5d9d6dd7564dbdbb04d4ff468a28a0b76923ec7b3aec2dba7ab25a8ea5e9fef676f416dedfe22da7b33afa0ba891e65f3
67e4fe683e683e683e663e663e683e6831798f998f9a0f998f9a0f9a0c5e622f88f97fde82d4b4c8c053eff455bdba7bb28c5668c1459c397d28de3d9b4595f3
30b7320927753f9826e42ea91731b189f84abaa63a61af91f425f60ebb3ddb14fbbd159d54a6674931b9ce47ce572f112d2ad115c24c241fca26f1e5cf1aee51
a269212493c518ee20842b977208aebfa12fb0167d0fe224ddba3511e5f9b1cbf36397e6c72fcd8e5f9b1cbf36397e6c72fcd8e5f9b1cbf38397e6c72fcd8e5f
9c1cbf36231a3966df7172ff00396c2f4fffc4003c110001020305040706040603000000000001000203119204213141d1051251612230327191b1c113205281
a1f0104042e150627282b2f123d2e2ffda0008010201093f01fca5a9b52b4b2a56a654ad2ca95a5952b532a569654ad4cf10ad4ca95a9952b4b2a56965415a59
e2ad4cf10ad4ca95a5952b532a569654ad4ca95a995050194b74567652dd141652dd14065234501948d140652d501948d159d948d140652dd159d94b7450194b
74501948d1406523450194b74501948501948d14065234567652dd14065234567652dd3de748cfd147bb0517786ecb1bb10a285101ddc7928c11983c13c05101
3d671f42a306b67815177dc74c93c86e722aedf27d1595c623a7d3dd27b8cd35deccb4e3caf0a198ac190bfe8a0bd82e989117f1085e409f7f562f9df7f258cd
70400041cd1939b7b4f9841ae6e467828bbd7766425ea7eb24e98e078702a2082de57f87ee15fee0f76200a203e7f81bc7bb14365d51426e0d247c94cb4e1c95
ac00082dbef4651089a6173e23b1fa5e8f4b826967dfc95ed76081738fe9cd42718c776e9e7badbb8232509c1a7397ec9d36f977a86e89bb8c902d7731f89fc7
b2d4cdd71139f13aa8848cb8fd84d1bf26cce6809872376f917f19eabb778f965eab1ff6980b89c57f2ff8b5190903e7ea9b0bd9902467e053c6e3f307bc1f35
1daf9e2263c94000ce570948e9ef098371510b13cc470e2b03e8a31b8ce5c64ba2fe2145312584d3f75ad390e529274c0514cee9096120071e4bb4dcc2b53bd9
8c936e776b89ef38ab53d87c538be21ccfb9b3e352355b3e352355b3e3d2355b3e352355b3e3d2355b3e3d2355b3e352355b3e352355b3e352355b3e3d2355b3
e3d2355b3e352355b3e352355b3e352355b3e352355b3e352355b3e352355b3e352355b3e352355b3e35235eb47563ac1fc01bed2271fd235515ee6f01d067d3
1faa6b7c4a2e6cbe1714df6cca5fa393e63ea39119147ad3fd6e1fe23d5099fbf12a37fcd317037cb39feea67e69aedee45eef5928ee2678090bff00b42739ae
74ba332091fce7298c314d90777ef0398717171bbacc40bbbd5ee71ff69e4f060fbf350190a15d94c913bef3a2996e41be53f41de5426c0867e0ed11f0ef73ce
529e1826ef5a4e032863fedc4f82be6bb316f1fd4351e5d61ed3c21879abdc08f99f9fd3153049999df7e732af9fce45098877cfe289c7b9830fc71047a8f4eb
306bbcd59c456385f37ee72e1eab676e309178884917dc65ba27cef507da3cf171121c7039a6de019b67816e226ac531c9dff95651bc67305f294bfb735083c3
c13dadd948c88c0de10be63d4f598caeef5301b30ee3cc7a28a62b9a7078778748a2432f181394b2e77a3d17b0bdbde049de37156a8b08f066f1079f473511d1
24d96f3a733276735d833f1325d98777cfad1384e3378e078f71fdd426889c7ef35083541693c65c6e3e2acedf00a1340fbc1366ec07203eeff008cce24f3eb4
4c15d9f834d3c9348ef4562985ace2ebbe98f90e6ba510e2e3f90861caced501a0a121fc4df0c33f983a7f45160d2e5160d2e5160d2e5160d2e5160d2e5160d2
e5160d2e5160d2e5160d2e5160d2e5160d2e5160d2e5160d2e5160d2e45a5f3fd33025f3ea715683edbf4cb0eeddfbe49c44488644e7f7251098510604cefbc6
8533721976ee3d238dfc87cd4c6f10091928e5f0e25ce1bd3c73eb84ca86c71c81761e0b75b1e1926597ddc13033d98b84e732860e04f704d6b8f0760a136108
7937377556c30dbf0eeb4f9ada2ea1ab68ba86ada2ea1ab68ba86ada2ea1ab68ba86ada2ea1ab68ba86ada2ea1ab68ba86ada2ea1ab68ba86ada2ea1ab68ba86
a8c6299e2401e5f97fffc400311100000503020504020103050000000000000102030405111410120613202131152225412330611632333435404371ffda0008
01030101080117d08c87905a16bdcb5ec62e6087617be9718338604c1e9f347a7cd2f070265c7a7ce1e9f347a7ce1e9f34604e183381409c30270f4f9a0a04e1
81387a7cd054f9a30268c09a32648c99232248c99032640c99361932064c81932064c81912064c91932064c9193201489232640c99032a48c9902ddf4b8f3a52
1a43cf992e52a9f11cd8a9b222bad125938cf915cdc61d6adbb16428bb290a41d8db69d73fb56c3cd95d4085c1102d3cf4d0ff00d498a8bf0d2f6d75f723b8ea
79539ec789bca9c473e49b8ec8c94caba2a98f21a4ed723f221ed6a23bb59344878892e9911697043e810b7452e4b719d35b95292dca7f7a13d977150a847911
f9688134e13bb83ef5324b9cc5497229f667d4e34a8fcb906aa6b69f6fd82fd0865d5f85b2eb65ee1b4c8ae7e3520861d70bd9a7d6845d171f4184a56f252a92
cbed3058ce4f34b167a990b257bc55a091a77a63427a4ff6aa8d236dd31e1b921c3411525d23b2a23730d8226d961c90ada92a43aaec4f477987396b4d2ddda4
6b954f7632371974b2d1bce12127ea7019de70e426646deba69eca89a515cde520829a34d2ff001505c5dd49388693ab3869ac3ee656d2a5ff00b60a22118c6a
097a1b12f7a67cd4487d0b43b3224a6c89f9b01bc5e723a526693b922b4fedb2ddaabab46c4467d719de625fabadf6cd2712a6fc546c0baab9b4c91126aa2386
b12a49ca7779c7aa2d88fca28b31e86aba0eaa4a56e0e4b7dc749c3f55de8dae48a838fa3965ae032301a180d0c06860364301a180d8c0686034301a180d8c06
860346301b180d0280d90c0686034301a180d02b7478d3c0efa9021f43eb42e9249dae3b0ec3f931f5fa2da7fe69b4cbcea56b7411d85f5fbec3b6bfc74f62e9
4dbecedf549e1a9f55f713340e1ea65b9b7a532df636784e6fb5550e0b3e59bb4f71a5b2bdabeda7d7497479d38628299eac97f629d226c9d5c943bb1e274efe
f2525ef6b6dbefc3b9223d3975742dc12b237f2ded13e742fe3b69f5d0c32a90fa5a4c282d438696c54a7d4597cda4a1e760a939a8382ea1529e765c97fcd2e8
ee5615cc59d1a2c16c970f8d29c8271335bbf5dced61e75e15692f579a23aa4e530e2529dc69964ea63ce6d0969b293c3f131b733fd38f256961e234a7da953f
cb6ae389a373286b4a48761e0176d0cccfce85af0ab896abcdeee25e4b4eb66b235d4279bcc426a5d36525e76371025a884e891c64d3aababfa85970ae8975f8
3cbd8cf15adb8544335fe9b83119f5459287d35c9689898ce36d9abfed96a5493336db7cf13605730fc34d936a5a499749d6871f5452f9b70d043b755b4edb75
e18a9434da14c9b447d956e2f4853bfe42a0ccb7655125a7cb14a59ca230f41a6f0ec35bd2a4c9766c853ee6857d6da16a5e010f228bc5cfc14f26532ed1e7fe
58e98677b85456093f9a6f15d2e92834449d5097537f9923c6bd8f52f02c2ddbaac0bdaadc94d467b69b256f4870bde4445e0ec7adfa2d6f3d7e3abeac2c3b74
1f7fd647f63efaadd2c601b7f97e287c58f8a1f143e287c50f8a05e943e287c50f8a1f143e2c7c5091c8dff8b4b0ec13e3a0ad7ef19e4b8f1250db31d6f3ae25
3b25c05a8e9ccc6dc29cc21f90adc96cdf8ae737a15e74fad08c27c7426c67df9d4f263945164c68ce2d014fb0cc7536d53e4371dc51ad85344f5d6b9686d952
11d0af3a5c5bb0b0624c769bdaacc8833620cd8833620cc8a33620cc8833620cc8833620cd8833228cc88332207dc43abba2c2dd05ff0007ffc4003611000201
03020306040405050000000000000102031191213112416122305171a1f0102081c14042b1e104133250d133627282a2ffda0008010301093f01fc2537829b29
bc107829b29b29b29b29bc14d94de0a6f0537829b29b29bc14de0a6ca6ca6c9bcb26f24de49bc937926f24de49bc937926f2c9bcb26f24de49bc937964de49bc
b26f2c9bc9379f9e24799116e47e088f7b1bb23642d4e454565c87adc7c2c9266ddf3367b9a3236ea21713ee911f9e37eef6b9b94fccfe91d9451b0ee6e8d3a9
25c3afeafe125716a34ae3d3e6e63ba10f4d7e1e06df07a1d7f57f072b8b5441a27fbfceae2b2f844d511b0aed8889b14d5c7b14d315a3f2568e4ad12b432568
e4ad02b47257895a256895a192b472568e4ad1c95a392bc7256815e2568e4ad1c95e3f85dbfb7f661e2fdfbf03b723f84ecffc594f85e09f1af062b3efbfd347
661e0b7faf82f5652e19adda7a7bfa8db5e6514fe8e4c9b8fd469b5b5f56dfbf512bc7a779bc9a42d23fafec52df9c9fd96f92bda4f6828c6f6f249dafa28dca
9fcd6b65aa57e4b937ff005b2b6adf225c2bc23d98fbf31f0d1f59797f923c3c3ffa5cefd4fcdbfbf7bf79caecdf44bcd8f8aab949257d7b3a7174d7969a6db0
e33a8a497656faf8bd5bd5ebd44a31fe9697357f7abf4b0fb2fb72f2da31e8e5ab7d0d12f8727a7d76ef39dd0b56aeadcacca9c336f57cb5d2fd3a8ad6f7f4f3
39a5a7a5b253b5fa90f520e5c9f23fdbde6f1771fe57eac8af25fb1ea7292fd4a6a5e66d7fb1b9d24feddea4d7e57f6ff054bd37d3d0a8df9153c8aa4b8ba169
4bc3ede66f2f76efbb50f1df254e17e854456d3a7b42bcbd73c89792e4bf00ecfa155fbf32727f57fdd14afd08cb288cbd08cbd08cb288cb288cbd08cb288cb2
88cb288cbd08cbd08cb288cbd08cb28bdbaf750ecf3169117690ef2b5fa1c8859aefe4d1ac18ef73c06d791272e2eea97175b941659416594165941659416594
165941659416594165941659416594165941659416591e1fc3ff00ffc4002410010100030100020202030101000000000111002131415161719181a110b1f1d1
e1ffda0008010100013f106a97049bfe31213a9f13efde61573a8259eaeeaef110331ac8608876cc90ade61791f97435738d216964bb40d1758097e253a76179
dc8ac5155ef21eedde036c105b7c04e651a90d515f9fde13a14838b7fbe63202756e95453de6b37ba9a347917ebeb59b313b16c6a57b869746958f83ef0a6f35
0d2c97f45d608600228fe1f87fad6716d52d31ba3d7cfe31d144540e8cb24925c15bb1feee6d1651ca9b5041c83f099a2f84a61b2f63686f94b8b293ef7f3d63
53b6329fc831cb384d64dbadb37f2c06e6ece6340640fbfe0130c541d50ff9d6405dc0133fac3cc8217c246c33c705581fc60cdb22753f594c46f107a29d1804
5afe4beb134a222508ea81f965a82fae2368472f3f54dca64e3b47e8861cbdfd4bf4217375365223b77372ad8d56d2edd6f3128934f91bde981ef21bef67c72e
dcc443792af8de59c3d81aff00edfc62a5f53a04bcd8649d8030eaef7a9312518c4afcb7eb5fa70b04ac0c8bd71a09054ac5f7ce5a8a4041b49a8b0c1359d670
bab818a0d0d306f346fe8013418514a9634d3ccc1da523f886dafbf19b37ed8bd1baea25c58be29363eadcc457028c5ae6b4f9c2ee15ea45dcbf7f1867200e0c
d816c7e5c45680b6488a3f23a3013ecd9baf478cc862282068b4fad1f79053d12ea80235712147b8f00e223c40a9270336d2e11711eac88d342ac8095030365d
b4883152a40dee64cdc80d115f04f36c89901fb5045521a4d34c2ce802ced7a5343d5986195dfe2d27566c5e18dae49788ddfb73c3079a10515b26aa37cce92e
297ad270c39045b23e6075a0931287b4f0478ecc951c2d376ddebc99be4012d2ec3f911f1995fa16c469fb7bafde35a48202d143eb783f5b1268e1ed3e309725
d105ddbf2ea64c7c4148ddfac5075992abb32212498b930554fc18c35da4830340935f79ab9fb418a21ba1c3077e8d1586d4dd987de7786234e3463e98fdcd3d
dc1249525457133483a9022aff0045300851322eaec1f035b70416e6104dd1f187c38841dd37083ebbbcb51ec20a605fc1fde3341258f686f4794fc38381f38b
a69dcbbbdc15e1118ff41a9befb881f036ef36bdd0fae1f7bdbac832bec70b820bfc0464866aa124cbe1bdd1baf98969312472986cef117948c442ab48e71bb7
499e03e0c7b8c7afb540a29cb89aef38af57a3693c591fcbe6da628fb8a76e5ccba78abb172103e8f916de21986960dbbd9e34ebf22c471debe06825dc54302a
8b6c14a890aab8e0b20540ba013d39958db56856aa77a7b91f7dbe294d0fe3da6508d39e8387dd3ce39701a14832205443c335540500add0dafc79820da890d9
f2d43d8e311a606525336bd3e876e07b251d85a1379a4647b9bf2b2adb9055f0ed8c625945f20e9eb96e2f8d3c1580002bdad90d99b224214aa30fc69c325c78
d0c1e3b9bee5a6a2f726e0d77f78867e01df62b16c00546fad010f8562c1ba2289f1feb59585aa2c49e34367de5f563e01adf89b47f264e1842aa3d57cc18fbc
ed430a2df8346fe7860817f51a6c0ed29dbf78452a8c1420401c3f796d793603f61d3c845c54452a6ac5d8b579a2603f4fc26c8167f0dd4d63aac89238226b60
be0e3e37cb8c2209221b0fd2d52895aba1bd22759c3fe9fa4b51e48c739a852bf31995ccd3e9a5770822af41510dec0c6a005d03020ca0016511104af5e8e2df
d2419a0228144463743f92a04da28504009952313dc6d04da0d42f043c084b527b17e54c12ea9e69050247adc411c037f2c136452696aac58b8be4f7d6b2c321
102a3354393318130daa2c367fee2b6865073ea33d0760641572a9823d057e0913348655950be837882aaeb69c0efe378896703010ca0c403bdf07979745ba46
cd1b026142c66aa8f3fe83bc43d7569c05f2041c18c1758f4dfe177969a5c56400abd3aae08abef1634e850a070722f1e3f6c061da6a4aebd355f4c552380c34
771d6a89e99856b857dbee2d3e83a400d37ec115e6251efc433f60bae981f65b196816e08c5d639eea41ad2fa762178f68859b4fe600466f5f660d0d10415a57
4f169867696d43dfc0dfac091623a936c3c322b89f83ea423fcdcd620962b05d0a79b7109b34cff08321ebe98fe1d23eacc5c9844416b5514bf14329051d6e1d
f98d81976cfaf06cc2100a98260f44bb6addb7b13195da184a0a2f002e8f9cb4bd10c534aa7fb2e37c979bacc005841d5630643c726481dfd51c62a4a89a8aa8
41ddc6c45b070eb7878042e5b921440b378496cc3be00261011c0f4b0e6291b7a35f253a06ff005931028758f8e692f725b7a1bd24674fa718fd02f74a1825a4
d430f9a233c223d5fac0533a58b24ae9c0c2f948c245eb5bd44c7ef89e67a2a1a33993d45cfee542d7e60e724e8f536eb58f427bdf827c0355c1490406b8bc3e
8718a62b0609435ee2106cb90ed1294fd110b5c096040052084756b9cefebd64a4d6e98efe074efc179db93ade0b53895388e3b5246629ed3780438c13568329
a99bd7509545d0b46fa28637d53a7e0e072fb8624bf0151543dd507b4ca07aaeed820a09b9b4df260df275068a44114852eb0602439542e97513d99492dccad0
042ba20130b1f55e0589a05d861b203da23e504d22a32e903631bf0c9010120ef795c353f62d4b6853cf02e2170d778558becffd3214b8ecb1d1b8ed47e7060e
4bb9420ca826a038a5b406d29a2cd09076cc38c5ed51a15515ba6e048a4302b5e613bdb3103bd37608b5e841b3ce98e7b6ab77d03bb7589260f5858228c2ac6e
de10851da05003416a923f38ce145b9fe8144bf5c72429a956756da4ea2702e9270ddc49db0463e880c68d695a85faa68691ab34e533abf036a604d42468e03f
3401901345b489764d171b35b3a7aead355f55abac15e20cef42fc44377589e290da20548dc43be87980c95c34aa7a5a813d0b895c36311d10947d2bba689b87
6214920415f2bbc0016e83e8fa40de8bf2c986e76080d29123bd37cc2dae5bcf6f4f1a00b4066a23718c068076d67c4c2129a52042bce95ec7016a1380f6a2c8
5dbf8d60042a1b80c4105bf4dcbe65586c466ac84d9baeee4eedef04b8c0810396b7715283c83415dbf1ab8ad0910a21369c967d63e0e3b364ad7618691f1ca6
a1c45d7282f3a9f38c657e9206a6112f9edc20d8268cbc78fcbcc293f2b0fc133a27a0e1c394936f60bf6afc55c832f92ef505e15d83a6b0acb726de9dc734ba
f183014589040d45c7f66dc8babd94614520e5bbad675c01c14382856288fa132def9057aa0d05fde2faf1f2586fe8167e7062806488a9d2527d37321da257bd
2900101bf99c401f10e48104a26c8ed1b8356cbb034bb1d34458e3cdb71bb51a3e241d6f982a6f1885070a01abafa3801633b606800266e4e641c29a9eaa5cd4
3976e0959b2cc21a5420d91a70b7a994f5e84a139b47ed26551b7703026c2836dc68fd0c00426d2a43654ee0a5d03f3da09c2afb93852d6fc053b06c7eac0a75
c7f4229853e21ccd2ab59b356e0fda5a7958f35c6bbb595446ec65d023b10f4005e402878dd206e4066c02169130bbbabe620b28688310686af1de3285d1763c
c25522145c2b8ab730ba4221055d8cc20a3608044811007c0b1c79d6fab0049d288c2fde137f30320288b02042ef993e719954dfa5d371d6b02240a312557434
bd71b8f02bd6a06a14d510621b723bc5618cb6247206718d8186abe3fd9882745a0361e8a479ca54c34116a66c1bfa410f833f122b52941d8d36b808574431f5
43f964cb36d6878d07f6c668befcbed18db0098baeb0fc55b58aeb41de76ee96a95dcd0fbb76981309ca64514b6c0d4f71927810f03412736127b85c233ab47f
9206dd26a65a7200579211023a3af031d252d01300525a42c7531dc4015193830280f41b978540502a15d0e8aaa1dc5d492f1015d369ae82cc7080dae19bc350
89bdff002519708549a35043a9bc299650e4c95cc017dc6337ce6a472305d0b8ad113f958e8dcc7c060ab51d55da4dba1f2a4c2863b0bcfd103c5d31ba2e3634
814394b9856a07a1bf920d4885c6e9aab740a1afd81d5e28636a4edf268bb4f735607b66562b1294516f35c07608306f518200162ac02f3ae45a0f47b4f6e6ab
6eca20406fcc7b26b03519a332249c1057e07406cc76119afed9a8ac4d41492ae8791d9c0dc12025a0340aa879a0ce06514151bc7048d8a199115f415bbba647
825fc22a8242b149ac398440808107708d3b70b3cfdc79fbb21c568d4b70ebf6687de0c90d68a2066d0b35d8a591bc051610e497a1767ba6edb58a0c8eea2192
f3704090e243bd1168803c049e9c03806374054f723ec458d966c4ba4e025907d540a12492a23cc5d2953684ee6c507d0ecc4f6c9c87028d56a7cf31181002ab
076368c0ae393d9b1d1763a4d44359acc818e41d085d7c9c02821b168f05816ed607b59c77f797a6d49b271a84565a402ef82bf2f8d669810e60551184d9b1c0
a1d8264b09483222d18f76e7769d5109960b33de5f4accef19b38ad7bc8c0b0952ae42bab6f9a3218076031b94d5dcbc469f1851715cd8600c41604132055cc7
2356b89de11e0b6951f7d97899a3cefd16083f2f992d8596885409d813f3c7083f55e0528634945e91e528528908d5aef67a1a784983c0287a9bbea57503d711
810358854046145db6de4b8e5c41ad3d09c63bfb8f3a09c517400611a45348470911a3581e18796264a2edf4417e07132dcc8c8674a097c1ba9838dd0db5bd04
b390e4e275f068d54fda308218f83fcc75ef754d780fd60a3548c119fb6bca2c25f2c0a99db2197138d199d6cc8460a23827f99e73b58d44d6ac1f9282deb16a
40261879c5c32bda59b11f326d8d7e534a3a17a7d0c10bc529afd5ad388c12b10402b550fa5d1ec981f8c48d5693b13e3af72fed4d5008b127d7eaf5c766758c
98e05c8127975365d741aa06f2efa1b31e25eaf44024104da8b5ef35b63e1c5fd360d5112dc06ccd71ccb721037d72ae5d05367782069c12ef00d010a8dd205d
a1d5602a0c04578d06fa284428e2681ecdbeddcdbfa3436698660014714d8d5e1c0d18a155e6eb221e0219bc7baa0373f5804c001294c362ac68de2e33c9aab9
5a82811f57ac3d007f63002211462054eb816d303ea8035a2d9f20de3dfa08b123940841b97770cf87e7ea769f6742d5c4da091623efac581186c62348d2a6c6
40ae6bab918acaa9e241212b797417b4a9802196254c3f940df378d32d169d926a2ae9fb713a8fc4aa7a2a0d3ef6e5954d3a59220760be3dc02b76fcf42cd503
49b080b89f07b818141487481e018e4cae1fa0fa8069b7d31ccfa591f84dfd6625b619641f410ca73c9499fe13f9306c274e63e52d7caa5e8c388705f2571aea
aaaf5d11af865dc220a6dd53a5c3a08423d7b5f8c2fbdb68434a1a0d913759a541ea16a9deaa94841f31a32365016c87e3d300828d185554b0d3fd1f6e090aa8
201520f42d4ac466a6f4cc42121501504313fba018003dd86c63669057c686816e248e347af8af9a09da80d3cdecf4a65fa4448240004dec1de10e32043a742a
4d5c5b0ab60011db0a73735db8157be149081052c4252620744d95562023e4f7238782dbf20c0ed45c50d6801c88f848604bf28d225248853c42654d1eea90a9
b0a0c3a603dab36fa3a121cdb774f8ce83141893cc8789bb5b030d8da0dd88eef072c51b57d5cb380c8a0020831f03cfb5f88792a46b16d140b177907baad162
4686ccdd90c8088d104220597e52caf8060338ef434a1bb05416766a8214d8916bfc2d6a0dc1ab91b0e377ef7af2670688a1b2eb7cecd98d4be95de9b5decbbf
705036e9f0db4025e238f05bb1c106ce1527d91c2f28a4fbf7bc5b214435bdad67d6a63801728a3ed3ea8e1bf7f790014505652fce4cfc17e9d8f8d2d199a50b
3874050f1580f0e686cde72c26181056bd82e81073a01242a8a1169645e56075262ddb210a35438d2ca6e05137cc2056d089769e07c188fb6594201a08daea49
c18f06997abcd9dd0eafef00a81f6392a227ec08edbe8857e30b1fec3b163c7c4db4e2ec8da6d4162883e5616290f5370c4010f6488ebf5fac2b8b00aba8e493
283d90fb4c3961638144231fa227e4df1c3c2ddefd103b8250665898a92d824340ea0b1c01b63a55228d9104a8b77777648aefc72e12b373cd997e4d073ef8e9
a082e85c23b88a7406a88576846a891008bf8234759d03206c0a3ca6c8f7718fdc7058c3d115b40a129cc0688c0f821ff2239dbc55138804e14b6e3aa89e45a7
c3eaf71f0fefe7e3fdbcff00d7e69a7fc2cffdbe7febf3ff005d93e59bb041bd23b3fe8f262044d865f8ff007b20757e6e6e93f7f3ff005793c944bd92d31ab5
8b8506e061aab02526be564740339ba94bd7e0d1e63a9fb4c01ac2d39fc2e7c047cdad603ca10ba0c84883fceb860284374f540b2e0681559396724a11455531
fa66e7d7dbab6b689d2e2243ed9f7b8281025e18d29b8d336a1c1b448d90a0602a105f42fde16be4e4ca2f4b8297531d7202061c9fe39f9ffa845480fb586023
5522380814055f6131ed2061e8dab7dd80ed5b8060f122081283ce8566edb9285528d13f572fcb73b74805657e5ca5fdf32332a97868f3f8451581400a02ed30
1df152752ec2892d8409be467e0d581101b0532c50780500436104858b8c1336e4d94d0bb68ca93a544eb9a12828b18654cb262a08124011ae6411a381701921
8e1efb5b9a80b06f59660afb684820846c4e619a963bd4850dbd1ee28f05ca3615b5509091b6c0154eeb035a47fa8ecf61dc5e2c357d4d6523fe4516f8f05f2e
1be1c97c3fe1c885b33506095aeee1df4aa4ca56e2e4b9bf89ca1aaad3191c52cc055081b29c20f3fc550c136004941147c6b0c157aeb20895a140fa17574927
aa17403f2cc5067bdcdfe1d0075c5fc221b121d741449504a2d1d2524d302106258a5db844635d2851a9daa1b26a9c511ad271be8b23c29551898474ca147540
353789e3ed867a543e2bf7bca1fd9ac588d4040a5d6d70cd18a9cf50d34d82220006d6c85d5517ec2f8a9d2a6ec6032199b712d808148111ab70d87f8100ae09
2a8575c3973fffc40028110101000201030305010101010100000001110021314151617181f01091a1b1d1c1e120f130ffda0008010201013f100d76c778da71
82d9bfcfc0c5aaedede980b5619d02fcfc4c1431509a5c91de69ed90a8d24c568c7fcc93bc08a69c7be2c7ca5ff99150ff00988dfb1e5cbec61c72dc9be70dd9
d7adced8f7d2eb3aafb6be32bb0f6606749d86f08fd2e8fdf78937f0bfb80c4f9e8c7014bed7e72267d865b9f65fdc789bfce9f8de060d5bd60467e3e05d275e
9790de4b6d3d18409f65ac7a3f658c27e27f711ed3822643a13a4c0a9947809d7246debe4153eef369d7eb733a7ba7c898cafa5ddc107bdf338757281a9ab20e
2532378499b6a16d66e5e9c81293f9f4c41237315dc1f5dede171abfb2c16072c1101e37fdb0694cbd3ce741e7b7bf7ca9e01e35e27a6070dd3d72e97e3f19c1
1b29d76714080b0ada6f8b8ba050050d152ed87388944152f012bb3d0e7ae2cd1847714a3c64d03db7fe13090350509e8a71e4e4c5a51eeefec6f35fff0045db
398317beb103be3af6f7c368dfebf59353632f498429399ebdfc65ed2aefdbc600abf265fcc3af9f7f6c281af05c8a729fac4526ed995725e7fb8d6dcde0c31e
f4e40de90e266ef4d1aa00b4175d577bc91a8ec0a1b96f0cc3b92957967524bcdc022dd08bb803a6b00c4a6885b4e74ca650943276e8c66c6690a06ecefac84d
78f4a364f5b877a01d5ddc24b82ec705113c0f060b1f3e3afaf7c78a2cde1b903d3acf4c0298424f3f7ce290f3ae7fb81e1ab4002abbe7684c19c1b488921bd2
e6c115079513ae3ed1000c53431c255eec2a443b3f841c6006b4235c86acbb8b84ef51109dd5119ad50e4cd7515448d778d8612eaa6ae7824beae030aa00acaf
4ac02bcb00ca6997399e03aff78ca15278b80e43c71836921db1cab92507be12d3d358a9b2e8bbfb72610666e09ee96cf330812274986cd8d0765e2834c61b27
fb8adca23fee483a5f9ce370b98b212eee432b9e78ff0099b3a24d47f3954b071918d7f5c3747dbbe4f39c02a40c0ac909affe37165f971edfdc8ee285b42e8e
e4d1d5c748d79e95ea51d97656e1323b5686f641d3475130898584e2544ef2985b36cf0104a9219cc55c0dbbe9aadf00e1134f54757aa229e839b205b091251b
c44de54108047450f4aef70895c160ad675a008884b14b5b9214f6ea876b35c573a095340f9141f9c84dbc5e18da0762673e028a81dd838c25b41221cc502eea
20a6112eef5ebed82135ff003fe622790e71067efae5736073e99b6b016742c5fcd5ec635bb004209a09392ceb30130c58a05dcd3a57532ee1e90da577c82ed3
0524ed8a535b94c3c9013d250ddd4d0c09005272a487d1d32cbc2cbcce3f8d186603d8149245c11fae0a55003c4bb7690e3ae2f5eb84352f1d77912a6410a44d
8307d8c4968bb04e8a97ade8ef0578cd0454e8035a90ef7114e61815c20e5c903cef78171079c2c8241288e927931addf40dcf7ce1601d07cf0195509b4d22a8
9fceca637c85a2096aeffb31fd1f9ea270a77d7373a1a2b409f3b62eeb1a1a50d92616732d48efa72f6c3c44a009a2585ad6057cd3520f4d9b3c61a3d10804f1
362f87349de27d1bc84e8da4d6174f4b440f4add3e99ca99a437d0d7e8dd9713581b5c879c1f3cbff0fa3c1840fa7850400fa00c021c42097eb8e141cb11375e
0d437f4c0638b9bfa62c6b66605a7e9830f67ff5ceb7df2d3664a19c614fcb049f4b37e6635354edd704867ceb85c737673f8f672cb63eff008c1746f281779d
35bbe5ed8543bf7b98b5ea1f5f770a7fefaf69cf195a1358818f5f8cce8cc54758a2cd9c7ef7df29db2a272de32b23d4bfcc164e3ae2d0e2ef9a0a4b9361d71c
eadeddfcdc859969e8f3faef979cdd702a2bbf3f260c77d739d349f0cd26981b5cdc6877d999b373b1ebbc4459353672606eb8ca63a6d9afb867395083ac0637
37358380f52f6c00e31a3fd7e7f193106f5c1b3b7104bdf5eb31d968e9bfcdcbc99142efb674b9137bf67be44274cb32fe75ce432ae22fce73467d12b79aeb7d
7723ac812fe6e34e3789d9d60cc2d2d8fe536fc1ac7940eba1bb2469dd561eb47ca3eeb9ddbc104f67587a339d44ee7e876e1115e23a4eb550bd48e2a0776fcf
8cd353def4c6ad3d2f2bed8d69c6d7bd032263d276c225d3a708a3db0b3193a1d798f599224be87e7d31c88be9b0ef5ea3c6011f2c761f0dae6a5cc1b49800cd
1b18492e2ca9748cdfaef011278b17a53f618d359a0db4801bba862bd4c900da0bb501b1ca99250222b0e9445536ceb86de3fdc6066fcef895e51d6f16178366
553e94de1b3b7bdf93253c3c7bdc60c0be8323bad10eb39990a8a2aedaed5efb838614a68cbebbe3baa7631e2122a14d919a0e86ae1135d506f989405690e058
34a9618815ba128edb615c4e469c3536ae9eb3838e34aa49ab45edd93d1c502125db9e769fdc644de9f37f4a064b11c3093000cd9720239a73c608ade79ed8f2
400f90ae5302357aaae5592709d36700060843c4c3270926d34a28d8047b4ca5e0e94ae01f66622181b1c8cf60d7a28e52a57be3a0b758476fbe253ef188a8ff
00ce70524f8988c68f86e6b005cbd3ed82df1fee6e3716658b940f51369ace0aedf48070224a42c3d147685b1316107d1800f00cc22c2b50d2e15abc0308c465
39244077399c3661382d5541e66b20388145426dda1a6b1613db4911cc8bf6cb38493d44cd5ac090b852e086b217396f3fe66fa66f18db8a6cd5e7fe76cdfcb5
d6efdfd30f9e53d5a5991b920a0db09ba360db8587079ae205917c759720e89a26086832a707aae8f7603b1173d7297a460549c806911de870320d106474dac4
8bd30b5c283b51aed40a7093b38c0e945eac10f5007ddc63438fa092e1e7377ebbc54aeb243b1edffdc82837fbc41b72199a0a2ebd01ca71aeec052384057cef
43f3848132eb99c62f495585639258349c67217e5db05b70620ed771dd354c2d2b205ee3faf26e71372ba5cbdae5bb3e77fc603bc01ae9fb7acc1afd145d5c0c
97029c69f35eb851ac7a1965e7d39c3600447623c89c620d5ed4c9be1f6f2d767085b9a853ecbc9e8a67fbf1fe6245d5c75fb5fe65ea5cd84ee288fb9d164951
9a8abd8d10380341ead018a6cf3c66f11efaeb8b755c8a64c487ab2a61b6ba600f9c76c541caccacc40d1acd1e3aff0071e9279a0b8aad7a7f472cc14d86f20c
74009f8c40a6f0639df1033075801579c17068a6104cdda6bfdcf9fcff00709f4d2671138ee69f4c10e71e7b7d079c26f2bb986f7858f3b7a7a60ee75c6aa656
6b39132e19e9dbe9c6b111477975721cfd21d7ff0010499350ce189a43e9a6ff009d72248c3234c366723bcbac4283939c1c5790571dd504b93e07f793e07f79
3e07f793e47f79f27f5c9f03fbc9f03fbca73a7e3ce07c8fef27c0fef27c8fef0e5f07df27c0fef3e63fee02dbb6cf0108adb6fd196e182ce56feb79c9ff008e
80d1978bd2f8c72f4eed2b5075569b578a33b4a4cc526fbab6bd65c82d6176c69be94079b4e3289a7d172701c81a76df18acc011513f0a54baa62eaa098bb1dd
1eb3a21c7fe7559b08eb2256f3e9ae7053f3cccd26f26f2b95cae4f742850a9c1540bc550c8e688b4f31eaf66651c3d1562e8aaef6550dbc60f8a03b4eb6101e
30512d42101def96c3df14c6c1e701d1882312930939d106c95d001a39afdb75cae572b89b9ce2a7b74cd3f37f7c36b9ac6df8202108b76dbbff00f3efff00ff
00ff00ff00ff002cf33f32f3a9f7bfa7e8ec26d63093484bef9b15cd1738fa9a378e6ba7fe0d11faf195bb97022bbfe677c97067d3ffc4002811010002020102
06020301010000000000010011213141516110718191a1d1b1c1e1f0f12030ffda0008010301013f10ec42964c24a087bcce06e306f539612e64bbe7338b7986
e96b6cced948d4b0b61c59eb311a9820cd21567dc47aef4c30c8fcc97ee769bd96143f8595d57b33fc067fa88b94fb2c78bb31655f752d7f6a1b5f659a453e53
afeea1cbeea0eff032d33939a63ccbe8c0bfa1f30fe6df70668f75f70b69f753b4faa04bf2bee074fc8fb9b3f3bee7fba9fd73f72bdff53bc46df95f701dfbaf
b9fe8bee63fea7bca0bf2a14e3fa1df3055fea7acddf91f7057f6bee3441c479860dccbbeb31a8535957f33646e7528c8d1719d26e59852d7accbb3877f285ea
bed1d9d270e231998f9c1f1f102ee069788612c19a5cd4153caca2d096824725ca5b186bc9fdc34b03656a625adf0b9e60981c2ace75336490ae0bbe3d255195
648639126345418ef8488414acb8f980c2e69b1b1e18abe0b5e578f89498b852aa52aab102f089d45537e0c46f771346ab18bb6e19d215c9180b009f996d4a27
0974c714b0a1f865da790adc24c337937e860af4b99d83ca1c9c95a8bc7e2bb3debcb848d2b15dba7e6582fa405d78168972a5e2a0e3c04cefe22a50be6b12dc
dca6041d637e5285e0b7e0b525b589d617995544855e660c3e9315716e5dce5700e1319080fbcc4506fb9e72dfd52b02b38ddd4b9658529f72042a18faf383d8
aea6598bca9edc973027b2cef55e916b00e5750b80d2e9c991bb16577bfd5cbc407167e99800c28eb7a4f38ce2aaf9f9251a3a61c9e67489cd4bc544e6a6e130
74e19eb1e1810a4ba3af947c31cd898fe465be6742f1b8e91413d1ccc457838da571cea594bc53b39bfd5cd7a21ef8856901c77b997a201032da3d7cbdaa30a0
ad95e7631c7db749ba6cfc4af83a69c3d98a4e4a105507aae6129879785d412d4991e89cc157cad037483f3275e6eee197c897d2e7a308f1144afb4853a0e5aa
cddc4b594af686cc99cdeed5e98aba8ab6363a6b98e159e66561a1c1d83533c579510a80b8212e0d5cc1fbdf53fdb7ea0c7ee7d4c7fbdf5037ee7ea596fcefa9
8ff6b2e71efbf506c7cecff49f50fe7df50a53e77d4353df7d42bc7befa9feca597e67ea7fb2fd43f9f7d4c78f7d3fd97ebc20b8290c1996d8bdc331d88193d2
17657851c3285aca2e0f7d4ada70ff007ac066328a8553d6562e66fc82e5052e065730e4bbfe7ca56e0eb09ab3c31508e74431306ae62a69ca39bf0aa6b65928
a96b2e04d82cb25c75714dde6e1e0a2a0b4c4b350f0bb112d2ea0a372f72c636625d972c839c4db02696200a2c7b4a20eb743a87dfb886249d6d7663019f6a8d
b53d551ef51c40dc97a6b193e2528ece6f4731a384c8ec73f0d410b2b0b0acb98eda816e5975a998ab3ccac5b2b38825acacf35e7f8804d30ca746b9cf1775ee
e2af3878b023aada7ecc433de546f3b6af652f28e6f4b0ccf75bc4cc63bfc8347b4c40d6208f4f4f3839037810de5bac73d846188958467d571e417ccc0546ad
0620ba63dfac13388b645599894c63d666db85399a0407aed3c8b6bb4a1408a387bce9851cd0408029c94735656db8b5729418299815b69f21b5b704d6ec642f
2ad75680791136043a2a3d0cbe6997104d0d68dd5c5755674b96371b415e892e4ec66a780534de9f74f364c28f016e1b61492922dac37f8bbae2e036aff61825
e2827082f50a3f0b33ec90ba5a85ec6d82b78915ac134d00ab3915407e60ad058e0b0166b784e86d2d08a928411ca0834d88588cdc2d74f3d405245080000500
680e00d1140f1fb8657f1cc87a587a4fc269641da2bbed3729957451e47103c1565839d4a32cd5e4179b4d7b0c0896d6915b00dee1a759c05b22d16b74c5aca7
01d148dd6c12dc3185d388763889e57239ecba8d2d2ab63358361a097295f2677aa3b66e08a0322e0d08866c6d2ecd32c9a9cab7e9e87875f0a473031310970b
8611607e26bd17e8f1d2e17045878ab0d4c04c53903be5a355b59863d50aa8da7b60944dd9aecfdaa14028375c65c16328314110a2926906ac4d4cc3401f4b3f
3732ce0760005fba9e255131538832a1d52b73a5bf008eaa2c7ac5ecbc26e3cb8901ae5264ee300da9c50acef7300801562929b2f3c4c1d5e8fdcb4818306dc5
669d5e65fd21a7c3766f96d0d6bcd98cf6b41c018076217995b968c09500f335187798cd6a5c2a93882dcc4023090b88c2d5d0edf33e2568b761bf65fdf9c5a1
9bbbf165931683b325aeed25d5b2b0daf3c01e55e6c4d732d1a7a15b6b0afa55cbca13011e00315e7de062cf0414f9e616228b70ebbcd902d835372ad85b1370
75123ee2302121dc7e42c5d94eac7b5d7a540e8d11228625430c11334cec4ac453ac1f0e29706a1539663c01e2029ebe04cc0ce66a0a9a606eeb39ebdb183bb2
9022aa72c018b25cb0af031e175af0213ce310f24bb5198984964b9a2f498dce654cd4a1b5cec076802257f362bf9b1509508dbed8a84a04895ca2527f6c57f2
600442a7ed8a84e0c5790b7ceb880f12e9cc2068e0e3ae3cb359e7fe7c0e1cc0ff005e45be7701a2561c5fd5cad716c42b067ec8b754b830ed9da330456c83ce
7eebde1895f46ab5c77ff9ca0a1b98a81eb9cfccef146c6bf994ff008828a876f4ef2e0472865f3b996010b77df110a27952a8e91a2a1418e595a870ec7e3151
7c1c92a8964b2609645e01525f7f52500de7cb5ebde020112ce48bcf421ffa64104164964964925974bc0a2ab515542b9eb6c40e1bf8fed3e2b6626d0ff8d7fcdbff00352d9fffd9}}{\nonshppict{\pict\picscalex196\picscaley200\piccropl0\piccropr0\piccropt0\piccropb0
\picw2822\pich4233\picwgoal1600\pichgoal2400\wmetafile8\bliptag255\blipupi144{\*\blipuid 9186b3da85d074e792d7785b25a3196f}ffd8ffe000104a46494600010100000100010000ffdb004300020101010101020101010202020202040302020202050404030406050606060506060607090806
0709070606080b08090a0a0a0a0a06080b0c0b0a0c090a0a0affdb004301020202020202050303050a0706070a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a
0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0a0affc200110800f000a003011100021101031101ffc4001e0000010403010101000000
000000000000040203050701060800090affc4001c0100020105010000000000000000000000000102030405060708ffda000c03010002100310000000f8ab95
c7391964645293552394d99c5e835464c548618a4781e84999c5d849e8316b4189c5e84aecd1734cce2dc93b16a4c7ab15c0f0da9c3048ba536e506e43d0199b
524c544ed30da5543ab4fa3f29499a91769b66a27e9b544c319a892d258a8b71348bcd3721d833a84c0af0523cc85d8ec90d646b43325d5fc5f6cb6f906cfcd1
d9b5582e8583d72b46c0c757aa73b69b2509116b56b6cf58954a4db45539075a0cd40988fc240d68974da45d59c0b75ddb96ec3ccbe91d17b77c85d32a7ed3aa
bfa465a1f2342f3d332ba3d58f06fb5793b392a0cce2a24fd230c44d28434d2d3229bbab926cfa55dd2d37a6603a03ce1bde87d3b5eb4f9be7aa8ea7af5afc5f
6a83dfb0dcf5d9754c31d048969f9a4b6863a8b0b13721b5a4e52dcaa5206b45b9ac23c164e0af6b4ced91311c8c99944a8c9892431682d2f129bc45cfd15f0e
f5ca737ec3c074fd7a6f9ae7e9df40e95bae8f95adb7cc45ada2666634ec9d17df74db3f99e7a8be9dafddfa265eb6ca5bd5bd1704dcc269c9a940672dbf1173
d1fe76de6f6e27b57327a3f4783b2abd29c8366d07a0610fc3ddd01d1305d39c5f6b91c95bd39d170ba3e5ed6dad172f1391a3c95ea0e7986793cb4349495b4e
e4e13b96bd9ab4d4ba0e12c3e59b1c267ecb61c45cea7b7e335bca5aef5a1e6a236ac759fa365e9ee9381b3f9d67b41da31ba074ac0286d85afc8f661a71c820
0b80db62c91084b1869c1ae228120cb32190c8171614a3c1dd7b588aa8c88a11923062491a84a78662517212522414a32518c922981494844220e3a6e5e12688
b4d111903389f100927d02cc193210d0e40420d99294a4d1240c94c53ad195289d0941d48cbc26338b6c11c65a130e6a4231429b03c353f49eb55e3888412323
11643c11928ce52961b8c9adc2de7aed7a629271aecce01d0ba838b76732be7b77b9c1d4d92d3b84bd2fc3e9bdb2d94c98a643d43d11b9c7ca4e45b0c5352111
63d7ea47e84798fafcc6bfe92dd750e1ff005cbc926abb3dcebf3b6a7f69b9f8f5eece0bce1d831e5c59038792958b10199470dc844c21a0b4f52b9fa7fe37f7
cf12765e6d65ea743a8b9adbdc181d7b813b05ce99b6763bb35ce03f33bd77c260a51928bf321a51908c940480c1271056fb0783eff7273ff556fb88e7940ee9
380c9774d8f01c92a9dcba16d36b93ec8e33cafe467b93c76d8e2e68f4e22513948e108086ca80629772f9f7a0742f2df426977dcb6a5dbe1238df51de1a8681
a6e4b00f5de6ecdd6ef3e3dfb87c4196c305a79690c7e2866110650e6212dff4fb8fae7e24f5053f9dd16bad8ee367c4e5b74c56bda1ec309da50aef64d97e72
fae3ce6154454402489400c38088b3d32e949bab0876fe9cf903b07366fbd07987a76bb2d86b966e6d765a37fdb1c2767e5cf4379629bde6c90d6c54a7a7d583
6d4c4649620948410733c3362d10a7f42bc9dd876ad4bb2d3bb76726b1a59f88d43893d2be68a87a2e1e2eac65221f0a90b3a6d347a93c9389a649866444a4d2
72483714edcd2331aee5ec2a9dd2cf2ea0ae2d84a8e3a419110094c923271a804a0d369715272b4e7221abd4829af292c0d88412188a59940324a0908cd128a5
12316d34c8d8941c8b6a43e49822ea6b4dd6949b1252506b108d82d3e0701f4cfa43ceb3d7760ef3c2f0f21847998036206c5b10853491f91f3dba0e139bb64c
7bf0948b6853fd03e36af64d2a9e0c83745f2af0edbe0a8cf6a446d8d4dc36ab0d2f50c975bfa4745f078301f09f216fc15710643654a0d9fa0bc65c760dbd4c
06407a4f89b82ee362e6ed61f23437db886c7b258f39f3fccf6ff67d572180c87c36c950e0fb9a620e401a23d8dceb3961e16ec60f0fc1e0f0b2180c83e0c02c
66a239ae61dfb0f516c363e4a41b50d40e036d3a818320a1a84d0781e1ad03494bc5c448f0bc3ca3ffc400321000010303020502050305010100000000010203
04000511122106131422311741101516233220426107242536513352ffda0008010100010803afe2b635e76af3b50dbe000cfc3f9adc6f593f0c03e32680f71d
b5e7e3f21be51e1fbcd7d3f7bf35f4fde86e93c3f79cedf4fdeebe9fbd0afa7ef74387ef746c37c3e4d86f7ec2c37ccd7c82fb4387ef55f4fdefc0360be57d3f
7aa4f0fdeebe417bfddf20bd5757286d5d549aea64e715d549f7eaa45097271425c9daba9935d549aea64d7532bc1eaa5f9aea6557532abab93424c9f35d4caa
eaa4935d64aa12a4d14ef80682bfeeea3b637c0e1208325ed73ef91a148e9eaed754dcc21a69762bbb447324dba5c2783127e9dbda91aa9e8cec75965e856ab8
ceef892ed371843992c0da929f7a1413db407bd78a19ac03b2771914a1ee304ec784b692fd5caef122ca2c3b225b536621d6b882e322033aa3f0b7df92f5c64c
819b8f52e5f24c0b8a9b6d9bca5222261b1166c28708c690e1ee3a53fc6d5ec348f158c8ed055edbe0d1045127cd28106ac9714db96ebcf5c270992fa9424e97
828deaf4c5cbb1ab75c956f775b6bb9585c7ba8953a54796ad513e7d1a4b3c8b9bb3ecfc8e4c10352a8057e74327babc781ace535b9c5156462bdb7df151ecf7
2948d4c3f6e9d0527aa51df7d0e206544007623146bfe65bb54e7d8ea23e4d0068ec8c527cf72413f8ec37a51d55ef5e1442827b350b7f2553da0f5d91739c13
f2d9b3eef121f266f0cc161f7557191c49183caeb9db6f0fc9b833d638e70c95325d816cb31b9485c7a570d2586d6b951e04b76d21d4db2d326e8e2996470e44
772cc7930a4c67ba3717c36d45d28b85cad5d0a429b4ea51edfdb8a5a71dd472ac9a4e2a1451365a2289b0ae76863a86604a7dfb575333870a5775291c44daba
fd55744aa4599088bc2887390fbaab138976e929c45e96a76e6a0b89feb09ab116859ca111e7dae2c9d4c4db8bf2e736fb122e2d28055eaef6db688227c34e05
1ce3511822b56d436dc36ad2ad74c711dd19fc275f2e5711a24c492fc2744a65fe20b83ec965712ef361a70d4ae20b94d4f25d83727adea5ad890f3afbdcf791
77988869b736ccd93017ae32789eea07db5dc26adf129cfa92e2a1a5f9f7397705ff00723ce689ced5923c7476f3f8f47009a1121f8ae9208a4c5828f062c039
51e8a11daba186b24a5306128e074704d0890b18ae9207bf4504f6a7a18ba4d7476fc574b0eba2823c88703c9e92dff95745071b203414a4b98d1f885690aad3
81debcb596827491a294d94ad4d8525ec2c964152c25b0121dc389d2bed759284e43dca6d38c96b0d6b184e939d396caa93f96e80839a01953383ba7b6b080ad
4b25b4928a472b410a4a5bd6398a479349c388d014b52f63808516a929ff00eb38dc730ea0aadd55e128c93fb46dfb1671ab4275ac1296f75d2033e1d2a0a4ef
adc09d6a19f2362d12bd4127536de33b8f349fb6e6a04e7729e5e7ef12bc85056852f66d2a503a13d3b7a30704eda55a355274856f9c9522b569a70ad2394b49
52770b1a1cd0d90560ad69057d894af2bd2d1590ef31434fbe90158559b83de90812aebd470dd87b63b7c5aeba74c655f0ad3a6e32786ec3766caedb74b3bb66
5f2a7256d82490829473025b68e30e212951c369e739f752a737505a703516d4da0ea2acab2e152919ed4adb42f553856e3aa715f8d70bd89a6d9179b8dd6f0f
ca70b4c70549bf19c199fe47db96d46e5ff908f65b2441d4b48e23b45ca49870f895774627ae05c55a714b5246a0c04250afba0a7714971084908c00a1ad5f91
2138f0a525b08c5292e957dc6f979c3d68b60b9dc111dbb9ad1a79298edde25482ddbd73edb63734ce83c486e8c966c10ed6869f1367f1271149e2674c3876b8
688ae830f8a62a67d9d17341520c6ada997b94720293ef8a1dc296ad6a268b8ad3a6bca714acbb9769c75c71210ae076bfc9bae2a425d9f78105323a9691ca81
6fb44b92fa57768713a77d32e0cdb94b988790e640ed4b6fa9ac2d301226daa4465029002d2f74f8fedf252ad997395ab23ce696e296735cbed2a1f6f9630120
fe285210e2554b082ae6d70690ddc1f61d8f6e716fc99ada587a4c379db270f26fbc4bcd44d911ba1bb7ca9d95c3f6a8ee72e541e1c817194eb11ed7626a74a9
16f7ed05b8915d75fe5f29d09716ad475a54078182925256de948505f2b57db41c79f273432720214946e5c51ffdeacd317027b53c8d6874aa2b6d3b259763de
a3dbe7c6e1d4b16abec72f4ab7dc6ae0c4b92e871bb330f42993997b872eed5c6287cf11c8e8ad620a11deee5d38f14b4252bd3471ec15da41f87b629d404ed4
0b7c83846b7806540676160969b940440937c81798ca524be264c3aa5a3e70da396debbcfee8ee5d4c805362b226d8caa74cbc4e72ecf19051cbce1ed941284b
01f5216da3158a4242d60576d63da9cd21450ca90a4fe494a483a996f9ae68a2ad0e6a6ed7c510e634225ea4f08c497fdcc05708cf4ab66b8364b9b3dcbb170f
a32eddef526eeee16aecd486f14d84e080d21725d0d358d2ac2fced4d250a57dd4a01f25184e4f2d7a7550da88c2b6469cf769a8e9efa665ca8c7530389ef694
0487aef7a71014f2fb8ea3a0ab2518dab148516dc0e51dce694e2d49d0740c6eb469edaf3594e8d2af6ac562b7a4b6bca0b6ea390f1d78f8a40d5dd9d04a5b68
1ceba2818ca5a08e60d69082aeefe6bc9dd6428562b1470a56429090ad29eec6918a00f818a4a751c56286c6938d5952f4939420e0f71c64e1a46bcb6105bd0a
d7a3edeaac52309502a4e33dca439a5257c39c131af36744f5fa670ebd33875e99c3af4ce1d7a670ebd33875e9943a1fd368c90523d33875e99c3af4ca1d7a67
0ebd33875e9943ae2ab322c5704c06d34ea169594b85bc0c92a2afcb807fd619fd0738ed79a9d1da7a75d1773b80b1b4e9796fdaa6b28abc5c2708ce945ce63f
16d485b0ebebb629a5b7fa3fa8c33c449158e590a4e73e54db496f50c57021cf0d327f42b2124a5f17893283b2a6b172b8dbd2faf9372bbcf61d91c44c4b916f
2d4394cba6da19a6ed9226bacb49fd1fd444a4f11235388423094a729391818ac55b38aae36682dc16c71f5d71aabd40ba57a8174af502e95ea05d2bd40ba57a
8174af502e95ea05d2bebeba692aaf502e95f5fdd457d7b7224f2fd40ba55eeeaf5e66754f103d820a8e918ac5003dcefe06d5a4a7f2c562b14704ed8ac56052
929fd98a1a148d27158ac562bfffc4004210000102030505050505070207000000000100020311210405123141102251619213324271e120528193a2062391a1
c11453627273b2d133b1344043546382f0ffda0008010100093f03ff00903ec5d717a15d91fa15d71ba15d91ba15d91fa15d71ba15d91ba15d71ba15d71ba15d
71ba15d91fe5abb23742bb23742bae3742bae3742bb23742bae3f42bae3742bae2f9e0575c7e85687752b53fa94789d655a1fd6ad113ad5a5fd455a1fd4ad4fe
a5687f5ab53fa95a1fd6ad0fea5687f5a8f13ad5a1fd4ad113ad5a1fd4ad2feb5687f52b4c4f2c450f66135df7593c4f5575c3773ec82b1321d7c2d155607cdc
6439ab390e3e1576bbe244d34b48cc382b239e06ba2b1b9ade3b74d83609943f1d83454923ff004bf5575b231e2f0ac6c82011bb0d3a4e2ea1e09f8e2b40c25d
a4f55f6818d93bfd3738ab487383a5356d6d961b6815eec8c4f02724ea4f7567c36b7cca08e68ec29d34c73b132424a191e6b2c4a13849d99550ea382bae297f
00fa15608702b4c2e335642fe6c2ae49ff00e48cfaaa219215453b6047e0b86aac111c3de951595ec9ea45167cd439070ddc4334668ec2ac315d0ce4f96cf8a6
9cea81927550f3d93280f8a6e59aee768312b506cbc38a4ac1305b27b9d922c384c842709d78ab6b66d6d2195159020fbefd55e50e39e192b408661b66e2e0ad
d0d8c6775d2ef2bdfb382317dd89e588aeeb46f3dd9355f909f106985377e7403c4af68505eef04b12b6438c3f8170aa0132850cb409b3e09c2193e27ab7e3ae
f060a04241c0e6330a78709202198a2136b61b775bc10dc1291e6b22dfd51cb20bf76ffee2bdf38e5aabbad0628d31ab2b83d846112aab91f22685d308399319
1339a915f8a6135aa7229c43b3054407cc28f4e01694582473dd513c8151e4cd431b24d1be255d15717058430022a389470b5da230584e6f0caab4b8c469a3e6
990a28e1161cd44121935a2436147357dd9683f7aafbb1f976aafcb27cc57ed93e6abeec75c8f68afab1fcd57e593e6abeac9f315f964f84457e58fe62bf6c72
fea2beec9f355f7649ff00555f96496bf78afdb273fbd57f593e6abf6c9f315f76497f555f7649738aafcb27cc47e29e13b31920453751cc0c54404e7de25372
159af0d1e9d229b2e21380e72eea14c34a2894233013b3d13eba0e2a79a0b34e9391124c206b24fc4dd0c934e2f0a8b9e78544c52d5344f14f2d11fc5198e2b5
14539a6b77792d3f2523c81544146c5cf8ac53f199e8abc912d98a159a130e12ded86be1aaa5355c3601f1aa74d1c8530a64b4a6aa8387053cb7aba2337788cb
f243e09b49e69b34f6c8f88b534870d53759d457645c61b94d484b3a55009dba21c9c70e9aa609ea0b53a5347f94a89d8c2394396fbbfc2b3c063c789fbf1176
e7c9b2562c4d39f6f001088b2c43c37a19fd4280412cd329f19f050e7314ae4a2367961d544af8b0e402ca74f25170ea4955a6b552ae814333069543335428b1
906731394c290989c9c76367fb886efee510b5bef6a7fc2bacfecf84e288e8549ac23ff556c9338121aac50c5265ee3a7c5358f870e9db96d01fe10a3622dc8e
8472921bd34e761e0e44cf56e14c9d289866448ef2143aa145397258bb4077b829e2e054e5cb34d2585fbc78054630502b1b1827bf698aaf78f6cb448eeb28d0
74c9606c40378c5d39ab7bed0f03c746cf8a8861d8186aed631ff0861c3f9aefc1dc719f80faaef62d82bc679285a20a7319219a90c3c027e7a26e59d51a3724
dac3807e09d26e6f3c9358d87d999b9fe11f0cd426616b641c061a68a4c30ea44e5309f87b7384b478208d3e28480c82d164f6151645a68163ceb8d538af1365
b1d9f008f773929e29d786c6cc03dd2809389dd69c91fbc7c0fcc15797ecee63a53ec71d17db0851fb26559fb28579f6305929b8411bdc945cded01e0660eabe
d2c184e3593c4bf557d35cd86d69115ac9874fe2a398512cef0dee4c1d668eeb419a70e72aa0d13d00c91fcb352a8cd645629735972dacc44640e4a1b463f0f6
7443771e174961776922c9e455d4cb1437b7bf678a2be724d1dbb9cd88e9ba5acd364e65a990e2fe34fd57d9cb1db061efc788d0e1caaac70ece5ee0e1061198
682de4bfe21803621f7805df8a77bc93b33bd5d8f98e32d9f0f622874bdd4d133c7ffa8a300d1963392fcd6ec40d940762cc2b745742d44d5b1f108ca7556e8a
1a3badc4af48df34abc6217727554421bc38a84d12eeef78782c52fe150f7b53c535c672044b6bf0f3721b1cec1cd3654a274a94a2701ccadd96ad2a8ed22ff9
5107f3422a3bbf0511d24f6b9dee313b0c20775813e6de32cf635d8fc124244aaa0bbbac950714333bae4d323ddd8e9f34e238cb63a4e1dc186733c15a1ec3fc
255be2739956d8b85d9553c932acd339f96d74bf9761a4e68ca944d20eb3d849a6ed7253da53b79c6923509e4bf88393b60d869aa886594f884cdd6f78e19c90
32c5df2b29aa09196d24bb57128ec872144668d386c1b0cbcf6b6627509b21c109b6756f14136ba150e6ed1c4a1e5b1b31c10a21423754620bc998c5c0a8e7ab
d1473d5e8a39eaf451cf5fa28e7abd1473d5e8a39ebf456932767bde8a39eaf45683d7e8a39ebf451cf57a28e7abd15a0f57a2885c3b2c553c6685745de9d538
720ab4909e8bde77f77b19e8af20cc27eedb0ceecb9cc21822c5ee970d27456a7c46447b5a71f3a2b2ba1b5b301eed51df73284f192b7ba335c5a1d8a5ecff00
dbb7fdca7d79688799e29f3272969c767bcec873f61b33c38afb38f88d619b1ae8d0e5e7de561c119aeff4718cbcf25779b3c282ec4eed1c26e232949598c579
f08701feeac8d8c7009c274aaae8fd8e042787c4991bdca9ecba9d83667e2519996f15f9a3b216ee6daf12a0d0675f450feaf450feaf450feaf450feaf450fea
f450feaf450feaf450feaf44d1e58bd143fabd1431d69b403c4e0143fabd1661b8515aed0848701b1ba6bec0f609cab31b24dc233977bd9fffc4002810000202
020104010501010101000000000111002131415161718191a110b1c1d1f020e1f130ffda0008010100013f32df30301a9cfb10202143972c505c31b2b9577ea0
84d1025ef7621053588109ee51f79a64be9c40ff0046250ccda7798d43d8e2788f9d694e63717975138bcd1f763e3daea7b39780817cb8e823af784a0d1e5719
fcb9f9739471b1059138b67367cb89583b141d51d94b5f7706ff00767ec870139396c3ce72ce349efc07c87ce3d1d9858bc7286e205d1a586dc187dc8272e23b
779c7ef478dbdf16403f2841cbdbc0a7f2e1b85c3aa346fef88963ca55c1d7507e554cabd9845b22b0e4119187988147e610c258b4610a07ac5790600a539844
d870444125a812f10121823594c721d8127d4c05ad4f425cbbbbac300bd36217b1a9799ac6c7b108682f50c8b15f7875670a8fb3c5cdca0841e8a99d9e8e91e7
5ada02120ef0c7028e7ac950004187e88123c6e41b3b9006e63dd92e1d396b849bf0f9842e6fb55c544c8496d1316f45e480bc46e8c0ccc31705abfa26964b31
72509a3219225ac5c82170e3db8da5612ad2a399684798c03f94df839462ae8836b86c13c650414800c5c24daac45a10fc3310b2b5077e022150e7e54eecb40b
e440d39f28b78305a409c7114d50d11c9a8483a8f550814000d38840496799a350d4e25505ad49802879a902ef30f0bd5f7c84196b69159eccb0ba4d780b6144
9da5cb1be8a304810889d978d4518003e2056b10cf8b6113003380943ed4a809f46a36d2990649c4cae66e1bdfc3b8199e17e1dc4f4e2295d2191ce0892f218f
983099ef640a0b8028159e8270d678fc0825a3416fbc00d92136d2889e7699e4d7c40dc0143819ee207bc5aeff005868f15b80fbcd07994c68280449509a79a8
3789ce43b8864201c5c462eab7b801c06ae67c342808c24126141cc28f9471351386e24f99db551737686b726aa00eea1b8574a5b0046180e26c64ff0013ada1
e691b6054da86eb80b2cb5051a0fc4b8a91511bd2851ab158882ff0010e7e90df3d43964042e13f31d25514f5032441e1b95ac0621c4381b0a36e39061abe04b
989c7528f7888d38606f675844b5e33131ac311813ce524838536c58b3860a22c8206002702c2c31826015b8702bb4bed1be766b8339f582f83e4cd7ef889615
7ea12e38281a968e6254f201b731a2bb01096bc018c62496f206a177b38e301a00fd2280dc07423dc1ef4c41e09b65890abaf079cddc1c40a4427513a17bbf98
011518a9088bb58de1c523254768d424eccd74d205aeb51c99830e0c41ce460c2f12840c18e91656f3b88d3e9050295d83fb42aa2801f100e349c4f6e82aa192
e015d87de045c45bee5b34f2e0f1d65ecb694472e07f408aa01de9590c4be45d81013511a0b022c16304bf500b0e5e622022baf1d60a041c4a7e665d998ef002
d61d511ca1dcdfb9cc95ec73028659db10a19c500fa9682a196131903732e44448d4f7e6101a652e38d59394b8e904e90d91b84e24f31d74090d08324dc29300
115960331a226e158133d9d500bfb13280c083f510558bc46e5507078881842d9333db95ee0306370b58e0550c7610f38458de198a913ca19245f8ca3458cb03
28dc33b81d9b9616ef49e25f7c25000e74e0d2c63b40420830dd422508ba2d03d63300bc144f68d952a042be212c85870c35d1c7d447cceda230f52aee1d2e5d
c4bf4421f318a8f6808ebe0ef78f89db28a09c3c7154e617a61c68a79b700ec52e4a406ce7ac2c1ccc676e90fb008860e09cefe200aa19cd981928236dff00b2
d872851808101b875c7ac00aaee2440e570e500433240b95690f00c54c63218f1de23917d8ca5f2f13ba1708c87f211e40522e8413f8810c09facb5b016007f3
0b024b9bc8b47f5c4048dec00e4c2b93e94ee08001625c77330697685420e864ead4143c2361ee0833484f17fdee018cf3774186765001fd1d0d3fec25060801
029fb875c162b4a594c1e39401f8b8f2e7d4389234070860416c572c0edfa104581ba8b4e47ac5be84cfa38ebd5475279503ccaf1d0e2256c4385bfc23a6347f
39dad30781f6fba2d652c9c80bedfa83c8bdc6479d450d088ca1ea4dfb8c0325d20d40744a4255a0cea162fa03241630d0d3265752a530180a34db3ac3968a81
ec6a169601a08629b9a0dcec7c9085078fd008203359b845fc4963b221cd908bf33cccd9e01801000081a8d95c182a11f71355a8ef96fbc23102c4b178c47a40
5107fec10883c643911b00a3b8c54444210833b7f03da117bf1a848076fb4289789d9d256d1617478e9366a838b1deae2c2525c72c43e7cc480d128926b062cc
b8a933cc25532e4745d290944a043911cdc66bc01d3e0a1882d7720865842298b97c43c7092a008cc4cf88d3a55430ee8a29642f75ea305d9fb4053521d5b803
ce88824ff8c3610f022c16432a1b0f0f25be7728357a5002b0e07bf12011c880dc0ba3147b4b3757936984804c7ee74004abd279a2dea52573b9c47c1880b535
f489d2a0554d65b00133992ba1f3ee1ac822f1b7cc6e141a97bc4069fbc04b9eae000227ba8735ea01140b775fc42a986615010e144d8e5d76417854e0c1ec2a
da1f12601b0b5e21238ecffe41ec889c2c14c590022c5441a3fcf32a679b597278899b302ad12addc768273f30447a8538af985f34a6377500fd40ccba7c4a67
3f42731d61132aaf780c915b96562adfba84c3980b0c8851a0d919e22d2077807784024b123237004e94e7f9b9b18bfcd879ef07ee5fb6e1a95f9e2cb9d91a00
10731cd533dd083412e8f303e0400d944f262901d48c007225d4400b2bf9998588f096e4f602b3f88a02585951599bef1a3066000070dcd582510eb70d81b2cf
b99750fb16915c83c11a7c326c37536f530d46ab39c74920282d2697b9db07523e4d112c1924939300eac802d9cc0e10e46dca242048b47a0a7817686eea00d7
2d769879c298cc896bcf5830d9a1b875da2187067af33b99662d411d2160081ac06042dd09e980d926d301ab8a2ca08cca0c1536504fa42ddc10eed4008a441e
819bac41c25a9d80d4c3e8a4180843a84246809808198d67e81590fe8c21d5f42813123a4029c034ee416a21c0088aa46d182683c476cf62049a06ab989c2259
1fc7f5406e642eca8f3f886f9710a88d91cc011243b0054110745a706221a02c1c7ff0fbefbcfbe7176a2e7b7fe1f48e57f56f96517acd44b0f42000ee7f9f30
16a0a608a10d1096c18196a108d27f5797f8bb4a652fc795cf30f30f00b22c812991d88330782576e006d198e1719eec0ca82880118fa23d624ecca38ff29f56
0b2a399016791f30b1b8b6c2e31d110b865f8f3010c431a03b26ff00e0d348504676ad09a4871a739a5aa84b5039842d9ce5d80011ddb308ed5706cd84070400
fd1d69c7ba90f982d011c94c9d7f907a0ab311e3ac06bc7884120a2d031ea77a785f4d38409b7043c4349e73063f473a7874f0e961d27d0a74bf4180d8990369
fa2c400720e1fa86ff00b0ce7d28a204408390092fe604725710442c9203ebf22ad1971b22ee502d42c71195969ddbfa5541ab8249000f035f5c2acde82a80a6
3a05fd21698840132e0ff9ff00ffc4002710000202020202020105010100000000000111002131415161718191a1b110c1d1f0f1e120ffda0008010100013f21
56032c4d462b62203601184c6137c2140138625c381a3fedc4c698d2a7284088818a116ab83011cd4a4880fda38c8016cb30b3a2187305c06a302d00a05e2193
959ac0fde37d14477ff6524a74b80122b0ccc00f1c0664585427e39b0e600b0e5e219b07322eef1287a9c9551347d473b08416a519507959b30e38c806ed6518
1c51ff001e071b783031cf605bfc4381140e5117a380aefe271c49a2757f729f68651e6ef98e25a8a0b9fee68f905ff58098fbe80f98b1a317ff004cc32422df
ef033505197db8095de284fdc36208e99fb840f30631fdc506f65d7f72c8a3bfe78f5e144fe7880d60904e43f33bee14903e611a33bfbdc3d5c31b7ee5a21a0d
d3cb770e078b0fe6345037c7f71513b699be615e12d9ca891186408b5c467709f28a13342080e1d0ca714252c8006626ed0485a791036bc9f542c7b8a6d33925
7547faa62bc598f018b9d9d4307903e90593d8bd40c354ba24278a9bee31fca80de1b40f739c07cbd43159c62194012290dc27962115c19c38c8921df714d376
848690019cc83a59c12c8310981af21038440154c980121a72c8f1fa2088113309d3814624098261650b9986dac15643daa96ac4c66129a294794589c2840ca8
280d01188a012d5be761c916ce4f265498a0b645cb72b112c21be1f51770ac60886cbe50b5d4c8dcc85b8202172edc983afc99ca94568f23a3a70810685a6097
7735c6b12a16d9480c80111c651b294a0b0fc125bbd21396e3c68b51b6eb0b01b836d7c3d0b9706a48d02d9ce7e6065871c7c83bf5018a698791a3e2b988a895
3d81d40f3c945a0feca842608e68d7cb504cc35999525467f1c4560e2c6de8cb02b669c43d35521ff60c0f400e4764cac34420099dc220300322f115570fcf4a
3e8c07fd04c1f4b4fa71d1f4295c2f50e0d59606499cfa980c60d0ea564031c18b4c80615f1161c4fa1d4142d241bc42a3608f50ce982328feb2e01904798009
869f7a105843b47aaf71722f860420607685dba6a02dc8967803a8dbc640d2ba020668ef96dda21299a48473d823c4a656c72a43d18c255303100b1555423535
e6188acb19ff00aacaa72ffb8df087421f80187b80af28e49426c0eb29740b027c9117de4a32840e1c3bfc276850f4164cdba8121089b02de57ee2a18cff000f
46f2436bdce2390334c16f6a0734b98841218ceb8961331fd4d008eabb872df317def1cc2082752f6ccb434e23dbee03b851b53a67e60900c0af755b150cfd57
a9a18698a6a5646c0ec2f712c03d8a0cd58cc8409c0e4a7081558d573810c4f437e2e21c239a1a5573362dd1b047ab7a96164a1e0284067e44001a11d5451501
8cface54f7a4cf16fe54c5e993d4a44315bb403ff50ffc452bdecf833ca2dc0b8e5db30c13c180b9b8380b6a359541fe0826ff00d86a4e089115e96e6460042c
08496612d2db3191630c9fcc3d6ce91fcadc1e40f7262961788b2ad58f037b879ef8bb19c412ee200e3260fb5de0562106f9a9f8a61ef6575825bacfd4260c41
24020ca703750089476d1b61db3d0d01e2a11b58d8ae512a272e8a23c07c43e1bd8bcb8dce721d9a279ea0b4740408c126b9043bcca25710606a5917577ea2a1
c45713cfe652f13976d46313854bc6e18afa06856917e0ab503b5c5d30d0bea37240c50e63f2b847f73e257a7395d711fda83600e9c3cbfd8174a072d82a5ce3
066367f885b3a3e604bf4c54034d02872f444b22ae01a900cd5d34613262253c7244a0f0004ec6defb8aa44b44139bd2993f2047a1e54fdc178a1be00a911e4b
7d4ac4520b16dd675c88da40cc80034c066c40ccc48697f731bf6d466ae72a06e43cc0c420ad8dc3fe6d59ab1e2e345d22527043fc44776918cd715129660c02
12067b5e94676d311f0f870164a2a967a8d5579dea2490cf405f30d43665089a18e032cb841b6854fb80efd09209f1f9475ac4560e8f200f9e6396d070a27fe3
f30b588a42ce757b6aa18db516ac57975ea5f6390852c2f8cd29a8b92f3ec75fc42f0af2c2014dc3df11691288ca98d7880005126ffef7312d40440e10cabb55
947f419fb80901d9353812ae12de5c0249f63bff0092b04641484bf2a5a32aca326ba30bb8a2f9d75e675f9609f51176aed23364667059a244b8671f686c9932
286c8ec7d43ba376901e51fe4fd82a8013090f1c822a38ee81281856667c0461afbd42375c9306522f998c9506ca8df851497b1f27315465b5502b6cdd9ee646
572698d39824ac00b0f9b51e0a121008b79f90e6090a3148a78ea028d2187c30e15892a56b1ff605b64348c8000d97ddcc3c8e221fc11034b094248c78da9919
a9071700d601e8cd1377f30d591df03f826528b00607265d259e15416ad64798c94954d4b05a94828b50c727a10df79c09106c8f03101924e7d02c7b3f138401
a624db5f80907548e1de8086e38411e7640314d7d36f0917e92ba8c0fb88afc521ac7d4bbdc42552fe2306029aa6ac862355a8a8de0e0df687db9f451a2151c6
473026fc86df0d912bb95b09629736d56e6c2c6079f12fde990098e2f1823065da412125ed9e4de674b482603019d6a1fa4a2dd643db3aa960a36384101da11f
10080800804865181d60d575bb75b1f3e0571950fecd6ccaea6d01863bb35c9e206fbe2228740282eb80eba41bd18fb9dd451e20056cc153ebbe40143c400e9c
05709497035820e3a846232896f18a65c567c40e081676188bb403eb81a5857a70cc22b859a5f74c43ea1ee0234a1d5106144b6506c24c61a2fd887d41d8586c
0dd46e3c8428656b3a971420c01e378430b8009706a5f4a611a2aba33dce69be96c13646422b1eb1612f8a6a10dbff000f595a0998d3512ea7bf214f990e544d
90ab1c80331d292840f2050244211d98502dad29af1d0d6cb341207121e5763919a0b53f231ce053fc160e7b67e3ca56d92e182fe6552d3722c0f99532cc0244
138cf3f570a5466c7ee5910a831c4927fbcc23c8e0a0764d401c0c0c39a64ecf660106664594ff007dc21852104d945c6401880b7532904c82778dc2ade97c81
f2cc7a207a9df3fcc203687408960b068811cc3704baa248016346cb86a097f2e680eb27509c772f11fef43513d802800c010ca22033d083615f133091f4b551
25d70104259da5703ece064ed4b1dd784b8c017399bc5038b6a3044f72c4c544822854005af1025cc54224eb4156cf28450b2215d0b6f31806cb22807fb08597
b7767c0c29102fd6288014b1f10f2b3b249a8136e7242b1bb55777d00e05c5dec83678c1051c289b4c4d8cd0a54327b8acecdbb029fbc3d4c03e83f826180a7a
4c706446c43314f6bea0511b01db9eafad429ad9b1206003819a388f623e1a562b0fa753c242046502bcbad20ec5a269ecc7224345880b6293bc6aa1c2d3ca36
4a938768647db50eac50fa8a000c928a104c62089e85fc6e0d384406834f42acc1a9e0052b1681641f83cc0d78bacac40c51f13e74cdb0ec11853997501914a8
77a26060f78fc1598c2a94c663865428e47c4a7d85f13131c983d9894981a20c4b17b9f746f7151161ff002274ef5acedd1250d5d2b010d974794f708600f114
fa67739c01041869703f3118e8b08662934db16a6743d4088733b300f1b7b830fe84022898b207f4189680662cd8f01cbea6259247640c9be21b23812252301e
fc4bb0ff00ff00ba1c91a79c710bdbf3907eff00d18f5720ca0275081b6740e48a041b0730aa36792c70819c0101fbc850033a7a81592557cea251896e9f3dd8
ff004cd05277b2dbc1f516d181191b46b8a82f5629236737b25c282f5a6bf33a411f0863a09b2073d6e5882cc8cb11f883edca991bee13754980151a122892a3
6caa4b307c43842583240785125f51fd0c3350e180d33a6e30a31e88492ef310e10bb8fda3fd387ed890347c057c80634a0c5afb48b074b75e5333a37708fe3f
93d449b9b839c432cc1927365004a28e22904c1cc3e2ecd826f0945afd2501dde63414628dbe606a05002f37b965f078aa081006d7dc4b7825b4dba071018cc8
1816862f3e1ee2d3146ed61cadc525b30c190442ee4001200f368c15807db3d5b8cabd5c83f77004f7d42847b1dc34a4c071f815145b15cdc2a63e4c7cb7b749
b5e21d83812c31a6cb095f72fdf0b0d393c0ecc43c2c1d4a661da83580c14b056a09288092d998a33504a6af1886a139f39a5433e6aa3146d6e4d829054bf3b8
61a3a1996d75c080f0c9d0d474e42680d0b3fda15476ccb09bbb51b2673f2dcd6161c51b93b10c2630802744ed4bc2b854f2ee11200005bbb8dd80c80e1fda1b
53b0adc351449dfc278345182bba7dc2fd81e60740192062aad102d5e66b98a726464094b8b845025018508707600fe3312937572e4ca853d04170427a1602bb
0942699562ea318015b02362acb38689801534c033e891f704a45011a24347d33f333b868bc0c00ccf097bac4b28546d41014d178fe651600680761ea17d735c
b29ee5a112530f0c6efb8242fd3310ba7b873011912ac20f059c282e98e8d10964596cd7b43f62b00062db209a8792619de7cf3122249c0078ab8d86b3e23ca2
a7176283047d5bb83f7b3b81c80fafdfff00175d72b1ff008c3ae305fe18b4000f981fa5c2cfcefd062cb677fd570d4cabd50a380d4b8b5e540bd847fd46a526
2a3ea27ada8a09c86011546ee298c08910685fd4d1affc6a6d3a40fb95a981aa05981e7428211222edfc0e91f339d6697c79e07221715958210c968c901e9c2d
39739607cfed05394585cd5006581a32a03fa9ee21d52f76a14a4a430222d3380583b88856c8b03bb96aeeb1b00487920160a8b0255a816f28a02878111fd11d
c2e8264e009685d5f719bf4500f06091a6d798d0159984c7c9212f226a85fd9e2ea92314e162c05241216197dc4b2bb85c01c622995dc65c62a37afe50707118
20fd169f5a9bbcc1882120499363d11bdbe20f852848b92a308c4822e7880a57f3f130896c7e00b832db95ba2bd3619c2743e31fe463fc0c7f998ff3b1d0f8c7
f898eafc63784c058ec700bec41c1f841cb9a08bb22f5c4130ada3019a567a0493070be319163e16587c25f204ca5abfb8a46816c982019280705360368b55a3
b50abf6411f249e730803a02ff000e26c5b0048a0603d1635fa0790e335826e1c6a221e8380efe7f4048fc96e3682ddbf1f332550a69b808963baf1fa2e7e699
c46c2a9ac0987e868e8d4fffc4003311000005030106050304020300000000000001030405020611211012151631411314202226073251232461713033353642
ffda000801020101080118ee306431818c03a4cc606b81a02fc0c118dd21fd7b8baee903fc1e2ac8c636607325bc29b9600732dbfd0f99a02ad0cae680c6bccb
6f0e66803230572dbc40ee5b7815c96e902b8edeee7725bb81ccb6e83b9a00732dbc0ae5b747335be0ee6b78732dbfd8ae5801c1e28c87088a21c262f191c222
f1a144460e0f1791c222b51c262f0384458e13163854519648a2227a0e13140a26287088ac8e1315d07098a1c222c887078907131608f4c8a720e9cf42c5240b
a645f0f5cc7c650a230c9dd334d3cc256fc64d337952cfe9948eaeadca5ac8337a55f8072f16957bb522e125e8f11372f1a352fd66d24c5d1ee2262a32ce0196
a0eaf703fc116a0c8866a22c9e87a8a34d0648b52fa89ff0f40b4a327968f355946349368cd527b6e47d52d3a685574d745b1114b56713c257853a1c59652b16
f15f159ca1494f1a8f26d8d4abfa578b615d4b33a2b50fbe752218d4f27a1823323d4c8bbe83390444429323217844bb97634376b6943ba878c341c2949d481d
256b5b12b172be69c5c96f537032f08e2d85e10ed3ca2512d65d2cd521c9f2d0d2be6e2e846ed76be562cd340332fb46845805a832a7391a1022d477d8b3f668
7fb117ccddd5848bf82ad3aea3a48b26081741fd2d24cda9992e3405f7641f4d0f1df504581d06342c7feb024955508e5544e19fc6bc93af8bb4b6285a44d58f
bb67f84b5f029b22e2a89436eacadc31f11a2a95f9126aee2b2738d62da52e543bde3ea469ad29c756fd125554ea4249a4623e2af5df2cd3c575b0936524d7cc
a0addecc95ae8421ee76330bf8541eef7c7b85279d01680c3e77447b4adc28995a1733ff000299e8a5a025bc16d75d1e62d4a555fe9bf835c55610794577a7ef
7ea5356e7422ad33742c9d8eda952c38e67c1096aaf0ff00b70fa84e57e2b4a26b319e918426ea5b16f2f151ee1bb9616fce433aaea8eb7ee675c60a3dc823ec
35ced513a544ce8a96fa7d1de3788dd8d98c5bb825d7958d6d2cc6a68b4658c8463aa55a266d08d985bc736f6536254ab73390094d34a1b9c345a70ec7cb5127
6721272953eae620184f2454b84ecca924bc20d61239a33a9b514d95e5d7f15ac55b2d239c9b9ab66015caf47333c1cccf0732bc07723c30572bd21cccf015cc
f088733bcc0e65783995e0e657a3999d90e667791cccf0732bb1ccaf0732bc0572bd1cccf01ef63418c8ce7a162ad474d41191964669d01e088f3d481ff156f7
62a8c6f7bb1b33b7ddbdb33f82c983c8f7634231d2ac8221fcedc69b3f23f91a82e9ae843b033abb10222e9b3bfa0cb258d9af620592207818acf3b33aedd016
3aeca752d4b6634d48b61741397c22d2b36f1f5a772dc1ee709d915560ed69a8ef7b76977cfc457b8f626658ce36f1da60c675c0c982e80cf05a601032331d34
d9833205ed2d9775c6b2ab1c632898541b2655a97b3583f29bedf1551566b8d9095a16fd83db8ae07ea6e2fcb734c1a7995ad36b0aac7d0f58ea088f1a9f4d06
3263a96dd720b18d35ed3925c2a2d4702253af7fc5a9cab1cd90de714339398a3283cb7298e5b7e4de4dbea98d4cda5ad6c36b793274e251735d23f1ac9775c6
ce28c2ad73b0c88cb1e8c6060b610221f5054c44a7413324d8c19bba914d354ceb72e9da4d5b55e55cd64ed2a905da45366eb278c19ea7536a572dc375bece69
1529d453bddf190659d98f460f00bf03ea12755718928554955c393682b7eaa2b249c84eb96515b9e5107be7624ded28cdccd54e53733d28d50a6a379712ece8
45641f575ba994893ce476d9a18c82cedd060117617047f148855b120a515b23a5c1ac923baa46af22ceb963add4638249276dc26bb34324a3c5925dab7ad396
8d558bd3a45a2d388cd54eaae9482047ea21eedf18ee0c5d714bc2bfa9fb7b7dfc0be448aa49bb267924156f10a57bf5d0d622ae8b36864db9f893d38acc3da5
a33b7e19384604816cab776ebb4bf9d3619e08569d0a5074573364be60b9b8896f75bd61fa4ee9bc1a554eab5e8d522f6a74dc97357ba9405b4ce091cd3d76fd
a59dbaf61919f41680cc2ec59bb2c2d5d9d6dd7564dbdbb04d4ff468a28a0b76923ec7b3aec2dba7ab25a8ea5e9fef676f416dedfe22da7b33afa0ba891e65f3
67e4fe683e683e683e663e663e683e6831798f998f9a0f998f9a0f9a0c5e622f88f97fde82d4b4c8c053eff455bdba7bb28c5668c1459c397d28de3d9b4595f3
30b7320927753f9826e42ea91731b189f84abaa63a61af91f425f60ebb3ddb14fbbd159d54a6674931b9ce47ce572f112d2ad115c24c241fca26f1e5cf1aee51
a269212493c518ee20842b977208aebfa12fb0167d0fe224ddba3511e5f9b1cbf36397e6c72fcd8e5f9b1cbf36397e6c72fcd8e5f9b1cbf38397e6c72fcd8e5f
9c1cbf36231a3966df7172ff00396c2f4fffc4003c110001020305040706040603000000000001000203119204213141d1051251612230327191b1c113205281
a1f0104042e150627282b2f123d2e2ffda0008010201093f01fca5a9b52b4b2a56a654ad2ca95a5952b532a569654ad4cf10ad4ca95a9952b4b2a56965415a59
e2ad4cf10ad4ca95a5952b532a569654ad4ca95a995050194b74567652dd141652dd14065234501948d140652d501948d159d948d140652dd159d94b7450194b
74501948d1406523450194b74501948501948d14065234567652dd14065234567652dd3de748cfd147bb0517786ecb1bb10a285101ddc7928c11983c13c05101
3d671f42a306b67815177dc74c93c86e722aedf27d1595c623a7d3dd27b8cd35deccb4e3caf0a198ac190bfe8a0bd82e989117f1085e409f7f562f9df7f258cd
70400041cd1939b7b4f9841ae6e467828bbd7766425ea7eb24e98e078702a2082de57f87ee15fee0f76200a203e7f81bc7bb14365d51426e0d247c94cb4e1c95
ac00082dbef4651089a6173e23b1fa5e8f4b826967dfc95ed76081738fe9cd42718c776e9e7badbb8232509c1a7397ec9d36f977a86e89bb8c902d7731f89fc7
b2d4cdd71139f13aa8848cb8fd84d1bf26cce6809872376f917f19eabb778f965eab1ff6980b89c57f2ff8b5190903e7ea9b0bd9902467e053c6e3f307bc1f35
1daf9e2263c94000ce570948e9ef098371510b13cc470e2b03e8a31b8ce5c64ba2fe2145312584d3f75ad390e529274c0514cee9096120071e4bb4dcc2b53bd9
8c936e776b89ef38ab53d87c538be21ccfb9b3e352355b3e352355b3e3d2355b3e352355b3e3d2355b3e3d2355b3e352355b3e352355b3e352355b3e3d2355b3
e3d2355b3e352355b3e352355b3e352355b3e352355b3e352355b3e352355b3e352355b3e352355b3e35235eb47563ac1fc01bed2271fd235515ee6f01d067d3
1faa6b7c4a2e6cbe1714df6cca5fa393e63ea39119147ad3fd6e1fe23d5099fbf12a37fcd317037cb39feea67e69aedee45eef5928ee2678090bff00b42739ae
74ba332091fce7298c314d90777ef0398717171bbacc40bbbd5ee71ff69e4f060fbf350190a15d94c913bef3a2996e41be53f41de5426c0867e0ed11f0ef73ce
529e1826ef5a4e032863fedc4f82be6bb316f1fd4351e5d61ed3c21879abdc08f99f9fd3153049999df7e732af9fce45098877cfe289c7b9830fc71047a8f4eb
306bbcd59c456385f37ee72e1eab676e309178884917dc65ba27cef507da3cf171121c7039a6de019b67816e226ac531c9dff95651bc67305f294bfb735083c3
c13dadd948c88c0de10be63d4f598caeef5301b30ee3cc7a28a62b9a7078778748a2432f181394b2e77a3d17b0bdbde049de37156a8b08f066f1079f473511d1
24d96f3a733276735d833f1325d98777cfad1384e3378e078f71fdd426889c7ef35083541693c65c6e3e2acedf00a1340fbc1366ec07203eeff008cce24f3eb4
4c15d9f834d3c9348ef4562985ace2ebbe98f90e6ba510e2e3f90861caced501a0a121fc4df0c33f983a7f45160d2e5160d2e5160d2e5160d2e5160d2e5160d2
e5160d2e5160d2e5160d2e5160d2e5160d2e5160d2e5160d2e5160d2e45a5f3fd33025f3ea715683edbf4cb0eeddfbe49c44488644e7f7251098510604cefbc6
8533721976ee3d238dfc87cd4c6f10091928e5f0e25ce1bd3c73eb84ca86c71c81761e0b75b1e1926597ddc13033d98b84e732860e04f704d6b8f0760a136108
7937377556c30dbf0eeb4f9ada2ea1ab68ba86ada2ea1ab68ba86ada2ea1ab68ba86ada2ea1ab68ba86ada2ea1ab68ba86ada2ea1ab68ba86ada2ea1ab68ba86
a8c6299e2401e5f97fffc400311100000503020504020103050000000000000102030405111410120613202131152225412330611632333435404371ffda0008
01030101080117d08c87905a16bdcb5ec62e6087617be9718338604c1e9f347a7cd2f070265c7a7ce1e9f347a7ce1e9f34604e183381409c30270f4f9a0a04e1
81387a7cd054f9a30268c09a32648c99232248c99032640c99361932064c81932064c81912064c91932064c9193201489232640c99032a48c9902ddf4b8f3a52
1a43cf992e52a9f11cd8a9b222bad125938cf915cdc61d6adbb16428bb290a41d8db69d73fb56c3cd95d4085c1102d3cf4d0ff00d498a8bf0d2f6d75f723b8ea
79539ec789bca9c473e49b8ec8c94caba2a98f21a4ed723f221ed6a23bb59344878892e9911697043e810b7452e4b719d35b95292dca7f7a13d977150a847911
f9688134e13bb83ef5324b9cc5497229f667d4e34a8fcb906aa6b69f6fd82fd0865d5f85b2eb65ee1b4c8ae7e3520861d70bd9a7d6845d171f4184a56f252a92
cbed3058ce4f34b167a990b257bc55a091a77a63427a4ff6aa8d236dd31e1b921c3411525d23b2a23730d8226d961c90ada92a43aaec4f477987396b4d2ddda4
6b954f7632371974b2d1bce12127ea7019de70e426646deba69eca89a515cde520829a34d2ff001505c5dd49388693ab3869ac3ee656d2a5ff00b60a22118c6a
097a1b12f7a67cd4487d0b43b3224a6c89f9b01bc5e723a526693b922b4fedb2ddaabab46c4467d719de625fabadf6cd2712a6fc546c0baab9b4c91126aa2386
b12a49ca7779c7aa2d88fca28b31e86aba0eaa4a56e0e4b7dc749c3f55de8dae48a838fa3965ae032301a180d0c06860364301a180d8c0686034301a180d8c06
860346301b180d0280d90c0686034301a180d02b7478d3c0efa9021f43eb42e9249dae3b0ec3f931f5fa2da7fe69b4cbcea56b7411d85f5fbec3b6bfc74f62e9
4dbecedf549e1a9f55f713340e1ea65b9b7a532df636784e6fb5550e0b3e59bb4f71a5b2bdabeda7d7497479d38628299eac97f629d226c9d5c943bb1e274efe
f2525ef6b6dbefc3b9223d3975742dc12b237f2ded13e742fe3b69f5d0c32a90fa5a4c282d438696c54a7d4597cda4a1e760a939a8382ea1529e765c97fcd2e8
ee5615cc59d1a2c16c970f8d29c8271335bbf5dced61e75e15692f579a23aa4e530e2529dc69964ea63ce6d0969b293c3f131b733fd38f256961e234a7da953f
cb6ae389a373286b4a48761e0176d0cccfce85af0ab896abcdeee25e4b4eb66b235d4279bcc426a5d36525e76371025a884e891c64d3aababfa85970ae8975f8
3cbd8cf15adb8544335fe9b83119f5459287d35c9689898ce36d9abfed96a5493336db7cf13605730fc34d936a5a499749d6871f5452f9b70d043b755b4edb75
e18a9434da14c9b447d956e2f4853bfe42a0ccb7655125a7cb14a59ca230f41a6f0ec35bd2a4c9766c853ee6857d6da16a5e010f228bc5cfc14f26532ed1e7fe
58e98677b85456093f9a6f15d2e92834449d5097537f9923c6bd8f52f02c2ddbaac0bdaadc94d467b69b256f4870bde4445e0ec7adfa2d6f3d7e3abeac2c3b74
1f7fd647f63efaadd2c601b7f97e287c58f8a1f143e287c50f8a05e943e287c50f8a1f143e2c7c5091c8dff8b4b0ec13e3a0ad7ef19e4b8f1250db31d6f3ae25
3b25c05a8e9ccc6dc29cc21f90adc96cdf8ae737a15e74fad08c27c7426c67df9d4f263945164c68ce2d014fb0cc7536d53e4371dc51ad85344f5d6b9686d952
11d0af3a5c5bb0b0624c769bdaacc8833620cd8833620cc8a33620cc8833620cc8833620cd8833228cc88332207dc43abba2c2dd05ff0007ffc4003611000201
03020306040405050000000000000102031191213112416122305171a1f0102081c14042b1e104133250d133627282a2ffda0008010301093f01fc2537829b29
bc107829b29b29b29b29bc14d94de0a6f0537829b29b29bc14de0a6ca6ca6c9bcb26f24de49bc937926f24de49bc937926f2c9bcb26f24de49bc937964de49bc
b26f2c9bc9379f9e24799116e47e088f7b1bb23642d4e454565c87adc7c2c9266ddf3367b9a3236ea21713ee911f9e37eef6b9b94fccfe91d9451b0ee6e8d3a9
25c3afeafe125716a34ae3d3e6e63ba10f4d7e1e06df07a1d7f57f072b8b5441a27fbfceae2b2f844d511b0aed8889b14d5c7b14d315a3f2568e4ad12b432568
e4ad02b47257895a256895a192b472568e4ad1c95a392bc7256815e2568e4ad1c95e3f85dbfb7f661e2fdfbf03b723f84ecffc594f85e09f1af062b3efbfd347
661e0b7faf82f5652e19adda7a7bfa8db5e6514fe8e4c9b8fd469b5b5f56dfbf512bc7a779bc9a42d23fafec52df9c9fd96f92bda4f6828c6f6f249dafa28dca
9fcd6b65aa57e4b937ff005b2b6adf225c2bc23d98fbf31f0d1f59797f923c3c3ffa5cefd4fcdbfbf7bf79caecdf44bcd8f8aab949257d7b3a7174d7969a6db0
e33a8a497656faf8bd5bd5ebd44a31fe9697357f7abf4b0fb2fb72f2da31e8e5ab7d0d12f8727a7d76ef39dd0b56aeadcacca9c336f57cb5d2fd3a8ad6f7f4f3
39a5a7a5b253b5fa90f520e5c9f23fdbde6f1771fe57eac8af25fb1ea7292fd4a6a5e66d7fb1b9d24feddea4d7e57f6ff054bd37d3d0a8df9153c8aa4b8ba169
4bc3ede66f2f76efbb50f1df254e17e854456d3a7b42bcbd73c89792e4bf00ecfa155fbf32727f57fdd14afd08cb288cbd08cbd08cb288cb288cbd08cb288cb2
88cb288cbd08cbd08cb288cbd08cb28bdbaf750ecf3169117690ef2b5fa1c8859aefe4d1ac18ef73c06d791272e2eea97175b941659416594165941659416594
165941659416594165941659416594165941659416591e1fc3ff00ffc4002410010100030100020202030101000000000111002131415161719181a110b1f1d1
e1ffda0008010100013f106a97049bfe31213a9f13efde61573a8259eaeeaef110331ac8608876cc90ade61791f97435738d216964bb40d1758097e253a76179
dc8ac5155ef21eedde036c105b7c04e651a90d515f9fde13a14838b7fbe63202756e95453de6b37ba9a347917ebeb59b313b16c6a57b869746958f83ef0a6f35
0d2c97f45d608600228fe1f87fad6716d52d31ba3d7cfe31d144540e8cb24925c15bb1feee6d1651ca9b5041c83f099a2f84a61b2f63686f94b8b293ef7f3d63
53b6329fc831cb384d64dbadb37f2c06e6ece6340640fbfe0130c541d50ff9d6405dc0133fac3cc8217c246c33c705581fc60cdb22753f594c46f107a29d1804
5afe4beb134a222508ea81f965a82fae2368472f3f54dca64e3b47e8861cbdfd4bf4217375365223b77372ad8d56d2edd6f3128934f91bde981ef21bef67c72e
dcc443792af8de59c3d81aff00edfc62a5f53a04bcd8649d8030eaef7a9312518c4afcb7eb5fa70b04ac0c8bd71a09054ac5f7ce5a8a4041b49a8b0c1359d670
bab818a0d0d306f346fe8013418514a9634d3ccc1da523f886dafbf19b37ed8bd1baea25c58be29363eadcc457028c5ae6b4f9c2ee15ea45dcbf7f1867200e0c
d816c7e5c45680b6488a3f23a3013ecd9baf478cc862282068b4fad1f79053d12ea80235712147b8f00e223c40a9270336d2e11711eac88d342ac8095030365d
b4883152a40dee64cdc80d115f04f36c89901fb5045521a4d34c2ce802ced7a5343d5986195dfe2d27566c5e18dae49788ddfb73c3079a10515b26aa37cce92e
297ad270c39045b23e6075a0931287b4f0478ecc951c2d376ddebc99be4012d2ec3f911f1995fa16c469fb7bafde35a48202d143eb783f5b1268e1ed3e309725
d105ddbf2ea64c7c4148ddfac5075992abb32212498b930554fc18c35da4830340935f79ab9fb418a21ba1c3077e8d1586d4dd987de7786234e3463e98fdcd3d
dc1249525457133483a9022aff0045300851322eaec1f035b70416e6104dd1f187c38841dd37083ebbbcb51ec20a605fc1fde3341258f686f4794fc38381f38b
a69dcbbbdc15e1118ff41a9befb881f036ef36bdd0fae1f7bdbac832bec70b820bfc0464866aa124cbe1bdd1baf98969312472986cef117948c442ab48e71bb7
499e03e0c7b8c7afb540a29cb89aef38af57a3693c591fcbe6da628fb8a76e5ccba78abb172103e8f916de21986960dbbd9e34ebf22c471debe06825dc54302a
8b6c14a890aab8e0b20540ba013d39958db56856aa77a7b91f7dbe294d0fe3da6508d39e8387dd3ce39701a14832205443c335540500add0dafc79820da890d9
f2d43d8e311a606525336bd3e876e07b251d85a1379a4647b9bf2b2adb9055f0ed8c625945f20e9eb96e2f8d3c1580002bdad90d99b224214aa30fc69c325c78
d0c1e3b9bee5a6a2f726e0d77f78867e01df62b16c00546fad010f8562c1ba2289f1feb59585aa2c49e34367de5f563e01adf89b47f264e1842aa3d57cc18fbc
ed430a2df8346fe7860817f51a6c0ed29dbf78452a8c1420401c3f796d793603f61d3c845c54452a6ac5d8b579a2603f4fc26c8167f0dd4d63aac89238226b60
be0e3e37cb8c2209221b0fd2d52895aba1bd22759c3fe9fa4b51e48c739a852bf31995ccd3e9a5770822af41510dec0c6a005d03020ca0016511104af5e8e2df
d2419a0228144463743f92a04da28504009952313dc6d04da0d42f043c084b527b17e54c12ea9e69050247adc411c037f2c136452696aac58b8be4f7d6b2c321
102a3354393318130daa2c367fee2b6865073ea33d0760641572a9823d057e0913348655950be837882aaeb69c0efe378896703010ca0c403bdf07979745ba46
cd1b026142c66aa8f3fe83bc43d7569c05f2041c18c1758f4dfe177969a5c56400abd3aae08abef1634e850a070722f1e3f6c061da6a4aebd355f4c552380c34
771d6a89e99856b857dbee2d3e83a400d37ec115e6251efc433f60bae981f65b196816e08c5d639eea41ad2fa762178f68859b4fe600466f5f660d0d10415a57
4f169867696d43dfc0dfac091623a936c3c322b89f83ea423fcdcd620962b05d0a79b7109b34cff08321ebe98fe1d23eacc5c9844416b5514bf14329051d6e1d
f98d81976cfaf06cc2100a98260f44bb6addb7b13195da184a0a2f002e8f9cb4bd10c534aa7fb2e37c979bacc005841d5630643c726481dfd51c62a4a89a8aa8
41ddc6c45b070eb7878042e5b921440b378496cc3be00261011c0f4b0e6291b7a35f253a06ff005931028758f8e692f725b7a1bd24674fa718fd02f74a1825a4
d430f9a233c223d5fac0533a58b24ae9c0c2f948c245eb5bd44c7ef89e67a2a1a33993d45cfee542d7e60e724e8f536eb58f427bdf827c0355c1490406b8bc3e
8718a62b0609435ee2106cb90ed1294fd110b5c096040052084756b9cefebd64a4d6e98efe074efc179db93ade0b53895388e3b5246629ed3780438c13568329
a99bd7509545d0b46fa28637d53a7e0e072fb8624bf0151543dd507b4ca07aaeed820a09b9b4df260df275068a44114852eb0602439542e97513d99492dccad0
042ba20130b1f55e0589a05d861b203da23e504d22a32e903631bf0c9010120ef795c353f62d4b6853cf02e2170d778558becffd3214b8ecb1d1b8ed47e7060e
4bb9420ca826a038a5b406d29a2cd09076cc38c5ed51a15515ba6e048a4302b5e613bdb3103bd37608b5e841b3ce98e7b6ab77d03bb7589260f5858228c2ac6e
de10851da05003416a923f38ce145b9fe8144bf5c72429a956756da4ea2702e9270ddc49db0463e880c68d695a85faa68691ab34e533abf036a604d42468e03f
3401901345b489764d171b35b3a7aead355f55abac15e20cef42fc44377589e290da20548dc43be87980c95c34aa7a5a813d0b895c36311d10947d2bba689b87
6214920415f2bbc0016e83e8fa40de8bf2c986e76080d29123bd37cc2dae5bcf6f4f1a00b4066a23718c068076d67c4c2129a52042bce95ec7016a1380f6a2c8
5dbf8d60042a1b80c4105bf4dcbe65586c466ac84d9baeee4eedef04b8c0810396b7715283c83415dbf1ab8ad0910a21369c967d63e0e3b364ad7618691f1ca6
a1c45d7282f3a9f38c657e9206a6112f9edc20d8268cbc78fcbcc293f2b0fc133a27a0e1c394936f60bf6afc55c832f92ef505e15d83a6b0acb726de9dc734ba
f183014589040d45c7f66dc8babd94614520e5bbad675c01c14382856288fa132def9057aa0d05fde2faf1f2586fe8167e7062806488a9d2527d37321da257bd
2900101bf99c401f10e48104a26c8ed1b8356cbb034bb1d34458e3cdb71bb51a3e241d6f982a6f1885070a01abafa3801633b606800266e4e641c29a9eaa5cd4
3976e0959b2cc21a5420d91a70b7a994f5e84a139b47ed26551b7703026c2836dc68fd0c00426d2a43654ee0a5d03f3da09c2afb93852d6fc053b06c7eac0a75
c7f4229853e21ccd2ab59b356e0fda5a7958f35c6bbb595446ec65d023b10f4005e402878dd206e4066c02169130bbbabe620b28688310686af1de3285d1763c
c25522145c2b8ab730ba4221055d8cc20a3608044811007c0b1c79d6fab0049d288c2fde137f30320288b02042ef993e719954dfa5d371d6b02240a312557434
bd71b8f02bd6a06a14d510621b723bc5618cb6247206718d8186abe3fd9882745a0361e8a479ca54c34116a66c1bfa410f833f122b52941d8d36b808574431f5
43f964cb36d6878d07f6c668befcbed18db0098baeb0fc55b58aeb41de76ee96a95dcd0fbb76981309ca64514b6c0d4f71927810f03412736127b85c233ab47f
9206dd26a65a7200579211023a3af031d252d01300525a42c7531dc4015193830280f41b978540502a15d0e8aaa1dc5d492f1015d369ae82cc7080dae19bc350
89bdff002519708549a35043a9bc299650e4c95cc017dc6337ce6a472305d0b8ad113f958e8dcc7c060ab51d55da4dba1f2a4c2863b0bcfd103c5d31ba2e3634
814394b9856a07a1bf920d4885c6e9aab740a1afd81d5e28636a4edf268bb4f735607b66562b1294516f35c07608306f518200162ac02f3ae45a0f47b4f6e6ab
6eca20406fcc7b26b03519a332249c1057e07406cc76119afed9a8ac4d41492ae8791d9c0dc12025a0340aa879a0ce06514151bc7048d8a199115f415bbba647
825fc22a8242b149ac398440808107708d3b70b3cfdc79fbb21c568d4b70ebf6687de0c90d68a2066d0b35d8a591bc051610e497a1767ba6edb58a0c8eea2192
f3704090e243bd1168803c049e9c03806374054f723ec458d966c4ba4e025907d540a12492a23cc5d2953684ee6c507d0ecc4f6c9c87028d56a7cf31181002ab
076368c0ae393d9b1d1763a4d44359acc818e41d085d7c9c02821b168f05816ed607b59c77f797a6d49b271a84565a402ef82bf2f8d669810e60551184d9b1c0
a1d8264b09483222d18f76e7769d5109960b33de5f4accef19b38ad7bc8c0b0952ae42bab6f9a3218076031b94d5dcbc469f1851715cd8600c41604132055cc7
2356b89de11e0b6951f7d97899a3cefd16083f2f992d8596885409d813f3c7083f55e0528634945e91e528528908d5aef67a1a784983c0287a9bbea57503d711
810358854046145db6de4b8e5c41ad3d09c63bfb8f3a09c517400611a45348470911a3581e18796264a2edf4417e07132dcc8c8674a097c1ba9838dd0db5bd04
b390e4e275f068d54fda308218f83fcc75ef754d780fd60a3548c119fb6bca2c25f2c0a99db2197138d199d6cc8460a23827f99e73b58d44d6ac1f9282deb16a
40261879c5c32bda59b11f326d8d7e534a3a17a7d0c10bc529afd5ad388c12b10402b550fa5d1ec981f8c48d5693b13e3af72fed4d5008b127d7eaf5c766758c
98e05c8127975365d741aa06f2efa1b31e25eaf44024104da8b5ef35b63e1c5fd360d5112dc06ccd71ccb721037d72ae5d05367782069c12ef00d010a8dd205d
a1d5602a0c04578d06fa284428e2681ecdbeddcdbfa3436698660014714d8d5e1c0d18a155e6eb221e0219bc7baa0373f5804c001294c362ac68de2e33c9aab9
5a82811f57ac3d007f63002211462054eb816d303ea8035a2d9f20de3dfa08b123940841b97770cf87e7ea769f6742d5c4da091623efac581186c62348d2a6c6
40ae6bab918acaa9e241212b797417b4a9802196254c3f940df378d32d169d926a2ae9fb713a8fc4aa7a2a0d3ef6e5954d3a59220760be3dc02b76fcf42cd503
49b080b89f07b818141487481e018e4cae1fa0fa8069b7d31ccfa591f84dfd6625b619641f410ca73c9499fe13f9306c274e63e52d7caa5e8c388705f2571aea
aaaf5d11af865dc220a6dd53a5c3a08423d7b5f8c2fbdb68434a1a0d913759a541ea16a9deaa94841f31a32365016c87e3d300828d185554b0d3fd1f6e090aa8
201520f42d4ac466a6f4cc42121501504313fba018003dd86c63669057c686816e248e347af8af9a09da80d3cdecf4a65fa4448240004dec1de10e32043a742a
4d5c5b0ab60011db0a73735db8157be149081052c4252620744d95562023e4f7238782dbf20c0ed45c50d6801c88f848604bf28d225248853c42654d1eea90a9
b0a0c3a603dab36fa3a121cdb774f8ce83141893cc8789bb5b030d8da0dd88eef072c51b57d5cb380c8a0020831f03cfb5f88792a46b16d140b177907baad162
4686ccdd90c8088d104220597e52caf8060338ef434a1bb05416766a8214d8916bfc2d6a0dc1ab91b0e377ef7af2670688a1b2eb7cecd98d4be95de9b5decbbf
705036e9f0db4025e238f05bb1c106ce1527d91c2f28a4fbf7bc5b214435bdad67d6a63801728a3ed3ea8e1bf7f790014505652fce4cfc17e9d8f8d2d199a50b
3874050f1580f0e686cde72c26181056bd82e81073a01242a8a1169645e56075262ddb210a35438d2ca6e05137cc2056d089769e07c188fb6594201a08daea49
c18f06997abcd9dd0eafef00a81f6392a227ec08edbe8857e30b1fec3b163c7c4db4e2ec8da6d4162883e5616290f5370c4010f6488ebf5fac2b8b00aba8e493
283d90fb4c3961638144231fa227e4df1c3c2ddefd103b8250665898a92d824340ea0b1c01b63a55228d9104a8b77777648aefc72e12b373cd997e4d073ef8e9
a082e85c23b88a7406a88576846a891008bf8234759d03206c0a3ca6c8f7718fdc7058c3d115b40a129cc0688c0f821ff2239dbc55138804e14b6e3aa89e45a7
c3eaf71f0fefe7e3fdbcff00d7e69a7fc2cffdbe7febf3ff005d93e59bb041bd23b3fe8f262044d865f8ff007b20757e6e6e93f7f3ff005793c944bd92d31ab5
8b8506e061aab02526be564740339ba94bd7e0d1e63a9fb4c01ac2d39fc2e7c047cdad603ca10ba0c84883fceb860284374f540b2e0681559396724a11455531
fa66e7d7dbab6b689d2e2243ed9f7b8281025e18d29b8d336a1c1b448d90a0602a105f42fde16be4e4ca2f4b8297531d7202061c9fe39f9ffa845480fb586023
5522380814055f6131ed2061e8dab7dd80ed5b8060f122081283ce8566edb9285528d13f572fcb73b74805657e5ca5fdf32332a97868f3f8451581400a02ed30
1df152752ec2892d8409be467e0d581101b0532c50780500436104858b8c1336e4d94d0bb68ca93a544eb9a12828b18654cb262a08124011ae6411a381701921
8e1efb5b9a80b06f59660afb684820846c4e619a963bd4850dbd1ee28f05ca3615b5509091b6c0154eeb035a47fa8ecf61dc5e2c357d4d6523fe4516f8f05f2e
1be1c97c3fe1c885b33506095aeee1df4aa4ca56e2e4b9bf89ca1aaad3191c52cc055081b29c20f3fc550c136004941147c6b0c157aeb20895a140fa17574927
aa17403f2cc5067bdcdfe1d0075c5fc221b121d741449504a2d1d2524d302106258a5db844635d2851a9daa1b26a9c511ad271be8b23c29551898474ca147540
353789e3ed867a543e2bf7bca1fd9ac588d4040a5d6d70cd18a9cf50d34d82220006d6c85d5517ec2f8a9d2a6ec6032199b712d808148111ab70d87f8100ae09
2a8575c3973fffc40028110101000201030305010101010100000001110021314151617181f01091a1b1d1c1e120f130ffda0008010201013f100d76c778da71
82d9bfcfc0c5aaedede980b5619d02fcfc4c1431509a5c91de69ed90a8d24c568c7fcc93bc08a69c7be2c7ca5ff99150ff00988dfb1e5cbec61c72dc9be70dd9
d7adced8f7d2eb3aafb6be32bb0f6606749d86f08fd2e8fdf78937f0bfb80c4f9e8c7014bed7e72267d865b9f65fdc789bfce9f8de060d5bd60467e3e05d275e
9790de4b6d3d18409f65ac7a3f658c27e27f711ed3822643a13a4c0a9947809d7246debe4153eef369d7eb733a7ba7c898cafa5ddc107bdf338757281a9ab20e
2532378499b6a16d66e5e9c81293f9f4c41237315dc1f5dede171abfb2c16072c1101e37fdb0694cbd3ce741e7b7bf7ca9e01e35e27a6070dd3d72e97e3f19c1
1b29d76714080b0ada6f8b8ba050050d152ed87388944152f012bb3d0e7ae2cd1847714a3c64d03db7fe13090350509e8a71e4e4c5a51eeefec6f35fff0045db
398317beb103be3af6f7c368dfebf59353632f498429399ebdfc65ed2aefdbc600abf265fcc3af9f7f6c281af05c8a729fac4526ed995725e7fb8d6dcde0c31e
f4e40de90e266ef4d1aa00b4175d577bc91a8ec0a1b96f0cc3b92957967524bcdc022dd08bb803a6b00c4a6885b4e74ca650943276e8c66c6690a06ecefac84d
78f4a364f5b877a01d5ddc24b82ec705113c0f060b1f3e3afaf7c78a2cde1b903d3acf4c0298424f3f7ce290f3ae7fb81e1ab4002abbe7684c19c1b488921bd2
e6c115079513ae3ed1000c53431c255eec2a443b3f841c6006b4235c86acbb8b84ef51109dd5119ad50e4cd7515448d778d8612eaa6ae7824beae030aa00acaf
4ac02bcb00ca6997399e03aff78ca15278b80e43c71836921db1cab92507be12d3d358a9b2e8bbfb72610666e09ee96cf330812274986cd8d0765e2834c61b27
fb8adca23fee483a5f9ce370b98b212eee432b9e78ff0099b3a24d47f3954b071918d7f5c3747dbbe4f39c02a40c0ac909affe37165f971edfdc8ee285b42e8e
e4d1d5c748d79e95ea51d97656e1323b5686f641d3475130898584e2544ef2985b36cf0104a9219cc55c0dbbe9aadf00e1134f54757aa229e839b205b091251b
c44de54108047450f4aef70895c160ad675a008884b14b5b9214f6ea876b35c573a095340f9141f9c84dbc5e18da0762673e028a81dd838c25b41221cc502eea
20a6112eef5ebed82135ff003fe622790e71067efae5736073e99b6b016742c5fcd5ec635bb004209a09392ceb30130c58a05dcd3a57532ee1e90da577c82ed3
0524ed8a535b94c3c9013d250ddd4d0c09005272a487d1d32cbc2cbcce3f8d186603d8149245c11fae0a55003c4bb7690e3ae2f5eb84352f1d77912a6410a44d
8307d8c4968bb04e8a97ade8ef0578cd0454e8035a90ef7114e61815c20e5c903cef78171079c2c8241288e927931addf40dcf7ce1601d07cf0195509b4d22a8
9fceca637c85a2096aeffb31fd1f9ea270a77d7373a1a2b409f3b62eeb1a1a50d92616732d48efa72f6c3c44a009a2585ad6057cd3520f4d9b3c61a3d10804f1
362f87349de27d1bc84e8da4d6174f4b440f4add3e99ca99a437d0d7e8dd9713581b5c879c1f3cbff0fa3c1840fa7850400fa00c021c42097eb8e141cb11375e
0d437f4c0638b9bfa62c6b66605a7e9830f67ff5ceb7df2d3664a19c614fcb049f4b37e6635354edd704867ceb85c737673f8f672cb63eff008c1746f281779d
35bbe5ed8543bf7b98b5ea1f5f770a7fefaf69cf195a1358818f5f8cce8cc54758a2cd9c7ef7df29db2a272de32b23d4bfcc164e3ae2d0e2ef9a0a4b9361d71c
eadeddfcdc859969e8f3faef979cdd702a2bbf3f260c77d739d349f0cd26981b5cdc6877d999b373b1ebbc4459353672606eb8ca63a6d9afb867395083ac0637
37358380f52f6c00e31a3fd7e7f193106f5c1b3b7104bdf5eb31d968e9bfcdcbc99142efb674b9137bf67be44274cb32fe75ce432ae22fce73467d12b79aeb7d
7723ac812fe6e34e3789d9d60cc2d2d8fe536fc1ac7940eba1bb2469dd561eb47ca3eeb9ddbc104f67587a339d44ee7e876e1115e23a4eb550bd48e2a0776fcf
8cd353def4c6ad3d2f2bed8d69c6d7bd032263d276c225d3a708a3db0b3193a1d798f599224be87e7d31c88be9b0ef5ea3c6011f2c761f0dae6a5cc1b49800cd
1b18492e2ca9748cdfaef011278b17a53f618d359a0db4801bba862bd4c900da0bb501b1ca99250222b0e9445536ceb86de3fdc6066fcef895e51d6f16178366
553e94de1b3b7bdf93253c3c7bdc60c0be8323bad10eb39990a8a2aedaed5efb838614a68cbebbe3baa7631e2122a14d919a0e86ae1135d506f989405690e058
34a9618815ba128edb615c4e469c3536ae9eb3838e34aa49ab45edd93d1c502125db9e769fdc644de9f37f4a064b11c3093000cd9720239a73c608ade79ed8f2
400f90ae5302357aaae5592709d36700060843c4c3270926d34a28d8047b4ca5e0e94ae01f66622181b1c8cf60d7a28e52a57be3a0b758476fbe253ef188a8ff
00ce70524f8988c68f86e6b005cbd3ed82df1fee6e3716658b940f51369ace0aedf48070224a42c3d147685b1316107d1800f00cc22c2b50d2e15abc0308c465
39244077399c3661382d5541e66b20388145426dda1a6b1613db4911cc8bf6cb38493d44cd5ac090b852e086b217396f3fe66fa66f18db8a6cd5e7fe76cdfcb5
d6efdfd30f9e53d5a5991b920a0db09ba360db8587079ae205917c759720e89a26086832a707aae8f7603b1173d7297a460549c806911de870320d106474dac4
8bd30b5c283b51aed40a7093b38c0e945eac10f5007ddc63438fa092e1e7377ebbc54aeb243b1edffdc82837fbc41b72199a0a2ebd01ca71aeec052384057cef
43f3848132eb99c62f495585639258349c67217e5db05b70620ed771dd354c2d2b205ee3faf26e71372ba5cbdae5bb3e77fc603bc01ae9fb7acc1afd145d5c0c
97029c69f35eb851ac7a1965e7d39c3600447623c89c620d5ed4c9be1f6f2d767085b9a853ecbc9e8a67fbf1fe6245d5c75fb5fe65ea5cd84ee288fb9d164951
9a8abd8d10380341ead018a6cf3c66f11efaeb8b755c8a64c487ab2a61b6ba600f9c76c541caccacc40d1acd1e3aff0071e9279a0b8aad7a7f472cc14d86f20c
74009f8c40a6f0639df1033075801579c17068a6104cdda6bfdcf9fcff00709f4d2671138ee69f4c10e71e7b7d079c26f2bb986f7858f3b7a7a60ee75c6aa656
6b39132e19e9dbe9c6b111477975721cfd21d7ff0010499350ce189a43e9a6ff009d72248c3234c366723bcbac4283939c1c5790571dd504b93e07f793e07f79
3e07f793e47f79f27f5c9f03fbc9f03fbca73a7e3ce07c8fef27c0fef27c8fef0e5f07df27c0fef3e63fee02dbb6cf0108adb6fd196e182ce56feb79c9ff008e
80d1978bd2f8c72f4eed2b5075569b578a33b4a4cc526fbab6bd65c82d6176c69be94079b4e3289a7d172701c81a76df18acc011513f0a54baa62eaa098bb1dd
1eb3a21c7fe7559b08eb2256f3e9ae7053f3cccd26f26f2b95cae4f742850a9c1540bc550c8e688b4f31eaf66651c3d1562e8aaef6550dbc60f8a03b4eb6101e
30512d42101def96c3df14c6c1e701d1882312930939d106c95d001a39afdb75cae572b89b9ce2a7b74cd3f37f7c36b9ac6df8202108b76dbbff00f3efff00ff
00ff00ff00ff002cf33f32f3a9f7bfa7e8ec26d63093484bef9b15cd1738fa9a378e6ba7fe0d11faf195bb97022bbfe677c97067d3ffc4002811010002020102
06020301010000000000010011213141516110718191a1d1b1c1e1f0f12030ffda0008010301013f10ec42964c24a087bcce06e306f539612e64bbe7338b7986
e96b6cced948d4b0b61c59eb311a9820cd21567dc47aef4c30c8fcc97ee769bd96143f8595d57b33fc067fa88b94fb2c78bb31655f752d7f6a1b5f659a453e53
afeea1cbeea0eff032d33939a63ccbe8c0bfa1f30fe6df70668f75f70b69f753b4faa04bf2bee074fc8fb9b3f3bee7fba9fd73f72bdff53bc46df95f701dfbaf
b9fe8bee63fea7bca0bf2a14e3fa1df3055fea7acddf91f7057f6bee3441c479860dccbbeb31a8535957f33646e7528c8d1719d26e59852d7accbb3877f285ea
bed1d9d270e231998f9c1f1f102ee069788612c19a5cd4153caca2d096824725ca5b186bc9fdc34b03656a625adf0b9e60981c2ace75336490ae0bbe3d255195
648639126345418ef8488414acb8f980c2e69b1b1e18abe0b5e578f89498b852aa52aab102f089d45537e0c46f771346ab18bb6e19d215c9180b009f996d4a27
0974c714b0a1f865da790adc24c337937e860af4b99d83ca1c9c95a8bc7e2bb3debcb848d2b15dba7e6582fa405d78168972a5e2a0e3c04cefe22a50be6b12dc
dca6041d637e5285e0b7e0b525b589d617995544855e660c3e9315716e5dce5700e1319080fbcc4506fb9e72dfd52b02b38ddd4b9658529f72042a18faf383d8
aea6598bca9edc973027b2cef55e916b00e5750b80d2e9c991bb16577bfd5cbc407167e99800c28eb7a4f38ce2aaf9f9251a3a61c9e67489cd4bc544e6a6e130
74e19eb1e1810a4ba3af947c31cd898fe465be6742f1b8e91413d1ccc457838da571cea594bc53b39bfd5cd7a21ef8856901c77b997a201032da3d7cbdaa30a0
ad95e7631c7db749ba6cfc4af83a69c3d98a4e4a105507aae6129879785d412d4991e89cc157cad037483f3275e6eee197c897d2e7a308f1144afb4853a0e5aa
cddc4b594af686cc99cdeed5e98aba8ab6363a6b98e159e66561a1c1d83533c579510a80b8212e0d5cc1fbdf53fdb7ea0c7ee7d4c7fbdf5037ee7ea596fcefa9
8ff6b2e71efbf506c7cecff49f50fe7df50a53e77d4353df7d42bc7befa9feca597e67ea7fb2fd43f9f7d4c78f7d3fd97ebc20b8290c1996d8bdc331d88193d2
17657851c3285aca2e0f7d4ada70ff007ac066328a8553d6562e66fc82e5052e065730e4bbfe7ca56e0eb09ab3c31508e74431306ae62a69ca39bf0aa6b65928
a96b2e04d82cb25c75714dde6e1e0a2a0b4c4b350f0bb112d2ea0a372f72c636625d972c839c4db02696200a2c7b4a20eb743a87dfb886249d6d7663019f6a8d
b53d551ef51c40dc97a6b193e2528ece6f4731a384c8ec73f0d410b2b0b0acb98eda816e5975a998ab3ccac5b2b38825acacf35e7f8804d30ca746b9cf1775ee
e2af3878b023aada7ecc433de546f3b6af652f28e6f4b0ccf75bc4cc63bfc8347b4c40d6208f4f4f3839037810de5bac73d846188958467d571e417ccc0546ad
0620ba63dfac13388b645599894c63d666db85399a0407aed3c8b6bb4a1408a387bce9851cd0408029c94735656db8b5729418299815b69f21b5b704d6ec642f
2ad75680791136043a2a3d0cbe6997104d0d68dd5c5755674b96371b415e892e4ec66a780534de9f74f364c28f016e1b61492922dac37f8bbae2e036aff61825
e2827082f50a3f0b33ec90ba5a85ec6d82b78915ac134d00ab3915407e60ad058e0b0166b784e86d2d08a928411ca0834d88588cdc2d74f3d405245080000500
680e00d1140f1fb8657f1cc87a587a4fc269641da2bbed3729957451e47103c1565839d4a32cd5e4179b4d7b0c0896d6915b00dee1a759c05b22d16b74c5aca7
01d148dd6c12dc3185d388763889e57239ecba8d2d2ab63358361a097295f2677aa3b66e08a0322e0d08866c6d2ecd32c9a9cab7e9e87875f0a473031310970b
8611607e26bd17e8f1d2e17045878ab0d4c04c53903be5a355b59863d50aa8da7b60944dd9aecfdaa14028375c65c16328314110a2926906ac4d4cc3401f4b3f
3732ce0760005fba9e255131538832a1d52b73a5bf008eaa2c7ac5ecbc26e3cb8901ae5264ee300da9c50acef7300801562929b2f3c4c1d5e8fdcb4818306dc5
669d5e65fd21a7c3766f96d0d6bcd98cf6b41c018076217995b968c09500f335187798cd6a5c2a93882dcc4023090b88c2d5d0edf33e2568b761bf65fdf9c5a1
9bbbf165931683b325aeed25d5b2b0daf3c01e55e6c4d732d1a7a15b6b0afa55cbca13011e00315e7de062cf0414f9e616228b70ebbcd902d835372ad85b1370
75123ee2302121dc7e42c5d94eac7b5d7a540e8d11228625430c11334cec4ac453ac1f0e29706a1539663c01e2029ebe04cc0ce66a0a9a606eeb39ebdb183bb2
9022aa72c018b25cb0af031e175af0213ce310f24bb5198984964b9a2f498dce654cd4a1b5cec076802257f362bf9b1509508dbed8a84a04895ca2527f6c57f2
600442a7ed8a84e0c5790b7ceb880f12e9cc2068e0e3ae3cb359e7fe7c0e1cc0ff005e45be7701a2561c5fd5cad716c42b067ec8b754b830ed9da330456c83ce
7eebde1895f46ab5c77ff9ca0a1b98a81eb9cfccef146c6bf994ff008828a876f4ef2e0472865f3b996010b77df110a27952a8e91a2a1418e595a870ec7e3151
7c1c92a8964b2609645e01525f7f52500de7cb5ebde020112ce48bcf421ffa64104164964964925974bc0a2ab515542b9eb6c40e1bf8fed3e2b6626d0ff8d7fcdbff00352d9fffd9}}}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs40 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\fs40\insrsid6769574\charrsid9384073 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid9384073 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid14293119\charrsid9384073 \page }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid6769574\charrsid9384073 
\hich\af0\dbch\af31505\loch\f0 This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\wrapdefault\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid6769574 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid6769574\charrsid9384073 
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid11147400 \hich\af0\dbch\af31505\loch\f0 The Testimony of Traitor Ratul}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid1132725 \hich\af0\dbch\af31505\loch\f0 \hich\f0  \'a9\loch\f0  201}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0 \ltrch\fcs0 
\insrsid11147400 \hich\af0\dbch\af31505\loch\f0 9 by Larry Corr\hich\af0\dbch\af31505\loch\f0 eia}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid9176679 
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid1399092 
\par \hich\af0\dbch\af31505\loch\f0 \hich\f0 Today I Remember \'a9\loch\f0  2019 by Martin L. Shoemaker
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid11498235 
\par \hich\af0\dbch\af31505\loch\f0 \hich\f0 Extracurricular \'a9\loch\f0  2019 by Wm. Mark Simmons
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid1789601 
\par \hich\af0\dbch\af31505\loch\f0 \hich\f0 Waiting for the Talisman \'a9\loch\f0  2019 by P.C. Hodgell
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid5054376 
\par \hich\af0\dbch\af31505\loch\f0 \hich\f0 Voodoo Magic \'a9\loch\f0  2019 by Robert Buettner
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid12876050 
\par \hich\af0\dbch\af31505\loch\f0 \hich\f0 Burners \'a9\loch\f0  2019 by Matt McHugh
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid16348839 
\par \hich\af0\dbch\af31505\loch\f0 \hich\f0 Treason Properly \'a9\loch\f0  2019 by J.J. Cragun
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid12417777 
\par \hich\af0\dbch\af31505\loch\f0 \hich\f0 Talk Girl \'a9\loch\f0  2019 by Wil McCarthy
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid2499334 
\par \hich\af0\dbch\af31505\loch\f0 \hich\f0 Weeping Willikers \'a9\loch\f0  2019 by Aaron Michael Ritchey
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid1473348 
\par \hich\af0\dbch\af31505\loch\f0 A Visit to the Galaxy Ballroom \loch\af0\dbch\af31505\hich\f0 \'a9\hich\af0\dbch\af31505\loch\f0  2019 by Sharon Lee and Ste\hich\af0\dbch\af31505\loch\f0 ve Miller
\par 
\par \hich\af0\dbch\af31505\loch\f0 Next Giant Leap \loch\af0\dbch\af31505\hich\f0 \'a9\hich\af0\dbch\af31505\loch\f0  2019 by Patrick \hich\af0\dbch\af31505\loch\f0 Chiles
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid8156881 
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid10044868\charrsid9384073 
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid13841573\charrsid9384073 
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid6769574\charrsid9384073 \hich\af0\dbch\af31505\loch\f0 A Baen Book}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid8728715\charrsid9384073 \hich\af0\dbch\af31505\loch\f0 s}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0 \ltrch\fcs0 
\insrsid6769574\charrsid9384073 \hich\af0\dbch\af31505\loch\f0  Original
\par 
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \lang1033\langfe2052\dbch\af11\langfenp2052\insrsid6769574\charrsid9384073 \hich\af0\dbch\af11\loch\f0 Baen Publishing Enterprises
\par \hich\af0\dbch\af11\loch\f0 P.O. Box 1403
\par \hich\af0\dbch\af11\loch\f0 Riverdale, NY 10471
\par \hich\af0\dbch\af11\loch\f0 www.baen.com
\par 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11147400 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \lang1033\langfe2052\dbch\af11\langfenp2052\insrsid6769574\charrsid9384073 \hich\af0\dbch\af11\loch\f0 
eISBN: }{\rtlch\fcs1 \af37\afs22 \ltrch\fcs0 \f37\fs22\cf1\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \hich\af37\dbch\af31505\loch\f37 978-1-62579-725-4}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \dbch\af0\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid6769574 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid8728715\charrsid9384073 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid6769574\contextualspace {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid8728715\charrsid9384073 \hich\af0\dbch\af31505\loch\f0 
Electronic Version by Baen Books
\par \hich\af0\dbch\af31505\loch\f0 www.baen.com}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \lang1033\langfe2052\dbch\af11\langfenp2052\insrsid8728715\charrsid9384073 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\wrapdefault\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid6769574 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid6769574\charrsid9384073 
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s33\qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11147400 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid6188447\charrsid9384073 \column }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs40 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f44\fs40\cf1\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 
\hich\af44\dbch\af31505\loch\f44 The Testimony of the Traitor Ratul
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs32 \ltrch\fcs0 \f44\fs32\cf1\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \hich\af44\dbch\af31505\loch\f44 by Larry Correia
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11147400 \rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 
{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \dbch\af0\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11147400 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
I have been called many things, like Ratul the Swift, or Ratul Without Mercy, and much later I was known as Ratul the Mad, or Ratul the Traitor. I have hel\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
d many offices, most notably the rank of Master within the Protector Order, a title reserved for only the fiercest defenders of the Law. Yet that mighty office paled in importance to my illicit calling, when the Forgotten appointed me the Keeper of Names.
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I gave up one of the mightiest stations in the land to become a fugitive, and did so gladly, for I truly believe the gods are real.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Some say I am a fool, and all say that I am a criminal. Religion is illegal, preaching, as I have done, is punishable by dea\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
th. My time will come. I embrace my fate, for they are the fools, not I. It is the world which has forgotten the truth. Soon they will be forced to remember, and it will be a most painful event.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Yes, I have been called a great many things, from heroic lead\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
er and master swordsman to fanatical rebel and despicable murderer, but young Ratul Memon dar Sarnobat was a kind-hearted child, nothing at all like the jaded killer I would become.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Those years are long distant now. I was born on the moors south of Warun, \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
second son of a vassal house, and second sons of the first caste are commonly obligated to serve the Capitol for a period of time. It is said the houses keep their eldest close to prepare them to inherit and rule, but offer the rest of their children to t
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 h\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
e Capitol to demonstrate their total commitment to the Law. In truth, it is in the hope we can secure offices of importance within the various orders to siphon wealth and favors back to our families, but I was na\'ef\loch\f40 
ve then, and did not yet understand the hy\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 p\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ocrisy and rot within our system.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Young Ratul dreamed of being obligated to the Historians Order to maintain the relics in the Capitol Museum, or perh\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
aps the Archivists Order, to spend my days organizing the stacks of the Great Library, for young Ratul loved stories and books. I also had a great talent for music and dance, as did all in my house, but I was the most graceful child. Perhaps I would be be
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t obligated to an artisan\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s school, and go on to compose great plays? Maybe I would be an Architect, raising mighty monuments to the Law, or something odd and secretive like the Astronomer, tracking the moons and cataloging the sky? Regardless of where I 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 w\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 as obligated, I looked forward to living in the magnificent Capitol, where it was said all the women were beautiful, the food was rich, and the waters pure and free of demons.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 As a gangly boy with thin arms, a narrow chest, and a sensitive disposition, it \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
never even entered my mind that I might be obligated to one of the militant orders. Only upon the flag of Great House Sarnobat is the wolf, and such a cunning predator is a fitting symbol for the family which mine was vassal to. I shall not delve into the
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
petty house politics which resulted in my obligation going to the Protector Order, but basically, my father had given some inadvertent insult to our Thakoor. Thus it amused our leader to give me to the most infamous order of all, the brutal enforcers of t
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 h\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e Law, where it was common for their young obligations to die in their unforgiving training program.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I recall my mother sobbing as I left our house, because she knew in her heart that her soft summer born child would fail and die miserably.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 At fourteen yea\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 rs old\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 which by the way, is a little old to become a Protector acolyte\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
I traveled, not to the glorious and wealthy Capitol, but to the austere and miserable Hall of the Protectors, near the top of the world, high in the unforgiving mountains of Devakula, \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 i\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
n the distant frozen south. I was despondent the entire journey there. All I knew of the Protectors were that they did nothing but pursue and execute lawbreakers.\~.\~.\~.\~
That, and they were one of the few orders whose members were not allowed to wed until \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
heir obligation was fulfilled, so they lived a life of stoic solitude. At that age I was a silly romantic, so the idea of being bereft of female companionship until my obligation was done filled me with dread. My service was to last for a period of no les
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  than ten years. And let us be honest, the odds of me surviving ten years of murderous village-burning butchery were slim as my waist.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 We crossed a great many narrow bridges over deep chasms on the way to the Hall in Devakula, and I contemplated hurling my\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
self off of every single one. Those I travelled with would surely tell my family it was an accident, for slipping on ice and falling to your doom\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 though ignominious\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
was a more honorable end that suicide. Hitting the sharp rocks would\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ve been a much faster\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 end\~.\~.\~.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Except it was during this journey that I found I possessed a great stubbornness, for I would not give my Thakoor the satisfaction of expiring so quickly. To the ocean with him.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Though he was the focus of my great hate at the time, honestly, I can\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  no longer even remember my Thakoor\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s face\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
he is as forgotten by me as the gods are to man\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 but that initial spark of defiance which flickered into being on a swaying bridge high in those mountains has remained with me ever since.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Decades later, that tiny s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 park would grow into a great roaring fire.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Later that fire would help ignite a conflagration which would threaten to burn the entire world\~.\~.\~.\~But I get ahead of myself. Gather close my children. I must tell you how I believed in those days, for I still 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 had much to learn.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
The Law required there to be three great divisions within our society, the caste that rules, the caste that wars, and the caste that works. Every man has a place. Some said that there was a fourth division, meaning those without caste, b
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ut such speech could be considered subversive, for the Law declares that the casteless are not really people at all.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The first caste is the smallest, yet obviously the most important of all whole men. They are the judges and the arbiters of the Law, the me\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
mbers of the various Orders of the Capitol, and the Great House families.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Each Great House has an army to defend its interests. These are the warrior caste. They are more numerous than the first, yet far fewer than the third. I thought of them as a bloodth\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
irsty, boisterous lot, with their own odd customs and a peculiar code of honor, but they were kept in check by the Law and the will of their Great House.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The worker caste was the greatest in number, yet the simplest in direction. They exist to labor. The s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
tructure provided by the Law and the wisdom of my caste had shaped Lok into a land of industry and wealth. It was the worker who dug the coal, weaved the cloth, and grew the crops. They paid taxes to the first caste, and paid again for the warriors to def
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 nd them, but in turn they required payment for their toil and their goods, for the callous worker is often more motivated by greed than allegiance to the Law.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The castes are the great division, but there are many\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 perhaps innumerable\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 lesser divisions beyond\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 that, for each caste had a multitude of offices and ranks, and only members of that particular caste could hope to decipher where they all stood in relation to each other. Every duty or achievement bestowed status upon the individual who held it, and sta
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
us determined everything else. A miner and a banker were of the same caste, only one could sleep in a mansion and the other in a hovel, yet both would bow their head in deference to the lowliest vassal house arbiter, for he was closer to the Law.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Usually c\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 aste was determined by birth, but on rare occasions the Law might require a man to be assigned to a new caste. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d heard of a particular worker who
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d shown great strength, who the warriors had claimed, and in the opposite direction, of an inept and coward\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 l\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 y warrior who\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d been ordered to trade his sword for a shovel. A particularly brilliant man could be promoted into the first, but a member of the first would cut his wrists in shame rather than accept the humiliation of leaving his caste.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 It turned out my n\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ew order was one such place where warriors could become members of the first, albeit temporarily, for when their obligations ended they would return to their place. It was during my induction ceremony that I stood among children of the warrior caste for t
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 h\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
e first time. Every one of them, even the ones who were two or more years younger, were far bigger and stronger than I. To the Protectors, the new acolytes were all equally nothing. For the first time in my life, the status I had been born with had become
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 utterly meaningless.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Our training began. Previously I had thought that I understood what hardship was. That had been a delusion. The Hall was as grey and stark as my house was bright and colorful. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d lived in a land of song, but our only song in the Hall \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 was groans of weariness and cries of sudden pain. Our instruments were wooden swords. Our drums were our sparring partner\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s helms.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Over and over we were broken, physically and mentally, and constantly remade, not just with muscle and brain, but also with m\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
agic. It is said Protectors are more than man. This is true. I shall speak no further about this, for there are some vows which even the vilest traitor still holds dear.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I know now that the program is a thing of beauty. It is so cruel not because the Prote\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ctors hate their acolytes, but because we love them. Great suffering prepared us to overcome any obstacle, to face any challenge without flinching, even unto death.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The Order is not so different from the gods in that respect.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 As I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d been warned, many of th\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
e acolytes perished. However, I would not be among them. For despite being the weakest of the acolytes, I was also the angriest, and in my heart was a great capacity for hate. Hate fueled me. It kept me warm through the cold nights, and every night in Dev
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 kula is cold.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
At first my hate was directed at that now forgotten Thakoor, who had robbed me of my dreams of idle comfort. Then my hate shifted to the few acolytes who saw in my frail form a victim to be bullied. Tormenting me provided them a temporary dis
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 traction from their own torment. But the stupid and morally weak do not last long in the program, so after I outlived those, I needed a new outlet for my hate.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Thus I began to hate the enemies of the Law.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 It was the reasoning of a bitter young man. If crim\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
inals did not exist, then there would be no need for the Protector Order. If every man kept to his assigned place and did as he was told, then those of us obligated to the militant orders would be free. When it came time for the acolytes to be given lesso
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s in the application of the Law, I excelled, as I always pronounced unhesitating condemnation upon every infraction, and I unfailingly recommended the harshest sentence allowed.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 My teachers thought it was because I was smart enough to grasp the nuances of \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
the Law, that I was impartial and calculating as a Protector should be. This was not the case. I was filled with hate. Luckily for me, so was the Law.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 It is curious that it is the softest ore which can be forged into the hardest steel. After three years of\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 training my long limbs had turned wiry strong and my already quick mind became sharper. Most beneficially I discovered that the unconscious rhythm and grace of the dancer was not so different from the timing and agility required to master the sword.

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Upon \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 obtaining the rank of Senior Protector I went forth into the world to dispense cruel justice.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 It turned out that I was rather good at it.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
This was the era in which I became widely known as Ratul Without Mercy. None were as devoted as I. Wherever I was assigned, criminals became afraid. From the jungles of Gujara to the plains of Akershan, I spilled blood. I shall spare you the litany of the
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 many sins I committed in the name of the Law. It is a long list, and we have not the hours left before dawn.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Upon my tenth year, my mandatory obligation expired. I had the choice, retire and return to the house where my service had brought them great honor\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
, to do any of the many artistic or intellectual things I had once aspired to, have a marriage arranged for me, create my own house, and raise my heirs\~.\~.\~.\~or voluntarily continue as a Protector.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Strangely enough, this was not a difficult decision, and I\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  remained with the Order. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d never have a wife to love me. I would make do with the loveless company of vapid pleasure women whose names and faces were forgotten the next day. I would never have heirs. There would be no sons to carry my name. I would nev
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
r have a house of my own. The only symphonies I composed were the sounds of battle and my instrument was my sword. I had forgotten how to dream, but I had not forgotten how to hate. I knew that for every criminal I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d executed there was another still in hi\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 d\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ing, and I would not be able to rest until every last lawbreaker was dead.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 For a righteous hate can be addictive as the poppy.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 It was as Protector of the Law, Eleventh Year Senior, that I Ratul encountered the lawbreaker who would start me on my path of re\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 bellion. Of the many types of criminals Protectors hunted
\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 rebels, rapists, murderers, unlicensed wizards, smugglers of bone and black steel, and so forth\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 none were more hated than religious fanatics, for it was those who practiced illegal religions who we
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 r\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e the most nefarious. The others were motivated by things most of us could understand because we\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d felt glimmerings of them in our weakest moments, like greed, lust, or jealousy. But the fanatic was motivated by something inscrutable, a belief in invisibl\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 forces and imaginary beings. Such foolishness was infuriating to the Law-abiding man.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 For many weeks I had searched for this particular fanatic in the hill country of Harban. There had been reports of a nameless man\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 probably of the worker caste\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
going abou\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t and preaching of gods and prophecies, trying to rouse the people to rebel. As was usual with these types he\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d found some success among the casteless. I thought of the non-people as gullible, and a few of them had risen up and struck down their overseer,\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 proclaiming their actions as \'93
\loch\f40 \hich\f40 the will of the Forgotten\'94\loch\f40  even as the hangman\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s noose had been put around their neck.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d killed many such fanatics. I expected this one to be cut from the same cloth. A raving lunatic, bug eyed and foaming at the mouth, filt\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
hy and unkempt, leaping about and cursing me with the wrath of his unseen gods, but when I finally tracked down my prey, I found a calm, soft-spoken scholar instead. Not of the worker caste as alleged, but like me, born of the first. He didn\hich\f40 
\rquote \loch\f40 t live in a m\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 u\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ddy cave, or a hollowed-out tree. He lived in a small but sturdy cottage, on a hill overlooking the city of Lahkshan.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Unlike most\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 guilty or innocent\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 who answer a knock at their door and discover a Protector waiting this man showed no fear. If anything, he 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 seemed resigned, as if weary from his labor. He was just old enough to be a grandfather, no more. There was a sadness in his eyes. I remember this clearly.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Come in, Protector,\'94\loch\f40  said he without preamble.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I had no time for foolishness or a fanatic\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s tricks.\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 The cottage was humble, but big enough to conceal several enemies. He made no comment upon my drawing my sword as I followed him inside.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 There was no rebel ambush waiting therein, just a cot, a pair of comfortable looking chairs, a kettle warming on the s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 mall stove, and a shelf\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 full}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
of actual books. That, I marveled at, because it would still be another year before the Order of Technology and Innovation approved the sale of printing presses. Only men of the wealth and status could obtain such a library in 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 those days, and those were usually prominently displayed in a Great House, not a one room abode in the hills.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I had not even declared the charges against him, when the fanatic declared, \'93\loch\f40 I am guilty of all the crimes you suspect, and probably more. I will \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
not resist, and I accept my punishment without protest.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 The penalty for proselytizing is death.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He simply nodded. Even though I was about to slay him, this fanatic was so polite that I almost felt bad for not taking off my shoes before entering his home.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Curious, I went to the shelf and started checking the books. Some of them were new, approved volumes purchased from the Great Library of the Capitol, but others appeared to be ancient. I opened one of those, gently, for its binding felt as if it might cr
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 umble to dust. I skimmed a few pages, at first thinking it was a history of some kind, and instead discovered the most heinous of crimes. These were religious tomes.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 They were\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 scriptures.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 There was nothing more illegal in the world.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I dropped the book as i\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 f it had burned my fingers. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Saltwater!\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Though still forbidden, these are not originals, Protector. Those rotted away long ago. These are copies of copies, handed down in secret.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Why would you keep such terrible things?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 To learn about our past and ou\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
r nature. The people of Lok had many different religions before the demons fell from the sky, each believing different things. I have gathered the holy books of several of those over my travels. The books disagree on more things than they agree, but all a
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 r\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 e fascinating in their own way.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d seen the various rough-hewn idols of the fanatics scattered about Lok; the four-armed man, the elephant headed man and his mouse, the smiling fat man, and I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d broken each one I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d found, but I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d never before seen one of \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 their books, because the Order of Inquisition had burned most of them long ago.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I am curious, Protector. You\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 ve not yet set my home to the torch.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Oh, I will.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I know, but you hesitate. I have a feeling that you are a student of history.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He had guessed\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  well. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 As much as the Law allows.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Then that is why you wait. May I ask of what house you were before joining your Order?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I do not know why I answered truthfully, but I had never before engaged a madman in a conversation. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Sarnobat. Of the vassal house Memon.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Ah!\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  The fanatic went to the shelf and picked out a particular book. \'93\loch\f40 Your people were a rare minority in old Lok. T\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
his was the holy book your ancestors used.\'94\loch\f40  Upon its cover was a crescent moon and a star. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d seen such a symbol before, in my childhood, when a farmer had unearthed an old stone, and the Inquisitors had come and smashed it to dust with hammers. He held \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
he book out to me, like he was offering a gift, but I did not take it. Seemingly disappointed, he put the illegal tome back on the shelf. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Of course, you would not want that one anyway, Protector. That is not why you are here.\'94

\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 m here to execute you for\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  violations of the Law.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 You are here because the Forgotten wanted you to be. There were many religions before, but only one that mattered after the demons came.\'94\loch\f40 
 He picked out a different book, bound in grey, narrower than the others. I did not accept it\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  either, but he left it standing alone. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
This one is a copy of a book written during the Age of Kings, from after the demons were driven back into the sea. The Forgotten wants you to have it.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Genuinely baffled, I asked, \'93\loch\f40 All these gods are forgotten now, \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 so why speak of this one as it its special?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I did not choose him. He chose me. And now he has chosen you.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I grew tired of this talk. The time had come. He did not so much as cringe as I raised my sword.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I could not help but ask, \'93\loch\f40 Why are you not afraid?\loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Because in a dream the Forgotten showed me the man who would claim my burden and my life. Farewell, Ratul.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I had never told the fanatic my name.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Strangely enough, I did not hate this man. I stabbed him in the heart because it was expected of me, but I \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 did not hate him.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I would have returned quickly to my duties, but the hour was late, and a cold rain had begun to fall, so I decided to spend the night in the fanatic\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s cottage and return to Lahkshan in the morning. I ate the fanatic\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s dinner of curried go\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 at, and sat in his comfortable chair, as he lay dead on his floor.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 My sleep was plagued with strange dreams. I awoke with a great unease.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 My eyes kept drifting back to the shelf, and that book. Not the one of my ancestors, but the strange grey one which ha\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
d come after. A sick curiosity gnawed at the back of my mind. Part of me desired to read this lurid tale from the Age of Kings, an era whose records were declared mostly off limits to us. The Law was clear that I should not so much as let my eyes touch th
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 o\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 se pages, but I have already established that I was not a being of Law, but rather a being of hate.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d dealt with fanatics before, but I had never once been tempted to understand their superstitions beyond what I needed to know to better kill them. The La\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
w said I should not, but my defiance said I should. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
ve fought many battles, but none were more difficult than the one I faced that night as I tried to decide between looking inside and placing it in the stove. Eventually I decided I would look briefly, \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 a
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 nd\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 then}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \~
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I would burn it, so it could tempt me no more.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I lit an oil lamp and retrieved the book.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The brief glance I allowed myself stretched into hours as I read all through the night.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 It was the forbidden history of our people, and all that came before. I\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
t did not read like the ramblings of madmen, or the lies of charlatans. I was pulled along, seemingly against my will, as I read of things strange, yet somehow familiar.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 It struck me as true, and that was troublesome.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The book told of what had been, what w\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
as, and what would be. How we would rise, and fall, and rise, and fall again. It was in that last section, filled with dire prophecies, that I stopped, suddenly afraid, as I realized that centuries ago, this writer had been\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 
\ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 writing about me.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I speak not of\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 generalities, or vague mumbling that could be about anyone if you squinted hard enough, but of a man without mercy, enforcer of an unjust code. Who would stab a faithful servant in the heart and then read this very book while sitting next to his cooling 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 c\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 orpse.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Suddenly furious, I threw the book on the floor. Then I dashed the oil lamp against the wall, setting the cottage ablaze. I stormed outside\~.\~.\~.\~
Only to be tempted to rush back in to try and save that damnable book. But I did not, and instead watch\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ed the cottage burn to the ground. Once I was satisfied all was ash, I walked back to Lahkshan in the dark and rain.

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 In the days that followed I devoted myself to the Law, and did my best to forget all that I had read. Ratul Without Mercy was the scourge o\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
f criminals everywhere. Rebels and fanatics fell to my sword.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Yet no matter how hard I worked, or how many criminals I killed, I could not shake the feeling that book had imparted to me. My dreams were haunted. If they were visions from forgotten gods, or 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 figments of my imagination, I could not tell. I told no one, not even my closest friends in the Order, about what was troubling me.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 As the years went on, I saw more distressing things, events which could be taken as signs of dire prophecies, indicators of \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 a looming apocalypse.\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 If}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 the book was true, and\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 
\ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 if}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
the prophecies were true, then drastic action had to be taken soon or man was doomed.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I had been taught that before the Law, there was only madness. That it had been created by the first judges to save Lok\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 from the chaos that was the Age of Kings. The Law was all encompassing. All things are subject to the Law. Even the demons of hell must obey. They remain in the sea and man stays upon the land. Those who violate are guilty of trespass and will be punishe
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 d.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 But the Law could give me no answer. Merely voicing my concerns would have resulted in me being hung upon the Inquisitor\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s Dome to cook to death beneath the sun, my flesh devoured by vultures, and my bones swept into a hole. Though my faith in the Law wa\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
s shaken, my loyalty to my Order remained strong, for I loved my brothers. There is a kinship that can only be found in hardship. Yet even among them, there was none who I could confide in. To do so was to condemn them as I was condemned.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
I began to question my assumptions and everything I believed. I required knowledge. Using my status as a Protector I was able to access parts of the Museum and the Great Library which were off limits to all but a select few. In secret I studied the black 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
teel artifacts which had survived the Age of Kings. I consulted with the Historians. I learned what the Astronomers were really watching for. My desperate search across the Capitol was a grotesque version of the dreams once held by Young Ratul.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 My sustaini\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ng hatred did not die, but once again shifted its aim. My fixation became the judges who had kept us from the truth for hundreds of years. I began to despise the Capitol for the things it had me and my brothers do. As I lost respect for those who wrote an
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 d\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  interpreted the Laws, I began to delve into more forbidden areas of research.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 It was in a cavern, deep beneath the world, that I met a giant. I speak not of a large man, like Protector Karno who stands a head above most, but of a true giant. Ten feet tall\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
, with skin blue as a Dasa, who\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d slept through the centuries, but had been born when kings still ruled.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The giant told me of a place in the steaming jungles of Gujara. There I sought out a legendary temple with carvings upon the wall where the last oracle\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 of the Forgotten had prophesied of those who would be gathered to once again lead the Sons of Ramrowan in the final battle against the demons. There were three old symbols\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 the Priest, the Voice, and the General\hich\f40 
\emdash \loch\f40 representing those who must be found. Then \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 m\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ore symbols, vague warning of some of those who would stand against the Forgotten\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s chosen, such as the Crown, and the Mask, and then the Demon, the last of which surely represented the entire host of hell.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 In the distant south, in the coldest winter, I wa\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ited until the ice froze enough for me to walk across the ocean without being eaten by sea demons, so that I could knock upon the impenetrable gates of Fortress. They tried to blast me to pieces with their terrible magic before I convinced them that I too
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 was a seeker of truth. I spoke with the guru and discovered that I was not alone in preparing for the end.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Yet, doubts remained.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Despite all my quests for forbidden wisdom into the darkest corners of Lok, the truth was finally revealed to me, not by a wall\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 in a distant jungle temple or a fantastical being, but by one of my fellow Protectors. For it was I, Ratul, twenty-five-year master of the Protector Order, who discovered the secret identify of one of our acolytes. A secret which would shake the very fou
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 dations of our society should it be revealed, for a lowly casteless had been chosen to bear the most powerful magic in the world.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 It took this clear fulfillment of prophecy to finally convince me, and through conviction at last came my conversion.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The prop\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 hecies were real.\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The gods were real.}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 It took more research before I was certain that this boy was meant to be the Forgotten\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s warrior. I could never tell him who he really was. To do so would be to destroy him. And selfishly, in the meantime, I did not wi\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
sh to deprive the Protectors of this powerful weapon which had revitalized and strengthened our waning order.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 As I tell you that tonight, I know it seems senseless that even after being converted I would still try to help the very order which has done so m\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
uch harm to the faithful. They may be misguided by the Law, but the Protectors are the best of men. They do more good than harm. Though they despise me now, and they will surely take my life soon, they remain my brothers.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 After that I lived two lives simul\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
taneously, Lord Protector beneath the eyes of the Law, and rebellious criminal in the shadows. While I still have faith the gods would show the General his path, it was my duty to search for the Voice and the Priest. I carefully checked every report from 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 m\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
y Protectors involving religious fanatics. I did everything I could short of revealing my treachery to save what worshippers I could, ordering my men elsewhere, giving faulty intelligence, or even sneaking messages to the faithful to run.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 That was how I fo\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 und the genealogy and secretly became the Keeper of Names.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 It was twelve long years after my conversion before I found the Voice in Makao. Yes, children, a true prophet walks amongst us once again. For their safety, I will not speak here of this person\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s i\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 dentity, but the Voice lives, and I give you my word that the Voice is real. The Forgotten speaks to us, and he requires great things of us before we may have our reward.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Unfortunately there were witnesses to my discovery. Word of that event spread to my O\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
rder. I was required to explain my actions. Why had Ratul Without Mercy spared the life of an illegal wizard? I told the closest friend I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ve ever had the truth.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He turned his back on me.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 My treachery was at last revealed, and I had to flee.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 My name is wort\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 h saltwater. I am the most hated man in the history of the Protectors\~.\~.\~.\~for now.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I have hidden among the casteless and continued my search. It is here, in the borders of Great House Uttara, that I believe I have finally found the Forgotten\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s High Pries
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t. He is clever, but driven by anger and bitterness, like I once was. Yet it is his ambition which will finally free our people.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 We are out of time.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11147400 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ##

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11147400 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Ratul had suddenly looked to the south, eyes narrowed dangerously. She knew that Ratul\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s senses\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 augmente\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 d by the magic of the Protector Order\hich\f40 \emdash 
\loch\f40 were far superior to anyone else present. Maybe he had smelled the smoke of the burning barracks, or the blood of warriors being shed. Perhaps he heard the screams of the dying as the casteless attacked the warriors.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 That damned fool,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Ratul muttered, sounding now like the tired old man that he was. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I must go and save his life. Farewell.\'94

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He said that not to the mob of dirty casteless who had been clustered around him, listening intently to his story, but to her. His \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
testimony was really intended for her alone. These casteless did not know it yet, but they would probably all be dead by morning, caught up in the bloody purge which would follow Keta\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s inevitably failed rebellion.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She would live, as she always did.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Ratul rushed out the door of the shack. She got up and followed. There was a faint orange glow in the distance as the arson fires spread.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 There is a Protector there,\'94\loch\f40  she warned him.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I know. I can sense the magic in his\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  blood.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Does it tell you which one?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 No, but I suspect who it will be\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Ratul turned back to face her, grim. \'93\loch\f40 
Since my treachery was revealed, each night as I have dreamed, the Forgotten has shown me the same vision. I am wading through waist deep \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
snow, in the mountains of Devakula, and I know that I am being pursued by a mighty predator. It is one of the great southern bears, white as the snow, powerful and proud. In the dream, there is no escape. And every night, the bear gets closer and closer. 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 L\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ast night, it was so near I could feel the hot breath upon my neck, and when I looked up, it had a bloody scar across its face.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Devedas.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  She knew of him, but she knew a great many things, more even than Ratul. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Then if you go, you will surely die.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 The\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 re was one thing I did not speak of tonight. The last prophecy in that book I read in that dead man\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s cottage all those years ago, that enraged me so. It foretold my death, cut down by a man I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d love as a son, who would love me more than his own father\~.\~.\~.\~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 That knowledge\~.\~.\~.\~
\hich\f40 comforts me.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  The condemned man smiled. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I have no hate left.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 May the gods lift you, Ratul of many names.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Thank you for all of your help, Mother Dawn.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Then Ratul went to seal his testimony with his blood.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\wrapdefault\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1132725 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \cf1\insrsid11147400 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11147400 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 This story is set in \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 the world of Larry Correia's high fantasy\~}{\field\fldedit{\*\fldinst {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  HYPERLINK "https://www.baen.com/allbooks/category/index/id/2473" \\t "_blank" }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid1399092\charrsid11147400 {\*\datafield 
00d0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b0200000083000000070000005f0062006c0061006e006b000000e0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b82000000680074007400700073003a002f002f007700770077002e006200610065006e002e0063006f006d002f0061006c006c0062006f006f006b0073002f0063006100
7400650067006f00720079002f0069006e006400650078002f00690064002f0032003400370033000000795881f43b1d7f48af2c825dc48527630000000085ab00000000000000000000}}}{\fldrslt {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\ul\cf19\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The Saga of the Forgotten Warrior series}}}\sectd \ltrsect\linex0\endnhere\sectlinegrid360\sectdefaultcl\sectrsid9384073\sftnbj {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
. Larry Correia is an avid gun user and advocate, and shot on a competitive level for many years. Before becoming a full-time writer, he was a military contract accountant, and a small business accountant and mana\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ger. He is the creator of the\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\i\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Wall Street Journal}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 and\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\i\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 New York Times\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 best-selling\~}{\field\fldedit{\*\fldinst {\rtlch\fcs1 
\ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  HYPERLINK "https://www.baen.com/allbooks/category/index/id/2109" \\t "_blank" }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid1399092\charrsid11147400 {\*\datafield 
00d0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b0200000083000000070000005f0062006c0061006e006b000000e0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b82000000680074007400700073003a002f002f007700770077002e006200610065006e002e0063006f006d002f0061006c006c0062006f006f006b0073002f0063006100
7400650067006f00720079002f0069006e006400650078002f00690064002f0032003100300039000000795881f43b1d7f48af2c825dc48527630000000085ab00000000000000000000}}}{\fldrslt {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\ul\cf19\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Monster Hunter series}}}\sectd \ltrsect\linex0\endnhere\sectlinegrid360\sectdefaultcl\sectrsid9384073\sftnbj {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 , with first entry\~}{\field\fldedit{\*\fldinst {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  HYPERLINK "https://www.baen.com/monster-hunter-international-second-edition.html" \\t "_blank" }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid1399092\charrsid11147400 {\*\datafield 
00d0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b0200000083000000070000005f0062006c0061006e006b000000e0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90ba4000000680074007400700073003a002f002f007700770077002e006200610065006e002e0063006f006d002f006d006f006e0073007400650072002d00680075006e00
7400650072002d0069006e007400650072006e006100740069006f006e0061006c002d007300650063006f006e0064002d00650064006900740069006f006e002e00680074006d006c000000795881f43b1d7f48af2c825dc48527630000000085ab00000000000000000000}}}{\fldrslt {\rtlch\fcs1 
\ab\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\i\f40\fs21\ul\cf19\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Monster Hunter International}}}\sectd \ltrsect\linex0\endnhere\sectlinegrid360\sectdefaultcl\sectrsid9384073\sftnbj {\rtlch\fcs1 
\ab\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\i\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 ,}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \~
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 as well as urban fantasy hardboiled adventure saga the\~}{\field\fldedit{\*\fldinst {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  HYPERLINK "https://www.baen.com/allbooks/category/index/id/2126" \\t "_blank" }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid1399092\charrsid11147400 {\*\datafield 
00d0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b0200000083000000070000005f0062006c0061006e006b000000e0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b82000000680074007400700073003a002f002f007700770077002e006200610065006e002e0063006f006d002f0061006c006c0062006f006f006b0073002f0063006100
7400650067006f00720079002f0069006e006400650078002f00690064002f0032003100320036000000795881f43b1d7f48af2c825dc48527630000000085ab00000000000000000000}}}{\fldrslt {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\ul\cf19\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Grimnoir Chronicles}}}\sectd \ltrsect\linex0\endnhere\sectlinegrid360\sectdefaultcl\sectrsid9384073\sftnbj {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 , with first entry\~}{\field\fldedit{\*\fldinst {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 HYPERLINK "https://www.baen.com/hard-magic-book-i-of-the-grimnoir-chronicles.html" \\t "_blank" }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid1399092\charrsid11147400 
{\*\datafield 
00d0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b0200000083000000070000005f0062006c0061006e006b000000e0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90ba6000000680074007400700073003a002f002f007700770077002e006200610065006e002e0063006f006d002f0068006100720064002d006d0061006700690063002d00
62006f006f006b002d0069002d006f0066002d007400680065002d006700720069006d006e006f00690072002d006300680072006f006e00690063006c00650073002e00680074006d006c000000795881f43b1d7f48af2c825dc48527630000000085ab00000000000000000000}}}{\fldrslt {\rtlch\fcs1 
\ab\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\i\f40\fs21\ul\cf19\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hard Magic}}}\sectd \ltrsect\linex0\endnhere\sectlinegrid360\sectdefaultcl\sectrsid9384073\sftnbj {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af0\afs21 
\ltrch\fcs0 \b\i\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 ,\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
and epic fantasy series The Saga of the Forgotten Warrior, with first entry\~}{\field\fldedit{\*\fldinst {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 HYPERLINK "https://www.baen.com/son-of-the-black-sword.html" \\t "_blank" }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid1399092\charrsid11147400 {\*\datafield 
00d0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b0200000083000000070000005f0062006c0061006e006b000000e0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b7a000000680074007400700073003a002f002f007700770077002e006200610065006e002e0063006f006d002f0073006f006e002d006f0066002d007400680065002d00
62006c00610063006b002d00730077006f00720064002e00680074006d006c000000795881f43b1d7f48af2c825dc48527630000000085ab00000000000000000000}}}{\fldrslt {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\i\f40\fs21\ul\cf19\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Son of the Black Sword}}}\sectd \ltrsect\linex0\endnhere\sectlinegrid360\sectdefaultcl\sectrsid9384073\sftnbj {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\b\i\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 and latest entry,\~}
{\field\fldedit{\*\fldinst {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  HYPERLINK "https://www.baen.com/house-of-assassins-earc.html" \\t "_blank" }{
\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid1399092\charrsid11147400 {\*\datafield 
00d0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b0200000083000000070000005f0062006c0061006e006b000000e0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b7c000000680074007400700073003a002f002f007700770077002e006200610065006e002e0063006f006d002f0068006f007500730065002d006f0066002d0061007300
730061007300730069006e0073002d0065006100720063002e00680074006d006c000000795881f43b1d7f48af2c825dc48527630000000085ab00000000000000000000}}}{\fldrslt {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\i\f40\fs21\ul\cf19\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 House of Assassins}}}\sectd \ltrsect\linex0\endnhere\sectlinegrid360\sectdefaultcl\sectrsid9384073\sftnbj {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 . Correia lives in Utah with his wife and family.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \dbch\af0\insrsid11147400\charrsid11147400 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\wrapdefault\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1132725 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \cf1\insrsid1132725\charrsid9384073 \hich\af0\dbch\af31505\loch\f0  }{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \cf1\insrsid1399092 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \cf1\insrsid1399092 \page 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1399092 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs40 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f44\fs40\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af44\dbch\af31505\loch\f44 
Today I Remember
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs32 \ltrch\fcs0 \f44\fs32\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af44\dbch\af31505\loch\f44 by Martin L. Shoemaker
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1399092 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \dbch\af0\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1399092 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Today I remember. I hate days like this.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 But the show must go on. What \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 would old Greasy Pete think if I sat around wallowing in my memory? Memory\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s a\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 gift.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The reason why I got the damn implant.
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 But it\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s experimental,}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 they say. It only does so much, and so\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 me days it doesn't do much at all. Some days I forget more than I remember. Forget\~.\~.\~.\~what I've lost.
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 But good day or bad, you gotta do your act,}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Pete says in my head. That I almost never forget, not even before the implant. The doctors can never explai\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n why some memories are stronger than others, even on the bad days. They say it
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s just part of how things are stored, whatever the hell that means.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And they also said it was getting worse, that I was forgetting more and more. And that the implant might hel\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 p with that. They said that without it, I was going to lose\~.\~.\~.\~
everything. All the older memories, everything I'd grown up with. I was going to lose Pete. Lose\~.\~.\~.\~Eric, and Anna. Lose the show.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And that was why I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d agreed to be a trial subject for th\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e implant. Somebody has to remember the circus.
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 No wallowing!}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
I get out of bed, throwing off the thin white covering. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 m still competent enough to take care of myself, damn it. I'm not like some of the other folks in Creekside Home. I can dress myself and\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 feed myself.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
And take care of myself. Gotta keep in shape. I turn to the battered old dresser next to the curtain. On the other side of that curtain Bo lies snoring. He sleeps most of the time these days, and I worry about him. How long will he be around?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 That\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s one problem with remembering: I can't forget my roommates, none of them. Bo, and before him Leon, and before him\~.\~.\~.\~
Curtis. That's right, Curtis. He was one of the good ones. Curtis got better, good enough to move out of Creekside Home and into \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
assisted living across the street. He still comes to visit, some days. Which is more than I can say for Eric.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Damn it. Don't remember Eric. Don't remember how many months it's been since he's visited.\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
It's work, Papa,}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 he says.\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I have to go where the job is\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 . And besides\~.\~.\~.\~the home can take care of you. Better than\~.\~.\~.\~better than I can.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I remember the shame on his face. I miss my boy, but I don't miss making him sad like that.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I pull out clean clothes, and I start to change. I'm standing there, bent ov\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 er, bare ass in the air, when the door opens. Nurse Cindy says, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
Excuse me, Luke!\'94\loch\f40  and she shuts the door.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I chuckle at that. She\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s still new, still embarrassed at a patient running around naked. What kind of nurse gets embarrassed by that? Not like old Nu\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
rse Ratched, who doesn't even blink when she walks in on me. Nor when I make a joke about it.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I put on my shorts, and then I sit on the bed to pull on my socks. I don't have to. My body's as good as ever, my reflexes almost still good enough for the show. \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
But I make the nurses twitch. So many of the folks here in the home are fall risks, and they treat us like we all are. They give us these damn socks with the no-slip bubbles on the bottom; and they watch like hawks, waiting for us to do something dangerou
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I pull on my sweatpants and a T-shirt, and I open the top drawer and look inside.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The sack is missing.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Nurse Ratched!\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I storm out the door. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Nurse Ratched, where are my damn balls?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Nurse Cindy rushes out from Mrs. Carruthers\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s room next door. \'93\loch\f40 Mr. Luc\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 as\hich\f40 \emdash \'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I want my balls! Nurse Ratched said I could keep my balls, keep juggling, if I didn't try to do any acrobatics. I haven't done a single handstand! Where is Nurse Ratched?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 It's Nurse Rayburn, Mr. Lucas,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  a voice says behind me, \'93\loch\f40 and I have your ball\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 s.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
I turn and look at the senior nurse, young and kinda pretty, with that white uniform and the blue sweater and the dark hair tucked under the cap. Today I remember her real name; but I also remember how much it annoys her when I call her Nurse Ratched. 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And annoying her is some of the only amusement I get around here.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 May I have my balls, please?\'94\loch\f40  I hold out my hand, and she hands over the old burlap sack.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Carlos was washing them,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  she says. \'93\loch\f40 They were pretty muddy after last time. You really shouldn't \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
go outside when it's wet.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I look at the bright sunlight shining in through the window at the far end of the hall. \'93\loch\f40 It\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s dry today,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I say with a grin. \'93\loch\f40 
\hich\f40 Oh please, Nurse Ratched, pretty please, may I go out and juggle today?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She grins. She\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s in a good moo\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 d today. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Yes, Mr. Lucas, go ahead and juggle. But be careful!\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I feel the three hard plastic balls through the fabric of the sack. Geez, they're too light to hurt anybody; but I suspect that I pushed her too far for today. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I'll be careful, I promise.
\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Th\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 en a small, fragile voice speaks from the door beside mine. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Luke, can I come watch?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 You'll have to ask Nurse Ratched, Mrs. Carruthers,\'94\loch\f40  I say.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Nurse Ratched turns to Nurse Cindy, who answers, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 She's finished her breakfast.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 From the room, Mrs. Carruthers adds, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I ate in my chair today, Nurse Rayburn!\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Is she dressed?\'94\loch\f40  Nurse Ratched asks.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Yes, I am.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cindy nods in agreement. Nurse Ratched nods in response. \'93\loch\f40 All right, when Cindy's done with her rounds, she'll wheel you out t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 o watch Mr. Lucas rehearse.
\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 To hell with that,\'94\loch\f40 
 I reply. I tuck the neck of the sack in my waistband, and I squeeze past Cindy and into the room. Mrs. Carruthers cackles as I grab the controls of her wheelchair, spin it around, and wheel her towards the \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 door.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Beep, beep!\'94\loch\f40  Mrs. Carruthers says, and Cindy bolts out of the way. I wheel the chair out into the hall as fast as it will move.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Behind me, Nurse Ratched shouts, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Not so fast!\'94\loch\f40  But Mrs. Carruthers laughs, and I join her.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Maybe not such a bad day afte\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 r all.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I don't really have to push the chair, of course. Even a bargain-basement facility like Creekside can afford chairs that run themselves, on voice control or a little stick thing you push. They\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
re smooth, and can travel over bumps and curbs in just a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 bout any terrain.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 But Mrs. Carruthers is rated as a high fall risk. Her chair will go anywhere she wants in the home, but not outside. Not unattended. So when I take the handles, it knows she's got company, and it won't stop at the door.\~}
{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 it'll let me o
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 verride the speed controls: an attendant sometimes has to get a patient someplace in an emergency, after all.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The parking lot is empty. I remember that today; but on my bad days it's a surprise that the lot is always empty, that few of us ever get visitors\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
. The temporary cases get them a lot, the folks with head injuries who will be in here for a couple of days, a couple of weeks, maybe a month or two. Their families come all the time, sometimes every day. Sometimes a whole batch. Patients even bring them 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 o dinner, joining everyone in the big dining hall. That delights the rest of us, giving us new people to talk to\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 when they\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
ll talk to us.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 But most of them stop attending dinner, eventually, when they realize we tell the same old stories, over and over. Som\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
e leave because their loved ones have gone home. And some stop showing up when they realize that their loved ones aren't leaving. That their loved ones\~.\~.\~.\~
that we are what their loved ones are going to become eventually. Memory patients, forgetting mos\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  stories, and constantly retelling the ones we do remember.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 That's when they get discouraged. That's when the visits get farther and farther apart.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 That was when Eric stopped coming. I remember now. That last fight, he felt so awful, so guilty. And I\~.\~.\~.\~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I was in no mood to make it easier on him. If I had\~.\~.\~.\~
If I had gotten mad, too, I could have\~.\~.\~.\~driven him away. He would\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ve had that as an excuse, that we just didn't get along anymore.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 But I was cruel. I hadn't realized it then, only later. I was\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  quiet, understanding, accepting. Eric was moving away, he had to. I\~.\~.\~.\~
I made him. Well, not me, but the cost of my care. The home\~.\~.\~.\~Even with Medicare, even with my small policy that Anna had scrounged and saved for\~.\~.\~.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Anna. I miss her. She'd a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
lways been the smarter one of us. She'd had to remember things like finances and planning. Show folk didn't often have insurance. Oh, I know what the law says; and if anybody checked our books, it would say we were in compliance. But the show takes care o
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 f\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  our own. We don't rely on the rubes and the grifters and the slick gentlemen to tell us how to run things. We take care of our own.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And they do, a little. I still get a check every month. The show folded long ago, not many years after my accident. Oh, not\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 because they lost me. I was always a minor act between the big draws. The show must go on, even when it loses an acrobat. And while the show was a going concern, the checks had been bigger.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 But even today, the checks arrive, every month. A small amount fr\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 om Governor Kilgore. He's gotta be paying that out of his own pocket, bless him.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And bless Eric. He had a chance for a job in Dallas, for more than twice the money he could make here in Michigan. He had to take it to pay for my care. And he works so hard, \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
so many hours, and has so few days off. So he comes here when he can\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 but that\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s not often.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I look around the parking lot at all the cars that aren't there. Every one of those has their own reasons. It's not that they\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ve forgotten us, not most them. I'm sur
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e that every one of them has realized that the show must go on. That they have to keep going with their lives, that they can't be stuck here just because we are. That they can visit, but they can't be trapped with us.

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Understanding doesn't make me any less\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  sad. Maybe more so. Our damn injuries and diseases, they afflict our whole families.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Damn. On days like this, I regret getting the implant. I almost hope the experiment\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s declared a failure, and they turn the damn thing off. Memory\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s a gift\~.\~.\~.\~
and a cu\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 rse.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I wheel Mrs. Carruthers under the big maple tree. The leaves have just started to bud, so there's not a lot of shade; but she likes the warmth of the sun on her skin. Anyway, it\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s too early in the year to worry about sunburn.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Then I estimate a safe di\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
stance away. She's not likely to get out of that chair, and it's going nowhere out here without someone to guide it. So I only have to worry about me and the balls; and I trust that I still know what I'm doing, that I won\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t hurt her. So I move three steps\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 away, close enough that she can see well even with her weak eyes.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Nurse Ratched would not approve. Screw her.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I set the old burlap down at my feet. In the show, I had a fine silk sack to carry my pins and balls; but I lost track of that years ago. Even wit\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
h the implant, I might never remember where. Almost, but\~.\~.\~.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Nurse Ratched wouldn't let me have pins, anyway. But I still have light practice balls in the old brown sack.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
I start stretching out, chatting with Mrs. Carruthers as I go. We speak of the nice weather, and of the birds coming back and singing in the trees. She tells me stories of spring on her farm, so far back. She isn't regressing, not like some of the residen
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 s. She knows exactly how old she was. She just has long gaps in her memory, stretches that will never come back. Like many of us, she remembers the oldest years best. \'93
\loch\f40 \hich\f40 We had two dogs,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  she says. \'93\loch\f40 Well, we had lots of dogs through the years, but two were \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
he best shepherds you ever did see. Those two could work together as if they were talking and planning. They could herd the sheep anywhere you wanted, and they seemed to\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 know.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Yes, they took commands, but often they\~.\~.\~
\hich\f40 .\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I wait. She has lost the word. I \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 can guess what it is, but filling it in can upset the patient. So I wait.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Finally, she says, \'93.\~.\~.\~\loch\f40 \hich\f40 anticipated. As if they anticipated what you wanted.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I suppose they did,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I say. \'93\loch\f40 If they had the same routine, day after day, they could learn it. We had\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
 dogs in the show that knew their act as well as their trainers did. Horses, too.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 You're right, Luke,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  she says. She has a faint smile as she remembers. \'93\loch\f40 
Those dogs learned the routine, figured out what to do, kept those sheep in line. They learned reall\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 y well.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 But then her face falls bit. \'93\loch\f40 They sure were smart. I wish\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I don't want her thinking about what she wishes. It might be to have the dogs back, and they were surely dead thirty years now. Or it might be that she could learn like they did. Ne\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ither was going to happen. I really could use more stretching, but Mrs. Carruthers needs a distraction.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 So I bend down again, dump the red and green and blue balls onto the grass, pick them up, and straighten up. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Here we go!\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Mrs. Carruthers focuses on me\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
, and I start the routine. First the simple toss, all three balls in the loop. The day I can't do this routine in my sleep, well, call the undertaker. I'd learned this from my papa so long ago.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Thanks to the implant, I still remember details of those lesso\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ns. Or maybe it's just an old memory, one of the ones we keep. I was\~.\~.\~.\~
Six? Seven? Yes, seven. Before that, I had just done tumbling. I'd taken to that right away, and I was part of the kids' act before I turned five. The natural flexibility of youth,\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
plus blood will tell. Tumbling and acrobatics always came easy to me. I wish I could do a few rolls and leaps and cartwheels now, just for the pleasure. Maybe make Mrs. Carruthers smile. But Nurse Ratched would restrict me if she caught me at it. Take awa
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 y\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  my balls.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
In my teens I would return to acrobatics, ever more elaborate acts. I even mastered the Wheel of Death, a giant spinning wheel that rotated on a long axis, driven only by my own momentum and balance. But that day, at six years old, I had begged 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Papa to teach me to juggle. And so I had started with the red and green and blue plastic balls. Not these ones I toss lightly in the air today, but close enough. He started me with one and spent that whole first day getting me so I could toss it and catch
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 it without having to even look at it. I had been impatient, of course. I\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 was}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 only six. But Papa had been firm:\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Three is easy, Lucas. One is hard. When you can throw one and catch it with your eyes closed, you can juggle three. You must do one until it is p
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 art of yourself.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And that skill I remember, even when I can't remember the lesson itself. Even before the implant, it was\~.\~.\~.\~
a different kind of memory, in a different place. A place not broken in my injury. Muscle memory, but more, integrating my sense\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
s into one grand sense. On my skin, I feel the motion of the air, reading where wind comes from. With my ears, I hear how strong it is, so I know what to compensate for. In my muscle sense, my awareness, my body tells me exactly how fast and hard to throw
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
each ball, closer than any computer could calculate. And my experience tells me how fast and how far it will rise, and how far it will travel as it rises and falls. So my left hand throws it up, and my right hand is there to catch it. I don't have to look
,\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  sometimes not even with peripheral vision. It's as if I feel where the ball is.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And Papa was right: once I know where one ball is, knowing where three are is not much more difficult. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ve done four, sometimes five. When I was young and prideful, I'd occas
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ionally done six.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 But three is the magic number. When I have all three balls in the air, there's a natural rhythm. Throw in time to catch in time to pass in time to throw in time to catch in time to pass in time to throw in time to\~.\~.\~.
\~I almost think I\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 c\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ould}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 do this in my sleep. It's relaxing, familiar. As if I were back in the show. Back in the day\~.\~.\~.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Back in\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 that}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 day\~.\~.\~.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And suddenly I am. It\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s that day. Even with the implant, up until this moment, that day has been lost to me. The doctors had said\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 that I would never get it back, that the injury had prevented\~.\~.\~.\~What did they say? Prevented transfer into long-term memory. That I had experienced it, but never processed it. So there was nothing to recover.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 But they were wrong. Somewhere, the memory\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  has been buried. Or\~.\~.\~.\~
the implant has reassembled it somehow. I'm on the lot. Greasy Pete is beside me, in full costume: the orange wig, the white greasepaint with the big black brows and the giant nose and the red lips. The fright mask he calls it, 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
nd he laughs when he does. Pete is my best friend, but sometimes he's a sadistic bastard. He loves to make the little kids laugh; but he also loves that some people, even some grown-ups, are afraid of clowns. And he gets a kick out of trying to draw those
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 folks into the act. I love him like a brother, but sometimes his sense of humor is low. There's no art in practical jokes, if you ask me.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 We walk through the lot. It's a slow night, like too many of them recently. Sideshow Lane is half empty, and even Main\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 Street is looking sparse. The only serious noise and activity comes from Robot Row.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Damn VR,\'94\loch\f40  Pete says.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I don't answer. It's an old conversation, so there's really nothing more to add. Governor Kilgore had added Robot Row, a bunch of carny games and VR \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
sets and such, in what he'd said was simple self-defense.\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Kids these days aren't interested in watching, they want to do.}{
\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Their parents still have nostalgia for the show, but the kids are harder to drag away from their video games. So we gave them more thi
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ngs to play.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 That wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t proper. A show might have a\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 few}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 
\ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 games, but shows are\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 acts}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 . They\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 re performance. Art. Not that carnivals aren\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t\~.\~.\~.\~you know,\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 respectable}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~.\~.\~.\~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
but they're not the same.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 But a show that can't make its nut isn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t a show for long. A \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
circus needs money. And like it or not, Robot Row seems to be working. The Row is crowded, and the other two lanes are busier than they've been in months. We have more butts in seats now with Robot Row there. We can't deny the gadgets are working: wheels 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 nd carousels, the old reliable rides; and now laser galleries and arcades and headset games. They draw crowds.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 But they make us feel\~.\~.\~.\~dispensable, you know? Like we need the robots, but do they need us? Do robots\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 need}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 anything?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I glance at Pete's face\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 . Beneath the greasepaint, I see a frown. That won't do! How's a clown supposed to cheer somebody up when he\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s sad?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 In an effort to lighten the mood, I throw him a punchline. \'93\loch\f40 You don't understand\~.\~.\~.\~I\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 am}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 the great Pagliacci.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Pete knows the old joke, a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 nd he chuckles. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Leave the jokes to me. You tell it poorly.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Better than you juggle,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I reply. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Show me how, Pete. Let's entertain some rubes.\'94\loch\f40  I grab Pete's baggy sleeve and pull him
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 over to a knot of people: five children, two men, and a woman. They talk animatedly, and Pete falls easily into the old shadow routine, standing behind a tall, heavyset man in a brown T-shirt. The man talks with his hands, big motions, a perfect target. 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 P\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ete stands behind the man, imitating and exaggerating every gesture, every wave of the hands, every nod. The children watch and start to laugh. Soon the man stops, looks at them, realizes that they\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
re looking behind him, and turns to look.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Pete immediately\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  falls into his pose: one hand on his chin, tapping as he stares at the sky, the other arm across his chest, lips pursed in a silent whisper. He\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s the picture of white-faced innocence. The man glares, and Pete looks at him and raises his greasy eyebrows. \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 T\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 he children laugh\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
especially the youngest, a blond-haired little boy in coveralls as blue as his eyes. That one rolls on the ground, holding his sides.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I can see that the act will continue for a while, and that the children's laughter is cheering Pete up. \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He doesn't need a juggler, so I fade back.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 And I back right into a RoustaBot, one of our labor robots. A recorded voice comes from the robot: \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Excuse me.\'94\loch\f40 
 It pauses until I step out of the way, and then it continues on its path.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I watch it go. I suppose ha\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ving robots keeping the lot clean is a good thing. They have their place. But I can't imagine a robot ever telling jokes and doing mime like Pete. Or juggling. I smile at the thought of a robot learning to juggle.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I continue down Robot Row\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 although the Gov\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
ernor has dressed it up in fancy lights and music and dubbed it the Galactic Zoomway. The barkers call from the ticket stands, pointing out different attractions. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Come enter the Laser Legion!\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  \'93\loch\f40 
\hich\f40 Can you solve Mystery of the VR Bandits?\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  \'93\loch\f40 Come ride the Sky\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cycles!\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
 That last, positioned outside the main Robot Row to give it some space, is a combination of VR and robotics: enclosed \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 cycles\'94\loch\f40  zip up and down a wall draped to look like a mountainside. They\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
re safe, with passengers closed inside, but they move f\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 st enough to give the feel of real loops and climbs; and in the closed interior, simulator screens show the riders that they
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 re in a star fighter flying high into space and then zooming down among asteroids at insane speeds.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I've ridden it. We all have. I \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 wasn't that impressed, but I understand. In a way, it's just another act, a very mechanical\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 artiste.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And half the secret to an act is that the rube\~}{
\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 wants}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
to believe, wants to see a miracle. Wants you to show them something they've never seen anywhere else.\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  They do half the work. After you\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
ve got your routine down, even something like the Wheel of Death becomes second nature to you. Almost effortless. Boring. But put on just a little razzle-dazzle, add some music and lights, and finally add an audience, and\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 
\ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 then}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
the magic happens. The audience is the key. They don't understand how routine it is, and so they see magic.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And in those moments, it\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s still magic for me. I remember six-year-old me, watching Papa and Mama up on the Wheel, and how my mouth dropped ope\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
n and I gaped. They were so beautiful, flying through the air as if gravity were optional. They taught me how, eventually, to the point where I forgot the magic. But through the audience, I remember.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And speaking of six-year-olds\~.\~.\~.\~A blond blur in blue\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  coveralls staggers into me and bounces off. Behind, exhausted, runs his mother. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
Danny, slow down,\'94\loch\f40  she gasps. But he shows no sign of hearing as he veers around me and heads toward Clownapalooza, a holographic clown game. He slides right under the safet\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 y\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 rope as his mother hurries behind, apologizing and handing a ticket to Ripper Ripatti. Ripper smiles and takes the ticket, and the virtual clowns appear and start dancing with the kid.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I look back to the entrance to the Row. The remaining four kids are ru\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 nning in, the two men in tow. Pete stands behind them. I catch his eye, and he shrugs.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Pete turns away. I amble out, come up behind him, and clap my hand on his shoulder. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Sorry, Pete.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 He sighs. \'93\loch\f40 What are ya gonna do? Kids these days\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Kids these da\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ys\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I reply. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hey, you know what Eric wants to be when he grows up?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Huh?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 A computer programmer.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I half turn and wave at Robot Row. \'93\loch\f40 He wants to\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 make}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 those things.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Pete\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s mouth narrows. He pauses in thought. \'93\loch\f40 It\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s a good career, Luke.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I know, \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 but\~.\~.\~.\~He\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s his mother\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s son. She always\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I choke back a sob. 
\'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 She always understood numbers and stuff.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I know.\'94\loch\f40  Suddenly it\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s Pete\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s hand on my shoulder. \'93\loch\f40 And she\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
d be proud of him.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I take a breath. \'93\loch\f40 She would. But he and I\~.\~.\~.\~With her gone\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 , we have less in common every day. He\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s not interested in the act anymore. At all. If I try to get him to rehearse\~.\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 it always ends up in a fight.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Pete smiles. \'93\loch\f40 Sons fight with fathers. You think my dad was happy I joined the clowns? \hich\f40 \lquote \loch\f40 We\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 re an animal\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  act,
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40  he said. \hich\f40 \lquote \loch\f40 We\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ve always been an animal act.\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40  But here I am.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I know.\'94\loch\f40  And I do. Eric\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s smart. I\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 am
}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 proud of him, even if I can\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t understand half of what he says. So what\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s wrong with me?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 As if reading my mind, Pete answers. \'93\loch\f40 But even as a clown, I w\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 as still in the show. You\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
re afraid Eric will leave, join the rubes.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I am,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I admitted. \'93\loch\f40 No, more than afraid. I\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 know}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 he will. It\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s his dream. He likes you all, but\~.\~.\~.\~he doesn
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t like this life. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ve always known it. He wants to leave it behind. Forge\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 t it.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 No, he doesn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 He does! Just like\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I wave my arm toward the main gate. \'93\loch\f40 Just like the rest of the world. We\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
re just a nostalgia trip today. The world\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s gonna forget us. Forget the circus.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Pete has no answer. He just walks beside me. It\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 an old discussion, and with no new answers, just the same conviction:\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Somebody has to remember the circus.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
So we just wander toward the back lot. Soon the show will wind down for the night, and we can have a few beers and get some sleep. Tomorrow the show \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 must go on.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 But before we can go a hundred feet, I hear a woman scream, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Danny!\'94\loch\f40  I turn back, looking for trouble.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 It takes several seconds for me to ma\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ke sense of the scene. The woman is running across the lot, panic-stricken. So that tells me where to look for the kid.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I turn toward the Sky Cycles. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Damn!\'94\loch\f40  I hear Pete say; but he\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s far behind me, I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
m already running. Somehow the damned squirt must\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ve sn\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
uck under another guard rope, straight into the ride itself. My juggling sack slips from my waistband and rattles on the hard pavement of the lot; but I don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t have time to worry about it.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t have time to think, just run. I don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t have time to wonder ho\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
w the kid got tangled up in the machinery and lifted into the air, just tumble over the safety rope. I don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t have time to plan, just bound into the air and onto the nearest cycle. It\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s just routine, just my act. Just like climbing into the Wheel.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 If the Wh\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 eel of Death were a damn robot, climbing and diving and doing its best to buck me off.
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 It\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s just an act.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I steady myself, refusing to fall.\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Just an act.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I spot the kid on a cycle nearing the top, and I leap to the rail supporting the cycle above me.\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Just a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n act.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
I grab the rail, flip, and land on my feet on the next cycle.\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Just an act.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 One more bound, and I alight on\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 his}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 cycle\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 in time to see his coveralls rip during an upswing.
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Just an act.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
He tumbles upward.
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Just an act.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
I leap for him.
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Just an act.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I catc
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 h him in midair.
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Just an act.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
I look down. Nothing to stop my fall; but I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ve taken worse. I know how to fall.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 But the kid doesn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I have to twist, get under him, cradle him loosely in my arms, cushion the impact, take the fall on me, not on him.
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Just\hich\f40 \emdash }{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Som\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e clouds in the sky. When did those get there? And why am I\~.\~.\~.\~laying on the grass?
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Is he all right, Daniel?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Another seizure, Mrs. Carruthers. I don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t think it\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s worse than the last one.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 My eyes turn from the clouds to the face that hovers over me. \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 With the light behind him, I can\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t make out details. Blond hair hanging down. Not Eric, wrong hair color. The worry lines are too deep for such a young man\~.\~.\~.\~Maybe in his twenties? Who is he?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And\~.\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Why am I laying here?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 You\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 re all right, Luke. J\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ust a seizure, but it\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s passed.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 A\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I lift myself onto my elbows, and the young man supports my back. \'93\loch\f40 A seizure. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ve had them since\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94

\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Since the accident,\'94\loch\f40  he says.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I nod as if I remember.\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Accident?}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 \~\loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Help me up.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Then I shake my head. \'93\loch\f40 No, I \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 can get up myself. Don\hich\f40 \rquote 
\loch\f40 \hich\f40 t want Nurse Ratched to see me down here. She might take my balls away.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I grin at the kid, and he grins back, as if sharing an old joke. \'93\loch\f40 Can\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t have that,\'94\loch\f40  he says. He stands beside me.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 If I felt better, I would spring to my feet, j\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ust like always. But I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
m shaky. Uncertain. So I carefully kneel, and then test my left foot. When it seems steady, I rise and try my right.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 m standing. From her wheelchair Mrs. Carruthers looks at me, her forehead furrowed.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Then Nurse Ratched calls from \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 the main entrance. \'93\loch\f40 Oh, Daniel, you\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 re here! Is everything all right?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 The young man looks over and nods. \'93\loch\f40 Yes, Nurse Rayburn. Everything\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s fine. Luke\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s giving us a show.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
 He turns to me and hands me my juggling balls. \'93\loch\f40 Aren\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t you, Luke?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I look deep into \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 his blue eyes. \'93\loch\f40 Do I know\hich\f40 \emdash \'94\loch\f40  But then I shake my head. Doesn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t matter. \'93
\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Sure thing, son. Pull up a patch of grass.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He sits on the lawn beside Mrs. Carruthers\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s chair, and they both look up at me\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 , smiling in encouragement. I start tossing the balls into the air.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The show must go on.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1399092 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \dbch\af0\insrsid1399092\charrsid1399092 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Martin L. Shoemaker is the author of debut science fiction novel\~}{\field\fldedit{\*\fldinst {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 HYPERLINK "https://www.baen.com/today-i-am-carey-earc.html" \\t "_blank" }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid11498235 {\*\datafield 
00d0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b0200000083000000070000005f0062006c0061006e006b000000e0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b78000000680074007400700073003a002f002f007700770077002e006200610065006e002e0063006f006d002f0074006f006400610079002d0069002d0061006d002d00
630061007200650079002d0065006100720063002e00680074006d006c000000795881f43b1d7f48af2c825dc48527630000000085ab000000000000000000}}}{\fldrslt {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \cs36\b\i\f40\fs21\ul\cf19\insrsid1399092 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Today I Am Carey}}}\sectd \ltrsect\linex0\endnhere\sectlinegrid360\sectdefaultcl\sectrsid9384073\sftnbj {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid1399092 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 . This story is set in the world of that book. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Today I Am Paul,\'94\loch\f40  th\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
e story from which the novel developed, received the Washington Science Fiction Society's Small Press Award, and was nominated for a Nebula Award. It has been reprinted in multiple year's best anthologies and has been translated into eight languages. His 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ovelette \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Racing to Mars\'94\loch\f40  received the Analog Analytical Laboratory Award. Shoemaker\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s other stories have appeared in\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\i\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Analog, Writers of the Future Volume 31}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 , and elsewhere, including Baen anthologies\~}{\field\fldedit{\*\fldinst {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  HYPERLINK "https://www.baen.com/the-years-best-militar\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 y-and-adventure-sf-volume-4.html" \\t "_blank" }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 
\ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid11498235 {\*\datafield 
00d0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b0200000083000000070000005f0062006c0061006e006b000000e0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90bb0000000680074007400700073003a002f002f007700770077002e006200610065006e002e0063006f006d002f007400680065002d00790065006100720073002d006200
6500730074002d006d0069006c00690074006100720079002d0061006e0064002d0061006400760065006e0074007500720065002d00730066002d0076006f006c0075006d0065002d0034002e00680074006d006c000000795881f43b1d7f48af2c825dc48527630000000085ab000000000000000000}}}{\fldrslt {
\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \cs36\b\i\f40\fs21\ul\cf19\insrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The Year's Best Military and Adventure SF, Volume 4}}}\sectd \ltrsect\linex0\endnhere\sectlinegrid360\sectdefaultcl\sectrsid9384073\sftnbj 
{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 , and\~}{\field\fldedit{\*\fldinst {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  HYPERLINK "https://www.baen.com/man-kzin-wars-xv.html" \\t "_blank" }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid11498235 {\*\datafield 
00d0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b0200000083000000070000005f0062006c0061006e006b000000e0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b6e000000680074007400700073003a002f002f007700770077002e006200610065006e002e0063006f006d002f006d0061006e002d006b007a0069006e002d0077006100
720073002d00780076002e00680074006d006c000000795881f43b1d7f48af2c825dc48527630000000085ab000000000000000000}}}{\fldrslt {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \cs36\b\i\f40\fs21\ul\cf19\insrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Man-Kzin Wars XV}}}
\sectd \ltrsect\linex0\endnhere\sectlinegrid360\sectdefaultcl\sectrsid9384073\sftnbj {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid1399092 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 . Shoemaker lives in Michigan.}{
\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid11498235 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid11498235 \page 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs40 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f44\fs40\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af44\dbch\af31505\loch\f44 
Extracurricular
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs32 \ltrch\fcs0 \f44\fs32\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af44\dbch\af31505\loch\f44 by Wm. Mark Simmons
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \dbch\af0\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
I see dead people.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Not like that kid in\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The Sixth Sense}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 , where the departed are all noncorporeal and invisible to the rest of the living.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 No, when I see the dead, they\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ve crawled back out of their graves and show up in \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 all of their decomposed, cadaverous glory.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 When I say \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 glory\'94\loch\f40  in this instance, I mean it ironically.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Over the years they\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ve crossed\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 or shambled across\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 my path so frequently that I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
ve practically developed my own sixth sense that alerts me when they\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 re nea\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 rby. And, when I awoke, my Spidey-sense was providing the backbeat to Ezra Furman\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
s \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Restless Year\'94\loch\f40  on my clock radio.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Death!}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 
\loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Furman shouted. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Is my former employer!\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I fumbled for the clock. The snooze button and the off buttons seemed to have migrated \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 to unknown destinations. I found the power cord, instead, and gave it a tug.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I never wanna die and I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ll never grow older\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 A second tug killed the indie rock anthem and I heard the shower running, off down the hall.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I glanced at the Fitbit twisted ar\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ound on my wrist.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Heartrate: 7 beats per minute.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Time: 6:30 p.m.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The sun was officially down and I was officially up.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Here\hich\f40 \rquote \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s the thing: I sleep by day and manage the day-to-day stuff, night-by-night. It\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s sort of a requirement when you have a problematic relationship with sunlight.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The sound of the shower running was also problematic as I live alone.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I slipped out of bed and I\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 grabbed a handgun out of the bedside drawer. I eased the magazine into the Glock 19 as softly as I could and chambered a round as I crept to my bedroom door. The locks\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 plural\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
were well oiled: I slipped the heavy security bolts with the barest of whispers\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
as the mechanisms shifted within the steel-reinforced, solid core door. The hinges, also regularly lubricated, were even quieter as I eased it open a few inches and considered the evidence.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The hallway light was on.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 It had been off when I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d retired, just b\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 efore sunrise.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The bathroom door, halfway down on the right, was now closed.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I always leave it open when it\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s not in use.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 In addition to the sound of the shower running, there was a line of light under the door. Which was also burping lazy tendrils of stea\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 my water vapor.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I almost missed all of these details as my attention was, more immediately, drawn to the crumpled dress a foot or so from the door. And the dirt. Mostly the dirt.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 A trail of fresh, dark earth traced a path from the back door and the den, do\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 wn the hall, and up to the bathroom door. Given the amount of muck, stealth-ninjas were off the list of tonight
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s home invasion suspects. Ditto werewolves, based on the general configuration of the blurry footprints along the mud path.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Yeah, I said: \'93\loch\f40 werew\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 olves.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 On the\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Who\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s Who}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 of unwelcome visitors in my sad excuse for a life, normal human beings are pretty far down the default list. But, as I was saying,\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 not}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 werewolves this particular night.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 There had been no rain for the past week\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 which is the equivalen\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
t of a drought in Louisiana this time of the year. So, the volume of mud and dirt on the carpet suggested whoever was treating my domicile as an Airbnb was most likely one of the dead.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Yeah, I said: \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 the dead.\'94\loch\f40  We\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 re back to them.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I used to live just outsi\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
de of West Monroe in a house on a bluff, overlooking the Ouachita River. It was surrounded on three sides by cemeteries. Maybe a little too goth for your tastes but there was a time I had found the proximity of the dead\~.\~.\~.\~
companionable. Not to mention\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
a handy early-warning system. When the dead are partial to you, their tombstones can be the equivalent of an arcane minefield to forces aligned with the Powers of Darkness.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 And yeah, I said: \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Powers of Darkness.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 By and large, I get along with most of the \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 dead just fine\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 aside from their oblivious lack of boundaries, which I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
ve detailed elsewhere. Interacting with the living is kind of a big no-no for them. Me? I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 m kind of an exemption to the rule. A lot of rules, in fact. So, when the dead go a-walkin\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 , it
\loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \rquote \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s my door where they\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 re a-knockin\hich\f40 \rquote .
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Sorry.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 If I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 m a little flip on the subject, it\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s because ambulatory corpses still tend to unnerve me. My defense mechanism is inappropriate humor.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The Glock is my defense mechanism against the\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 un}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 dead and predatory humans\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
. Which have proven to be far more problematic than the occasional zombie needing Yours Truly to assist in adjusting its karma.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I took another look at the trail of dirt and detritus leading to the bathroom door.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Ditto the dress.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Probably not the fanged fol\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
k, I decided: my past experiences with their ilk leaned more toward broken down bedroom doors and bloody violence than detours for personal ablutions. Unless I was dealing with a particularly fastidious vampire, the fifteen silver-frag rounds in the Glock
\loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \rquote \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s magazine would be next to useless. I quietly reclosed the door, retraced my steps, returned the handgun to the bedside drawer\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
there was no way I was tucking that into the elasticized waistband of my boxer briefs. Then I retrieved the baseball bat next t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 o\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  the nightstand.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 There are various spells and stratagems for the dis-corporation of the animated dead but I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ve found\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 by no little trial and error\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 that the\~}{
\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Louisville Slugger}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
tops the list. As I said, I tend to get along with most of your run-of-the-mill zombies just fine. But every so often the dead, just like the living, are going to present you with that statistical anomaly that requires your capacity for violence to be gre
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ter than theirs. And killing something that is already dead comes with a built-in set of challenges\~.\~.\~.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I propped the bat on my right shoulder, moved back to the bedroom door, and eased it open all the way.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 A pale, ghostly light flickered in the den at t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 he far end of the hallway, suggesting a gathering of spooks and specters. I say \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 suggesting\'94\loch\f40 
 because my previous experiences with the departed\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 outside of one invisible poltergeist\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 have been limited to the non-glowy, corporeal deceased. My best anticipatio\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  of a spectral lightshow would be mostly informed by ancient, Caspar the Friendly Ghost cartoons and the craptastic, horror fare on cable hosted by Svengoolie on Saturday nights.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t give me that look. Snopes.com has been strangely reticent about weighin\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 g in on topics like this.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
I took a deep breath and began an awkward advance, carefully placing each foot against the opposite wall so as to avoid stepping in the muddy filth taking up the center of the hall. Straddling the trail of dirt, I waddled carefull
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
y toward the uncertain light show, easing the bat off of my shoulder and gauging how much swinging room I would actually have if I was braced in the narrow confines of the corridor. At the same time, I was trying to calculate all of the potential variable
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s\loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 numbers, corporeal versus noncorporeal opponents\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
and psyching myself up for the potential horror show that was about to come into view. Physically, mentally, I wanted to be prepared.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 There was a corpse in the den, barely illuminated by the flick\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ering glow of the flat screen TV. A woman, I decided after a moment\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s consideration. She was plastered in dirt and decay from head to toe, obscuring features, flesh, and garments. Only her deep-set eyes glittered in the reflected light of the television; \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
\hich\f40 verything else was a vague camouflage coating of beige, umber, coffee, russet, charcoal, and burnt sienna. She looked like an amalgamation of all of the crayons in the \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 brown\'94\loch\f40  section of the Crayola 64-pack.

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She swayed hypnotically, comfortably ensconced i\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n my glider-rocking chair. When she didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t look up, I followed her gaze to the screen where a rerun of\~}{
\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Keeping Up with the Kardashians}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 was suggesting that true happiness was somehow connected to unfathomable fashion trends.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Horror takes many forms.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Repress\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ing a shudder, I worked my way back down the hallway to turn off the shower. When the dead come calling, and they\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 re not hostile, I\hich\f40 \rquote 
\loch\f40 ve found it\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s best to police the perimeter and make coffee. Revenants, zombies, and animated corpses typically don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t just \'93\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 p
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 op in for a moment.\'94\loch\f40  I had the feeling I was in for a long night.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The bathroom was foggy with warm vapor from the shower. Which was still occupied. By a blonde. Also, dead. But very attractive\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 aside from the Y-incision of her autopsy scar. Averting my eyes
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 , I rummaged through the cabinet and left her a big, fluffy towel. Added another to the stack for her hair. My late wife had trained me well.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Next, I vacuumed the carpet before the cemetery earth could settle in any deeper. And picked up the once lovely, b\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ackless dress that had been dropped on the way to shower.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Now when I say backless dress, you might imagine a swank piece of couture that would be right at home at some penthouse cocktail party.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 No.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Here\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s just one of the many things that zombie movies get \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 wrong about the reanimation logistics. Aside from the logistics of rigor mortis\hich\f40 \emdash 
\loch\f40 which can kick in four to six hours after death and last another forty-eight to sixty hours post mortem\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 dressing an unresponsive human body can be challenging. If, as a parent,\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  you
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ve ever had to dress an uncooperative five-year-old on a school morning, imagine super-sizing that into a corpse that outweighs you. And you know what they say about dead weight.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 It\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s very time/labor intensive for just a combined three hours of limite\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 d and partial display.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
So, the mortician typically cuts a section out of the back of the garment. Sometimes a straight, vertical slit, sometimes removing up to a sizable panel of the material, essentially turning any and all sartorial ensembles into the eq
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 uivalent of a sleeved blanket. Depending on where you live or shop, they\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 re marketed under such various identities as the\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Snuggie, Snuggler, Toasty Wrap, or Slanket}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
. In much the same principle, the mortician\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s assistant puts the deceased\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s arms through the\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 sleeves of the backless ensemble, tucking the sides around the torso, giving them the appearance of being properly dressed and not actually missing up to a quarter of the original material in the back. It\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s a practical approach to dressing the one-and-do\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e who leave this life, never to return.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Not so practical for the occasional escapee from the grave. Just once I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d like to see a zombie movie where the shambling corpses are stumbling about, tangled up in their three-quarter attire.

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Or, ew, maybe not.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I was\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  surprised that blondie had been able to retain her dress all the way to my house as the nearest cemetery was a couple of miles away.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 While the alterations to the back of her little white, tulle number seemed carefully done, the same could not be said for \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
the hem. It looked like someone had taken a conservatively cut bridal gown and hacked it off at the knees with a butcher knife.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Neither alteration particularly required a professional approach as the back and anything below the waist would be unseen during\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 the viewing. The question was: why would someone take a professional approach to the cut-out in the back and then massacre the lower third of the dress? The latter suggested that either someone had suddenly misplaced their fabric shears or had suddenly g
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 i\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ven vent to some serious anger issues\~.\~.\~.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I filed that away as food for thought as I returned to my bedroom and picked up my phone. I called the office while rummaging around for two sets of clothing.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 After Dark Investigations,\'94\loch\f40  my former secretary-turn\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ed-partner answered on the third ring.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Olive?\'94\loch\f40  I put her on speaker as I threw on a pair of black jeans and a forest green button-up shirt.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Mister Chris?\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Her voice was soft and surprised; almost a sigh. \'93\loch\f40 How you doin\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 , baby?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Fine\~.\~.\~.\~fine\~.\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94\loch\f40  W\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e both knew I wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t fine. Hadn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t been fine for a long time. Not likely to ever be fine again.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 What can I do for you?\'94\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
 she asked softly. The kindness in her voice was almost hurtful. I started to feel something after all this time of trying to not feel anything at all. \'93\loch\f40 Any chance you\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 ll be coming in for a visit?\'94

\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 No!\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  It came out harsher than I meant.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 No,\'94\loch\f40  I repeated,\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
 trying for mellow while I was feeling anything but. \'93\loch\f40 Something\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s come up.\'94\loch\f40 
 Yeah, like that covered all the weeks turned into months, turned into something longer, that I had absented myself from work, from friends\~.\~.\~.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 From life.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Listen,\'94\loch\f40  I said after a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 n awkward pause. \'93\loch\f40 Can you check the papers? News, internet, any of your sources, and see if there
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s some sort of\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 What? Some sort of what?}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~\loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Voodoo convention?\'94\loch\f40  Socks were next, then shoes.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Voodoo convention?\'94\loch\f40  she echoed.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t know,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I said. \'93\loch\f40 Lik\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 e anything on the radar that might be dead related?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Dead related,\'94\loch\f40  she echoed again.
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Come on, Olive: work with me here.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~
\loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Uh, anything that might stir up the deceased? Open graves? Animate corpses?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Abra-cadaver?\'94\loch\f40  The arch of her left eyebrow was palpabl\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e in her voice. She knew exactly whereof I spoke. Or was familiar with the zip code, anyway.

\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Yep.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Mister Chris, is you all right? Need some intervention?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I glanced back at the flickering light at the other end of the hall. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 No. Not yet, anyway.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 You c\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ertain?\'94\loch\f40  The eyebrow arch had lessened but it was still there.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Not my first rodeo.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Sure,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  she said, sounding anything but. \'93\loch\f40 Just the same, you\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 will}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 call me in an hour. If you do not, I\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 will}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 be on your front porch and I\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 will}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
bring reinforcements.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Yes, \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ma\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 am.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Okay, baby,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
 she said, relenting and slipping back into that tone that conjured memories of a mother that loved me and a life once lived where the only creatures under the bed were dust bunnies. \'93\loch\f40 You be careful now. Don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t get in over your head and\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  try to go it alone.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I swallowed. \'93\loch\f40 I\~.\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 sure.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 And call me back or I will make you sorry that you di\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 nt.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Thanks, Olive.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I heard the bathroom door open. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Gotta go. Talk soon.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She let me hang up first, reminding me that there were people out there t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 hat were worried about me. And that I had spent the last couple of years giving them cause to.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
The blonde dropped her towel and put on the proffered T-shirt and sweatpants without a word. Right in front of me. I would have averted my eyes a little sooner\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  but something about her torso caught my attention.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 No, not that. Or those.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 It was her autopsy scars.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The dead don\hich\f40 \rquote \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t heal. The coroner will close the torso, stitching the incisions back up so that things don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t come tumbling out when the body is moved or prepared for the final dispositions. But the Y-shaped autopsy scar is merely the demarcation of parted flesh held in\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
close proximity by the five-cord, waxed polyester, postmortem thread. It\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s not a scar like the pale cicatrix of granulated tissue where the flesh has healed together.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Except hers was. Or looked like it. The pale pink lines marking her abnormally white skin\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 looked like freshly healed cuts. Or even scratches. Autopsy incisions tend to be deep and not the least bit cosmetic but these lines were\~.\~.\~.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 What?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I looked up at the impossibly blue eyes that were staring back at me.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I say impossibly blue because, afte\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 r death, the human eyeball\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 you know what? Let\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s just say that there\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s a reason why the eyes of the deceased, at all of the funerals you\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ve ever attended, are closed. And leave it at that.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 But her eyes were clear and bright and far more \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 alive\'94\loch\f40  than some of\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  the living I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d encountered on my midnight supply runs to Walmart. And her scars looked like the aftermath of a fingernail scratch rather than a number twenty-two scalpel blade.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I turned and marched back into the den, flipped on the lights and turned off t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
he TV. The corpse in the chair was a stark contrast to one down the hall. Whereas Blondie looked like one of those sugar-spun brides atop a confectioner\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s wedding cake, fresh scrubbed and almost glowing with youthful health, the brunette was wearing a lay\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
r of dirt and detritus like a second skin. That same coating of soil seemed to be keeping her grime encrusted garments more or less in place. It also seemed to mitigate some of the external signs of decomp that set her apart from the not-yet-deceased.

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Her \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 sunken eyes glittered up at me. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 You are Christopher Cs\'e9\loch\f40 \hich\f40 jthe?\'94\loch\f40  she rasped through atrophied vocal cords.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 This is what my reputation had gotten me: nocturnal buttinskis with boundary issues. As usual.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I nodded and she leaned forward in the rocking chair. Sh\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 e gestured at the recliner a few feet away. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Sit,\'94\loch\f40  she said.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I sat. Like a good boy.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Her name was Gwendolyn Hahn. The blonde, that is. The talkative one was Gena Mantz. Gwen had joined us within a few minutes, perching on the settee, and continuing her M\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
arcel Marceau impersonation so Gina just seemed loquacious by comparison.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 After a few minutes and a couple of questions I got back up and gestured for her to keep talking while I went on the hunt for a pair of scissors.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The issue, it seemed, was something\hich\f40 \emdash \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 and maybe \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Something\'94\loch\f40  should be capitalized\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
was messing around in Beausoleil Cemetery. \'93\loch\f40 Messing\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 with}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'94\loch\f40  was the more precise phrase and It\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 or They\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
were stirring up the dead. Gwendolyn specifically, Gina and other nearby gravesites tangentially.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 You\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 re sure \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Gwen here is the focus?\'94\loch\f40  I yelled, digging through the upstairs kitchen junk drawers.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 That\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s right, I said: \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 junk drawers.\'94\loch\f40  Plural.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Area of effect around sixty feet in a circle with her grave at the epicenter. Whatever it is, drew her up, out of the groun\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 d\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 You\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 re up and out of the ground,\'94\loch\f40  I countered.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Look at her,\'94\loch\f40  Gina said.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I came halfway down the stairs and leaned down to look at the blonde.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Now look at me.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I looked at the brunette.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 According to her grave stone, Gwennie started her dirt nap a couple of months before me,\'94\loch\f40  she continued. So\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Gotcha.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I went back up the stairs and started fishing around under the kitchen sink. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 So, her grave is at the center of what? A circle?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 A\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 pparently. Various degrees of arousal emanating out from her plot.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 So how many zombies are on the loose, now?\'94\loch\f40  Shifting a tray of plumbing tools beneath the garbage disposal, I finally managed to find my aquarium scissors.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Zombies?\'94\loch\f40  she rasped unpleasan\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 tly. \'93\loch\f40 That\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s offensive. We may be dead, we may be vulnerable to the natural decay that flesh is heir to. But we\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 re not some horror, sideshow freaks shambling around like somnambulant fiends in search of brains because we don\hich\f40 
\rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t have any of our own!\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Sorry,\loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I called, rinsing the shears under a stream of hot water. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 What appellation would you prefer? Revenant? Visitant?\'94

\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Let\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s go with Animate. And, no; we\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 re the only two up and out of the ground.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I grabbed a paper towel and wiped down the blades as I came \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 back down the stairs and back into the den.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Before you ask, she was actually pulled out of the ground against her will. I was awakened but had no such compulsion. I just stuck my head out to see what was going on. I am\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 or was
\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 wiccan and am a little more s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ensitive to magical forces\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Uh huh.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Over the years I had made my peace with the physics and biologics that produced vampires and lycanthropes. The concept of \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 magic\'94\loch\f40 
 was still pretty much the equivalent of a bridge too far in my metaphysical journey.\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  But you can\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t exactly argue religion with the reanimated dead. In their case, the power of belief trumps logic as soon as that first hand comes thrusting up, out of the ground.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Well, let\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s see what Gwen can tell us,\'94\loch\f40  I said as I sat next to her on the di\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 van. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
Hold still, dear.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I raised the scissors. \'93\loch\f40 Let\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s see if we can get you your voice back\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Another thing zombie cinema skips over is the undertaker\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s artifice in keeping the deceased\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s mouth from gaping open. This is achieved by placing a few stit
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ches through the gums and soft palette. Works great for open caskets, not so great for the freshly resurrected who might have something to say. Gina\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s oral tissues had apparently liquefied sufficiently to allow her stitches to pop through. Gwen was still \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 m\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ute.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I gently slipped the elongated and very sharp blades of my old aquarium scissors between the blonde\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s pillowy lips and freed her tongue with a few careful snips.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Better?\'94\loch\f40  I asked.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She nodded wordlessly, as if afraid to try to talk.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I turned to Gina. \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 So, why me?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 She looked thoughtful. \'93\loch\f40 You\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 re not afraid of us.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I snorted. \'93\loch\f40 That\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s not true. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 m going to have to rent a Rug Doctor tomorrow. And, no offense,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
 I added, nodding at the chair she was in, \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 m going to need to get the upholstery attachment, a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 s well.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 You\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 ve helped others like us.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 The water heater has had time to recycle and I have more towels, if that\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s what you\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 re hoping for.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 They stared at me like I was some kind of moron.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I really hate that look.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Look,\'94\loch\f40  Gina said, speaking with an exag\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 gerated air of patience, suggesting that she was dangerously close to running out of same. \'93
\loch\f40 Something is messing with the Laws of God and Man. Over the past two nights, some kind of power is being focused on her grave and it\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s stirring up the dead in the \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 p
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 lots surrounding hers. She needs your help!\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I raised my hands. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 What kind of help? Filing a police report?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Both zom\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 animates\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 shook their heads.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 The police can\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t do anything,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Gina said. \'93\loch\f40 She\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s already dead. And the forces at work here are beyond their u\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 nderstanding. They can\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t protect her! It would just complicate things}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 .}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t do \hich\f40 \lquote \loch\f40 protection,\hich\f40 \rquote \'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I said. \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 m a private investigator.
\'94\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Was}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
a private investigator. Half owner of\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 After Dark Investigations}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 now where Olive Perdue did all the work and I just stayed all bunkered up in my house and did as little as possible while waiting for\~.\~.\~.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 What?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 One of New York\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s vampire hit squads to finally put me out of my\~.\~.\~.\~ennui?
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Well, then,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Gina said, \'93\loch\f40 invest\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 igate! Find out what\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s going on and put a stop to it!\'94

\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 You said something about magic. I don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t do magic,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I said stubbornly. \'93\loch\f40 You\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 re the wiccan.\'94

\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Was}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 the wiccan,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  she snapped. \'93\loch\f40 And I have no experience with this kind of thaumaturgy. I wouldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t touch it w\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
ith a ten-foot pole!\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 But you want\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 me}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 to?\'94\loch\f40  I sighed and we all spent a minute looking anywhere but at each other.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I was so busy trying to act like I didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t know what they really wanted that I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 d missed a couple of cues. \'93\loch\f40 Hold on! It sounds like you actuall
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 y know what this is.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I gave her my best and most intimidating side-eye. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 What is it?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 She looked at Gwen who was still silent but her agitation was practically a shout. Finally, she whispered: \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Necromancy.\'94
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
My first impulse was to call Kurt in New York.\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  But I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d changed phones and phone numbers, not to mention houses, trying to cut myself off from the presumed responsibilities that I owed the East Coast Demesne. Oh, I knew that they would have no trouble tracking me down if they really wanted to find me.
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 But I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d made the token gestures of severing ties so ringing them up for information or favors was not going to play well. Not if I were to continue living at some remove.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I stepped back down the hall and dialed Mama Samm D\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 Arbonne, juju woman extraordinair\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She answered on the sixth ring.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Mister Chris. Why you interrupting my beauty sleep at dis hour?\'94\loch\f40  Her voice wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t cranky but I stood up a little straighter, anyway.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 How are you\hich\f40 \emdash \'94\loch\f40  I started. I hadn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t seen her since the whole Cthulhu business with Marie\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 Laveau, Rasputin, and Captain Nemo in the underwater battle for New Orleans.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 She cut me off. \'93\loch\f40 I don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40  think it\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s a good idea for me be talking to you,\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 even}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 over de phone. Dose pheromones of yours\hich\f40 
\emdash \'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 What?\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I yelped. \'93\loch\f40 No! No pheromones! The pheromones are g\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 one. For a long time now. Likewise, the nanobots. The EMP from Squidley
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s pandimensional translocation nuked their teeny asses!\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Make it short, den,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  she grumped. \'93\loch\f40 If I even tink I might feel some kind of subharmonic coming tru de speaker, I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 m hanging up 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 an\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40  treating dis number like a robo-spammer.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I couldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t believe she could still carry a grudge after all this time. Especially since it wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t even my fau\hich\f40 \emdash 
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Tick tock, Cs\'e9\loch\f40 \hich\f40 jthe.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 ve got a little problem,\'94\loch\f40  I started.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Are you still traveling all over de \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 world trying to rebuild a lifetime\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
s accumulation of mana that you spent all in one day battling de forces of evil?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Well\~.\~.\~.\~no\~.\~.\~.\~but\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Good. Den you really just have a\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 leetle}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 problem, unlike some of de rest of us\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I may have a rogue necromancer in my back yard,\'94\loch\f40  I said hurriedly.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 A\~.\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 necromancer?\'94\loch\f40  she asked.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Looks like.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Mister Chris, what you know about necromancy?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Nothing, really. Something to do with raising the dead?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Necromancy is death magic,\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 cher}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ! Y\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ou say anything about dis to your pet vampires, yet?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I swallowed. \'93\loch\f40 You know that they\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 d kill me if they heard you say that. And then kill you.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Pfft! You say necromancer to any of de undead an\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40  dey\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ll cut you a wide berth. Though dey might hire human ass\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
assins to kill you so you\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 re no longer a conduit to any of dey bidness. Lissen to me, necromancers don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
 just raise de dead, dey have de power to control dem. To make dem do things against deir will. A necromancer could make an undead kill deir sire. Or wa\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 l\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
k out into de sunlight. Sort of like when you bloodwalk only necromancers do it by remote control. I don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t know if necromancy would work on you, being what you is, but you do not want to go anywhere near dat.\'94

\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Well,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I said, \'93\loch\f40 some of that is already in my\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  house as we\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 re speaking.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Putain!}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 
\loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  she hissed. Followed by something, something, and ending in: \'93}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'ea
\loch\f40 tre dans la merde jusqu\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 au cou!}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 No,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I said. \'93\loch\f40 The necromancer isn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t here.\'94\loch\f40  At least I hoped he wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t. \'93
\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Just one of his victims.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  A thought occurred. \'93\loch\f40 Can\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  he trace his victims if they leave the graveyard?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Necromancy is not one of my disciplines.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Her voice was subdued. That frightened me more than anything. \'93\loch\f40 I don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
 know de answer to dat. Probably not right away. It depend on how powerful your sorcerer is.\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  You may have a day or maybe two. Longer if you\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 re dealing wit\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
 a novice. But you shouldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t take any chances. Arm yourself. An\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40  get out of town. Take a long vacation, far away. If your necromancer show up before you can get away, kill him. Tell de police 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 i\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 t was self-defense.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 What about his target? I can\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t abandon her.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Ah\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 coo-yon}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ! Of course it be a woman! Lissen to me, Mister Chris! I would come an\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40  help you with dis if I could but I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
m at de Grotto of Lourdes.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 You\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 re in France?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 No. South America. De \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 grotto is outside Puerto Deseado. It\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s all de way down in de Santa Cruz Province of Argentina. Dere\hich\f40 \rquote 
\loch\f40 s no way I could get to an airport an\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40  den to you in time to be of any help.\'94\rquote 
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Just looking for advice. Anything you might know that could be helpful.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  sighed. \'93\loch\f40 Okay. Here is my advice based on the circumstances an\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40  all of my years of study an\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
 experiences in dealing with death magic an\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40  dese kinds of t\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 ings. Lissen very carefully.\'94\loch\f40  She paused.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I waited. There was a distant, high-pitched \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 singing\'94\loch\f40  as if \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 the sound of a strong wind blowing against tautly stretched telephone lines.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Are you paying close attention?\'94\loch\f40  she asked.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Yes, ma\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 am.\'94\loch\f40  I half meant it to sound a little snarky but I sounded sincere. And was more than a little surprised to find that I was.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Listen to me,\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 cher}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ; whoever dis woman is, she is already dead. She has lived her life. Maybe things did not turn out de way she hoped. Or wanted. Whose life does? You hear me,\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 mon ange}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ? What happens next is
\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 not}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 de same t
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ing as trying to help de living. \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 You need to t\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 ink about you, now, you. Get out as fast as you can!\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  She paused. \'93\loch\f40 
You are not lissning to a word I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 m saying, now are you?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I was listening. But I was also thinking about Lupe and Deirdre and my extended family who were beyond my reach in the\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 Realm of the Fae. There were worse things than going down swinging. And everything I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d done since Hurricane Eibon and the resetting of Eternity\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s clock was nothing more than marking time. With no discernable goal before me other than waiting\~.\~.\~.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 For som\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ething.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Maybe this.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Gotta go,\'94\loch\f40  I said. And broke the connection.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Gena was gone when I returned.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Gwen sat in a sturdy kitchen chair in\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  the middle of the den, numerous coils of rope and bungee cords from the garage looped tightly around her torso and the chair\hich\f40 \rquote 
\loch\f40 s seat and back. Her legs were pulled back and bound to the outside of the back legs of the chair and her arms tied behind the se\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
t and lower support in a manner to deny her any leverage in moving about.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Every time I think my dealings with the dead can\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t get any weirder\~.\~.\~.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 There was a note (of course there was) with a corner tucked under the top loop of cord that encompassed my ne\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 w client\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s upper chest.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \li960\ri960\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin960\lin960\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\scaps\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Chaytay}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 (people misspell my name almost as often as they mispronounce it),
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\scaps\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
No one else knows I brought her here. Which is not to say that others in Beausoleil might make an educated guess if questioned. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ll be somewhere off in the \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
woods until this is resolved. Good luck.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\scaps\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Gina}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \li1440\ri960\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin960\lin1440\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\scaps\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 BTW: I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ll leave the sleuthing to you but you might ask yourself this: Do you think Gwen\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s ex was too old for her?}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Huh.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Okay.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 How about we get you out of those ropes?\'94\loch\f40  I asked, moving around behind her.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 No!\'94\loch\f40  s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 he practically shrieked. \'93\loch\f40 I mean\~.\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 not until sunrise.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 A light went on in the broom closet of my brain. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 You were drawn out of your grave by some kind of power that you were helpless to resist.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She nodded.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 That same power could compel you against you\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 r will now that you\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 re out of the ground.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Another nod.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 And the compulsion only comes at night?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Around midnight,\'94\loch\f40  she said in a small voice.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Of course, it does. \'93\loch\f40 Okay, Ms. Hahn\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Ms. Hahn}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 .
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I had a nubile blonde tied to a chair in my den. Willing and even desperate to be tied up, alone, with a perfect stranger. Yeah, let\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s keep the tone as professional as possible.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 m going to ask you a series of questions,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I continued, \'93\loch\f40 some of them perso\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
nal. I need you to be completely honest in your answers if you want me to help you. Anything you tell me will be held in the strictest confidence. Client privilege, if you will.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Okay,\'94\loch\f40  she said. In a little girl voice.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Clich\'e9\loch\f40 , I asked myself, or trope?
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Have you ever had any dealings with covens, cults, religious-type organizations that would practice any type of thaumaturgy\hich\f40 \emdash \'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Thaumaturgy?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Magic. Black magic or any other color of the supernatural spectrum?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 No. I stopped going to church a long time ag\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 o.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 Kay. Do you know of anyone who would wish you harm?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She hesitated and I was reminded of the first axiom of the P.I. playbook: clients always lie. Or, at the very least, hedge.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Everyone has secrets. They don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t have to be deep and dark or sinister. Bu\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t everyone has them. And hiring someone to look into anything that even borders on one
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s affairs is an uncomfortable violation of one\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s perceived boundaries.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Unfortunately, I was not any kind of an expert on the sort of things that reanimate the dead and p\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ull them out of their graves. Beyond the fact that they seemed to turn up on my doorstep far more often than was reasonable, that is. What I could do, however, was dig down for the identity of our presumed necromancer and what might motivate him. Or her, 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s I had no real evidence to determine gender, yet, and didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t want to be sexist.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 My\~.\~.\~.\~ex\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94\loch\f40  she said reluctantly.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Ex\~.\~.\~.\~husband? Ex\~.\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 boyfriend?\'94\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Ex\~.\~.\~.\~girlfriend?}
{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cs\'e9\loch\f40 jthe, you old-fashioned, sexist prig\~.\~.\~.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Husband,\'94\loch\f40  she answered.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Separated? Divorced?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Divorced?\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  She sounded unsure. \'93\loch\f40 We were separated. Maybe six months. The divorce was in the works but wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t finalized before I\~.\~.\~
\hich\f40 .\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Before you died?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Yes,\'94\loch\f40  she said softly. A tear whispered down her cheek.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Was he ever violent?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 She stared out at the darkness beyond the sliding glass door to the back yard. \'93\loch\f40 A\~.\~.\~.\~couple\~.\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 of times.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Did he hurt you?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Not in any way that I didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t deserve,\'94\loch\f40  she said, her voice stronger now.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Ms. Hahn. Gwendolyn. You are\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Were?}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 
\ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~\loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\~.\~.\~.\~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 a young woman. May I ask how you died?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 She stared at the floor now. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Are you asking me if I was murdered?\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Now the tears dropped with a disconcerting regularity. \'93\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
\hich\f40 I was turned out of my home. I had lost my job. All of my friends were his so, of course, I ended up having no friends. I was weak, I suppose. I died by my own hand. Pills.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I understood her reticence now. For someone seeking refuge and protection she seem\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ed pretty closemouthed about her former life. But a nasty divorce that led to suicide meant she barely had time to process her grief, anger, and shame before reawakening to an existence of terror.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The dead don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t like to talk about death. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d learned that m\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
uch in all of my half-assed dealings with the revenants that turned up on my doorstep over the years. With all the resources that had accumulated since my own demise\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
or demises, plural, as there was some debate over my actual post-mortem status\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 I still kn\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
w very little about the veracity of religious accounts of the afterlife. Heaven? Hell? Purgatory? Limbo? Sartre\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s sitting room? I don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t know if the dead came back with selective amnesia or they just didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t want to talk about it. As a suicide, Gwendolyn Ha\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 h\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
n might have spent the past six months in a special level of Perdition, suffering the tortures of the damned\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
as suggested by certain sects that worshipped a supposedly benevolent deity. I could see why anything around this particular subject and/or timeli\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e would be a touchy subject for her.

\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 m sorry to ask these questions,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I told her. \'93\loch\f40 But I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 m not some sort of magic savant. I\hich\f40 \rquote 
\loch\f40 m pretty much agnostic on the subject. What I am\hich\f40 \emdash \'94\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 was}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 , my inner voice corrected \'93\emdash \loch\f40 is a private investigator. I look for clues, p\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
atterns, motives. I ask questions. Facts are important. You may not think that a piece of information is important but you need to let me decide whether it is or isn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t. Do not filter or hold back. I apologize if my snooping around makes you uncomfortable \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 b\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ut this is how it works.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I reached out and cupped her cheek. \'93
\loch\f40 \hich\f40 No judgement. All right?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Her cheek was still warm from the shower and her eyes, bright and luminous from her recent storm of tears, gazed up at me with a mix of sorrow and heartbreaking hope.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Thank you, Mr. Cs\'e9\loch\f40 \hich\f40 jthe.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Chris,\'94\loch\f40  I said.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 She smiled. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Gwen.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Okay,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I said. \'93\loch\f40 Now, what is your husband\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s name and where does he live?\'94
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
I didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t like leaving her tied up and alone in my house but I had a limited amount of time before the next sunrise. \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
And, unless I wanted to ask Olive to interview the primary suspect, I needed to catch him before the hour grew late.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 But first I made a detour to the public library.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d run a quick check on my Amazon app for books on the subject of death magic\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 serious ref\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
erence works as opposed to New Age twaddle or so-called fictional entertainments. Sadly, there was nothing of any import available for immediate download in the Kindle format. Not even a\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Necromancy for Dummies}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
which was surprising given the lucrative natur\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 e of the \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Dummy\'94\loch\f40  demographic.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Various versions of the\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Necronomicon}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ranged from \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 serious\'94\loch\f40  attempts to recreate Lovecraft\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s fictional monograph to fannish spoofs of the iconic\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Book of the Dead}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 .
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And then there were a few, antiquated, out-of-print, dead-tree t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 omes purporting to be actual\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 grimoires}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
available from third-party sellers. Legitimate or not, the delivery times ranged from a week to a month for the more promising ones.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Driving down to New Orleans to browse some of their more \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 interesting\'94\loch\f40  used bookstor\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
es would involve some serious prep-work, including high-powered ordnance and body-armor.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 So, the local library was probably my best bet for the moment. I just had to get there before closing time. I made it with twenty minutes to spare. But, as it turned o\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ut, I was a month too late.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Someone had checked out the four most promising tomes:\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
Necromantic Sorcery: the Forbidden Rites of Death Magick, An Encyclop\'e6\loch\f40 dia of Occultism, Arcana Mundi: Magic and the Occult in the Greek and Roman Worlds\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 A Collection of Anci\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ent Texts
}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 (2nd edition),\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Unlocked Books: Manuscripts of Learned Magic in the Medieval Libraries of Central Europe}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
(New edition), and\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 De Nigromancia}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 .
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 If you think that kind of esoterica is surprising in a public library, you should see how many Louisiana li\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 brary shelves are dedicated to just Voodoo, alone.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 It was closing time and the librarian would only tell me that the books had been checked out a month ago, had all been renewed a week ago, and that the patron could renew them in another two weeks for thre
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e weeks beyond that, if they wished. I could be waiting another five weeks if our dark arts enthusiast was so motivated.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 So, who had decided to take a crash course on raising the dead? I was standing in an institution that believed in making vast amounts o\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
f information open and available to the general public. They just didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t believe in making that specific piece of information available to me.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I leaned across the check-out desk and asked my obstinate bibliothecary to look deep into my eyes\~.\~.\~.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ve neve\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
r been very good at the mind-control, bend-you-to-my-will, power that all the Dracula movies like to unpack before the first commercial break. Chalk it up to me not being fully undead. Almost, but not quite, the vampire. Never grew the obligatory fangs. D
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 o\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t sparkle\~.\~.\~.\~but then I never met a vampire that did. Except for that one time at\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 La Cage aux Folles}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
down in New Orleans during Mardi Gras\~.\~.\~.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Anyway, a couple of minutes and three \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 shushes\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  later I was headed back out to my car with the name \'93\loch\f40 Micha\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
el Guidry\'94\loch\f40  on a slip of paper in my pocket. In the parking lot I started my car and pulled out my phone. I ran Guidry\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s name through a couple of directory search engines. Guidry was not an uncommon name for the Ouachita Parish area. But there were no stre\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t addresses for a\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 
\ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Michael}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Guidry listed in a one-hundred-mile radius.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The name yielded one cell phone number with the same area code but, when I called, it was no longer in service.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 So. Was Michael Guidry a fake identity? The cell number a burner phone that had since been discarded? Was Michael Guidry actually Harold Hahn, G\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 wendolyn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s ex-husband?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t know that and I didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t know what time he turned in for the night so I put my car in gear and drove across town.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Harold Hahn lived in a Craftsman-style house nearing the century mark. Its squat silhouette, wide eaves and tria\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ngular brackets matched most of the architecture on the block with only the unfinished wood planks of a fairly new privacy fence setting it apart from the neighbors. The porch was roomy with stone supports, a pair of square columns holding up the extended
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
roof with a row of exposed beams. The streetlight was old and at some remove and the porchlight was off. A dim lamp in the living room gave the impression that no one was home. The driveway was empty but the car could have been inside the detached garage.

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
The area was mostly dark with only a couple of porchlights glimmering down the street. It was 9:28 so either the neighbors were elderly and turned in for the night or young, still out-and-about. A waxing, crescent moon was on the rise, giving me just enou
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 g\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
h illumination to see that the yard was a bit unkempt and neglected. What did that tell me? That the man who had physically abused his wife and kicked her out of the house, got his friends to shun her and may have driven her to take her own life\~.\~.\~.
\~was\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 what? A brute\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 and}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 a slob? I really didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t have enough info to build much of a profile, yet. And, to be fair, this time of the year you almost had to mow your lawn twice a week to keep up with the overgrowth. I swear, you can sit out on the patio and watch \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
the grass grow like some kind of botany film that utilizes time-lapse motion-capture.
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And clients always lie}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 , whispered that voice in the back of my head.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I shook my head as I walked up to the front porch. It was too early to get a read on anything, yet. E\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 verything felt hinky so far because, well\~.\~.\~.\~necromancer. Right?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I tiptoed up the three steps to the concrete porch. A peek through the windows, I thought. No old, creaky wood to alert anyone inside. But maybe Mr. Hahn was curled up on the sofa with an \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
\hich\f40 ex-mistress/new fianc\'e9\loch\f40 e. Wouldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t hurt to see what anyone walking up to the front door would see anyway. No sneaking around the back of the house or peeking in a bedroom window. Just an innocuous glimpse and maybe there\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s something to give me a better ide
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  of Harry Hahn before I dug into his background for any anomalies.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 A few steps from the front door I leaned to my right and craned my neck to get a better look through the large picture window. The interior of the house was quiet.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Until, suddenly, it wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
t: a dun colored pit bull suddenly attacked the window from the inside, barking furiously and scrabbling at the glass as if he had been starved for a week and I was a choice cut of sirloin.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I ducked to the left but the porchlight was suddenly on. I quickly\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 raised my right fist as if I were about to knock. The inner door flew open. Magically, the pit bull seemed to teleport to the front entrance and was now trying to tear through the glass of the storm door to get to me. A hand grabbed the dog\hich\f40 
\rquote \loch\f40 s studded col\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 l\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ar, pulling him back from the door and holding him in place. The animal calmed somewhat but continued to bark at me: more professional guard dog, less unhinged, furry buzz saw.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 What do you want?\'94\loch\f40  asked a surly voice.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I looked up at a slender man who could\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t have seen his thirtieth birthday, yet. So much for the older husband, younger trophy-wife clich\'e9\loch\f40 
. He had unkept brown hair that was just beginning to thin in conformance with emerging male pattern baldness. He was slight of build, though wiry looking.\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
His face was unremarkable but for the bruised look around his eyes and a tightening of his lips that exuded a sour vibe that matched his voice.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I pulled out my wallet with my P.I license. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Christopher L. Cs\'e9\loch\f40 \hich\f40 jthe,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I said. \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
m a private investigator.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Some\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 thing seemed to move behind his eyes but the light was too uncertain for more than the barest of impressions.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 What\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s this about?\'94\loch\f40  he asked suspiciously.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The dog continued to bark reflexively and he made no effort to quiet it.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 May I come in?\'94\loch\f40  I asked.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 gave it all the thought contained in a single eyeblink.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t think so.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 m looking into the possibility that your wife\hich\f40 \emdash \'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Ex-wife,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  he snapped. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Deceased.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Yes,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I said, \'93\loch\f40 well\~.\~.\~.\~there may be an insurance policy\hich\f40 \emdash \'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Not mine,\'94\loch\f40  he said, edging towa\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 rd a dangerous unpleasantness as he kept cutting me off. \'93\loch\f40 If it\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s hers, I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 m not interested.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Well, I don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t know if your ex-wife is\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 the}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Gwendolyn Hahn on this particular policy. That\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s what I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 ve been hired to find out.\'94

\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Not my problem.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t know all \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 of the particulars, Mr. Hahn, but there could be a great deal of money in it for you.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t care. I don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t want it.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I opened my mouth again but he opened the outer door first and leaned toward me. The dog lunged forward but he managed to keep it under control for the moment.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Look,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  he snarled, a slow-rolling wave of beer fumes breaking over my face. \'93\loch\f40 I thought I was do\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ne talking to you people after the inquest. Let me say this just one\~.\~.\~.\~more\~.\~.\~.\~time. I want nothing to do with anything regarding my ex-wife. I didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t then. And I certainly don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t now. She\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s dead. And we were done well before that happened. The only\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 money related to her that I care about now is the money I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
m going to spend to have my last name chiseled off of her headstone. Once her mother is dead and can\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t interfere, I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ll pay to put her maiden name on her grave and that truly will be the end of it. 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 N\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ow get off of my property!\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I caught the outer door before he could close it completely. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 One last question, Mr. Hahn. Do you know a Michael Guidry?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He froze for a long moment and the color literally drained out of his face.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And then both doors were slamm\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ed in my face in quick succession and the porchlight flicked off. I stood there in the dark for another fifteen seconds and pulled my phone out and called Olive as I turned and walked back to my car. I asked her to get me a copy of the divorce filing tomo
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 r\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 row if it wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t sealed and to try to get it even if it was.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Even better than her courthouse connections, I asked her to reach out to her social network for any juicy gossip that had to be out there, somewhere, for a divorce/suicide that had so much acrimo
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ny trumping alimony.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I had parked four houses up from the Hahn residence so I sat there in the dark and considered what I knew, so far.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Gwendolyn Hahn had committed suicide after the failure of her marriage and the loss of her friends. Her husband clearly \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
had anger issues and seemed to bear her great enmity. She had confirmed to me that the white dress she \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 woke up\'94\loch\f40  wearing was, indeed, her wedding dress\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
minus the lower half of her skirt and train. Who provides the funeral home with the outfits worn by the\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
deceased? The family or spouse. My money was on Harry handing over the wedding dress after he\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d hacked off the bottom third.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Definitely anger issues\~.\~.\~.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The man had been drinking\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 which might have meant nothing in itself other than to exaggerate his anger\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  issues\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
but he said he was about to go back out, late in the evening. Given that his oral cologne would probably blow a breathalyzer\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s internal circuitry, it suggested judgement issues, as well.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 All of these little things, along with the lazy lawncare issu\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 es, didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t necessarily add up anything particularly sinister. And nothing specifically suggested that I had been in the presence of a man capable of raising the dead. But, then maybe he had changed out of his sorcerer\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s robes before answering the door.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ay that with only a modicum of irony.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Another quarter of an hour passed before Hahn emerged from his house. He was going out but he wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t driving. A car had pulled up to the curb in front of his house. Not a cab. Uber? Lyft? Lover? Co-conspirator? Necroma\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ncing ride-share service? I picked up my binoculars from the passenger seat and made a note of the license plate and then the car. It was a late model Toyota Prius. Probably powder blue but the darkness flattened its daytime color out into a nocturnal gra
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 y\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 . The oddly configured taillights looked like a \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Z\'94\loch\f40 
 morphing into a boomerang. Or vice-versa. This was a lucky break as they would stand out in a veritable sea of taillights, enabling me to follow at some remove without losing them. Or so I hoped.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I waited\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  until Harry\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s wheels made a right turn at the end of the block before starting my car and giving \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 chase.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Traffic was relatively sparse so I had to hang back for a few blocks until they pulled onto I-20, headed west. A few bypassed exits indicated that Be\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ausoleil Cemetery was not on the immediate destination list.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 We left the environs of Monroe, Louisiana, behind but traffic on the interstate was robust enough that I could close the gap a little bit without standing out in the rearview mirror. As I drove, 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I had to remind myself that my sleuthing skills had grown decidedly rusty over the past several years.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 If I were being honest, I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d say that all of my life skills were in need of a generous application of WD-40.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Around ten miles out we left the Interstate a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
nd took a parallel route on US 80. Now the traffic dropped off and things got trickier. Had I been made? Before I knew it, we were slowing down and entering Calhoun, a town whose population fluctuated around the two-thousand mark. Easier to stand out now,
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 but the darkness could continue to be my friend if I played my cards right.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 While not as strong or as fast or as preternaturally enhanced as an actual vampire, one of the dark gifts that I \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 enjoyed\'94\loch\f40  was the ability to see into the infra-red spectrum.

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And, \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 yes, I said \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 vampire.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 If we moved any deeper onto the back roads, I could flip a switch, killing all of the car\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s running lights, interior and exterior, and continue driving in dark mode, the road still visible as a ribbon of darkening red, its cooling he\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
at signature still a high contrast to the vegetative matter bordering its asphalt lanes and gravel roughened shoulders. Anything warm-blooded would be more clearly seen than if I drove with my high-beams on.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 But the Prius continued through downtown Calhoun\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
, which meant keeping the headlights on rather than draw the unwanted attention of the local constabulary. Meandering down the main drag, now, I had to drop even further back as each successive streetlight painted my Chevy Equinox like an aiming laser acq
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 u\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 iring a target. A sheriff\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s patrol car suddenly merged onto main street ahead of me. I focused on being extra-uninteresting to the authorities who probably had a mental database of all of the resident vehicles that would be out this time of night.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 So, I al\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 most missed the Toyota\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s turn up Calhoun Road. They were headed north now, up past an Exxon station and the Kuntry Korner Market.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And then they pulled into the parking lot of a local bar.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I drove past as unobtrusively as possible, observing Mr. Hahn exitin\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
g the car in my rearview mirror as I continued on down the road. My first, best chance came a little way ahead, where Easy Street to my left became LA-151 to my right. A little maneuvering and I was back around to the bar, again.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The parking lot was half f\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ull and a neon-lined sign said: \'93\loch\f40 Deriso\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s.\'94\loch\f40  No sign of Hahn or the Prius.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The natural assumption was that Gwen\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s ex had c\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ontinued on into the bar and his Uber/Lyft/ride-share had dropped him off and continued on its merry way.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 There was no way to be sure without getting out of my car and going in to check. Which was risky in that it increased the chance that he would see me \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 and then I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d be on his radar for the foreseeable future. I did not fancy conducting future surveillance by wearing wigs and fake beards while driving rental cars. I could just sit in my car, in the parking lot, until he came out. But unless he came back o
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 u\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t with his arm thrown around the shoulders of a potential co-conspirator/necromancer-for-hire type, I might only assume he had come all the way out here to drink. Alone.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Unless he was meeting his girlfriend/lover/fianc\'e9\loch\f40 e here so no one he knew would know t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 hat he\~.\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 
what? Had moved on from a bad marriage? Maybe his girlfriend/lover/fianc\'e9\loch\f40 e lived in Calhoun and it was just easier for him to come out here to hook up\~.\~.\~.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Maybe the marriage had collapsed because he had a mid-life epiphany and realized that \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 he was gay. Or bi. And that he wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
t ready to come out to his family, friends, and/or co-workers yet so he came out here to meet his boyfriend/lover/fianc\'e9\~.\~.\~.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I felt like I was grasping at straws.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I got out of my car and walked across the graveled lot \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 to the doors on a route that would take me out of the sight-lines of the front windows.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The main entrance consisted of a pair of matched, wooden doors. A square pane of glass in each, tilted point-down, diamond-like allowed a limited view of the bar\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s inte
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
rior without actually entering. I did a cursory scan of the layout and immediately picked out Harold Hahn. He was sitting at the bar. Alone. Check that: the stools on either side of him were occupied. But the occupants were clearly engaged with other patr
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 o\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ns seated on their adjacent stools.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 In the midst of the crowd, Hahn looked very much alone.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And he still wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t wearing his necromancy robes.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 See what I did there? Still being cautiously ironical.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 But while Hahn was still a riddle trapped in a mystery, ins\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ide an enigma, while not wrapped in the sartorial trappings of a mage who raised the dead\~.\~.\~.\~he didn\hich\f40 \rquote 
\loch\f40 t feel quite right for the part. His head came up from his drink to stare at his reflection in the mirror behind the bar. I ducked back from the door\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
glass insert and retreated back to my vehicle before he could catch a reflected glimpse of me.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 If he could catch a reflected glimpse of me. The whole \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 not seeing myself in mirrors\'94\loch\f40  issue was theoretically a subconscious projection that took place within an
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  area of effect. But I didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t know the range and I hadn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t looked at my own reflection in years. Discretion was the better part of valor. Or stupidity.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Now what?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t get the vibe that he was actually expecting to meet someone here. Michael Guidry or an\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
yone else. And it was unlikely that he would be performing any arcane rituals in Deriso\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s. Unless the bar was a cover for an actual coven. Sounds stupid, right? But I was pretty sure I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d seen a movie with this very plotline on the USA Network. Or maybe th\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  SyFy Channel.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Maybe I should just burn my P.I. license.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I started my car and headed back to West Monroe and home.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Maybe I could task one of our independent contractors to tail Hahn tomorrow. Right now, it was getting close to midnight and I had to decide \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
whether to check on my BDSM houseguest or stake out the cemetery.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I opted for the third choice. I was able to push the speed limit on the return trip and I was back at Hahn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s house in less than twenty minutes. I parked around the corner and grabbed a navy-
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
blue hoodie out of the back seat. My cellphone was in my pocket if I needed any additional light but my enhanced night vision was more than serviceable as I exited the car and made my way up the back alleyway to the rear of Hahn\hich\f40 \rquote 
\loch\f40 s property.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Again, not as s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 trong nor as fast as a vampire but I was still able to pull a standing high jump to the top of my suspect\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s privacy fence\hich\f40 \emdash 
\loch\f40 even though it felt like a bit more than the six-foot height limit mandated by the zoning ordinances. As graceful as my ascent was, I\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
caught the hem of my hoodie on a bush as I jumped down into the back yard. Stumbling to my knees, I was suddenly confronted by the pit bull that had tried to claw his way through a window and a door to get to me on my prior visit.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 In the eight seconds it h\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ad taken the beast to awaken to my intrusion, spring to his feet, and come rushing across the grass to presumably bite my face off, several things happened. First, my augmented hypothalamus boosted a series combat messages to my adrenal glands (and maybe 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ome glands not in the anatomy books thanks to the mutagenic virus in my body). Which fired up all of my serosanguinous chemistry sets. Tyrosine amino acids blasted out a sequence of dopamine in oxygenated combinates that yielded noradrenaline, epinephrine
,\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  and cortisol. These are the ordinary building blocks of adrenaline and mine had been weaponized, thanks to a sloppy blood transfusion with a centuries-old hemovore awhile back. I didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t know what other chemicals might have been introduced to my still tra\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 sforming physiology but it was like getting a dose of Captain America\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s super soldier serum.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 So, maybe two seconds in, I have the adrenaline analogs binding to the receptors on my heart, arteries, pancreas, liver, muscles and fatty tissue. In the meantime,\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 my brain was dealing with stress hormones which were causing my hippocampus to contract and stimulating the production of IL-1 beta, a signaling molecule, that was simultaneously binding to sites in my hypothalamus, pituitary, and hippocampus. My whole l
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 i\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
mbic system was flipping switches on my neurotransmitters, kicking them up to warp speed and performing complex juggling acts with adrenergic and noradrenergic neurons. And my amygdala was adapting previous threat templates to match my new circumstance.

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 By\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 the time Fido arrived I had little difficulty in overmatching his speed and canine strength. I grabbed him by the throat and carefully delivered a punch that sent him to doggie dreamland rather than fully euthanizing him.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I got to my feet and brushed myse\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 lf off. Unharmed but now in need of a drink. Unfortunately, the blood banks were closed and my own, private supply was back home in the fridge.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I made my way over to the back door, bent at the waist, and listened for any sound of a busybody or the neighbor\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 hood watch. Nothing, so far: maybe Lady Luck was in my corner.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I tried the back door. I wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t really up for a B & E, just whatever I could peep at through the available windows. Even second floor if necessary, though that would put me in the sight lines o
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 f the neighbors.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The back door was unlocked.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I guess Hahn wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t worried about back yard security with a two-meter privacy perimeter and a slavering hellhound on patrol. I checked the door for alarms or a security system but it was just old-school Schlage \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
deadbolts and single-cylinder knob set. I didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t have to pick either lock to be stealthy. Lady Luck wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t just smiling, she was blowing kisses and giving me come-hither glances.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 What\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s that?\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I murmured. \'93\loch\f40 Did I hear the \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 sounds of someone in distress?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I crossed the threshold.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
I did a quick, cursory search of the house, careful to not disturb anything. If Hahn returned or the neighbors called the cops, saying I found the back door open or thought someone inside had\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 er\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 fa
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 llen and couldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t get up, well that wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t going to cut any ice on Trespassing charges. And opening an unlocked door was still considered Breaking and Entering. At least the latter of the two.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 So, I conducted a fairly quick walk-through. No hidden dungeons\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 in the basement. No ceremonial robes in the closets. No arcane paraphernalia in the attic. No pictures of the Ex anywhere in the house.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 If he harbored the slightest fondness for his former spouse, he was hiding it well.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 But there were no overt signs of ho\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 stility or \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 deathless\'94\loch\f40  obsession, either.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I finally found the paperwork for the Hahn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s divorce tucked away in a desk drawer on the second floor. I had to read it by the light of my phone as documents read like paint swatches in the infra-red spectrum.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I wa\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
s tempted to take pictures of each page but, again: second floor, clear sightlines for the neighbors. Taking pictures with a flash in a dark room was way more of an attention getter than the soft glow of a hand-shielded phone screen to skim a document.

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Des\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
pite the legalese, the gist was rather succinct. It was a No-Fault divorce. Or, at least Hahn anticipated no resistance from his wife. No specifics, just the boilerplate triad: Irreconcilable Differences\~.\~.\~.\~Incompatibility\~.\~.\~.\~
Irretrievable Breakdown.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Wow, that really helped. Again, note ironical tone, here.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I replaced the papers and slipped back out of the house before that fickle Fr\'e4\loch\f40 ulein, Lady Luck, decided to Bobbitt me.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Fido was starting to rouse so I figured everything might look pretty normal by\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 the time his lord and master returned from his presumed pub crawl. I sailed back over the fence and tried to walk unobtrusively back down the alleyway to my car. As far as I could see, no one was out and about.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Still.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Maybe I should move back across the r\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 iver to this neighborhood\~.\~.\~.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
I considered a trip to the cemetery next but it was after midnight and I was getting really thirsty now.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 That could be problematic. Not because being\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 thirsty}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 makes me dangerous. But because being\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 thirsty}{
\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 makes me stupid.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 A\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 nd that\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s dangerous.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
I was beginning to realize how much my detecting skills had eroded from lack of use over the past couple of years. Throw an unexpected case into my lap with an unsub that spooks a dead wiccan, a battle-tested voudoun mambo, and makes v
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ampires crap their pants? I was already in over my head so being stupid would make \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 dangerous\'94\loch\f40  look like a walk in the park.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Exhibit Number One: I returned to my house to discover that Gwen had destroyed half of my den in trying to respond to her latest su\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 mmons.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
She lay on the floor, still bound to the remains of the formerly sturdy chair. It had been snapped in half where the back met the seat and the legs were a bundle of kindling wrapped in the remains of the bungee cord. The curtains next to the sliding
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  back-door to the patio had been torn down and half-shredded. The rocker was overturned and an armrest broken off. The couch was where I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d left it but its cushions were scattered across the room. The wall-mounted flat-screen now hung from its moorings at \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  canted angle.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
As for the person at the center of this wheel of destruction? The T-shirt and sweatpants she wore were now ripped and torn where she had twisted and writhed against the ropes and the material bore additional evidence of dried sweat and not-q
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 uite-dry heaves. She was wild-eyed and still panting, though the fury of the compulsion seemed to have left her.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She shrieked and struggled anew when I started to untie her. Then she clung to me like a drowning woman in the middle of the ocean, weeping inc\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 oherently until she was exhausted once more.

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I held her trembling body next \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
to mine, distracted by her warmth. While not human-normal, she was warmer than me, now. All of my previous encounters with the animated dead were with bodies that retained the cold and lifeless sensations of a corpse, indistinguishable from the bodies dow
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  at the morgue save for their ability to move and speak. Maybe I was seeing the difference between an Animate and a truly resurrected human body.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Distracted as I was, I didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t realize she was pulling my face down to hers until I felt her lips on mine. The \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
kiss was tentative, uncertain, and I started to pull away but then her mouth became insistent. Desperate.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hungry.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 My body wanted to respond. It had been such a long time and my mind was slow to come out of the fog of thirst and need and forgetfulness. She \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
was traumatized. Was it worse to permit a modicum of affection? Or push her away when she had already lost everything. Including her life and the right to her own body after death?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I kissed her back. Tenderly. Resisting the demands that her mouth was makin\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
g on mine. I thought of my own moral compass and tried to parse the difference between what was being right and what was being kind. Were they incompatible?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And I thought of Lupe. And Deirdre. And how they were not dead and gone like my wife and daughter b\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ut were merely out of reach on this plane. For now. When I was finally able to figure out a way to cross the barrier and get to them, I couldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t in all good conscience treat our forced parting as a \'93\loch\f40 
\hich\f40 time-out\'94\loch\f40  for seeing others. I owed them everything.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Gwen\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  was just a client.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 A frightened and vulnerable woman but I owed her nothing beyond the truth and my best efforts to free her from the malevolence that was stalking her.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 As if she were reading my mind, she pulled back and gave me a tremulous smile.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I thin\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 k I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 m going to need another shower,\'94\loch\f40  she said softly.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
While she was in the bathroom, freshening up, I went to the refrigerator inside my safe room and quickly consumed a couple of blood bags, taking the edge off. Then I called Olive back and tasked her w\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ith running down the Michael Guidry connection from the library. I wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t totally passing the buck. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d still look into what I could from my end but I felt it best to have two pairs of eyes on this. I still felt off-balance about this whole case and wonde\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 r\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ed if there wasn\hich\f40 \rquote 
\loch\f40 t something to the idea that a necromancer\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s power over dead flesh might have some effect on mine, as well.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I felt underslept.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Ever since Hurricane Eibon and the loss of everyone I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d held dear through an interdimensional escape hatch to th\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e Realm of the Fae, I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d been plagued by dreams. Dreams of my extended family. Dreams of the people I loved.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 At first, they were nightmarish in that I could see them and hear them but not actually touch them. I would sleep fitfully and rise, physically and \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
emotionally drained, haunted by my inability to cross the divide that separated us. Every plan, every effort since then had been thwarted and I had lived each night since with the taste of ashes in my mouth.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 More recently my dreams had become increasingly \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 disturbing. Not in their frequency or intensity but for the very opposite reasons.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 They were starting to fade.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Not just my psychic connection to the others. But, in those declining phantasms between sleep and wakefulness, I could sense their withdrawal, as\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 well. Human memory, it is said, retreats as one dwells among the Faerie. Trapped by forces beyond their powers to overcome, they were starting to forget me.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And absence\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 as the old saying doesn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t go, but maybe should\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 makes the heart go wander.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I shook off \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 my woolgathering and tried to think back to my activities around midnight. Had I noticed any odd sensations or thoughts while Gwen was under tonight\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s compulsory attack? I didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t think so. But, again, I had underslept.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Case in point: I hadn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t heard the sho\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 wer turn off and wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t aware that Gwen had entered the bedroom until I looked up and saw her standing in front of me. I was sitting on the bed, next to a pile of T-shirts and an assortment of old running shorts. I didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t get out much these days and could\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n\loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t remember the last time I had bothered to do a load of laundry. I had recently discovered that it was actually easier to order new clothes over the internet rather than go to all of the trouble to separate my hot and cold cycle fabrics. I had just picke
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 d\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  up one of the shirts to give it the sniff test and there she was standing in front of me.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She dropped the towel she was using to dry her hair. Blonde tendrils brushed her still damp shoulders, wicking moisture back up into her expanding mane that fairly c\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
rackled with static electricity. Her blue eyes seemed to glow in the dimness of the room, as if lit by arcane energies from within. She stared down at me. Glanced at the shirt in my hands. Then looked back at me.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She dropped the other towel.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I almost laugh\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ed.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 This is a clich\'e9,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I said. \'93\loch\f40 Nearly every P.I. book and all of the movies\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t care,\'94\loch\f40  she said.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I broke her gaze, glancing again at her autopsy scars.\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 They were nearly gone now!}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 What\hich\f40 \emdash \'94\loch\f40  I said.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t care,\'94\loch\f40  she repeated.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 You\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 re\~.\~.\~.\~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 becoming human\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94\loch\f40  I said.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Her breath caught in her throat. That was another thing: the dead don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t draw breath except to talk. But she had been breathing for a while now.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I haven\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t felt human for a long time now,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  she said. \'93\loch\f40 Since long before I took al\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
l of those pills.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She waited for me to do something. I didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She fell against me, riding me back down to the mattress. I caught her upper arms and created space between us, holding her above me as if she were hovering.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I have someone,\'94\loch\f40  I said.\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Someones
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ?}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~\loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 This isn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t going to happen.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 She wept again, another storm of tears and fear. This was different, though. Instead of the terror of what was stalking her, she cried, feeling the dread of her loneliness. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 What will I do?
\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  she sobbed. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Where can I go?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  the unspoken:\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Who will have me?}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 
\ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 One thing at a time,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I told her, lifting her so I could sit up. \'93\loch\f40 We\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 ll figure the rest out later.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 She shook her head sadly, retreating back into her frightened little girl persona. \'93\loch\f40 Tired\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  she said. \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 m just so ti
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 red\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Perhaps she had come out of the ground like most revenants, her dead flesh proof against the weaknesses of the living. But her body was transitioning back to the biological infirmities that plague the human condition. Her previous terror and thr
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ashing about had doubtless released the metabolites\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 chloride, potassium, lactic acid, ADP\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 that interfered with her awakening body\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s release of calcium in the muscle fibers. Plus, there was only so much stress the mind, itself, could take without a little \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 imeout.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I handed her the T-shirt. \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 m going to put you to bed.\'94
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
If I hadn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t visited the laundry room in recent memory, the guest bedroom was closer to an archeological site untouched by eons of time. The bedding hadn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t been changed in at least a couple 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 of years and a thick coating of dust was everywhere. Just fluffing a pillow produced a cirrocumulus formation of particulates that hovered over a quarter of the room like an ominous weather system.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 So, I tucked her into my bed.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 It was after one in the morn\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ing\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 closer to two a.m., actually. I wanted to go out to the cemetery to perform a cursory canvass of the area. There wasn\hich\f40 
\rquote \loch\f40 t anything human-related that I could do at this time of the night so I figured that I might as well get the lay of the land in plann\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 i\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ng tomorrow night\hich\f40 \rquote 
\loch\f40 s stake-out.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She nearly freaked out again.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t want to be left alone.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t want to be tied to my bed. (Boy, if I had a quarter for every girl who\~.\~.\~.\~never mind.)
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
I pulled the Glock back out of the drawer in the nightstand and placed it next to the bedside lamp. I kicked off my shoes and slid under the sheets beside her. Promised to stay with her until she woke again. Told her to go to sleep and I would watch over 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 h\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 er.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She snuggled up against me wearing nothing but the frayed, cotton top. Her body was still a little damp and offered a veritable peep-show where the fabric made sustained contact with her contours.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 On the other hand, I remained dry and fully clothed so \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 there was that as she nestled against me and breathed heavily on my throat. But she behaved herself and slowly began to relax.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 What was the old saying? Lie back and think of England? I lay there and thought of Lupe.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And Deirdre.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Then, at some remove, I saw\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  my wife and daughter, who died with me the first time and were now beyond any hope of my ever seeing again\~.\~.\~.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I slept.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
I awoke to a sense of wrongness.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 It was the wrong time of the solar cycle for me to be in bed. To be sleeping.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I was still dressed,\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  tangled in sheets.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 My head was muddy.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I was alone.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I sat up so quickly my head began to spin.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I closed my eyes until the vertigo subsided. Opened them and looked around the room.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She was gone.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Fighting free of the bedding, I put my shoes back on and reach\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ed for the Glock on the nightstand.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 It wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t there.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 There was a gun safe in the safe room but I suddenly couldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t remember the combination. Probably a short-time memory lapse induced by the stress of the past few hours. I\hich\f40 \rquote 
\loch\f40 d probably remember it in a few m\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 inutes.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 But the cemetery was within walking distance and I didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t know how much of a head start the summoning had given her.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Screw it: I grabbed my car keys and the\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Louisville Slugger}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 and headed out the door.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Beausoleil Cemetery was just a ten-minute drive. It would have been less if I could have driven in a straight line and avoided all the intersections and sheriff patrols who were undistracted by the paucity of early morning traffic.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Early morning.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I looked \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 at my Fitbit and saw that I still had a couple of hours to go before sunrise.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I felt a ribbon of rage rise from my stomach and spread through my chest as I drove. I wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t absolutely sure that the cemetery was where she was headed but where else could she go? Her husband
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s house was across the river and miles away. She had no home \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ow, outside of a box-sized basement under a two-and-a-half by eight-foot plot of ground.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 My hands clenched the steering wheel impotently. This poor, tormented woman had been stripped of everything\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 her marriage, her friends, her job, and then her life, itse
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 lf. Now she couldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t even be afforded the final dignity of death. A monster had ripped her from her eternal sleep. Forced her up out of the resting place for her remains.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 The \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 why\'94\loch\f40  seemed increasingly obvious.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She was pretty.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And whatever sorceries the nec\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
romancer had employed, her flesh had been restored to near perfection. No hint of corruption remained. By now her flawless skin would be unmarred by even the hint of a scar. And that flesh would be his\~.\~.\~.
\par \~.\~.\~.\~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 or hers\~.\~.\~.\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 no need to be unconsciously\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
 sexist, Cs\'e9\loch\f40 jthe}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~.\~.\~.
\par \~.\~.\~.\~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 to do with whatever he/she wanted. Gwen had already proved that she was powerless to resist. She would be nothing more than a meat puppet for her new master\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s unholy lusts.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The fury continued to build in me, the hot flush suff\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
using every muscle fiber as it spread through my extremities. At the same time, my mind was going cold. Clear. And I considered my options as I killed my headlights rolling up through the cemetery gates.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I parked the car and grabbed the bat.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t have \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
a ranged weapon. I would have to close with my target before he (or she) could do something to me. That meant the element of surprise. So, I hunched over, presenting a low profile as I worked my way through a maze of monuments, toward the far end of the g
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 r\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 aveyard.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 My sneakiness was suddenly derailed as my cell phone buzzed. Fortunately, the only sound it made was from the \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 vibrate\'94\loch\f40 
 setting: the ringtone was still switched off from my previous reconnoitering. Still, the damn thing was buzzing rather robustly\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 . I turned the volume down as I crouched behind a mausoleum.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hello?\'94\loch\f40  I whispered.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Mister Chris? Is that you?\'94\loch\f40  Olive Perdue\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s voice answered faintly.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Kind of busy right now,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I said softly. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Can this wait?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Sure,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  she said. \'93\loch\f40 I just got that divorce info\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 rmation you were asking about.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Thanks,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I said, \'93\loch\f40 but I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 ve already seen the paperwork.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Then you know\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94\loch\f40  she said quietly.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 No Fault Divorce. Not much there.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 No fault\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  she sounded bemused. \'93\loch\f40 Huh. I can see why she didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t fight it\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Someth\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ing in her voice and words stopped me from hanging up. \'93\loch\f40 Sounds like there\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s more to the story,\'94\loch\f40  I said.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Well, there was something about the name that nagged at me. I couldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t remember until you called back with that second name\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Michael Guidry.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Y\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 es. And even then, it took me awhile to put the two together.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Harold Hahn and Michael Guidry.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 No. Gwendolyn Hahn and Michael Guidry. He was her student.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Her student,\'94\loch\f40  I repeated dumbly, a sick feeling starting to flush the heat out of my system.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 She\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
 was his ninth grade Biology teacher. Taught him a lot, according to all the news stories about a year back. It was in all of the papers. Local channels. Even went national for a week or so.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Yuh,\'94\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I said, feeling gut-punched. \'93\loch\f40 I gotta go. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 ll call you soon.\'94\loch\f40 
 I dropped the call and began to run now, all stealth forgotten.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I tripped twice, went down once.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The temperature differential between the headstones and the terrain was still sufficient for me\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  to see in the infrared spectrum and navigate safely. But I wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t being careful now. I was running toward Gwen Hahn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s gravesite, hoping I wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t too late.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 
\'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 But I love you!\'94\loch\f40  the tenth grader said.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Dressed in black with pale skin, eye-shadow, and emo hair\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 cut, he was kneeling inside a circle of white residue. The ring also encompassed the churned earth above Gwen\hich\f40 \rquote 
\loch\f40 s grave site. A shovel lay by her headstone and a scattering of votive candles guttered around the perimeter. Some sat on symbols placed at the c\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
rdinal, compass points of the summoning area, others had a more random arrangement. A few cast their uncertain light on a spread of what appeared to be ancient library reference books.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Gwen stood a few feet away, across the circle from him. Her blonde hair\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 and white T-shirt a dramatic contrast to her summoner in his black shirt and dark jeans: opposing forces of light and darkness.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 An illusion of facades.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She clutched my gun in a two-handed shooter\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s stance. It might have lent her some stability but she was\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  trembling like a leaf.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 You can\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t do this!\'94\loch\f40  she hissed at him through clenched teeth.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 But I brought you back!\'94\loch\f40  he whinged in a voice that set even my teeth on edge.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 We can\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t be together!\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  she insisted, using the Glock to draw an exclamation point. \'93\loch\f40 Let \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
me go!\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Why?\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  he pleaded. \'93\loch\f40 I don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t care what my parents say. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
ll get a job. Join the army if I have to. We can run away. Start over. You\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 re not married anymore\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  A flicker of doubt crossed his adolescent features. \'93\~.\~.\~.\~\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
are you?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 It won\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t work!\'94\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 she said.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And the disdain in her voice should have been withering but the kid was having trouble hearing it.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Why not? I have power now.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  He gestured at the scatter of arcana all around them. \'93\loch\f40 I researched this all summer. With a little more time and study
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 , I\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 \hich\f40 I could probably make money from this. People might pay for me to bring other people back!\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 His expression shifted. Maybe it was the flicker of the candles at his knees. Maybe it was a branch of rustling leaves filtering the soft play of moonlight on h\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 is face.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Maybe it was the blowback of arcane energies that had touched corruption and were a conduit for the darkness it sought to excavate.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 I could bring back rich people. Make them tell me their passwords and bank account numbers\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 And then what\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 , Michael?\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  she asked in a voice she had probably used in countless classroom lectures for young, impressionable minds. \'93
\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Maybe some sex slaves? Watch the obituaries for hot, young women? Cheerleaders? Beauty pageant queens?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I only want you!\'94\loch\f40  But there wa\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s something in his face, now, that suggested the thought was not entirely alien to him.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 But\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t want\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 you}{
\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 ,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  she bit back. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Let me go.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I won\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  he said stubbornly. \'93\loch\f40 I love you and I worked too hard for this. You don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t know what I had to do to make th\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 is happen. What I\hich\f40 \emdash \'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  He broke off as if he were about to share a shameful or possibly terrifying secret. His face closed down. \'93\loch\f40 I
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 ll make you love me.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 You\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 ll make me?\'94\loch\f40  her voice went up to a notch below the hysterical register. The gun was moving around a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  bit now and I didn
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t know who was the greater threat here. I clutched the bat, looking back and forth, trying to think of a way to resolve this where one or more of us didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t end up dead or magically enslaved.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I just want what we had before,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  he said softly. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Before it all got crazy and turned to shit.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hahn dropped her head. \'93\loch\f40 I can\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t go back. I destroyed my marriage. My poor, sweet husband\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 \hich\f40 I ruined him!\'94\loch\f40 
 Her eyes began to overflow again. Whatever the necromanti\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 c energies had been doing to her body, they hadn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t stinted on her lacrimal glands and ducts. \'93\loch\f40 
My education degree, my career as a teacher\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 no school system will ever hire me again. I might as well be a sex slave, I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 m no good for anything else!\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I saw the ho\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 pe flare in his eyes.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She saw it, too. And brought the gun up.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Before I could take two steps, she placed the muzzle under her own jaw and pulled the trigger.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He screamed. It was raw and primal, full of horror and heartbreak and loss. He half rose from the \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ground and then collapsed back into himself. And began to dry heave.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I stared at the newly minted corpse of the child molester I had sought to defend. Gazed at the plump, pink lips that had kissed mine just hours ago. I did not look at her eyes. The Glock \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
had made a mess of everything above the nose.
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 nose.

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Not\~.\~.\~.\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 her}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~.\~.\~.\~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 nose\~.\~.\~.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Impersonal now. Death had returned and was in charge once more. She was gone. And by her own hand for the second time. Maybe she wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t completely a monster.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Maybe.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I wa\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 lked toward the kid. Saw his hand reach blindly for one of the books at his side. I put my foot on the page.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He looked up.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 No,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I said implacably. And: \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Go home.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He had trouble getting to his feet and I reached down to pull him up.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Go home,\'94\loch\f40  I said agai\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 n. \'93\loch\f40 Don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t look back. Put this behind you.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 We\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 re supposed to be together,\'94\loch\f40  he said in a shaky voice.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 No,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I said. \'93\loch\f40 No, you\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 re not. You never were.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He reached down for something and I placed the\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Louisville Slugger}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 
\ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 in his way.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Leave it,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I said. \'93\loch\f40 Go home\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 . You\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 re young. You have your whole life ahead of you. You\hich\f40 
\rquote \loch\f40 ll find someone who is right for you and they\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ll love you and you\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ll love them. And it will be right. This\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I gestured with the bat. \'93\~.
\~.\~.\~\loch\f40 wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t right. It couldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t ever be right.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 We\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 re s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 upposed to be together,\'94\loch\f40  he mumbled.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I hoped it was the rambling of a shock-numbed mind.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Not the promise of a Resurrection 2.0.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Go home,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I told him again. \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 ll clean up here.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t so much leave as drift away among the tombstones. For one crazy mom\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ent I wondered if he was already a ghost, doomed to haunt this graveyard as if his body was already entombed here, too.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Then I picked up the shovel and began to excavate the earth above her coffin.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Whatever spells had been at work over the past two nights \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 had loosed the ground so that the work was surprisingly easy.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Or maybe it was just nice to do something that allowed me to turn my brain off for a little while.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
I made it back home with time to spare before the murderous sun could peek back over the horizon.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The candles and paraphernalia joined Gwen\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s remains back \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 in her coffin. I tucked her in as best I could given the time constraints.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The books and more than a little cemetery earth came home with me.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I took three blood bags into the shower with me and stood there until the hot water ran out and the tub filled up \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
past my ankles. As I dried off with the last clean towel in the cupboard, I stared at the standing water and wondered whether Drano or Liquid Plumr was better at dissolving stubborn cemetery dirt clogs.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I stripped my bed of its sheets. I started to carry t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
hem toward the laundry room then detoured up the stairs to the fireplace in the living room. I pulled the library books up off of the grate and folded the sheets to form a compressed base for tonight\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s funeral pyre. The library books went back on top. May\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 b\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e Guidry was a victim but, considering the chaos he\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d caused, some overdue book fines were a small price to pay. And there was no way I was putting these volumes back in local circulation. I could only hope that he would come to his senses before taking t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 h
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 at left-hand path again.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I went back downstairs and rummaged around for a pair of clean sheets. There weren\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t any. I opened the Amazon app on my phone and ordered more. Extra towels, too. Paid the extra costs for one-day shipping.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Then I crawled onto the b\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 are mattress. It wouldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t be the first time I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d slept like this.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 A former therapist once told me that I presented clear signs of major depressive disorder. He had written out the signs and symptoms for me. Feelings of sadness, emptiness or hopelessness. Lo
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, such as sex, hobbies or sports. Tiredness and lack of energy, so even small tasks take extra effort. Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements. Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decision
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  and remembering things.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 There are other things but these were the things he said that I ticked on the list. He didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t believe in a pharmaceutical solution. He suggested cognitive therapy.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t tell him that I see dead people.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I tried to think of how c\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ognitive therapy could have been applied over the past eleven hours of my life but I drifted off into a disturbingly dreamless sleep, first.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 When I awoke, it was after sunset once more. My clock radio was still unplugged but I could sense the change in the\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 upper atmosphere as the ionization activity in the mesosphere layer had calmed down.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 It was increasingly scary as I discovered new and disturbing ways in which my body and my extended senses were continuing to mutate.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 When I was a child, I thought monster\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s were birthed in mad scientists\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
 labs, cursed Egyptian tombs, Transylvanian castles and black lagoons. They lumbered in the night, along lonely roads and deserted crypts. You were supposed to be safe in the daylight. And, aside from the occasional bully \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
l\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ooking to nick your lunch money, you were supposed to be safe in your school.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Not anymore.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Now the monsters might be your classmate with access to their parent\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s gun cabinet.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Now the monster might be the attractive adult at the front of the classroom who w\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ants you to stay after school.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 It used to be easy. You kept an eye out for the bolts in their neck, the fangs, the ancient funeral bindings, the claws and gills\~.\~.\~.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Not anymore.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 As I sat up, my phone buzzed indicating a waiting text.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I picked it up and o\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 pened the message queue.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 It was from Olive.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Michael Guidry had gone home like I told him to.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And then he had gotten ahold of his father\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s gun and used it to take his own life.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 True horror takes many forms.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \dbch\af0\insrsid11498235\charrsid11498235 
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid3964017 
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid11498235 
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s28\qj \li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 This story is set in the world of Wm. Mark Simmons
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s\~}{\field\fldedit{\*\fldinst {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  HYPERLINK "https://www.baen.com/allbooks/category/index/id/2058,1972" \\t "_blank" }{
\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1789601 {\*\datafield 
00d0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b0200000083000000070000005f0062006c0061006e006b000000e0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b8c000000680074007400700073003a002f002f007700770077002e006200610065006e002e0063006f006d002f0061006c006c0062006f006f006b0073002f0063006100
7400650067006f00720079002f0069006e006400650078002f00690064002f0032003000350038002c0031003900370032000000795881f43b1d7f48af2c825dc48527630000000085ab0000000000000000}}}{\fldrslt {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\cs36\b\f40\fs21\ul\cf19\insrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Halflife Chronicles}}}\sectd \ltrsect\linex0\endnhere\sectlinegrid360\sectdefaultcl\sectrsid9384073\sftnbj {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235 
\~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 dealing with the adventures and misadventures of semi-vampire private eye Christopher Cs\'e9\loch\f40 jthe. The latest entry in that series is April\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s\~}{\field\fldedit{\*\fldinst {
\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  HYPERLINK "https://www.baen.com/a-witch-in-time.html" \\t "_blank" }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1789601 
{\*\datafield 
00d0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b0200000083000000070000005f0062006c0061006e006b000000e0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b6c000000680074007400700073003a002f002f007700770077002e006200610065006e002e0063006f006d002f0061002d00770069007400630068002d0069006e002d00
740069006d0065002e00680074006d006c000000795881f43b1d7f48af2c825dc48527630000000085ab0000000000000000}}}{\fldrslt {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \cs36\b\i\f40\fs21\ul\cf19\insrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 A Witch in Time}}}
\sectd \ltrsect\linex0\endnhere\sectlinegrid360\sectdefaultcl\sectrsid9384073\sftnbj {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
. Before he turned his attention to science fiction, Simmons was winning awards for his writing, first as a newspaper journalist and later as a broadcast copywriter. His first book was a finalist for the Compton Crook Award and made the\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\ab\ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Locus}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Magazine Best
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 List in 1991. When he isn't writing, Mark is in front of the camera or microphone, having worked in television and now radio where his is the morning voice for Radio Kansas and can be heard throughout half of the Sunflower State.}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid11498235 
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 
{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid11498235 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid1789601 \page 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1789601 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs40 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f44\fs40\cf1\insrsid1789601\charrsid1789601 \hich\af44\dbch\af31505\loch\f44 
Waiting for the Talism\hich\af44\dbch\af31505\loch\f44 an
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs32 \ltrch\fcs0 \f44\fs32\cf1\insrsid1789601\charrsid1789601 \hich\af44\dbch\af31505\loch\f44 by P.C. Hodgell
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1789601 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \dbch\af0\insrsid1789601\charrsid1789601 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1789601 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1789601\charrsid1789601 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
\hich\f40 Every morning cook and housekeeper Cleppetania (\'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Call-me-Cleppetty\'94\loch\f40 ) scrubbed the kitchen floor of the Res aB\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
tyrr, then the tiles of the great hall, then the floor of the side room where those too drunk to leave the night before had be\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 en dragged. These latter she also rousted.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Is it really safe to go out?\'94\loch\f40  one old regular quavered, glancing in apprehension at the side windows through which, indeed, early sun light streamed.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 All safe, Gunter,\'94\loch\f40  said Cleppetty, propelling him toward the \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 front door. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Nothing will eat you on the way home.\'94

\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Promise?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Well, I wouldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t go so far as to say that, these days, but better you leave before your wife comes looking for you.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Alarmed, he scurried out.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Every seventh day, Cleppetty did the laundry. Every third day, she baked. Today was the latter.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Consequently, water and salt were dumped into flour but not yeast which, of late, had proved unpredictable. Shortly thereafter the air blurred with powder as Cl\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
eppetty ruthlessly pummeled the dough, in the process making the kitchen table stagger and jump. A spell from her well-worn book of kitchen charms set the loaves to rise. Here memory made her smile: Once she had asked Jame to do this task. The bread had c
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 rtainly risen\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 due, as it turned out, to the growth of rudimentary internal organs. Always good for a laugh, that girl, when she didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t make one want to scream.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Leaving the charm to work, Cleppetty seized her shopping basket and left the inn, her angular, a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ctive figure bristling in all directions. Neighbors called out greetings to her as she passed but none dared to impede her. Here was the local market, one of many such set up in Tai-tastigon\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s squares. The vendors were already in full cry:
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Fresh fruit, in\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  just this morning from the countryside!\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 A haunch of mutton, madam? See, it barely twitches!\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Vegetables, the best, the best\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cleppetty paused before a cart on which were piled leeks, cucumbers, eggplants, and much more beside in colorful heaps. S\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
he picked up a tomato and frowned at it. It was admirably red, but odd pustules garnished it and it seemed to pulse in her hand.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Too ripe,\'94\loch\f40  she said.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 No, no, madam, just right! Or here: look at these radishes.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Too soft,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  said Cleppetty fingering one. \'93\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
If I squeeze this, it will spurt in my face, or explode in the pot. And what about those cabbage heads you sold me last week, eh? D\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 you know what was inside them?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The man winced.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 The potatoes were all right, weren\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t they?\'94\loch\f40  he almost pleaded.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Oh yes, if \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 you could bear to gouge out all of those reproachful, blinking eyes.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\'85\loch\f40 \hich\f40  last night,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  a nearby matron was saying, \'93\loch\f40 
it came down the street, fumbling at the balconies, tearing some of them off. What did it look like? Oh, mostly transparent, I hear, but with\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
 lots of nasty tentacles, and its weight shattered the paving stones as it passed.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 What do you suppose\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t know! What are any of them? Dead gods? Demons? Worse? This only used to happen once a year, on the Feast of Dead Gods, and then we coul\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
d shelter from them, families gathered together. It was almost like a holiday. Now\~.\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 oh, what is our dear city coming to?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Something like that happens every night,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  the merchant said to Cleppetty, his voice dropping to a murmur. \'93\loch\f40 And that\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s not the wo
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 rst of it.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I know,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  said Cleppetty. \'93\loch\f40 I listen.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Someone toward the edge of the square shouted. Heads turned. Shoulders tensed.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Here, here, here! Another harrowing of them!\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 People gathered around a stairwell, some with stones, others drawn as if despite \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
themselves. Shabby figures were routed from the shadows and came, shambling, blinking, into the morning sun. Their clothes hung about them in stinking rags. Their faces were slack, their eyes lit only with dumb fear and hunger.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Oh no!\'94\loch\f40  cried the matron, a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ghast. \'93\loch\f40 That\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s my grandson!\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Others turned on her.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 What did you do, to bring him to this?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Nothing, nothing! He slipped out one night to serve his god. They caught him in the streets. He came home without his shadow and\~.\~.\~.\~and died by morning. After t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
hat, we couldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t restrain him!\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The merchant beside Cleppetty drew back an arm to throw a hefty rutabaga. She stopped him.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t. Just\~.\~.\~.\~don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The haunts scuttled off to anot\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 her hiding place. Whatever they had been before, they were now creatures of the night, and this was the day.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 We never thought before about what separates life from death,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  the vendor said, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 or animate from inanimate.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 As Cleppetty turned away, he sadly ti\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 pped an entire tray of vegetables into the gutter where they split open on impact, disgorging watery blood and suspicious, fibrous bundles.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 On her way back to the Res aB\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 tyrr, beside the remains of the Skyrrman, Cleppetty was stopped by Kithra.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Has Uncle \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Tubain come out of his bedroom yet?\'94\loch\f40  the former maid demanded.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 His wife Abernia was kidnapped by the Sirdan of the Thieves\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40  Guild,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  said Cleppetty, perforce stopping. \'93\loch\f40 Of course he\hich\f40 \rquote 
\loch\f40 \hich\f40 s upset.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 For months?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Very upset.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Kithra pouted. \'93\loch\f40 I know, if I could t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 alk to him, that he would let us come back to live in the Res aB\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
tyrr. Yes, it was kind of him to buy the Skyrrman for me and Rothan as a wedding gift, but it\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s a ruin!\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Yes, it is,\'94\loch\f40  said Cleppetty with a sidelong glance at the moldering hulk beside them.\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  \'93\loch\f40 
After all of this time, too. Is that Tubain\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s fault?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Rothie does his best.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 m sure that he does.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 When is Aunt Abernia coming back?\'94\loch\f40  Kithra cried after her as she pressed on to the Res aB\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 tyrr\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s door where the cat Boo waited for her impatiently on \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 the step. \'93\loch\f40 
When will Uncle Tubain leave his apartment? When will everything be normal again? Are you going to see the Council of Five again? Or the Sirdan? Oh, if you do, take me with you! He\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s so divine!\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cleppetty put the risen loaves in the oven and tur\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ned to the evening\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s meal. Perhaps the inn depended most on its legendary cellar, but patrons also needed to be fed, and they would call for food earlier than in days gone by, wanting to be home by dark.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Soup today was lentil, barley, and bean favored with\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  the bones of a joint left over from yesterday.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Dried vegetables were usually safe.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 As for the joint, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cook anything long enough,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Cleppetty would say with a snort to anyone who dared to ask, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 and it gives in.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The same went for the bustard and the roast c\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 urrently turning on spits, although it made her culinary heart ache to half-ruin them.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 As she turned to the makings of a sparse salad (lettuce couldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t get up to much mischief on the worst of days), the new dancer flounced in. As usual, Na\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
bim wore barely \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 more than a discontented expression. Her charms, thus revealed, were less than she supposed them to be.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Is Master Tubain coming out tonight?\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  she asked, as she had every day for the past month. \'93\loch\f40 How can he spread the word about how good I am if he hasn\hich\f40 
\rquote \loch\f40 t \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 even seen me perform?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cleppetty had seen her. If Tubain ever did, the girl would be out on her ear.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Honestly!\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  she pouted, plump fists jammed on plump hips. \'93\loch\f40 Don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t tell me he didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t promote your precious B
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 tyrr when she was here.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 The B\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 tyrr didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t need\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  any such help,\'94\loch\f40  said Cleppetty tartly.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Nor had she. When Jame danced, eager crowds had spilled out into the square. Tell them that they risked their souls thereby and they would only have laughed:
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cheap at the price!\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Tubain will come out when his wife \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 returns home,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  she said. \'93\loch\f40 Now, unless you want to lend a hand here.\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Na\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 bim turned up her nose and flounced out. Jame would have stayed, not that Cleppetty had ever let her near bread dough again.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cleppetty put food on a tray\hich\f40 \emdash \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 scraps from last night, a bowl of milk\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
and climbed the stairs. To the back of the inn on the second story was the apartment of Tubain and, in better days, his wife. The cat Boo went with her, meowing at her heels. She knocked, waited as if for an answer, \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 a
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 nd went in.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 No one was there.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The rooms felt deserted and stale, but she didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t dare open a window. Where had that nosy Na\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 bim gone? A glance back through the door reassured her: Not to the dancer
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s nearby room, at least.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cleppetty put the tray down on the\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  floor and uncovered it. Boo, already obese, waddled over and proceeded to make a glutton of himself. While he gorged, making \'93\loch\f40 
\hich\f40 yumm, yumm, yumm\'94\loch\f40  noises, she opened a closet and regarded the garments hung on hooks within. To the right were a woman\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s clothe\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
; to the left, a man\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The entire apartment seemed as rigorously separated, down to fussy ornaments on one side and austere walls on the other. The mattress sported two parallel grooves. Two tables flanked the bed. On one rested a man\hich\f40 
\rquote \loch\f40 s comb, on the other\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  a woman\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s brush, both with short, graying hair wound around their prongs.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Still in the closet, Cleppetty fingered a pair of trousers, sighed, and took down instead a gown embroidered with blue flowers across the bodice.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Picking up the now empty tray, foll\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 owed by Boo begging for more, she left.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Shortly thereafter she put on her own most respectable dress, packed more food\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 this time, the best at hand\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
and left the inn. Kithra saw her pass from an upstairs window of the Skyrrman and called for her to wait. She\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t follow, however, as the housekeeper hurried on into the labyrinth of the city.

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 By now it was late afternoon with people hurrying through the streets to complete the day\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s errands. Merchants hawked their wares, many aware that whatever they didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ell today would have to be thrown out tomorrow. Chanting in cadence, acolytes ran through the streets exhorting followers to gather in the Temple District to protect their gods against the threat of nightfall. Some doors were already shut, their cracks st
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 u\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ffed with strips of cloth. It might have been the Feast of Dead Gods come again, disastrously out of season.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The sky growled. Clouds banked there, their tops still sun-lit, their foundations already sunk in shadow. One might have thought that a host of win\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
dows and gables loomed over the city, limed with spectral light. The wind shifted, then shifted back, bringing a carrion stench on its breath.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Here was Ship Island, home of the Thieves\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40  Guild. The River Tone surged around its prow, icy water from the Ebonb\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ane lapping the toes of its figurehead, a female holding aloft, one in each hand, the severed heads of two men. That was her, Jame had once said, according to that smiling monster Bane. He had also said that one of the heads was his own. The other belonge
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 d\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  to the former Sirdan, Theocandi, whom the Guild believed Jame to have assassinated. The Guild was being idiotic.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cleppetty stumped across the stone draw-bridge, across the foredeck, to the entrance of the palace proper.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ve come to see the Sirdan Men-da\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 lis,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  she snarled at the guard whom she met there. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
Better yet, one of his prisoners. Here is her dinner, also a fresh dress.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The man blinked at her, then grinned.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I was told to watch for you,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  he said. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Leave your baggage here.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He led her deeper into t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
he palace, along a route that she had never taken before. Odd, that the Guild had chosen such a nautically themed headquarters, or perhaps not: here, they had an entire island to themselves in which to be virtually a law unto themselves. Moreover, it was 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 c\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 lose to the rich Gold Ringing District. Tai-tastigon\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s thieves were nothing if not pretentious. Jame had really gotten under their skin when the legendary thief Penari had taken her on as an apprentice, and then she had chosen as the Talisman only to stea\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 l
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  trinkets.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 The craft is all,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  she had said, with that lop-sided smile of hers. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 That, and friendship.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Such an unusual thief. Such a loyal friend.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The hall in which Cleppetty found herself was high and elegantly attired\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 too much so, for her tastes. Men-da\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
lis lived like a prince but one newly come to power and overly proud of it. How long had it been? Five-some years? What did he still have to prove?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Jame had been gone that long too, driven out by the Guild. Where was she now? What was she doing? Her people\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 lived west of the Ebonbane, she had said, in some place called the Riverland. She had gone to join them. Had they found her as unnerving as Tai-tastigon had?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Perfume invaded the air, a heady, evocative scent, and the light shifted. Cleppetty knew without \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
turning that Men-Dalis had entered the hall. Kithra had called him divine. He was, at least, the son of a New Pantheon sun god, and infamous in his own right for his charming manner. All the less reason to bend to him, Cleppetty thought, her straight back
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 becoming even more stiff. Arrogant, self-righteous pup.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Oh, but that scent.\~.\~.\~.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 It reminded her of her first courtship, so many years ago. She had thought then that love was forever. Well, so it was, but so were her new vows.
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1789601\charrsid1789601 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Ah, Sart, on guard duty toni\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ght. You support me when you can and I am no longer a widow. Otherwise, always, I support myself and those whom I love.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1789601\charrsid1789601 
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 You come bearing gifts to your mistress Abernia. Your master Tubain only has to present himself to reclaim her.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Oh, that smug, laughin\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 g voice. Did he know the truth? Abernia had been his prisoner for months. He must.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Some people are naturally fragile.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Now he was playing with her. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Or perhaps unnaturally.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 That doesn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t apply to Mistress Abernia,\'94\loch\f40  she said sharply.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 True, true.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Was that a note of irritation in his voice? Tubain was, in many ways, a coward. Abernia was not. That was why they complemented each other so well, and why Men-dalis was now finding the latter such a tough nut to crack.

\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 My master is a good ma\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 n,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  she said, glowering, defiant. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 And my mistress is a good woman.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Men-dalis could be heard to pout, although he stood behind her. \'93\loch\f40 Is it enough to be good, though? My brother Dallen\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She interrupted. Why should the sound of that name in his mouth \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 offend her? \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Dally was a sweet boy. An honorable boy. A friend. What of him?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Nothing. Nothing. Was he so good, though? After all, he betrayed me to that strumpet Talisman.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 He did not!\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 A-ha, ha, ha. Then he fooled you too. Did she as well?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 She was a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 nd still is a Kencyr. They never lie.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 So people say. They also say that the dead are coming back.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Was that hesitancy in his voice, even sudden fear? Of what was he afraid? Everyone said that Bane had killed Dally, flayed him alive on the Mercy Seat the \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
same night that Jame had supposedly killed Theocandi. But what if he hadn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t any more than she had?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cleppetty shivered. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 What shadow walks behind you?\'94\loch\f40  she demanded, still not turning, now almost scared to.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 What? Where?\'94\loch\f40  He had turned quickly; she heard it\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  in his voice, also in his dread. \'93\loch\f40 
Nothing. I have sent for the Talisman, in this place called the Riverland. If she doesn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t return to sort out this mess, I have promised to burn your precious inn to the ground and slay you all on its threshold. Tell me: 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 w\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ill she come? Is she that loyal?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 To her friends, yes.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The memory came to her of those silver-gray eyes, that flickering, deadly smile.
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1789601\charrsid1789601 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And to her enemies, implacable,\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1789601\charrsid1789601 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 she thought.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1789601\charrsid1789601 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Be careful what you wish for, guild lord.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1789601\charrsid1789601 
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cleppetty took a deep breath. \'93\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 If she does, will you release my mistress?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 He laughed, light hearted again. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 We will see.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Then he was gone.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cleppetty found her own way out. In the entry hall, the guard was finishing the food that she had brought for Abernia. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Very tasty,\'94\loch\f40  he said, smil
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ing at her. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 My wife will appreciate the dress.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cleppetty snarled at him and departed, worried anew about Abernia. The palace\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s dungeon, known as the Brig, was said to be a dank, often flooded place, hard on middle-aged bones. Moreover, did everyone here \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 know the truth about its current inmate?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The sun had set behind the Ebonbane and shadows stretched long fingers across the streets. People were hurrying home, clutching last minute purchases, the ways nearly empty. In the distance, something boomed, and so
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 meone screamed. Nearer at hand, shapes stirred in stairwells, in doorways, restless, eager.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Overhead, the impression of a monstrous house had grown. The fretful wind tipped it so that one felt dizzy looking up. It appeared about to spill darkness out of it\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
s doors and windows on the city beneath, and thunder grumbled in its depths.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cleppetty pulled her hood down over her head and picked up her pace. Although every noise made her heart pound, she couldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t help but smile.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Jame was coming back. At last.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1789601 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \dbch\af0\insrsid1789601\charrsid1789601 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid11498235 
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid1789601 
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s28\qj \li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1789601 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1789601 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 This story is set within the world of P.C. Hodgell
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s\~}{\field\fldedit{\*\fldinst {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1789601 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  HYPERLINK "https://www.baen.com/allbooks/category/index/id/2079,1972" \\t "_blank" }{
\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376 {\*\datafield 
00d0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b0200000083000000070000005f0062006c0061006e006b000000e0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b8c000000680074007400700073003a002f002f007700770077002e006200610065006e002e0063006f006d002f0061006c006c0062006f006f006b0073002f0063006100
7400650067006f00720079002f0069006e006400650078002f00690064002f0032003000370039002c0031003900370032000000795881f43b1d7f48af2c825dc48527630000000085ab00000000000000}}}{\fldrslt {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \cs36\b\f40\fs21\ul\cf19\insrsid1789601 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Kencyrath Saga}}}\sectd \ltrsect\linex0\endnhere\sectlinegrid360\sectdefaultcl\sectrsid9384073\sftnbj {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1789601 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
, with latest entry in the series\~}{\field\fldedit{\*\fldinst {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1789601 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  HYPERLINK "https://www.baen.com/by-demons-possessed.html" \\t "_blank" }{\rtlch\fcs1 
\ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376 {\*\datafield 
00d0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b0200000083000000070000005f0062006c0061006e006b000000e0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b74000000680074007400700073003a002f002f007700770077002e006200610065006e002e0063006f006d002f00620079002d00640065006d006f006e0073002d007000
6f0073007300650073007300650064002e00680074006d006c000000795881f43b1d7f48af2c825dc48527630000000085ab00000000000000}}}{\fldrslt {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \cs36\b\i\f40\fs21\ul\cf19\insrsid1789601 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
By Demons Possessed}}}\sectd \ltrsect\linex0\endnhere\sectlinegrid360\sectdefaultcl\sectrsid9384073\sftnbj {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1789601 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
out in May, 2019. P.C. Hodgell earned her doctorate at the University of Minnesota with a dissertation on Sir Walter Scott's\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1789601 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Ivanhoe}{
\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1789601 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 , and is a graduate of both the Clarion and the Milford Writers Workshops. Now retired, \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
she was a lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in modern British literature and composition, and taught an on-line course on science fiction and fantasy for the University of Minnesota. Hodgell lives in her family\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s ancestral nineteenth-century\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 wood-framed house in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1789601 
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1789601 \rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {
\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid1789601 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid5054376 \page 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs40 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f44\fs40\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af44\dbch\af31505\loch\f44 Voodoo Magic

\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs32 \ltrch\fcs0 \f44\fs32\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af44\dbch\af31505\loch\f44 by Robert Buettner
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \dbch\af0\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
When Cass Gooding\hich\f40 \rquote \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
s flight landed, local time and temperature were ten a.m. and eighty-six humid degrees Fahrenheit, so sweat already dampened her forehead. She cleared Cayman Islands immigration and customs then, passport in hand, hoisted the backpack she had checked and 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 pun toward the exit.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 A cocoa-skinned man blocked her. He wore a sport coat despite the heat, showed his ID, and said, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
Detective Constable Mechem. Royal Cayman Islands Police Service. May I ask you a few questions, miss?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cass glanced around. Other exiting\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  passengers streamed past her. Hair rose on her neck. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Why?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 He pointed to an empty conference room. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 We can talk in there.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cass didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t budge. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 My connecting flight leaves from another building. I have to run.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 He shrugged. \'93\loch\f40 The sooner we talk, the sooner\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  you may be able to run.\'94
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 * * *

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
In the small room, he pointed at Cass\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s passport. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 May I?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 She handed it across and he read aloud, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cassidy Gooding.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  He flicked his eyes from her face to her photo then back. \'93\loch\f40 
Where have your neck tattoo and eyebrow ring go\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ne?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 The way of my misspent youth.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Ah.\'94\loch\f40  He turned to her passport\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s personal data page and read, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Chantilly?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Virginia. Outside Washington D.C. It\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s my business address.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 And what is your business?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I curate airplanes at the U.S. National Air and Space Museum Annex in Chantilly. The Smithsonian.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 He lifted her pack from the floor beside her and laid it on the conference table. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Would you be offended if I asked you to open this?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 m already offended.\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  There\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s nothing in it but my perfectly legal private property.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
 She eyed her watch, sighed, then unzipped her pack. \'93\loch\f40 I need to make my flight. But touch my panties and I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 ll slug you.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Atop her pack\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s contents rested a three inch thick business envelope. T\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 he envelope\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s ends drooped over the detective\hich\f40 \rquote 
\loch\f40 s upturned palm as he hefted it.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 He raised his eyebrows. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Do you acknowledge this packet was placed here by yourself and is your property?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Yes, it\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s mine. It\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s not drugs, you dick.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 He smiled. \'93\loch\f40 Agreed. But it\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 is}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 an extraordinary volume of paper.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 It\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s not drug\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 money}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 either. Open it.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He tugged out the monograph\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s unbound pages, then cocked his head as he read their top sheet. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Voodoo Magic by Dr. Cassidy Gooding.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Copy edited manuscript. Smithsonian Institut\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ion Scholarly Press sent it for corrections. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
m a doctor of aeronautical history. The F-101 Voodoo was a Cold War U.S. airplane.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The detective replaced the envelope and zipped Cass\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s pack shut. Then he threw back his head and laughed.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass said, \'93\loch\f40 What?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 H\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 e waved her to follow him. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Dr. Gooding, I have indeed been a dick. To make amends allow me to drive you to your connecting flight.\'94
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 * * *

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
\hich\f40 In his sedan parked at the curb the detective asked, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Where to?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Island Air FBO. Should be close.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Quite close.\'94\loch\f40  He\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  looked over his shoulder then merged into traffic. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
But Island Air only serves private planes and charters. What is your airline?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Chance Airlines. It operates one flight a week from Georgetown to Last Chance Key.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Again the detective laughed. \'93\loch\f40 An imitat\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ion airline to an imitation island.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 What?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Chance Airlines is one small plane chartered once each week to one destination. Last Chance Key\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 official}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 name is \hich\f40 \lquote \loch\f40 Last Rock.
\hich\f40 \rquote \'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Official?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Last Rock first appeared on charts in 1670 as an uninhabited navigation hazard. It\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
s three miles long, one mile wide, as low and flat as all the Caymans, and forty miles northeast of Cayman Brac, our easternmost island.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Why uninhabited?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Cayman rainfall\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  supports only our islands\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
 natural ecosystems. Human habitation requires supplemental desalinated well water. During the 1960s, a well and desalination plant were completed on Last Rock. Today perhaps two hundred people live there.\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 They}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 call it Last Chanc\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
\hich\f40 e Key.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Why?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Key means island of course. 'Last' because going east from the Caymans it\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
s the final dab of land until Cuba or Jamaica. Chance because the gentleman who built the desalination plant takes in unfortunates who are down to their last chance.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 It\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s part of the Caymans?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 The detective shrugged. \'93\loch\f40 
Geographically, perhaps. But if our politicians claimed those unfortunates they would assume responsibility for their health care and such. Souls who are down to their last chance can\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t pay much tax to 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 cover the bill.\'94\loch\f40  He stopped his car in front of Island Air\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s building, thirty minutes before Cass\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s scheduled departure.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cass tugged her backpack from his car\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s trunk and said, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Thanks for the lift. But why did you pull me over in the first place?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Gossip\loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 .\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Huh?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 
Caymanians love it. We say one day a lady sneezed here in Georgetown. Thirty minutes later the story that reached Bodden Town was that she had the plague. RCIPS received an anonymous phone tip an hour before your flight landed, to beware of an A
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 merican girl with short red hair arriving from Miami.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Beware why?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 The detective shrugged again. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Unspecified. Usually such tips involve drug or currency couriers.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  He grinned. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
You are our first-ever sorceress.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t understand the joke.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Belief sy\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
stems like Voodoo remain unlawful in the Caymans. At least those parts are unlawful that involve extortion by pretending to cast spells, or involve poisoning.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Spells? Seriously?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Not seriously to you or to me. But to Caymanians of my parents\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40  generation,\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 most}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
seriously. Obviously someone who takes Voodoo seriously glimpsed your title page while you were working en route. The story grew until you became a witch doctor. Our normal procedure would have caused you to miss your flight.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The detective left as \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cass wrinkled her forehead. No superstitious departure lounge tipster had fingered her, because her manuscript hadn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t left her pack since she had left her apartment. But\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 someone}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 had tried to delay, but not prevent, her arrival at Last Chance Key. Frowning,\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 she jogged toward the Turboprop DeHavilland Twin Otter waiting on the tarmac.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 * * *

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93
\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Welcome aboard, Dr. Gooding.\'94\loch\f40  The shirt-sleeved pilot sweated in bright sun alongside the Otter\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s open cabin door. He took Cass\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s backpack to stow in the nose luggage com\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 partment and smiled. \'93\loch\f40 Choose any row you want today. As long as it\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s number one. Also\hich\f40 \emdash \'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass smiled back. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I know Otters. Everybody gets a window seat, everybody gets an aisle seat.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She climbed up and through the door, then paused, head down beneath the s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 tifling cabin\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s low ceiling. Through the open forward bulkhead door she saw the copilot seated. The cabin smelled of bananas, and of something else that suggested prior passengers had included livestock.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The pilot climbed in behind her, closed and latched \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 the door, then squeezed past her and walked forward.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Twin Otters were Short Takeoff and Landing wonders. They could land on a dime and \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
take off from a nickel while carrying nineteen passengers with luggage, or cargo from jet skis to goats, or any combination in between. Today this cabin\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s rear seats had been removed and the space crammed with ratchet-tied cargo.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cass picked her way forwar\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
d through crated bananas, camping equipment, and plastic fifty-five gallon drums until she reached the two spartan passenger seats immediately aft of the forward bulkhead.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She buckled herself into the right seat while the pilot knelt in the aisle that sepa\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
rated her from the other passenger, who was already buckled into the left seat. He signed, then returned to the pilot, a cargo manifest on a clipboard.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 * * *

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Fifteen minutes later, the Otter had climbed out from Grand Cayman Island and droned toward Last C\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 hance Key, one hundred thirty miles northeast.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cass\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s view, unobstructed by the Otter\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s high wing, was of empty sea. The Caymans were flat specks that barely peeked above the central Caribbean\hich\f40 \rquote 
\loch\f40 s azure surface, and were the only land for seven-hundred-forty\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 -miles north from the Panama Canal and for nearly five hundred miles east from the Yucatan Peninsula\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s tip. The Caymans also lay two-hundred-forty-miles northwest of Jamaica. Even the closest land, Cabo de Cruz, the barbed tip of the elongate fishhook tha\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 was Cuba, lay a hundred miles northeast of Last Chance Key.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The Caymans\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40  isolation blessed them with gin-clear water that lured divers from around the world. The Caymans\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
 discreet banks lured a different clientele, from money-laundering drug lords to dead\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 beat dads. But Last Chance Key lured Cass Gooding for neither of those reasons.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She stretched tall in her seat to glimpse the Caymans\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40  eastern islands out the Otter\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s left side window, but the other passenger blocked her view. He looked to be Cass
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s age, w\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 hich her mother defined as north of stupid and barely south of unmarriageable.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass tapped his muscled shoulder. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Can you see Cayman Brac out there yet?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He stared straight forward at the bulkhead, back stiff. His big hands clenched his seat\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s spindly arms\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  so tight that his own forearms\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
 muscles bulged, and their veins stood out.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass said, \'93\loch\f40 Don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t like flying?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 He shook his head, then muttered through clenched teeth, \'93\loch\f40 Like flying. Don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t like crashing.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass said, \'93\loch\f40 If it helps, I feel as safe in a Twin Otter\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  like this as probably any fixed wing aircraft I know. And I know lots of them.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 He turned his head slightly toward her. \'93\loch\f40 You\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 re a pilot?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Not these. I have my rotorcraft license.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Especially don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t like helicopters crashing. You ever crash one?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cass pau\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 sed, then said, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 No.\'94\loch\f40  She blinked.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He exhaled then stared at her. His eyes were Caribbean blue.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 He said, \'93\loch\f40 You\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 re lying.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Then he smiled. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 But I appreciate the sympathetic gesture.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He turned his torso toward her as stiffly as if he were wearing a neck brac\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 e and mini-waved his hand four inches off the seat arm. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Steve Hunter.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Cass Gooding. I wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t lying about the Otter. It\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s a simple aircraft. Safe as houses. That\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
s the opinion of a Ph.D. in aeronautical history.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 You too?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Me too what?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Ph.D. in a fie\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ld with the earning potential of dry rot.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 You\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 re an invertebrate paleontologist.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 His jaw dropped. \'93\loch\f40 How\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass pointed at his chest, \'93\loch\f40 Your T-shirt reads \hich\f40 \lquote \loch\f40 I dig blastoids.\hich\f40 \rquote \'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 He raised his eyebrows. \'93\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Wow. Most people guess death rays or colon polyps. Did you come to the Caymans for the diving?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Again she hesitated then blinked. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Yes.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 That\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s your second lie. At three I shut down conversations. So. Did you come to launder money, for a vacation, or for \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 something else you don
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t want to talk about?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t come to launder money or for a vacation.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 He smiled. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Smart answer.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Smart question. My turn.\'94\loch\f40  Cass flicked her eyes to the jagged scar that ran from his left elbow to wrist, then rethought.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She jerk\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ed her thumb at the cargo behind them. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 You vacation with drums of concentrated hydrochloric acid, a pickaxe, and a life raft?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Business trip, not vacation. It\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s an inflatable boat, not a life raft. They say down here catching dinner is cheaper than groce\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
ries. Acid can dissolve some invertebrate fossils like seashells out of limestone, which is what the Caymans are made of. You may have seen paperweights or jewelry made that way.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 You manufacture trinkets?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 No. My business is the same as every other unte\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 nured paleo nerd\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s business. Find cheap groceries. As a joke I started a go-fund-me page about it. I got back a snail mail letter proposing a pilot program. Apparently Last Chance Key\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s a sharing economy and the only natural resources its residents have t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 o\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  share are fish and fossiliferous limestone. There was a plane ticket and a check in the envelope.\'94

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 The copilot stuck his head back through the cockpit door. \'93\loch\f40 We\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 re starting our descent into Last Chance Key. Touchdown in ten minutes.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The Otter banked as i\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ts nose dipped.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Dr. Steve Hunter, untenured paleo nerd, cottage industry entrepreneur, and severe aerophobe, again froze solid.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 * * *

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
The loaded Otter stopped four hundred feet after touchdown with easily a thousand feet of runway left. Cass and Hunter jum\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ped down onto the runway as a rust perforated pickup that had once been red stopped alongside the plane.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The airstrip, barely above sea level, was crushed white limestone bordered by knee-high green scrub. Beyond, similar scrub punctuated by stunted trees \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
alternated with white rock and sand patches. There was no terminal, just a fuel trailer with one flat tire and a flapping windsock.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The pickup\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s driver, whose biceps and shoulders bulged like dark, tattooed grapefruit, laid Cass\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s pack and Hunter\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s in the 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 pickup\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s bed, loaded the crated bananas, then motioned the two of them to squeeze beside him in the front seat.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 As the pilots unloaded the rest of the cargo the driver accelerated then said, \'93\loch\f40 Dr. Hunter, Miss Gooding, I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 m Cedric. Pleased to make your acqua
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 intance. I drive you anyplace you need to go as long as you\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
re here. Dr. Hunter, I come back for the rest of your cargo and deliver it to the campsite where you asked for. I cleared the brush there this morning.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter pointed at the greenery. \'93\loch\f40 Does this \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 brush ever grow taller than it is now?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cedric shrugged. \'93\loch\f40 
Cayman brush is the same as me. Before I came here I was a prizefighter in Jamaica. Standup Cedric they called me. When I got knocked down I always stood up again. Brush here stands up too. It cover\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
s everything nice and green. But before it stands up for too long hurricanes always come and knock it down. Then the rock is bald as my grandfather\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s head. But soon the brush stands up again.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass said, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cedric, why would a prizefighter live here?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 He shrugged his big shoulders again as he drove. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 One fight I got knocked down. I was supposed to stay down.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass said, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 To cheat?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Standup Cedric nodded. \'93\loch\f40 But I never cheat, miss. I stood up. So the cheaters who lost money came looking for me. To put me \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
down for the long count. But Billy found me first. He got me out of Jamaica and offered me one last chance to come here and disappear. I took it.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Billy?\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Cass said, \'93\loch\f40 The room I reserved is at a place called \hich\f40 \lquote \loch\f40 Billy\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s.\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
 I hope you know it because I don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t h\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ave an address.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 The driver grinned. \'93\loch\f40 Neither does Billy\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s, miss.\'94
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 * * *

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
A half mile later Cedric dropped Cass, Hunter, their packs, and the banana crates in front of a free-standing wood plank porch that measured perhaps forty feet by forty feet. Railings\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 surrounded the porch, and timber pilings elevated it two feet above the ground, then continued upward and supported a woven grass roof that shaded the porch. On the porch a half dozen tables were arranged along the rail so they overlooked the sea, fifty 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 y\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ards away.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hunter carried both their packs onto the porch, past a hand painted wooden sign hung from the porch\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s front rail:
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 BILLY
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 S LAST RESORT}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Order what you want. Eat what you get.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Ten feet behind the porch stood two tiny limestone block cottages. Smok\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e drifted from the nearer cottage\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s chimney.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 A gray haired, heavy white woman wearing a long cotton dress carried a metal coffee pot from the cottage to the porch, set it on a sideboard, then smiled at them. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Ah. The Yanks. Welcome.
\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cass stood alongside H\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 unter and said to the woman, \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 m Cassidy Gooding. I reserved a room here. Are you Billy?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 The old woman shook her head. \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 m Millicent. This place is named for Billy because he\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 started}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 it. Billy started everything here.\'94

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass said to the old woman, \'93\loch\f40 So it\loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s a memorial?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Memorial? Hardly. Billy\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s quite alive.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  She paused, peered out to sea, then leaned forward and raised her wire rimmed glasses onto her forehead. 
\'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 What the devil?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She turned to the sideboard, snatched up binoculars, then stared while she f\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ocused them.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cass and Hunter turned and also stared as a ship, painted gold from stem to stern, moved toward the island.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 The old woman frowned. \'93\loch\f40 Cruise ships don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t stop here.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass groaned. \'93\loch\f40 It\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s no cruise ship.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hunter pointed seaward as he turned to Cass\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 . \'93\loch\f40 You\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 know}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 this ship?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass sighed, \'93\loch\f40 Yep. And this explains a lot. The\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Kraken}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 is the world\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s ninth biggest private yacht. Also the world\hich\f40 \rquote \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
s second most sophisticated underwater exploration and recovery vessel. And its owner is the world\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s first biggest asshole.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 The gold ship slowed, turned broadside, and Millicent sniffed. \'93\loch\f40 Two miles out. That ship draws too much water to cross the reef. Th\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 at\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
\hich\f40 s as close as your asshole can get, Dear.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass shook her head. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Never underestimate an asshole.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 A gold painted helicopter lifted off the pad near the ship\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s stern and sped toward them.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Millicent whispered, \'93\loch\f40 Bugger! Will you look at\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 that}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 
\ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cass closed \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 her eyes. \'93\loch\f40 I don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t need to. It\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s an Airbus H155 with lizard skin seats and a minibar.\'94

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 A minute later the helo settled in the middle of the road and sat while both engines whistled down to silence. Its pilot hopped out his door, then opened the passenger c\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ompartment door.

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Parkman Silver stepped down, visored one hand above his eyes, then strode toward the trio who stood in the grass roof\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s shadow. The breeze ruffled his tight-curled graying hair, his untucked shirt, and his linen slacks. Already lime dust k\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 icked up by his helo settled on his hand-sewn deck slip-ons.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 He called, \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 m looking for Billy.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 The old woman called back. \'93\loch\f40 He\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s expected shortly.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Silver shouted, \'93\loch\f40 When\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s shortly?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Two days.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Silver paused when he got close enough to read the restaurant\loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s sign. Then he cocked his head, jerked his aviators up, and stared at Cass. \'93\loch\f40 
\hich\f40 Gooding?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass smiled. \'93\loch\f40 It\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s refreshing when you look shocked and actually are.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Silver stepped into the shade, then looked her up and down from her ball cap to her trainers.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  nodded. \'93\loch\f40 I prefer this new look. The tattoos and face hardware were\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 too}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 crack whore.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass clenched her fists behind her back while she stretched a smile. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Nobody compliments a woman quite like you do Silver.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 No hard feelings about the Desert One busine\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ss, then?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ll leave those to the crew\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s families.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Gooding, the artifacts were tastefully displayed.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Between the nickel slots and the tittie bar.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 The Las Vegas Municipal Court ruled for me.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Funny how in Las Vegas the house always wins.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 That\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 he American way, Gooding.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Not my America.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Silver sighed. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Give it up, Gooding.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  He pointed out at his yacht. \'93\loch\f40 Join me for dinner tonight. You tell me what you\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
re here after. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ll tell you why you should just give it up to me without a struggle. My chef \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 is doing a bisque with locally harvested conch.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 m busy.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ll pair it with my last 1841\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Veuve Cliquot}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 .\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Busier still.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 You know conch is an aphrodisiac.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Silver, there is not enough conch in the ocean.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Silver sighed. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Game on then.\'94\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  He spun his finger to his pilot, the helo\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
s engines whined and its rotor spun. As Silver reboarded, he shouted back to Cass, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Remember, Gooding, the house always wins.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cass stared, arms crossed and eyes narrowed, as the golden helicopter hovered five hun\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 dred feet above them.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 She whispered, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 At this moment I would sell my soul for one lousy RPG.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter stared at Cass, mouth agape. \'93\loch\f40 Who the hell is that? More importantly, who the hell are\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 you}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cass sat at a shaded table looking out across the azure sea th\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 en nodded to Hunter to join her. She said to the old woman, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
Millicent, if we order, what will we get?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Conch chowder this evening.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 What can we get in the meantime?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hot coffee. Cool water. Green bananas that flew in with you.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hunter said to Millicent\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 , \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Any chance of a couple beers?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 On Billy\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s island there is no beer. Also no rum, no drugs, no guns, no bombs, no temptation, and no one looking down on you for what you did before. All we have is two lorries, thirty goats, two boats, all of which we sha\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
re, and one last chance to share a simple life with others like us.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Millicent set their coffees and waters in front of them then said to Cass, \'93\loch\f40 I used to have a lovely thin body just your size. Also a good man, a beautiful daughter, and I captained the fi
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 nest dive boat on The Brac.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 She turned up one forearm and pointed at heroin tracks. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I threw Paradise away for this shit. Until I thought this,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  she pointed at scars on her wrists, \'93
\loch\f40 was my only way out. But Billy found me in an alley, bandaged me up, and \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 gave me one last chance.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  She breathed deep as she stared out across the sea at the big gold ship. \'93
\loch\f40 I must see to the chowder. Coffee\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s in the pot, bananas are in the crate. Stay as long as you please.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass swallowed a lump in her throat. \'93\loch\f40 Makes my issues\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  with Silver look insignificant.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter wiped his eyes. \'93\loch\f40 Makes this Billy look damn significant. I had no idea. Before I came I could find zero about this place on the Internet. It doesn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t even\~}{
\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 have}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Internet service. Or cell service. I expected some sketc\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 hy fishing camp.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Me too.\'94\loch\f40  She stared out at the\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Kraken}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 
\ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 . \'93\loch\f40 Silver I didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t expect.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Which brings me back to my question. Who is Silver and what\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s your mutual beef?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Parkman Silver inherited ten billion dollars. To date, he has mismanaged that down to fou\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 r billion. On which, as you see, he still squeaks by. He uses the\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Kraken}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
to find historic wreckage, mostly ships, sometimes aircraft, even rare wine recovered from shipwrecks. He uses his loot in his only successful businesses, which are touring circuses m\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
asquerading as cultural exhibitions, and casinos.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hunter\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s eyes widened. \'93}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Long John Silver\hich\f40 \rquote 
\loch\f40 s Las Vegas}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ? With the restored Spanish galleon in the pool and the world-renowned Pirate Wenches?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Yep.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 How are\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 you}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 crossways with him?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cass pointed out over th\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
e water at a large black bird that drifted in the sky parallel to the shoreline. As they watched the big bird dove on a smaller one inbound from the sea, from whose beak a limp object dangled. The small one dove and twisted, but eventually the bigger bird
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 snatched the object away.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass said, \'93\loch\f40 That small bird\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s called a booby. The big one\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s a frigate bird.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter said, \'93\loch\f40 Historian, international woman of mystery, and\~.\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 bird watcher?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass smiled. \'93\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Sort of. The history of flight began with humans watching birds and wondering what if. The point is boobys fly out to sea, dive for squid all day, then bring home their catch to feed their chicks. Frigate birds are opportunistic jerks. They watch the boob
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 y\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 s do the work then steal their squid.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Silver stole your squid? How?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 He\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s stolen several. But most recently? Do you know what Silver meant by \hich\f40 \lquote \loch\f40 Desert One\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 ?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Probably. In 1980 the U.S. tried to fly into Iran and rescue hostages. At a ground refueling po\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
int in the Iranian desert, code named Desert One, two aircraft collided in a sandstorm. The mission failed. It was Jimmy Carter\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s Waterloo.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass nodded. \'93\loch\f40 Yep. Eight U.S. service personnel died in that collision. Iran repatriated their remains, but kept th\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
e wreckage and collateral objects left behind. They still display some of the wreckage as trophies from their \hich\f40 \lquote \loch\f40 great military victory.\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
 Even though the Iranians had no idea the rescuers were even in their country, and the Iranians had fuck-all to do with \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 he collision.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 The objects were your squid?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 
The objects were never for me. I was compiling the subsequent histories of the aircraft that survived Desert One. I came across a German magazine ad claiming to offer for sale personal effects smuggled out of \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Iran by a Pakistani. I passed the lead on to the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. The Agency\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s mission is remains recovery, but some decedents\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
 family members funded an on-site attempt to negotiate for repatriation of the effects. I accompanied the\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 negotiators to Dubai, on my own dime, to authenticate the stuff.\'94

\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 So you really are an international woman of mystery.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Hardly. The seller met us at the Dubai airport McDonalds. He told us he had sold the stuff a half hour earlier, then stuck us with the\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
 check for his Chicken McArabia to go.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Oh.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 It sounds funny. But the successful buyer was Silver. So it\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s my fault that I had to tell a dead service man\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s daughter that if she wanted to see her father\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s wedding ring, watch, and wallet photos of her and \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
her mother she would find them displayed alongside a photo of the wreck he burned to death in. All behind glass in a topless bar masquerading as a museum.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 How is that\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 your}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 fault?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Silver tracks researchers like me because he\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s too lazy to figure out whe\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 re the good stuff is himself. And because I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 m\~}
{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 not}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 a spy I can
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t really travel without leaving electronic footprints that Silver\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s hackers follow. I thought I had my tracks covered this trip because I reserved and paid cash by snail mail for my Last Chance 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Air ticket.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 So what\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s this trip\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s good stuff?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass stared at the sea. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Probably nothing. Chasing history means leaving lots of footprints for no reward but sore feet.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Standup Cedric returned in his formerly red pickup, stopped, and called to Hunter, \'93\loch\f40 D\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 r. Hunter I take you out to your place now.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Steve stood and said to Cass, \'93\loch\f40 It won\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t take me long to make camp. Maybe Cedric could drive you out later. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
ll show you around. Maybe cook you dinner?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass smiled and shook her head. \'93\loch\f40 Unfortunately I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 m busy.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 His face fell. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Oh. Got it.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 No. No, you haven\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t. Not busy like I told Silver. Steve, I really have something to do that can\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t wait. When I finish I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
\hich\f40 ll come see you.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  She asked Cedric, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 You could give me a lift then?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 As Cedric drove Hunter south he calle\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 d back, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I give you a lift anytime you ask, miss.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass turned to Millicent. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Where would I find boats for hire?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 You wouldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t, Dear. We have two boats. One is under repair.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Okay. Where would I find\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 the}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 boat for hire?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Millicent pointed north. \'93\loch\f40 Today Lu\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 cky Derek is using it. He generally cleans his catch just up the road.\'94
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 * * *

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Twenty minutes\hich\f40 \rquote \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  walk brought Cass to the boat. A weathered, open outboard, twenty feet long, its bow had been pulled out of the water onto a crescent shaped beach fifteen feet wide. It would do nicely.

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 A barefoot black man wearing just long trunks stood alongside the boa\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
t. He lifted a single small fish from a well in the boat and chucked it into a plastic cooler on the sand. Evidently Lucky Derek\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s fishing skill hadn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t earned him his nickname.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cass recognized two scars left of his breastbone, where his heart would be. Bul\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 let wounds. Another apparent Billy rescue, and lucky indeed.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass called, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Derek?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Yes, Miss Gooding.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 You know my name.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Everybody on the island know your name. Caymanians love the gossip.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 So I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ve heard. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 d like to hire this boat.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Derek grinned. \'93\loch\f40 T\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 oday\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 everybody}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 like to hire this boat.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass closed her eyes. \'93\loch\f40 Don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t tell me.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She opened them as Derek tugged the boat further onto the beach.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Derek, somebody from the big gold ship beat me to it, didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t they?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 You said not to tell you, miss.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Derek, I\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  really need this boat. They need your boat like this island needs more limestone.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 But I have already accepted the payment.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ll double it. Derek, I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 m the good guy here.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Lucky Derek shook his head. \'93\loch\f40 Miss, last time I backed out of a deal to help a goo\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
d guy the bad guys shot me. This fella today came in a small boat. I bet on the big ship they have plenty more small boats. Maybe you could hire one of theirs.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Sure. That\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 ll work.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cass had walked halfway back to Billy\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s when she saw a golden motor launc\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
h inching along the shore while a crewman in its bow peered at every square meter of land through field glasses. Silver not only had plenty of boats. He had plenty of everything he needed to find and exploit what Cass was looking for before she could, fro
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 m\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  boats she could see to drones she couldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t see, to heavy lift equipment. It wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t just game on. It was almost game over already.

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She ran the rest of the way back to Billy\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s while she thought.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 * * *

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
At sunset Cass sat in her room, which turned out to be t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 he one room limestone block cottage beside Millicent\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s. Cass\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s on-time arrival had probably foiled Silver
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s minions, but she still scoured the place for bugs and cameras before she studied her satellite photos.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 A half hour later Cass carried one photo to B\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 illy\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s porch.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cedric and three other locals sat at candlelit tables, while Millicent placed and lit candles on the unoccupied ones.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass laid out the photo on the table furthest from a customer, then asked Millicent, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Do you recognize this?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Millicent nodded and pointed. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Here is where we stand now. Here is the airstrip.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Yep.\'94\loch\f40  Cass pointed on the photo to a tiny, three hundred feet b\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 y three hundred feet islet just off Last Chance Key\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
s northeast shore. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 This channel here, that separates this islet from this island. Could I wade across it?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Millicent stuck out her lower lip. \'93\loch\f40 No. It\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s fifteen feet deep even at low tide. But don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t bothe\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
r. No one visits that miserable little bump.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 But if I wanted to, I could swim?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 No.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 You don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t understand. I swim open water in triathlons twice a year. This channel\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s only eight hundred yards wide. I swim longer distance than that in a pool twice a\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 we\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ek}{
\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 .\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Millicent sighed. \'93\loch\f40 That\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s not the problem. The densest bloom of Portuguese man \hich\f40 \lquote \loch\f40 o war I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
ve ever seen is adrift in that channel now.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 For how long?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Millicent shrugged. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Until a storm blows them out. At least ten days.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass scowled. \'93\loch\f40 I can\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t wait\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 two}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 days.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Millicent shrugged. \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 m afraid you\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ll have to, Dear. Have some chowder. You\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 ll feel better.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass shook her head. \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 m sure it\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s great, but I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 m vegan. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
ll just take a couple bananas back to my room.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Millicent sighed again. \'93\loch\f40 When I was your age I\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  was keen to stay thin, too.\'94
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 * * *

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
The sun rose behind the islet off Last Chance Key\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s north eastern shore and Cass pulled her ball cap\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s bill down so it shaded her eyes. She tugged the old neoprene wetsuit pants, that she had cajoled from Millicent, over\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 her bikini as she sat in the sand. The narrow beach bordered the eight hundred yard wide channel that she had to swim to reach her objective.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 By the time Cass had added the suit\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s jacket, hood, booties, and gloves the sun lit the channel\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s surface.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She sq\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 uinted into the reflected glare and whispered, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Crap.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The floats of Portuguese man o\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
 wars glistened on the still blue water like a vast fleet of inflated violet sandwich bags crimped at their crests. Cass stopped counting at one hundred. The bloom easily\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  numbered thousands.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The organisms\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40  stinger studded tentacles dangled and drifted beneath and around them, as thin and invisible as fishing line. In deep water a man o\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40  war\hich\f40 
\rquote \loch\f40 s tentacles dangled a hundred feet or longer below the float. But this channel\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s sh\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
allow bottom would already have scraped off and set adrift thousands of long, but still potent, tentacle fragments that turned the water she had to cross into stinging noodle soup.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cass belted the waterproof equipment bag around her waist, snugged the full\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  face snorkel mask over the neoprene hood\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s edges, then picked her way across the beach. She avoided the floats already stranded there, and their tentacles hidden in the sand, lest they stick to her boots\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40  outer surface, and sting her when she removed the
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 suit.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Heart pounding, she waded out waist deep, then swam.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 * * *

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Eleven minutes later, Cass emerged, elated and unstung, in the shallows on the channel\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s far shore.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She did her best to rinse the suit\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 outer skin clean of tentacles, tucked the hood, gloves and mask beneath a bush, oriented herself using the satellite photo from the bag, then struck out through the knee-high brush. Branches caught and tugged the neoprene, and within fifty yards the sun 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 o baked her that she stripped off the jacket, carried it, and pressed ahead in her bikini top, the wet suit pants, and booties.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Moments later a rapidly worsening burn seared her right forearm. She realized that the spreading red welt radiated from a tentac\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
le fragment, barely longer than her little finger, that must have transferred from the wetsuit jacket\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s outer skin to her forearm when she had removed the jacket.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 With a twig she plucked off the fragment and discarded it, but her forearm felt as though a h\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 alf dozen wasps had lined up on it and stung her simultaneously.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 But she had to be close now. Like a lioness scenting prey she shrugged off her pain and crept ahead.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Minutes later her pain had faded a little. Her shin thunked against a hollow object overgr\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
own by brush. She breathed faster, more from excitement than exertion, as she felt her way along the object until she was sure she had located her quarry. It rested within two yards of where she had expected to find it.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cass tugged the bush knife from her \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
bag and started hacking. A sweaty hour later she had exposed enough to confirm both completeness and condition. With her knife she pried loose a misshapen steel cylinder larger than a big man\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s thumb, then tucked it into her bag.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Using her phone she photog\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
raphed most of what she needed. The last few shots required her to lie on her back and wriggle into the shade. What she found there confirmed some of her suspicions. But it also raised startling new ones. And her work had exposed the find. Within hours at
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 most Silver\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s minions would find it too.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She ran, thrashing high-kneed through the brush, back to the channel\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s shore, tugged on the jacket, hood, and mask, plunged in and swam back toward Last Chance Key proper.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She had covered one hundred yards when she \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 felt the first sting. It lashed her left cheek, where she had failed to overlap her mask atop the neoprene hood that protected her head and neck.

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 After that a new sting seemed to explode somewhere on her skin with every stroke she swam. In her haste she ha\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 d failed to assure the suit\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s pieces overlapped at her wrists, ankles, and waist. Worse, brush and rocks had torn the suit and exposed even more flesh.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 By the time she crawled, quivering and spent, through the lapping surf to the main island\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s shore she sw\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ore through clenched teeth at the pain, and even more at her own impatient stupidity.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She struggled out of the wetsuit and was stung again and again, in newly exposed spots, by tentacle fragments stuck to the neoprene. She rinsed her skin as well as she da\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
red, then finally slipped into her cutoffs and trainers and walked, breathing through clenched teeth.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cedric waited for her, where she had asked him to the night before. His legs dangled over the truck\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s lowered tailgate, and when he saw her he stood. \'93\loch\f40 Mis
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 s Cass, what has happened to you?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t think Cedric would deliberately squeal. But if he was as fond of The Gossip as Caymanians all claimed to be, she couldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t chance it.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 She spoke, and realized that a stray fragment had swollen her upper lip. \'93\loch\f40 I w\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ent for a morning jog and tripped. I fell into some brush.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cedric frowned. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I have never seen such bad brush. You must visit Dr. Reid.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 There\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s a\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 doctor}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 here?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 He treats everyone on the island for free.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Where?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Most everyone lives on the south side. So he ties up at the pier there.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Pier?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 He comes by boat from his clinic on The Brac.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 When?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Two p.m., miss.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cass looked reflexively at her red, swollen wrist, then tugged her smartwatch from her cutoffs\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40  pocke\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 t. \'93\loch\f40 1:03 pm! Fantastic! Let\hich\f40 
\rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s go.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Two p.m. next Tuesday.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Crap.\'94\loch\f40  Cass heard a muffled boat motor, looked out to sea, and watched another\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Kraken}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 launch purr past.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cedric said, \'93\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I bet they got a doctor on the big gold ship. Shall I hail that small boat?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 They do. But don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t.\'94\loch\f40  If they were still looking\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 here}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 , they hadn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t found it yet. She had heard that man o\hich\f40 \rquote 
\loch\f40  war stings didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t kill you, they just made you wish somebody else would.\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 Of that second part she was now certain. But for the plan shaping up in her mind, time was too short to baby herself.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cass climbed into Cedric\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s passenger seat and sat sidesaddle on her unstung cheek. \'93\loch\f40 Cedric, could you just drive me to Dr. Hunter\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s camp?
\loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Yes, miss.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Cedric started the truck. \'93\loch\f40 But I don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t think he\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s that kind of doctor.\'94
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 * * *

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Hunter\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s campsite was thirty yards inland from the island\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s south shore and consisted of a clearing that contained a pop-up tent, a pit containing what looked to b\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
e last night\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s cooking fire ashes, a pair of plastic tubs as long as bathtubs but half as deep, stockpiled acid barrels, and bottled water jugs.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Closer to the water, the ground dropped away and formed a cliff so shallow that a pickaxe\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s head rose above the\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  cliff\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s edge, then disappeared as it swung down and clanged against stone.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass called, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter? Am I too late for dinner?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Cass? Cass! I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 ll be right up.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He clambered into view, pickaxe in one gloved hand. He wore just khaki shorts and the tan faux sued\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
e boots that soldiers wore. His lean, bare, torso glistened with sweat and he peered down at it as he brushed lime dust off his pecs.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass said, \'93\loch\f40 That\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s a good look for you, Hunter.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 You only say that because you\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 re upwind. I wish I had known you were\hich\f40 \emdash \'94\loch\f40  H\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
e looked up, saw her, dropped his pick and ran to her. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 What happened?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I got stung by a Portuguese man o\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40  war.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 A}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 man o\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40  war? You look like a walking peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Did you wrestle it?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I went swimming. But I wore a wetsuit, a mask, \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 and a snorkel. Hunter, they didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 kill}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 me.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 They? Jesus!\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Hunter peeled off his gloves and threw them. \'93\loch\f40 That may be the stupidest\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  He looked away, then said, \'93
\loch\f40 If you had aspirated a tentacle down your snorkel the swelling in your windpipe\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 might}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 hav\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 e killed you.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Crap. She hadn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t thought of that.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 He said, \'93\loch\f40 Okay, let\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s see what we got.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  He stared into her face, gently took it in his hands and turned her head. \'93\loch\f40 
This lesion along your upper lip hurts the worst, doesn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t it?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 How did you know?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 The uppe\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 r lip is some of the body\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s most heavily innervated skin.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
 He took her hands in his and slowly turned them, then knelt, peered at the welts around her ankles, and stood again. \'93\loch\f40 You have welts on the backs of your hands and all around your ankles, but almo\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t none on your fingertips and palms. That\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s because fingertip and palm skin is too thick for the nematocysts\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
 barbs to penetrate. Does the pain radiate up the appendage from your wrists or ankles?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 No.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Difficulty breathing, muscle cramps, nausea, vomiti\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ng, dizziness? Anyone in your family ever experience anaphylactic reactions to bee or wasp stings?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 No.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 With his fingertips he pressed her neck below her ears. \'93\loch\f40 Lymph nodes don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t feel swollen. Your reactions seem localized, not systemic. That\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s good. Any\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  lesions I haven\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t examined?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 None I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 d care to have you examine.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Cass, failure to exa\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
mine the entire casualty results in fatally flawed field diagnosis. Ronald Reagan almost died because doctors who were told he had a broken rib nearly missed his bullet wound.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter, where did you learn all this shit?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I studied before I came. The rest\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I learned from the senior medic who taught me the ropes in Afghanistan.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 The Army? I didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t expect you liked breaking things and hurting people.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t. That\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s why I was a medic.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Army medics carry guns. Did you shoot anybody?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Only if they shot fir\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
st. Especially if they shot while I was treating a casualty. Sometimes a person has to choose the lesser of two evils. Cass, quit stalling. Where else are you stung?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 If I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 m already stung why does it matter?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Unfired nematocysts remaining on your skin ma\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 y fire when any tentacles still on the skin get rubbed the wrong way. Do you really want to see this movie again?\'94

\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 On my ass.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Bad?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Excruciating.\'94
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 * * *

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Thirty minutes later Hunter used an empty water jug as a stool and sat with his back to Cass as she\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  stepped naked into one of Hunter\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s plastic tubs. He had filled the tub with bottled water he had heated over a fire fueled by brush he cut.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 He said, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Can you stand the temperature?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She knelt, then lay on her back and pulled a tarp across the tub, and ben\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 eath her chin like a blanket. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Barely.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter turned and faced her. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Perfect. The only treatments the authorities agree on are removing all visible nematocysts, then soaking the wounds in hot, fresh still water.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Did you enjoy the removing?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 No. I kept \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 my eyes closed.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 That\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s two lies in one. Why the hot bath?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Evolution. Marine organisms\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40  toxins are optimized for cold salt water. Heat breaks down the molecules into harmless compounds. The moist heat palliates the patient, too.
\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 The patient needs more\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  palliating.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter walked to his tent, then returned and handed her two airline miniature rum bottles. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Anesthetic.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Hunter, liquor\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s contraband here.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t know that \hich\f40 \lquote \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 til we got here. The airline messed up my flight from the States so they opened the bar.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass handed back one bottle, then unscrewed the top from hers. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I never anesthetize alone.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter unscrewed his bottle then lifted it. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cheers.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cass knocked hers ba\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ck, then said, \'93\loch\f40 Now that you\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ve gotten me drunk and naked what\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s next?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Questions. What the hell is worth the chance you just took?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I found my squid.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter raised his eyebrows. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 The good stuff?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Scary good.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Cass frowned. \'93\loch\f40 Really, more scary than goo\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 d. You recognized Desert One. Do you recognize October 28, 1962?
\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Uh. Cuban missile crisis ends. With global nuclear war hours away Khrushchev announces the Soviet Union will remove all its nuclear ballistic missiles from Cuba. In return, under the table,
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  the U.S. agrees it will remove all its similar missiles from Turkey and Italy and never invade Cuba. Both sides declare victory and go home. Mankind was down to its last chance, and took it.\'94\loch\f40 
\hich\f40  Hunter cocked his head. \'93\loch\f40 Like the people who live on this isla\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 d. Funny coincidence.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass smiled. \'93\loch\f40 Isn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t it?\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  She poked her arm out from under her tarp blanket and pointed. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hand me my waterproof bag.
\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 She removed a folded page from the bag and handed it across. \'93\loch\f40 This is from a monograph I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 m writing.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He eyed the pho\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 tograph then whistled, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Pretty airplane.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Some people think the F-101 Voodoo was the prettiest fighter ever built. And wicked fast, even by today\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
s standards. It set a record by outrunning the sun from New York to L.A., which was a huge deal in 1957.\'94\loch\f40  Cas\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 s handed over a second page. \'93\loch\f40 
The variant that set the record was this, the RF-101C. R for Reconnaissance. The ugly nose job housed cameras. The museum\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s collections include one of those ugly nose cones, but not a whole Voodoo.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 There are no Voodoos left?\loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 There are plenty. What makes aircraft Smithsonian-worthy is their historic provenance. We didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t just restore\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 a}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 B-29, we restored\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 
\ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 the}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
B-29 that dropped the Hiroshima bomb.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter said, \'93\loch\f40 But the planes that took the aerial photos that tipped the U.S. to\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Russian missiles in Cuba were U-2 spy planes.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Right. Also wrong. Beginning about October 15, U-2\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s took the first photos from thirteen miles high that confirmed Russian nuclear ballistic missiles. That triggered the crisis. On October 27 the Russian sho\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
otdown of a U-2 was ordered by a Russian deputy commander on the ground in Cuba on his own initiative. That shocked both Khrushchev and Kennedy into compromising. Because either side\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s subordinates down the line might accidentally start a nuclear war on t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 h\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 eir own.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Okay. Why am I wrong?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 The U.S. also wanted detailed low altitude photos. So RF-101C\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s and other recon aircraft ripped across Cuba too low and too fast for the missiles, and returned closeups from five hundred feet above their targets. The low-\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
level missions took ground fire from Cuban and possibly Russian anti-aircraft gunners, but no aircraft were lost. Officially.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Cass sat up, holding the tarp against her body. \'93\loch\f40 Turn around. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
\hich\f40 m getting out.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Why?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 First, because I feel much better.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hunte\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 r eyed his watch as he turned away. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 You should. The worst pain subsides after three hours. The welts will stay tender and discolored for weeks.\'94

\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Second, because I want to show you my squid.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I hope that\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s a euphemism.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 It is. But not for what you hope.\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Hand me my clothes.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 You\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 re leaving?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass slipped back into her bikini, cutoffs, and trainers. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Not alone I hope. Does your boat have a motor?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Yes. Why?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Hunter you\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ve been wonderful. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 m impress\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ed and grateful. But I came to ask for a different kind of help.\'94

\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Ask away.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Part of writing an aircraft type\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s history is tracking where each example went and what was done to it from the day the airframe\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s serial number is assigned until its final cras\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 h or retirement.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Like \hich\f40 \lquote \loch\f40 Show me the Carfax.\hich\f40 \rquote \'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Right. But last-century paper trails are less complete and accurate than contemporary computerized VIN number data. Still, my monograph describes all one hundred sixty-six RF-101C Voodoos built. It follows on
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e hundred sixty-}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 five}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 
\~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 of them from cradle to grave. But one aircraft\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s paper trail simply stops at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina on November 2, 1962.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter cocked his head. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Four days after both sides declared victory and went home?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cass nodded. \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 
Most of the Voodoo missions over Cuba originated from Shaw, overflew their Cuban surveillance targets, then returned over the sea to avoid contact. After the Soviets agreed to remove their ballistic missiles the U.S. continued low level reconnaissance fl
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 i\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ghts that verified the Soviets really were shipping their ballistic missiles out. But the Cubans, who had counted on Soviet weapons to deter a U.S. invasion of Cuba, not on some sketchy U.S. promise to the Russians, were fighting mad. The gung-ho Russians
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 in Cuba, who had already been trigger happy enough to shoot down one U.S. plane, were still there.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter nodded back. \'93\loch\f40 You think somebody shot down your missing Voodoo. The Soviets and the U.S. looked the other way rather than re-escalate the crisis. Lik\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
e they did with the U-2.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass nodded again. \'93\loch\f40 
But if the Voodoo had crashed in Cuba, Castro would have hoisted the wreckage over Revolution Square in Havana, the way the Iranians display Desert One helicopter parts. So, I thought, what if ground fire hit t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
he Voodoo? But it limped away, like earlier low level flights had?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 But it didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t make it home?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass nodded. \'93\loch\f40 The average depth of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico is six thousand feet. Their combined area is two thirds the size of the Continenta\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
\hich\f40 l U.S.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter smiled. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 But what if it crashed on land other than Cuba? The closest land to Cuba is here. So you came here to look.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass nodded. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 But not until I had more proof.\'94\loch\f40  She spread a satellite photo from her bag atop Hunter\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s water jug. \'93\loch\f40 In the e
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 arly two thousands fine-resolution color satellite imagery became available. This image shows Last Chance Key in 2007.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  She pointed. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
Look at this even smaller islet just to the northeast.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter bent, squinted, then said, \'93\loch\f40 I don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t see anything but white \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 limestone. Mostly covered by green scrub. Just like here.\'94

\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Exactly. In 2004 Hurricane Ivan hit the Caymans and scrubbed them clean. But by the time this 2007 photo was taken the vegetation had grown back.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass laid a second photo atop the 2007 image. \'93\loch\f40 Sa\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 me shot. 2009. Just after Hurricane Paloma in 2008.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter pointed. \'93\loch\f40 This darker-colored cruciform patch wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t there in the 2007 photo.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass shook her head. \'93\loch\f40 The patch was\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 there}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 . But in 2007 it was overgrown. It was just overgrown in 2007. The short axi\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
s of this patch measures, within the image resolution margin of error, between thirty-eight feet and forty-two feet wide. The long axis measures between sixty-five feet and sixty-nine feet long. The Voodoo\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s wingspan measured thirty-nine point eight feet \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
nd it was sixty-seven point five feet long. So my historically significant missing Voodoo crashed on what was in 1962 an isolated, uninhabited island. Then its wreckage wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t visible for most of the next sixty years.
\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter said, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Nice job, Doc.\'94\loch\f40  He poin\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ted again. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
So this channel, that separates this islet from this island, is where you swam and got stung. You prefer to revisit by boat?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass frowned. \'93\loch\f40 Partly. Steve, now that I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ve actually\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 seen}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 the wreckage, there\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s more to this story. Much more. Now I r
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ealize that what I need from you may jeopardize your project. I just can\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t ask you.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Will whatever you need annoy that guy who called you a crack whore?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Immeasurably.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Then screw my jeopardy. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 m in.\'94
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 * * *

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Two hours later Cass rolled one of Hunter\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s fifty-five gallon hydrochloric acid drums down to the water in which he stood knee deep. He tied two other drums to cleats on his inflatable boat\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s stern, so they floated behind it.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cass rested, panting, with her\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  palms atop the last barrel. \'93\loch\f40 
Let me understand. You load limestone, that you chop off this little cliff, into my hot tub back at camp. You add acid. The limestone dissolves into calcium chloride, carbon dioxide, and water, and leaves behind fossils the L
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 st Chancers can make into jewelry?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Yep. With this work force and no infrastructure it has to be simple and cheap. If it works. Very possibly\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 no}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 acid concentration will dissolve the rock but leave behind marketable fossils. And it\hich\f40 \rquote 
\loch\f40 s\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 because}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 the return on \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 investment sucks, and because this island lacks supporting infrastructure, that the process has to be cheap and simple.\hich\f40 \rquote 
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Even so, it won\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t make much money.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Any}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 money should improve the self-image and welfare of a population that survives by fishing and \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 relies on charity health care delivered by boat.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 You\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 re altruistic for a soldier.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Most soldiers are more altruistic than the ninety-nine percent who don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t serve think. I enlisted five percent because the year I got my doctorate I didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t get one of the \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 English speaking world\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s eight available tenure-track invertebrate paleo jobs. Ninety-five percent because I wanted to offer the blessings of liberty to the world\hich\f40 
\rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s less fortunate.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cass pointed to Hunter\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s left forearm. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 The scar?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Some of the less fortu\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 nate declined the offer. A scratch compared to what others got. Long story.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 He tied on the last barrel then waded toward her. \'93\loch\f40 Why do\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 you}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 chase historic airplanes?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass shrugged. \'93\loch\f40 I started because I liked airplanes. The better I got to know jerks who ch\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
ase airplanes for the wrong reasons the more I wanted to beat them.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter rolled the last barrel into the blue shallows. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 So when do we start?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Dusk. Billionaires who have chefs and wine cellars don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t work nights.\'94
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 * * *

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
A full moon had risen over the c\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 alm sea by the time Cass and Hunter had circumnavigated the island\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s backside, away from the\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Kraken}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 .
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hunter cut the engine and let the inflatable\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s momentum carry its bow until it grounded on sand. The towed barrels drifted into a cluster at the boat\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s ste
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 rn and thunked together in the silent night. The Voodoo\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s tail rested barely fifteen feet from the inflatable\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s bow.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass whispered, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I swear the empennage was farther ashore this morning.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter said, \'93\loch\f40 Tide\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s in now.\'94\loch\f40  He pointed at a translucent man o\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40  w\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ar float. 
\'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 And it brought a few stray friends of yours from the channel. Watch your step.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He hopped out into ankle deep water and pulled the barrels in, hand over hand, while Cass clambered over the bow onto the sand.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hunter peered up and down the crashed\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  Voodoo\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s mostly intact fuselage and wings. \'93\loch\f40 This has been here sixty years? It\hich\f40 \rquote 
\loch\f40 s upside down. It\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s broken. But it looks nearly new. If my grandfather\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s Oldsmobile had been in this humidity for sixty years it would be a rust pile.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 That\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s because Oldsmobi\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 les were steel. Steel oxidizes\hich\f40 \endash \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
rusts through-fast. Aircraft aluminum oxidizes on its surface, but the oxide layer protects the rest of the metal underneath.\'94\loch\f40  Cass ran her hand across the left wing\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
s faded bars-and-roundel U.S. Air Force insignia. \'93\loch\f40 But tha\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  doesn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t mean this thing\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s indestructible. Come on. We
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 ve got work to do.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter grasped her elbow. \'93\loch\f40 Wait. What about human remains? You\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 re the expert, but aren\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t there rules about disturbing a site like this?
\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 You\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 re right, I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 m the expert. So trust me. \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 There are no human remains at this site.\'94
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 * * *

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
An hour later Cass screwed Hunter\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s hose to his hand pump then carried th\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e assembly to one of his barrels. She pointed at one of the two bungs on the barrel\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
s round top and called, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Which one of these do I screw the pump into?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hunter returned from his boat wearing gloves and safety glasses.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 He said. \'93\loch\f40 Neither. Concentrated hydr\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ochloric acid isn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t high school science. You\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
ve been burned enough chasing this wreck already. Just tell me which good bits you want to cut out and take home before we leave Silver the carcass.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Bits? Just hose it down nose to tail. Turn the whole wreck i\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 nto mush.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 What? I thought you were all about preserving historic aircraft.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass kicked the acid drum beside her. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I am. But sometimes a person has to choose the lesser of two evils. Like you said.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 What does that mean?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 ll explain later. Trust me?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter shook his head. \'93\loch\f40 My problem\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s not trust, Cass. In a high school science class dilute hydrochloric acid poured into a beaker turns aluminum foil into aluminum chloride mush plus free hydrogen. Yes, in theory\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 concentrated}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 HCl will do that even better.
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  So you can cut away rivets and remove some choice sheet metal before Silver gets it. I thought that was your plan.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 No! Silver can\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t get any of this aircraft. But neither can the Smithsonian.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter kept shaking his head. \'93\loch\f40 No matter how bad you\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 want}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 to,\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  we can\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
t dissolve this airplane overnight. Too few gallons of acid. Too many tons of aluminum.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass grabbed a rock and began pounding the wing. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Goddamit.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter grabbed her arm. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Stop!\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Why?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hunter stared at the Voodoo, then at the drums of acid, the\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 n said, \'93\loch\f40 When the Army wanted to make\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 our}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 equipment disappear, so the bad guys wouldn\hich\f40 
\rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t get it, we just blew it up.\'94
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 * * *

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
As the moon set Cass lay on her stomach alongside Hunter, fifty yards from the Voodoo. The now-empty acid drums lay alongside the fus\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 elage, and hisses and rumbles echoed throughout the old jet\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s belly and wings.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass said, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 You really think this will work?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 How the hell do I know? Twenty tons of aluminum plus one hundred sixty-five gallons of concentrated HCL will yield lots of free hy\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
drogen. If parts of the fuselage are tight enough to contain the gas, this thing could go up like the\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hindenburg}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 .\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He stood, holding waterproof matches and a torch fashioned from brush.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass grabbed for his arm. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I should go, not you.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hunter pulled away, \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 then ran toward the plane. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass, I got this.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cass watched as Hunter stopped five yards from the rumbling Voodoo, struck one match, swore as it flamed out, lit another then lit his makeshift torch with it.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He lobbed the torch underhand, then dashed backwa\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 rd ten paces.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cass squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her teeth.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Silence.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hunter\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s voice echoed across the night. \'93\loch\f40 Well\~.\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 shit!\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cass opened her eyes. Atop the fuselage Hunter\hich\f40 \rquote \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s improvised torch lay burning without effect.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He took two steps toward the Voodoo.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass shouted. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter! No!\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The blast began as a yellow flash, bloomed orange as the Voodoo creaked, then seemed to swell, then exploded.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Silhouetted against the fireball H\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 unter tumbled feet over head through the air, surrounded by flying debris.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The explosion\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s roar and heat rolled across her a heartbeat later.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Then she lay flat on her back, blinking up at the night sky. Her ears rang but still she heard muffled rattles as \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 aluminum bits rained into the brush all around her.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 She stood and screamed, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter!\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Nothing.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She limped toward the Voodoo, but it was gone. Simply gone. Here and there, a bush burned.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter!\'94\loch\f40  Again nothing.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He was simply gone too. She felt tears start.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Then she saw an object in the shallows, ran, then splashed, until she reached it.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The sea lapped around him, only six inches deep. Steve Hunter lay on his back, still and serene.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 As she touched his cheek she sobbed.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 He opened his eyes. \'93\loch\f40 Cass? Are you okay\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ? What\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s wrong?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Thank God. How bad\hich\f40 \emdash \'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 m fine.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  He frowned, then clenched his teeth and hissed, \'93\loch\f40 Except I think I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 m sitting on a man o\hich\f40 
\rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40  war. Jeez that stings. What about the plane?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 It\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s as gone as if it sank five miles deep in the Cayman Trench sixty \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 years ago.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
 She grasped his elbow as she looked toward his boat, which drifted intact ten feet from them. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Come on. We need to get back to your place fast.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Before Silver retaliates?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass shook her head as she helped Hunter to his feet. \'93\loch\f40 No. He\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s a jerk,\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  but a nonviolent jerk. We need to get back because it\hich\f40 
\rquote \loch\f40 s my turn to get\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 you}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 naked in a hot tub.\'94
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 * * *

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
The next morning Cass sat drinking coffee with Hunter on Billy\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s porch.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Out at sea Silver\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s helicopter lifted from the\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Kraken}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 , landed again in the road, and Silver stalked to their table. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Gooding, how did you remove that airplane?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass turned her palms up. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Airplane?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 One of my drones spotted airplane wreckage yesterday afternoon. This morning it\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s gone.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Maybe you need bett\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 er drones.\'94\loch\f40  Cass looked out at Silver\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s ship. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
Long trip for nothing, huh, Silver? This time the house lost.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Silver turned on his heel, reboarded his helicopter, and left.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter said, \'93\loch\f40 I understand you wanted to stick it to Silver. But destroying that pl\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ane destroyed history.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 No. The history is still there. I just haven\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t had a chance to tell you\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 all}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 of it yet.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Meaning what?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I told you that in 1962 the Russians agreed to remove forty-eight ballistic missiles, and their nuclear warheads. And they did\loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 .\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Sure.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 But at a Cuban Missile Crisis Conference in Havana in 1992, a Russian general revealed that the Soviets had\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 kept}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
a hundred shorter range tactical nuclear rockets and cruise missiles in Cuba. Those could have destroyed the U.S. base at Guantanam\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 o Bay and maybe reached targets in South Florida.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Robert McNamara, the U.S. Secretary of Defense during the crisis, attended that conference. When he heard about the tactical nukes witnesses say he almost fainted. Because McNamara realized that if U.S. ha
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
rd liners in 1962 had learned that the Soviets had misled us, and kept nuclear weapons in Cuba, it would have pushed us into war. In December 1962 the Russians decided Castro was too nuts to have nukes in his backyard so they secretly pulled out their tac
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ical nukes. But by December 1962 the war would have already started.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 So you think this Voodoo photographed those nukes? And if its pictures had made it back to the U.S. World War III would have started?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cass tugged from her pocket the misshapen steel cy\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 linder that she had pried loose from the Voodoo and displayed it between her thumb and forefinger. \'93\loch\f40 
Those undisclosed nuclear warheads and launchers would have been aggressively defended by anti-aircraft guns like the one that fired this 23 mm slug. I dug\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 it out of the Voodoo\hich\f40 
\rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s belly yesterday.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 A random plane crash saved the world?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Saved the world? Probably. Random? No way.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Millicent came to their table with two plates. She eyed Cass\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s discolored face and arms, then snorted. \'93\loch\f40 Next time someone tells yo\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
\hich\f40 u where not to swim, listen.\'94\loch\f40  She set the plates on the table.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter asked Millicent, \'93\loch\f40 What\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s this?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 As Millicent turned away she said, \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Banana bread. We always celebrate election day with banana bread.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Election day?\'94\loch\f40  Cass looked around. Billy\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s was mor\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
e crowded than the day before, and more island residents approached from both ends of the road.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hunter tapped Cass\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s forearm. \'93\loch\f40 What do you mean the Voodoo crash wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t random?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass said, \'93\loch\f40 One particular RF-101 pilot\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s records end abruptly the same day the\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  Voodoo\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s records end.
\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Obviously. The plane didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t fly itself.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
But he was no ordinary pilot. He shot down five MIGs in Korea and his Air Command and Staff College classmates voted him most likely to become Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. But his thesis at the College advocated for troops in the field to exerci
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 e initiative, even if that meant disobeying lawful orders.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter frowned. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 That sounds like a career bender.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Yep. The higher up the ladder an officer climbs the more the ultimate primacy of civilian authority and the unbreakability of the chain of comm\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
and becomes. That principle separates the U.S. military from banana republics where coup d\hich\f40 \rquote \'e9\loch\f40 
tats are routine. Disobedience to that principle is what almost escalated the Cuban Missile Crisis to nuclear war, when that Soviet field commander shot down that \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 U\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 -2.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 But that pilot\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s maverick thesis was only the beginning. He skated along the edge of taking too much initiative until he got busted from full colonel headed for his first star to a major lucky to still be flying recon jets. Depression, alcohol, and an
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  ugly divorce followed.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Cass, that doesn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t mean he deserted and crashed to hide those pictures. He wouldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t have\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 known}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 what he flew over.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I think he knew. Most of his career was spent in air recon. Soviet shockproof nuclear warhead storage bunkers were\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 distinctive to sophisticated observers like him. So were the launch vehicles that carried those FROG 7 and Salish nuclear-capable tactical rockets. Recognizing evidence of clandestine nukes, then deciding on his own to bury that evidence was totally his 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 tyle.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Or\~.\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 the plane was damaged and just crashed here.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 On the only speck of land in the central Caribbean south of Cuba? No. When I crawled under the wreck yesterday I saw that the Voodoo\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s ejection seat and canopy were gone. And the cameras had b\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 een removed from the nose.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 
My hypothesis is that he realized what he had photographed, recognized the consequences of revealing what he had seen, flew to the nearest, most isolated land he could reach, then ejected. When he realized his plane hadn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t explo
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ded, or sunk, he returned to the wreck and destroyed the cameras that held the evidence that could have started a nuclear war and end human civilization. Then, realizing he was a deserter, he vanished.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Sensational story. Why destroy the plane that could \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 prove it?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Precisely\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 because}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
whether the Smithsonian or Silver wound up with the wreck the story would be too sensational to hide. Pilot goes AWOL. Risks nuclear war by hiding evidence from his superiors then vanishes. The U.S. would be forced to make an 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 example of him.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Even though his misconduct probably\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 prevented}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 nuclear war?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Especially}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 because what he did probably prevented nuclear war. That would reinforce others\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40  belief that they really did know better than the chain of command, better than the ci
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 vilian representatives of the people who they were sworn to protect.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Cass, it happened sixty\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 years}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ago. The statute of limitations\hich\f40 \emdash \'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Can be circumvented when the military wants to make an example about a crime like desertion. In 2017 the Air Force arres\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ted a private who went AWOL in 1977. And that guy didn
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t desert in the face of the enemy. He just didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t want to be stationed in South Dakota. Even if\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 this}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376\charrsid5054376 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 pilot got off, it would take years to resolve.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 But Cass, this pilot\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s not around to be made an exa\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 mple of.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 In the distance Cedric\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s pickup approached, its horn blaring.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The truck stopped in front of Cass and Hunter as Millicent returned and refilled their coffee cups. Last Chance Key\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s residents, white, black, brown, and yellow surrounded the truck ch
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 anting and waving. In the pickup\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s bed an old white man sat in a kitchen chair, upholstered in purple fabric. A swatch of the fabric hung on his stooped shoulders like a robe. Smiling, he waved a toilet plunger at the crowd like a scepter.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hunter turned to\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Millicent. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Election day?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 The old woman smiled. \'93\loch\f40 It\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s really just a party. Once a year we all assemble and thank Billy for the chances he gave all of us by unanimously reelecting him king.
\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The old man climbed down from the pickup.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hunter stared at him. \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass, this old guy?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass shrugged. \'93\loch\f40 The pilot\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s divorce got ugly because he was accused of hiding assets. Assets hidden in a Cayman Islands bank account for a bad reason might later be used for a good reason, when it came time to finance a desalination p\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
lant. The pilot\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s name was John William Myers. But everybody called him Billy. You do the math.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hunter nodded. \'93\loch\f40 You\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 re saying that someone who made a lot of mistakes, but spent the rest of his life giving others like him a last chance\hich\f40 \emdash \'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cass nodded. \'93\loch\f40 Dese\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 rves a last chance too.\'94
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid1789601 
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid5054376 
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s28\qj \li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cassidy Gooding is also a main character in Robert Buettner
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s latest novel\~}{\field\fldedit{\*\fldinst {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  HYPERLINK "https://www.baen.com/my-enemys-enemy.html" \\t "_blank" }{
\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 {\*\datafield 
00d0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b0200000083000000070000005f0062006c0061006e006b000000e0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b6c000000680074007400700073003a002f002f007700770077002e006200610065006e002e0063006f006d002f006d0079002d0065006e0065006d00790073002d006500
6e0065006d0079002e00680074006d006c000000795881f43b1d7f48af2c825dc48527630000000085ab000000000000}}}{\fldrslt {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \cs36\b\i\f40\fs21\ul\cf19\insrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 My Enemy\hich\f40 \rquote 
\loch\f40 s Enemy}}}\sectd \ltrsect\linex0\endnhere\sectlinegrid360\sectdefaultcl\sectrsid9384073\sftnbj {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376 ,\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 which is out in June. Buettner has been general counsel of a unit of one of the United States\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
 largest private multinational companies, served as a U.S. Army intelligence officer, prospected for minerals in Alaska and the Sonoran Desert, and was a Nationa\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 l\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 Science Foundation Fellow in paleontology. A Quill Award nominee for Best New Writer of 2005, his best-selling debut novel}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 , Orphanage}{
\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 , was a Quill nominee for Best SF/Fantasy/Horror novel of 2004 and has been called a classic of modern military science fi
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ction. He lives in Georgia with his family and more bicycles than a grownup needs.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid5054376 
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5054376 \rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {
\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid5054376 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid12876050 \page 
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s33\qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs40 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f44\fs40\cf1\insrsid12876050\charrsid12876050 \hich\af44\dbch\af31505\loch\f44 Burners
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs32 \ltrch\fcs0 \f44\fs32\cf1\insrsid12876050\charrsid12876050 \hich\af44\dbch\af31505\loch\f44 by Matt McHugh
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 
{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid12876050 
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s27\qc \li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Winner of the\~}{\field\fldedit{\*\fldinst {\rtlch\fcs1 
\ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  HYPERLINK "https://www.baen.com/pressrelease-jbmssaw2019" \\t "_blank" }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839 {\*\datafield 
00d0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b0200000083000000070000005f0062006c0061006e006b000000e0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b74000000680074007400700073003a002f002f007700770077002e006200610065006e002e0063006f006d002f0070007200650073007300720065006c00650061007300
65002d006a0062006d00730073006100770032003000310039000000795881f43b1d7f48af2c825dc48527630000000085ab0000000000}}}{\fldrslt {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \cs36\b\i\f40\fs21\ul\cf19\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
2019 Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award}}}\sectd \ltrsect\linex0\endnhere\sectlinegrid360\sectdefaultcl\sectrsid9384073\sftnbj {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Given in Partnership with the National Space Society}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s29\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 
\par 
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s21\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "So how'd that happen?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
From the cockpit of her runner, in orbit two-hundred kilometers over a blue-white swizzled Earth, Linda Ballard aimed her exterior cameras downward. She focused on Maureen's runner, drifting just a few meters below. The runner was a single-pilot spacecraf
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 , shaped like a flattened diamond, resembling a kite\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
or some said a stingray, an image reinforced by the long, trailing tail. The two vehicles were identical, except Maureen's had a seventy-year-old Russian weather satellite the size of a minivan stuck to\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 its nose.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "You know me," came Maureen's voice over Linda's headset. "Sometimes I have trouble letting go of the past."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Linda zoomed in. Runners were designed to push orbiting debris to re-entry burnup over the ocean, and had the equivalent of a bulldozer scoop on the front with manipulator claws to grip and release payloads. Maureen had opened her claws, but the defunct s
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 tellite refused to budge.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Ah," said Linda. "I see your problem. Take a look at my video feed."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Linda panned along a solar panel strut extending from the satellite that had poked through the mesh of Maureen's scoop and wedged itself in the runner's body fr\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
amework, between two spherical nitrogen tanks. It was behind the reach of the craft's manipulator claws\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 like trying to scratch your wrist with the fingers of the same hand.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "How's your propellant?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "The port forward connector was ruptured," said Maureen. "\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The pressure release pushed me into a spin and I used a lot to stabilize."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Do you have enough to get back to parking orbit?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Barely. But I have to get this thing off first."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "You let me worry about that," said Linda.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 A green light winked on Linda's com p\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 anel as an alert chimed in her headset.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "This is\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Calypso\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 orbital base," came the voice of operational director Mitch Coolidge. "Ladies, we are tracking you to hit the K\'e1\loch\f40 \hich\f40 rm\'e1\loch\f40 
n Line in eight minutes. Ground thinks it may be necessary to sacrifice Number Six."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Come again, Base?" Linda asked. "You want to sacrifice what?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Runner Number Six."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "What?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She heard the sigh, then, "The\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Brad Pitt}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Oh no! Not\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Brad}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 !" shouted Linda. "We have to save\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Brad}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 !"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Ground is considering a plan to eject, unless you have any co\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 unter arguments."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I remind Ground that\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Brad}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \~
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 is worth twenty million dollars."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I'd rather not have to ditch," said Maureen from the seemingly doomed\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Brad}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 .
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Don't worry,\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Brad}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 . The\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Chris Hemsworth\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 will save you!" said Linda. "I'm going E.V.A. to cut loose t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 he load."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Mitch's voice took on uncharacteristic panic. "That's negative, Number Two. I repeat negative. Suit prep is four minutes alone. That leaves you no margin. You keep your ass in\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Chris Hemsworth,\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Linda."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "My claw's too big. I can't reach the entangl\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ement through the frame, but I can reach it with a hand cutter."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "That's negative. You stay in your vehicle."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Fine," said Linda. "I'll melt it with the stinger."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Come again?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I'm going to get under Six, and jam my stinger against the tangled strut. When\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 we start to hit atmosphere, the stinger will heat up. It's a dense alloy, the strut's thin aluminum. A thousand degrees will melt it. Well within runner tolerance."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Mitch's line went quiet, then, "Hold your position. Ground wants to confirm."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Holding," replied Linda, as she began to nudge the thrusters to put her runner between the descent path of Six/}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Brad\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 and the looming wall of Earth. It was a tricky maneuver, meti\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
culous and foolhardy, calling to her mind visions of airshow wingwalkers and barnstormers. Oh, sure\~.\~.\~.\~being on a Burner crew sounded cool (}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Hero pilots saving the world from space junk!}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ), but like a little kid who dreamed of driving a bulldozer, after a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 few hours on the job it was just moving dirt.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She raised the rear stinger\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 a five-meter copper-tungsten lance designed to radiate heat away from the ship's underside during atmosphere contact\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
and angled the point under the scoop of the\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Brad Pitt\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 (naming th\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
e runners for classic movie stars had been her idea, a convention everyone but the Base director happily embraced). Watching the camera views and schematic overlays, she tapped out little\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 pufts}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 of thrust until the lance slid in, right to the knot of metal 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 wedged in the body frame of the\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Brad}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 .
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Damn. That was pretty," said Maureen's voice.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "You ain't seen nothin' yet, sweetheart," replied Linda. "Be sure to clamp on to my central supports with both your docking claws. We need to be a stable unit when the tur\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 bulence hits."

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "On it."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Mitch over the com: "Ground confirms your plan to melt the obstruction with the stinger. I'm sending through their trajectory with absolute no-return point." A red light indicated Mitch had switched to a private channel. "I know you
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 're in position already, Linda. Do not fuck with that ditch-point, you hear me?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Yes, sir," she replied, not a touch of sarcasm.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Mitch went back on green light open channel. "All right, everyone hold on. The ride's going to get bumpy."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Linda and Maureen a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 nswered in simultaneous sing-song: "That's-what-she-said."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Linda watched the trajectory map on her main display. After a while, the image started to vibrate. Little tremors rose to her fingers through the controls as the ship shuddered against the thickeni
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ng atmosphere.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Within a minute, the craft was bucking like she'd never felt.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Atmosphere skipping was a big part of training\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 runner pilots did it just for fun sometimes\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
but with another runner piggyback and four tons of satellite between them, this was very\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 different. She was on the stabilizers constantly, checking the temperature and horizon displays moment by moment. On Earth, Linda Ballard had flown everything from stealth jets to ultralights, and even the smoothest little Cessna was more thrilling than 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 he slow, weightless corkscrews of spaceflight. But now\~.\~.\~.\~
now she felt like she was surfing down the flow of a volcano in a pair of out-of-control garbage trucks, terror and adrenaline sizzling in every nerve.
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 God, this feels good!\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 she thought.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 You basi\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
cally piloted a runner flat on your back, prone in a padded cockpit on top of the craft, head to bow, feet to stern. You watched everything on wraparound displays fed by cameras and sensors. Not that it mattered in space, but Linda always wondered why the
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 engineers chose that orientation. Until now. Now, as jolts of compression slammed her into the seat over and over, she was grateful for the position.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Stinger at eight-hundred," she said, reading the temperature.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Nothing yet," said Maureen, her voice shak\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ing with more than turbulence.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Ditch point in one-hundred and twenty seconds," said Mitch.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 A titanic heave hit the\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hemsworth}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \~
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 and Linda felt her head snap back into the dense foam.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "This\~.\~.\~.\~is the part\~.\~.\~.\~where\~.\~.\~.\~I yell\~.\~.\~.\~yee-haw," she coughe\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 d out as her body rattled.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "This is when I wet myself," said Maureen.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "One-ten to ditch," said Mitch.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Stinger at eleven-hundred."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I can see it glowing," said Maureen. "But still nothing."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Ditch in one-hundred seconds. Ninety-nine. Ninety-eight. Ninety-s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 even."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Fighting the pitch and yaw, Linda tickled the thirty-two thrust-nozzle keys like a ragtime pianist.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Thirte\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 en-hundred!" she yelled over the thunder of re-entry vibrating through the hull. "Now?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "No! It's still caught. Wait! Yes! Yes! It's clear!"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Go! Go! Go!"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Chris Hemsworth\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 bucked as four tons of satellite rolled onto it. Linda saw the\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Brad Pitt\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 release \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
and rocket up like a kite caught in a hurricane, outlined by its vapor trails against the black of space. Linda spread her fingers and slammed every forward thrust key, as if blaring a major chord on a cathedral organ, and her runner squirted out from bet
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 w\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
een the satellite bulk and the dome of air. It skimmed over the thermosphere like a pebble on a pond then lifted with her up-thrusters until it once more sailed still and silent. Her rear cameras caught the moment the satellite below burst into molten chu
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ks, leaving claw marks of flame slicing the sky.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "If you know anybody in Greenland," she said over the com, "Tell them to look Southwest for an awesome light show. Maureen, you okay?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Affirmative. I'm in a decent parking orbit, but I don't have enough pro\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 pellant to get back to Base."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I'm joining you in a minute. I've got plenty to help push."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "We're tracking your position," said Mitch's voice. "Prepping Number Three and Five to get you. You two just sit back.\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Betty Grable}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 and\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cary Grant}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 will come and tow \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 you home."
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s22\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s21\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Back in the common room of the\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 
\ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Calypso}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
orbital base, Maureen and Linda dangled from toeholds as Mitch sat bungeed to his chair at the operations console.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "This is the part where I yell at you," he said.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "And I put on my sunglasses and pop my g\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 um," said Linda. "If I had either."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I remind you both of the priority. An equipment loss we can absorb," he said. "A casualty will get us shut down. I'm grateful to have neither. As it stands now, there's one runner with minor damage and all pilots intact
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 , so good job, ladies."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Don't forget four tons of Ruskie Nimbus successfully splashed into the North Atlantic," said Linda. "That's a million bucks a ton."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Duly noted," replied Mitch. "And reflected in your bonuses."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Suh-weet."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "You up for a new job?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Always."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Born ready, chief."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "There's a Chinese geostationary that was never set right. It's on an eccentric that crosses a few lanes. The Chinese government offered double rate if it can be fixed."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "We've never done an orbital correction," said Maureen. \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Do we have the fuel for that?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "It's going to take three days to lift\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Calypso}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 to a matching orbit. In that time, we're maxing all nitrogen compressors to get the runner tanks to eight-thousand."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Eight-thousand P.S.I.!" cried Linda. "That's double normal \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 pressure."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Don't tell me you're going all safety manual on me now?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "No, I'm just thinking how those suckers will move. Ooh, baby."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "It's not speed we need\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ," explained Mitch. "It's power. That Chinese bogey is over ninety tons."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Maureen and Linda gasped.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "What the\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 ! What is it?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "They won't say."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Is it military?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "They won't say."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "It's military."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Mitch shrugged. "All I know is it's the biggest contract job\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  we've been offered and Ground wants to take it, no questions asked."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I thought the whole purpose of this enterprise was to clean up space junk," said Linda. "Not help Red China revive the Cold War glory days."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I'll forgive that because I know you're an \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Air Force brat," replied Mitch. "But you're working for a private, internationally funded operation now. We don't take sides. We try to keep man-made meteorites from putting people in danger\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
and a ninety ton satellite on an unstable ellipse is plenty dang\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 rous."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Oh yeah. Especially if it's got nukes."
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s22\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s21\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Despite a few more barbs, Linda failed to draw Mitch into an argument and she kicked off in something as close to a huff as her disposition allowed. She sailed through the habitat cylinder, a space about th\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
e size of a passenger jet fuselage\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 ringed with sleeping and storage compartments fairly resembling overhead luggage bins\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
and hooked a turn into a connector tube to the maintenance cylinder. It was identical in size and volume to the habitat, but vastly mo\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 r\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
e cluttered, with mesh nets holding tools and equipment against every square inch. Gary, the lead engineer, was hooked to a console at one end of the cylinder.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "How bad is it?" she asked, gliding over to watch his remote camera inspection of the\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Brad Pitt.}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Not bad," he answered. He pointed to the screen. "The main issue is that sheared pressure coupling. That we need to fix. Otherwise, really, there's just some cosmetic damage. Hell of a trick you pulled off."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Linda was hanging from a toehold above his con\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 sole, her face parallel to his but inverted\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
something the crew had come to call "spidermanning." Gary looked at her but his expression betrayed no surprise. In a place with zero gravity and zero privacy, people learned to ignore one another's oddities, in\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 c
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 luding whether or not they were upside-down.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "So did you hear about the Chinese thing?" she asked.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I heard there's a job to correct a Chinese satellite. What else is there to it?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Nothing specific. I was just wondering, before we get there, if you could \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 fit me with some special equipment.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "What kind of equipment?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Linda shrugged, wondering if the gesture had any impact when upside-down. "Nothing much. Optical spectrometer. Contact metallurgic ultrasound. Geiger counter."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Gary narrowed his eyes. "What are you looking for?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I just want to know what we're dealing with before we start shoving it around."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I assume you don't want me to mention anything to Mitch."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "He's a busy guy," said Linda. "No need to bother him with every\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  little detail."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Uh-huh," said Gary, his voice trailing skeptically.
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s22\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s21\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 After twenty minutes of careful nudging, the\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Calypso}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
was a perfect shadow of the Chinese satellite, following a few hundred meters behind its East-West vector. Linda watched on the com\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
mon room screen as drone cameras circled the object, revealing a surprisingly elongated side view. It reminded Linda of the cardboard delivery box for long-stem roses.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Is this where you say 'I have a bad feeling about this'?" asked Maureen.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Linda grunted.\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  "What do you say that is?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Radio telescope. Monsoon tracking. Pirate porn broadcasting. Take your pick."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Or missiles?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Determined to spread your bad feeling around, aren't you?" said Maureen.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I don't trust it. The Chinese haven't said a word about its\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  equipment or function."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
"They don't have to. By I.S.A. agreement, all they have to document is tonnage and path. We've been launching classified satellites for eighty years, since at least the Sixties. Lord knows what damn-the-treaties weaponry we've snuc
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 k up."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Doesn't mean I want anyone else to get away with it."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "What are you suggesting?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "For the moment, nothing but a little fact-finding," said Linda.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "And if you find something you don't like?" asked Maureen.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "We'll disarm that nuke when we get there."
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s22\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s21\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Runners Two and Three\hich\f40 \emdash }{\rtlch\fcs1 
\ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Chris Hemsworth}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 and\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 
\ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Betty Grable}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
slowly skimmed the length of the Chinese mystery box. The two craft moved in perfect opposing sync, mirror images above and below, snapping high-res images as they inched along at ten-centimeters-pe\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
r-second. Linda watched the surface of the satellite roll by like a glacial landscape.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Number Two, you're getting close," said Mitch over the com. "Back off a bit."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Right, chief," replied Linda. She tapped a thruster. The\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Chris Hemsworth}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 lowered its nose toward the satellite.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Number Two, I need you to stay at least two meters from the surface\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 whoa! Did you just bump it?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Oops, sorry, chief," said Linda. "I confused up and down for a moment."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Linda, back off! Get to two meters."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She tickled the thrusters and\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Chris Hemsworth}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 
\~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 widened the gap.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "That's better," said Mitch. "Okay, Two and Three, when you reach the end, I want \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
you to do one-eighties and retrace your path in the opposite direction. Re-angling your front cameras to thirty-degrees and set your infrareds to\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 what the\~.\~.\~.! Linda! Did you just bump again?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Wow, I am really off today. Sorry about that, chief."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Mitch'\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s voice went cold.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Finish your sweep and get back to Base."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Roger that."
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s22\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s21\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Back in the common room, Mitch hovered by the big screen and pulled up images of the satellite overlaid with grids and vectors.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "The plan is to have three runners clamp on to thes\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
e support beams and begin a synchronized series of thrusts. Short bursts to start, then after we get course confirmation, we'll go to a steady push. We've allowed for forty minutes of sustained thrust. After that, the three runners will detach and return 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 f\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 or refueling, and the other three will deploy and lock on. Then they refuel and the originals resume. We should have the orbit corrected within six cycles."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "How are we going to refuel if we keep pushing away from Base like that?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Base will advance to a r\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 endezvous point each time," said Mitch. "We're going to lead, and you're going to catch up to us."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Murmurs went through the assembled crew.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "If we're using all that propellant for the runners, how will there be enough to push Base ahead?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "We've been autho\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 rized to use the solid rocket boosters," answered Mitch.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Now a wave of indignation erupted.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Those are supposed to be for emergencies!"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "If they're depleted, that leaves us drifting."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "What about the slag?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Mitch waved the objections down patiently.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "We've\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  worked out a plan with Ground for minimal consumption," he said. "And we'll keep an emergency reserve."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I thought we were supposed to avoid putting waste in orbit," said Maureen. "Isn't that why we use pressurized nitrogen only? Solid rockets disperse particles."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "That's true," replied Mitch. "But it's the only way we can move something as massive as\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Calyps
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 o}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
and still have enough nitrogen for the runners. Yes, there will be some ash and slag from the burn, but Ground has determined that it will pose essentially zero threat at this higher orbit. We're going to start with the first phase in about twelve hours,
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  so everyone get some rest and look over your assignments."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The small group began to break up, grumbling solo or muttering in pairs as they drifted along the habitat. When Linda turned to go, Mitch called her back.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Yes, sir?" she said, with a smile.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Mitch\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  leaned close and whispered, "What are you playing at?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Whatever do you mean, sir?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Cut the act, Linda. I know you placed something on the satellite. What is it?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Just a little research. I'll let you know if anything comes up."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She continued to smile as\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 she watched Mitch's face tighten, tension around the eyes, stiffness in the jaw. She thought she heard a tiny growl as he turned back to his console. Linda tucked into a half-gainer and nudged off, spreading her arms wide before hugging herself close, li
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 k\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e a spinning skater, to pull a barrel roll just for fun.
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s22\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s21\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
All crew members were ordered to their compartments as the first rocket burn began. The acceleration was subtle\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 barely five percent of one G\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 but it felt surreal to Linda to experience any sense of 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 weight in the habitat. She lifted her hand and, bizarrely, it wanted to fall back down. At first, she thought it might be an imaginary sensation, but a symphony of tiny\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 plinks\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 from}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \~
}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 forgotten loose objects tumbling along the habit cylinder confirmed the rea\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
lity. When the all-clear sounded, Linda double-checked by placing a pen mid-air and watched as it hung motionless. She unlatched her compartment and rolled out.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 In the movies, people in space always moved in slow-motion like they were underwater. In realit\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
y, a seasoned crew at zero-G zipped around, weaving through each other like waiters in a busy restaurant. Linda glided to a monitor station to join a group watching data from the first wave of runners, left behind with the satellite some five degrees alon
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 g\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  the orbital arc. As each successive thrust test rolled by without incident, pilots began to drift away from the non-events while engineers remained transfixed.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Bored, Linda returned to her compartment. She skimmed through the assignment protocols on her t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ablet, until she got bored with those as well, then fiddled half-heartedly with a crossword puzzle. At an Air Force base, being on call was every bit as tedious, but somehow still felt important, necessary. Here, waiting around to drive a truck for money,
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 sometimes it seemed\~.\~.\~.\~
well, kind of like seventeen-across: T A W D R Y. Or maybe twelve-down: I N A N E. Even the romance of space wore thin after a few months stuck in a 747, showering twice a week with a spray bottle.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She was dozing when the alert to\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 prep for her wave came. In the maintenance cylinder, her spacesuit was mounted by the runner hatches like a magician's assistant sawed in half and split at the waist. She tucked into a cannonball and backed into the belly gap, then blossomed into a jumpi
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 g jack, her arms and legs filling the suit above and below, as the belt ring closed and locked. As she pulled free of the suit mounts, she called to Gary.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Anything?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Still analyzing," he answered, not glancing from his monitor.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Hurry it up, would you."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Bite me."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "If that's what you're into," she said, then jackknifed into the docking tube of\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Chris Hemsworth.}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s22\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s21\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
The hour-long trip to the satellite was more tedium, with Phil Bledsoe\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 pilot of the\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 John Wayne}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 appointing himself entertainment director and mono\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 polizing ship-to-ship com with an essay on why\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Doctor Who}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
was the greatest science-fiction show of all time precisely because the science made no sense (}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
"That way, unburdened by realism, they're free to explore ideas in their purest form!"}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ). Philosophicall\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
y, Linda was opposed to all manner of gender stereotyping, but, jeez, men did love their crackpot theories.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Bucking an Earthbound trend, four of the six runner pilots were female. As a rule, women tended to be more susceptible to motion-sickness than men b\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ut, in a biological quirk that baffled the flight surgeons, Linda was among a tiny contrarian percentage of women who simply did not experience it. At all. You could put Linda Ballard in a three-axis centrifuge and she could do trigonometry while eating t
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
mpura. As a child, she reported kids to the school nurse for getting dizzy on the playground spinner. She was well into her teens before she accepted that vertigo wasn't a contagious disease, and a second-year cadet before reluctantly conceding it wasn't 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  moral weakness.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
That anomalous advantage bolstered something she'd been told throughout her life: that she was exceptional. Not merely in lineage, descended from generations of military aviators, but also innate talent. Gifts, such as her ironclad constit
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ution, were not to be squandered\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 as her father reminded her\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ad nauseam}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
and she was obliged to reach her highest potential. Linda decided that meant she was destined for space. So she graduated the Academy, completed her required service, and resigned her c\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ommission at the first private sector offer to slip the surly bonds of Earth. The favored daughter ran away with the space circus, to the obvious but unspoken dismay of Lieutenant Colonel Gregory T. Ballard.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Upon reaching the satellite, the alignment and latching maneuvers were mildly challenging, but as soon as the runners were attached, the tedium resumed. The thrust sequences were remotely automated, so the pilots were obliged to lock their controls and tw
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 i\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ddle their thumbs until it was time to head back to Base. As Linda emerged from her space suit, drifting in the fetal position from its split midriff, Gary tugged her ankle and said,

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Let's talk."
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s22\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s21\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "It's a satellite killer," said Gary.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He floated before t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 he common room monitor, pointing to series of grainy black-and-white images, as the entire\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Calypso}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 crew hung in formation before him.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "What am I looking at?" asked Mitch, all grumbly skepticism.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "That's a structural ultrasound," said Linda. "Taken by a pai\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 r of transceivers I placed during my recon pass."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "It was the only non-invasive way to get a look at the interior," continued Gary. "It takes a while to interpret the data\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 and I know it doesn't look like much\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
but I'm pretty confident in the results. Three-\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
quarters of the object consists of tubes filled with layers of honeycombed metallic chaff. The back of each tube is packed with some kind of dense gel. There's no radiation, so it's not nuclear material, but it's certainly a high-energy combustible. The o
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 p\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 enings point West, straight into the Eastward direction of anything tracking the Earth's rotation."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "This is designed for one purpose" said Linda. "To fire a wall of shrapnel into the path of oncoming satellites. Millions of particles, each the size of a t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
oenail clipping, moving at the equivalent of fifteen kilometers a second. At that speed even a few hits will shred any object, creating a cone of debris that helps take out the next. Over and over. Until there's a man-made Saturn ring of rubble around the
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Earth."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "This single device," said Gary, "Could destroy dozens of imaging and communications satellites in twenty-four hours. It's an information age doomsday weapon."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "It's a shotgun," said Linda. "And we're helping the Chinese point it at our heads."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Mit\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ch spoke through the tense silence. "Assuming everything you've said is true, what do you want to do about it?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Burn it," said Linda.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Come again?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "That's what we're supposed to do, right? Remove hazards from orbit? Let's push this thing to the bottom of\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  the Pacific."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "That's Chinese government property," said Mitch. "We're not authorized to do anything but nudge it. Even your peeking under the hood is an act of trespassing."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "An indiscriminate weapon like this violates all sorts of international agreemen\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ts," said Gary. "It should not exist."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Are you actually agreeing we should splash this?" asked Mitch.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Yes!" blurted Linda.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "No," said Gary, then teetered his hand equivocally. "Not quite. But we could neutralize it. There's only a few ways it could recei\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ve a command to fire. Radio. Laser or optical signal. Autonomous computer control. We could disable those systems, make it deaf, dumb, and blind."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "That's not good enough," snarled Linda.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "It's the most efficient way."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "It's the coward's way!"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Enough," said Mitch. "Nobody does anything until I confer with Ground. Gary, I need your data."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "You got it."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "And the rest of you: I need your silence. Don't gossip about this with anyone planetside. I could suspend communication privileges with a word. \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
But I won't." He stared down Linda. "I'm trusting you to not do anything stupid."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Ditto, chief."
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s22\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s21\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Linda lay rigid, arms folded, hovering in her compartment like a grumpy mummy levitating in an oversized sarcophagus. She had abandoned her crossword puzzle\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
, but was trying decide on the proper word for her mood. Sulking? Stewing? Brooding? None seemed right. She considered inventing one.
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Moping furiously. Furioping? No.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cogitating and fuming. Fumitating. Better, but still not right.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 There was tap on her wall\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 . She rolled up the privacy screen and Maureen sidled in next to her.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Move over," she said.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Linda readjusted. "People will talk."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Like they haven't speculated about that already." Maureen elbowed around in the tight space and held up a tablet before Lind\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 a's face.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "My account," she said.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Linda took the tablet and scanned down a column of numbers until her eyes popped on a six-digit figure.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Transfer routed through the People's Bank of China within the last hour," said Maureen. "Personal incentive payments \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
set to clear in thirty days, conditional on successful orbital correction. Engineering crew got over two-hundred thousand each. Pilots got half a million. I can only guess what directors got."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Shit."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "And a whole lot of it. Anyway, the word is we're going\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  ahead with the correction."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "It's a bribe," said Linda. "A bribe from a foreign government."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "See, it's only called that if you're a public official. In the private sector, it's just called 'money.'"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I'm military."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Ex-military," said Maureen. "Just like\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  me, though I was a lowly transport pilot. I don't have your warrior caste pedigree or Colorado Springs bona fides."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Linda shook her head. "I won't accept it. Are you actually going to?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "The bigger question is are you going to let anyone accept it."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I have some friends in the D.O.D. that would love to know about this."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I hope they're good friends," Maureen said. "Because you may lose a few here."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I don't do this to make friends."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Maureen slid up Linda's privacy screen and nudged off. "Well, mission\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  accomplished, then."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Now Linda needed a new word, one that mixed outrage and righteousness.\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Rightrage}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 
\ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 . Perfect. It was in a spirit of percolating rightrage she seized her tablet and began drumming out a message to the Department of Defense, Strategic Spac
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e Division.
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s22\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s21\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Linda!"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Mitch's voice echoed through the habitat. He drew out the name, making it sound to Linda like Fred Flintstone pounding on a door.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "LIN-DA!"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Linda rolled out of her compartment.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Yes, chief?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 From all sides, like meerkats in a wraparo\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 und savanna, heads poked out of compartments.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "You had no right," Mitch said, his voice calm and cold once more.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Now Linda began to heat up. She pushed off and torpedoed toward Mitch's station.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I had no right?" she bellowed. "You put us all\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 the whole worl\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 d!\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 in a compromised position. And for what? Money!"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Mitch pushed off and streamed straight at Linda. They each grabbed a rubbery handhold and bounced to a stop before colliding.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "You think this is Top Gun?" he yelled. "You think you're the badass maverick \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 sticking it to the stuffed shirts? This is the real world, Linda. Grow up."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "So I can join the big boys' sellout club? Fuck you, Mitch!"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Ms. Ballard, you are, as they say, relieved of duty."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Get real, Mitch. You need me."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "No." He shook his head. "No, I \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
really don't. Anything we need you for can be done better with automation at this point, and without the hotshot nonsense. Pilots are a contingency plan. Congratulations. You've finally made yourself more trouble than you're worth."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Linda held out her wris\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ts. "So, time to clap me in irons, is it?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "In a manner of speaking," answered Mitch. He raised his voice slightly. "Calypso data systems, this is Mitchell Selwyn Coolidge, Base Director. Executive command: suspend personal and operational logins for fligh
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t specialist Linda G. Ballard."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Command acknowledged," replied a disembodied voice. "Linda G. Ballard, logins suspended."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "We'll have you Earthbound in a week or so," said Mitch as he drifted back to his console.
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s22\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s21\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Slinking back to her compartment just didn't seem right, so Linda took the flight-of-shame through the habitat and tucked herself in the rear observation room by t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 he rose window. It was her favorite place on\~}{
\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Calypso}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
, usually filled with surreal vistas of Earthscapes rolling by like abstract paintings. But now, at high orbit and angled ass-end to space, all it showed was blackness, the cabin lights too bright to let \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
her eyes even find the Milky Way. She crouched by the window, brood-sulk-shame-fuming. After a while, Gary cruised in and bobbed beside her.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Hey," he said.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Hey."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "For the record, I agree with you. This is too dangerous a thing to leave unchecked."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "What \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 can we do about it?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Do you know the Chinese gave us access to the attitude jets?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Linda looked up, lifting her chin from her knees.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "It's not enough thrust to move it," continued Gary. "But enough to turn it. Like you said, it's a shotgun. We can point t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
he barrel at the ground. If we aim that thing planetside, were it ever fired, all those little metal shards would burn up in spectacular uselessness."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "What do you need me to do?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I need to get to Mitch's console to mirror his access on mine so I can use \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 the thrust controls."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Leave it to me," said Linda. "I'll get him away from it."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Gary shook his head. "Linda, I have great confidence in your abilities in all areas but one. Subtlety. He can't know what's going on. He can override anything by voice command\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "So we gag him."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Again, there's your problem with the whole subtlety thing. All I need is a few minutes where everyone's attention is\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 "
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Gary was interrupted by an alert tone and an edgy digital voice summoning the crew to the common room. They found Mi\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 tch in his console chair rotated toward the habitat.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "The assignment's been scrubbed," he said. "There seems to be something of a diplomatic crisis brewing below and we've been ordered to cease and desist."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "We're not finished the correction," said Gary. "\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 That satellite's still eccentric."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Mitch looked sheepish. "The Chinese have said they will, uh, complete the operation themselves with an unmanned rocket."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "If they can correct the orbit with an unmanned rocket, why haven't they done it already?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "They did\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n't exactly say the rocket was to correct the orbit."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Silence hung among the drifting bodies as a realization gradually congealed.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
"Right now," continued Mitch, "There's only a few sketchy ultrasounds and unofficial speculation on what that object actually is. It seems Beijing would prefer to avoid giving any foreign government the chance to confirm the existence of a treaty-violatin
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 g\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  space weapon."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Are you saying they're going to destroy it?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "We have reports of a launch from the Wenchang Center just a few minutes ago. We've been given less than six hours to, um, as they say, clear the area."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Panic rippled through the group.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "We can'\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t move to a new orbit that quickly!"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Our rockets are at sixty-percent! This would leave us nothing."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "If they destroy that, think of the debris it creates!"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Look, we've been ordered to move," said Mitch. "I don't like it either but my hands are tied. The\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 re's nothing we can do."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "We can do what Gary wanted," said Linda. "We can disable any means that weapon has to get a firing signal. Leave it derelict in space."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I can't authorize that," answered Mitch. "I am legally accountable to an international conglo\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 merate and obliged to follow their directives. I told you, my hands are tied."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I'm with Linda on this," said Gary. "They're putting us in danger. I don't know how far we can get in six hours compared to the fragmentation radius of whatever they're sending\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 up. And they'll be creating orbital pollution for generations. That's exactly what I signed on to prevent."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Look, from my console, I can lock out every runner or drone launch. That's my job."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "This isn't a job anymore! This is an act of international agg\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ression. You can't sit this out!"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I told you, my hands are tied. I just have to reach out and touch that console to shut you down. To keep me from fulfilling my legal obligations, you'd have physically restrain me. Say, with a cargo net."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Again, silence h\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ung over the group until someone said, "Oh."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Within a minute, Mitch was webbed to his chair, his arms pinned to his side by an elastic mesh ratcheted tight.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Calypso data systems," Mitch called out. "Please note that at zero-eight-fifty-three, relative hab\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
itat time, I was inhibited from performing my duties as director by several unidentified crew members."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Your situation is noted, Director Coolidge."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Did he just log a mutiny?" Maureen asked Linda.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I think this is where I say, 'Argh, matey.'"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I remind y\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ou we're a private operation," said Gary, tapping commands onto Mitch's console. "So I believe the correct term is 'hostile takeover.' I'm going to need volunteers to go E.V.A. for some creative cable-snipping."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Avast there, ye Hung-Dong Frigate! Prepare \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 to be castrated!"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Mitch shook his head and sighed.
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s22\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s21\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Linda watched as Gary pointed the business end of the Chinese shotgun perpendicular to the gr\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
eat disk of Earth. Once the position was stable, runner pilots lifted engineers up and down the length of the satellite as they severed fiber-optic lines and gold-shielded copper wires. They blinded photoreceptors and performed lobotomies on processor bra
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 i\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ns. In the end, the elongated box seemed to hang sadly over the blue planet, like a withered branch dangling over a pond.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "So that's it?" asked Linda.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Dead as the proverbial doornail," replied Gary.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "What about the launch from Wenchang?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I don't have acc\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ess to tracking data from Ground," answered Gary. "Only Mitch does."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Oh yeah," said Linda. "I forgot about him."
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s22\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s21\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
"Well, well," said Mitch. "Me and my bladder were wondering when you'd come back."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Do you know if the Chinese are still on target?" asked G\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ary.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I've seen a bunch of notices come up on my console," he answered, nodding, "But I can't reach to open them."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I'll get you loose," said Linda.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Hold on," said Mitch. "Are you two saying you've already sabotaged the property of a sovereign nation and \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 there's nothing I can do to reverse that?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "In the bag," answered Gary.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Calypso data systems. Please note that at ten-twenty-seven, Director Coolidge was able to disentangle himself from restraints placed erroneously upon him by unidentified crew members.\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Noted, Director Coolidge."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Mitch snaked an arm along his body and out near the neckline of the mesh. He pulled the remnant of it easily to his waist, freeing the other arm.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Friggin' elastic," he said. "We also have indestructible carbon-fiber nets, you\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  know."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He tapped his console, flipped through a series of screens.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Yep. Three-stage rocket, with the first two spent. Ground predicts they'll execute a single Hohmann ellipse, then when they hit apogee the second time, they'll fire the third stage and li\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ft the payload to our position.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "How can they achieve orbit with only one transfer loop?" asked Gary.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "They're not trying to achieve orbit," replied Mitch. "Only impact. They're whipping a rock from a sling straight up to hit a passing bird. We now have le\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ss than four hours to get clear."

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Can we do it?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Ground's plotted the detonation point and cone of debris. If we maintain our altitude and shadow the satellite's current path by enough margin, we should be okay. But, ironically, this may create too much 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 orbital junk for us to stay in business safely. This may be the end of the Burners. For now, we need to batten down and strap in for an emergency repositioning."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "There's another way," said Linda. "Intercept."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Intercept with\~.\~.\~.\~what?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
"A runner," said Linda. "Right now, the Chinese are looping around Earth, picking up speed. I can match the orbit. I'll use planetary gravity to accelerate, like a bicycle going downhill to catch up to a car, and rendezvous with the missile at perigee as 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 i\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t makes its closet turn around Earth."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "This is a missile targeting high orbit," said Gary. "It's going its fastest at perigee. That makes you a bicycle trying to catch up to a Formula One car. There's not enough downhill."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "So give me a booster rocket."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 M\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 itch and Gary exchanged a look.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Assuming that's even possible," said Mitch. "How, exactly, do you intend to intercept?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Linda held out her forearm, clasped it midpoint with the fingers of her other hand.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "The manipulators on the front scoop of the runner,\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 " she answered. "That's exactly what they're designed to do: grab on to a cylinder."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Not when that cylinder is a live missile with an unfired chemical booster engine transiting low Earth orbit at seven kilometers per second."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "That just makes it more inte\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 resting."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Mitch turned to Gary. "Could you even attach a rocket to a runner?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Gary looked up, his eyes focused on nothing as he traced his fingers in the air. "Maybe.\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Calypso's}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 emergency boosters are designed to slide out in one piece, like a battery from \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
a flashlight. If we pull an engine and have a runner grab it\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 the front scoop's definitely the strongest part of a runner\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
we can unbolt the scoop, strip the heat shield, then spot-weld the scoop-engine to the belly frame\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 "
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Mitch interrupted. "You kids take \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 this outside. Right now, I'm sending everyone instructions to prep for an emergency repositioning. You have an hour until we start to move."
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s22\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s21\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Gary, in full spacesuit with two other engineers, secured a socket wrench then eased out what looked like a giant\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  tin can from a tube the size of sewer pipe.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Okay, here comes the engine. When it's clear of the cowling, I want you to belly up so we can drill into your shield and figure out where to put the welds."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I've got a better idea," said Linda from her cockpit.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Chris Hemsworth}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \~
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 twisted like a three-storey windmill until the open maw of her scoop and manipulators gaped at the engine cylinder.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "What are you doing?" demanded Gary.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Like hell I'm letting you put holes in my heat shield," said Linda. She squeezed\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 her fingers and the maw bit down on the rocket. "You said yourself the scoop's the strongest part of a runner. So I'm going to hold on with mine."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Gary sputtered. "But\~.\~.\~.\~but you'll be sideways when the rocket fires!"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "It's space. There's no up, down, \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 or sideways. No air resistance. Get with the program, Gary."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I\~.\~.\~.\~um\~.\~.\~.\~I.\~.\~.\~."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I'm with Linda on this," said Maureen over the com. "It saves time. Avoids modification. But it will be hard to control. It's going to want to spiral\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
or worse, pinwheel. You're going to have push against it, compensate moment by moment. You ready for tha\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Just you watch me, lady."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "That's the spirit," said Maureen. "You should see yourself right now. You look like a cartoon Chihuahua carrying a stick of dynamite. I vote we rename your runner."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "To what?" asked Linda.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Wile E. Coyote. Super Genius.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Oh,\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  I like the sound of that. Linda G. Ballard. Soop-per. Jeen-yus."
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s22\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s21\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 When\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Chris Hemsworth\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 was in position,\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Calypso}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
triggered the rocket burn. The solid fuel had been premeasured to bring the runner to the missile's velocity and arc, but it was up to Linda t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
o keep it on course. The sideways acceleration didn't bother Linda's impervious inner ear a jot, but it did her neck muscles no good. Keeping the whole assembly from spiraling took a lot more effort than she let on, her heart thundering as she calmly repo
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 r\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ted each moment-by-moment adjustment in her best Lauren Bacall/Chuck Yeager voice. But Linda knew Base and Ground both remotely monitored every force she experienced, every counterthrust she made.
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And you're all in total awe of me right about now!}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Within t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 he hour, the\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hemsworth-Coyote}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 began to turn in the sling of gravity, coming to line of sight with the Chinese missile on its final Earthbound loop. Linda spat out the\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Calypso's}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 engine\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
commending it to a fiery funeral over the Indian Ocean\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 and opened her ma\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
nipulators wide. South Pacific islands reeled by at twenty times the speed of sound as she caressed her thrusters, nudging the scoop-mouth closer and closer until at last, it closed on the missile body. Now the Chihuahua had bitten onto a torpedo.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Push it\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  down, Linda!" she heard Gary's voice over the headset. "Burn it!"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I don't think so," she replied. "I'm moving way too fast. I have no idea where it will land. I'm not going down in history for dropping a commie boom-stick on the planet."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Linda, you have\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  to get rid of it." said Maureen.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "The third stage is still live," said Mitch. "If they ignite, it could blow up in your face. You need to let go."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Yeah, well, it may be a little out of character for me, but in this case I'm going to rely on the kindness \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 of strangers. Besides, there's only one surefire way to get rid of this safely."

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "What?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Escape velocity. Just before I pass the geocentric ellipse focus, I'll be going fast enough\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 with the added thrust of my eight-thousand P.S.I. hot rod\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 to push this thi
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ng to the moon. But I need to hang on until I'm sure it's beyond orbital return. Seriously, did you think I'd pass up the chance for heroic self-sacrifice? No way, Jos\'e9\loch\f40 ."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 There was an eruption in her headset\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 voices she knew from\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Calypso}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 , voices she didn't \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 from Ground\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 all clashing in protest.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "This is when one of you confesses your secret love for me," said Linda over the chaos. "I know who I want it to be. You'll just have to work it out."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She cut off her com. Further conversation could serve no purpose.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Th\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
e missile-cum-runner contraption swung past Earth and curved toward open space. In about forty minutes, Linda Ballard and the folks at Chinese mission control would have a decision to make.
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s22\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s21\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Where is she?" asked Gary.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Mitch pointed to a tracking dot on his console.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "She went beyond the insertion ellipse four minutes ago," he said.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Can she get back?" asked Maureen.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "She used most of her propellant for the acceleration," said Mitch. "Ground calculates she's past no-retur\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "We have to try. What about remote automation?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "She disabled it," said Mitch. "I should not have made that crack about pilots as a contingency plan. Besides, she doesn't have the thrust to reverse course."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Are you saying she's gone?" asked Gary.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Mitc\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 h looked away, said nothing. Gary repeated the question, struggling with the words.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Are\~.\~.\~.\~you saying\~.\~.\~.\~she's gone?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I'm sorry."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "No."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I\~.\~.\~.\~I'm\~.\~.\~."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Oh no. Damn it. No."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Guys, what's that mean?" asked Maureen, pointing to Mitch's console.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The three watched a series of vector lines readjust over Linda's tracking dot, tangents on a shifting arc.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Is she changing direction?" asked Gary.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "It appears so," replied Mitch. "The monitoring systems are showing significant acceleration."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "You said she\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  was out of propellant?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "She has some," said Mitch. "But nowhere near enough to be doing that."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Then where's she getting all that thrust?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "More important," said Maureen. "Where she's going?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Mitch tapped his console, swiped a series of commands, and ove\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 rlaid a trajectory.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "If she keeps accelerating," he said. "She'll return to orbit."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Are you kidding?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "It's a crazy wide orbit, but\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 yes\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 she's on a path for reinsertion."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "How?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I have no idea," said Mitch. "But\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 even more important\hich\f40 \emdash \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 how do we intercept her?"
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s22\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s21\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Calypso}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
base, this is Linda Ballard," said Linda as she reactivated her com. "Please respond,\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Calypso}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 . This is Linda Ballard."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Linda? Jesus! Is that you?" said Mitch's voice.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Right on both accounts," she replied. "Since He is\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 , after all, my copilot. Do you folks know where the heck I am?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "That's affirmative. We are tracking you on a wide return orbit. But\~.\~.\~.\~how\~.\~.\~.\~how did you manage to\~.\~.\~.\~.?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "The third stage, of course."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Come again?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "The third stage of that missi\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
le was never fired," she said. "When it was clear I had on a hold on their firecracker, the Chinese, very thoughtfully, chose not to melt my face. After my big push, they had to realize they couldn't possibly put it back on course. So, hoping they'd get t
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 h\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
e message, I turned it around and pointed it the way I wanted to go. And, again very thoughtfully, rather than let me drift to the Kuiper belt, they finally fired the stage to bring me home. Or, more or less in the neighborhood."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Are you saying you hung o\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n to a high orbit booster during ignition?" asked Maureen's voice.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I did indeed," said Linda.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "And you kept it stable? It didn't spiral?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I did and it did, with a little help from me. As any quarterback will tell you, putting on a spiral creates stabilit\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 y. And, believe you me, yee-haw doesn't even begin to cut it."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Linda!" said Gary's voice. "You're on way too wide an orbit! We won't be able to get anywhere near you."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Well, my air scrubbers and reserve batteries should last about sixty hours. With the t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 riple back ups, you've got a week to figure out how to grab me."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "We're already conferring with Ground on options," said Mitch. "Sit tight, and we'll work something out."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Roger that, chief. Oh, and I still have a hold on that spent third stage, with the o\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
riginal payload. I bet Beijing would pay handsomely for its discrete return. A whole new potential business model for us."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "We'll take it under advisement."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I'll expect a bonus, of course," said Linda.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "We'll it take out of the six million in incentive payments the Chinese rescinded from our personal accounts."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Fine. Be that way."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "One more thing," said Maureen. "Which one of us do you think is in love with you?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "This is the part where I say, 'What's t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 hat, Base? You're starting to break up.'"
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 \rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 
{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid5054376 
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid12876050 
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s28\qj \li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
Matt McHugh, the winner of the 2019 Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award for \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Burners,\'94\loch\f40  was born in suburban Pennsylvania, attended LaSalle University in Philadelphia, and after a few years as a Manhattanite, now 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 calls New Jersey home. Find his website\~}{\field\fldedit{\*\fldinst {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 HYPERLINK "http://www.mattmchugh.com/index.html" \\t "_blank" }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839 {\*\datafield 
00d0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b0200000083000000070000005f0062006c0061006e006b000000e0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b6200000068007400740070003a002f002f007700770077002e006d006100740074006d00630068007500670068002e0063006f006d002f0069006e006400650078002e00
680074006d006c000000795881f43b1d7f48af2c825dc48527630000000085ab0000000000}}}{\fldrslt {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \cs36\b\f40\fs21\ul\cf19\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 here}}}\sectd \ltrsect
\linex0\endnhere\sectlinegrid360\sectdefaultcl\sectrsid9384073\sftnbj {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
. The National Space Society and Baen Books applaud the role that science fiction plays in advancing real science and have teamed up to sponsor this short fiction contest in memory of Jim Baen. The contest occurs annually and looks for stories that demons
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
rate the positive aspects of space exploration and discovery. Over the years, the contest has developed an international character. In addition to the United States, entrants have hailed from Sweden, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Argentina, Alger
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 i\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
a, Spain, and Morocco. "Moon bases, Mars colonies, orbital habitats, space elevators, asteroid mining, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, realistic spacecraft, heroics, sacrifice, adventure\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
that's what we're looking for," says Contest Administrator \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 W\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
illiam Ledbetter. "And once again we believe we've found writers, and an ultimate winner, who deliver just that." Find more information on the JBM\~}{\field\fldedit{\*\fldinst {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  HYPERLINK "https://www.baen.com/contest-jbmssa" \\t "_blank" }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839 {\*\datafield 
00d0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b0200000083000000070000005f0062006c0061006e006b000000e0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b60000000680074007400700073003a002f002f007700770077002e006200610065006e002e0063006f006d002f0063006f006e0074006500730074002d006a0062006d00
7300730061000000795881f43b1d7f48af2c825dc48527630000000085ab0000000000}}}{\fldrslt {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \cs36\b\f40\fs21\ul\cf19\insrsid12876050 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 here}}}\sectd \ltrsect
\linex0\endnhere\sectlinegrid360\sectdefaultcl\sectrsid9384073\sftnbj {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 .}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839 
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 
\ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839 \page }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839 
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s28\qj \li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12876050 
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12876050 \rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 
{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid12876050 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid16348839 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs40 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f44\fs40\cf1\insrsid16348839\charrsid16348839 \hich\af44\dbch\af31505\loch\f44 
Treason Properly
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs32 \ltrch\fcs0 \f44\fs32\cf1\insrsid16348839\charrsid16348839 \hich\af44\dbch\af31505\loch\f44 by J.J. Cragun
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid16348839 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \dbch\af0\insrsid16348839\charrsid16348839 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid16348839 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839\charrsid16348839 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
The rifle in my hands bucked as I pulled the trigger, spewing fire and death. The crack of the bullet splitting the air echoed eerily across t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
he small mountain valley. The beast looming in front of me was easily eight feet tall. With curling horns atop its head, mottled black fur, and a face more human than beast, the monstrous creature roared as the bullet tore through its chest. The terrifyin
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 g\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 brute fell, but it wasn't alone. The second beastman, even larger than the first, looked my way. Those eyes, which were once intelligent and full of life, were now dead. There was no rational thought behind those dead eyes. Just lifeless, unfeeling hate,
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 and a mindless drive to destroy the living. And, unlike so many of my comrades, I was still among the living. If I wanted to stay that way, there was more killing to be done.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Aeric!\'94\loch\f40  I cried out, stumbling back and away from the brute. The beast started f\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 or me with lumbering steps.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Aeric wasn't old enough to grow a proper beard, but that hadn't prevented him from being conscripted into the Royal Fusiliers Brigade. He knew death was coming for us, but he never faltered. Without a word, he accepted the carbi
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ne I thrust at him, then handed me a freshly loaded rifle.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Every instinct in my body screamed at me to shoot. The towering beast was almost on me. But I knew better than to give in to the urge to panic fire. Though the lumbering monstrosity was so close I 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
could hardly miss, I only had one shot to kill the beast. A less-than-perfect shot meant we were both dead. Instead of firing wildly, I forced myself to concentrate. With practiced motion, I raised the gun and aimed directly at one of the beast's dead, li
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 f\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 eless eyes.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 It was close enough to strike now, one powerful arm raising a club high in the air, an instant from smashing the life out of me.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Sucking in a breath, I kept focus on the front sight, then pulled the trigger. Again, the crack of the carbine echoed across th\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
e valley and through the trees. There was no other sound. Just the distant echoes of a gunshot. Then the towering beastman swayed ponderously before finally toppling over, dead.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Aeric handed me a fresh carbine. I surveyed the landscape, looking for another\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 target. We were up on a hillside in a narrow draw. The entire battalion had been stationed up on this hill, overlooking the small river valley down below. Four hundred armsmen and one hundred riflemen had been stationed here. It was thought a battalion c
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 o\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
uld easily hold this narrow valley. But as I swept my gaze across the hillside, it was clear that estimation had been disastrously optimistic. Smoke floated eerily through the trees, blanketing the hillside in a noxious fog. The gunsmoke was thick in plac
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s, but from my vantage point I could see most of the valley. Nothing moved in the lazily drifting smoke.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Five hundred men lay dead on the hillside. An even larger number of enemy corpses littered the ground. But that was scant consolation as I surveyed the\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 carnage, realization slowly dawning that all the men that I had lived with, trained with, joked and drank with, were now dead. Of the entire five-hundred-man battalion, only Aeric and I had survived.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 For the last twenty minutes this hillside had been a li\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ving hell, drowning in the cacophony of violent battle, awash with deafening explosions of gunfire and the screams of the dying. Now, the contrasting silence was downright chilling. We were alone out here. But the deathless forces of the Betrayer would ke
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 p coming. More undead would come. They always did.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Aeric turned to me for instruction. The boy was bloodied and hurt, but the brave young man still had fight in him. During the battle, undead vulturelike beasts had swooped down on the battalion, killing do
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
zens. One of the deadly creatures had raked him with vicious claws, leaving bloody furrows across his head and face before I shot it out of the air. A hastily applied bandage got the worst of the bleeding stopped. But the bandage covered his right eye, hi
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 dominant eye, which prevented him from accurately firing a rifle. Unable to shoot, he had courageously insisted on reloading for me instead. And the young man had certainly saved both our lives as he methodically, efficiently reloaded rifle after rifle, 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 d\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 espite the chaotic violence that had engulfed the hillside around us.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Both of us slumped to the ground in exhaustion, taking a moment to catch our breath as we considered the hundreds of bodies, both human and beastman, that now covered the ground.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The bea\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
stmen tribes had once ruled the lands to the west of Shayne. The rolling hills and forests of the Western Marches had been their undisputed territory for generations. Shayne had even opened trade with several of the more peaceful tribes. But the beastmen 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 h\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ad been too fragmented, too tribal, to stand against the undead army of Tetrax the Betrayer. They had been unable to unite in the face of a greater threat. Now they served Tetrax, united in death.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 What do we do now, Briggs?\'94\loch\f40  Aeric asked, his good eye scan\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ning the hillside as he took in the carnage all around us.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 We need to fall back to the command outpost at Fort Montoya. They need to know the pass is lost. Command thought we would hold this valley easily. They will be caught flat-footed if we don't warn 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 them.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Aeric nodded his head. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 It's two days walk to reach the fort. And these beastmen move faster than we do.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He wasn't wrong. We had no hope of outrunning these creatures. They could run faster than a man, and they didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t seem to tire. But we didn't kn\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ow how far away the next wave was. Maybe we could reach the fort first. Maybe we couldn't. But we weren't going to find out if we stayed here.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Find yourself an extra rifle or two. If we run into any more beastmen, we won't outrun them. We'll have to fight\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  them. But be quick about it. We need to get moving.
\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The younger man nodded grimly, and both of us set about scavenging from the corpses of our fallen comrades. I picked the three cleanest carbines I could find, in addition to extra powder, ammunition, an
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
d water skins. I tried not to look at the faces of the men as I coldly stripped useful gear from dead bodies. Forgetting the horrors of this day would be bad enough. Remembering the faces and accusing, dead stares of fallen friends wouldn't help me sleep 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t night.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Aeric geared himself up as well, and the two of us set off. Speed was of the essence, but we were both exhausted from the battle. I set the quickest pace that I thought we might be able to maintain, and we headed for the narrow strip of dirt road 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 that would lead us through the pass and on to Fort Montoya on the other side of the mountains.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Neither of us spoke as we trudged across the battlefield and up the grassy slope, avoiding the bodies of fallen friends and comrades. Aeric kept glancing over hi\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
s shoulder, back down the hill, as if he were expecting the beasts to come charging out of the trees at any moment. And perhaps they would. It was impossible to know how far away they were. Gunsmoke from a hundred carbines rolled lazily through the air of
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 the narrow valley, partially obscuring the view. But all was silent, with nothing but the gentle breeze rustling through the leaves to keep us company.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 We soon left the veritable carpet of dead bodies behind as we crested the hill and made the road. Then b\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
oth of us jumped as a clump of tall bushes on the opposite side of the narrow road suddenly started shaking. Both our rifles were up and at the ready in an instant. My heart was beating hard enough that I could feel it in my temples, but I fought back the
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 fear and steadied my aim. We waited, but nothing came rushing out at us. The bushes rustled again, followed by a bestial snort. Aeric flinched at the noise, but his gun was steady.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Should we shoot?\'94\loch\f40  he whispered.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 No, hold your fire. I'm going to get a bi\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 t closer. If anything jumps out and tries to tear my face off, then you shoot.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
 I took a step closer, then turned back to the young man. \'93\loch\f40 And don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t you miss.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Aeric nodded, returning his full attention to the thicket of bushes in front of us.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I cautiously \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
made my way forward, one ginger step at a time, carbine raised and at the ready. There was another snort from inside the thicket, but this time I was more hopeful than afraid. Using the barrel of my rifle, I pushed some branches aside. Hope welled in me a
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  I spotted a horse in the thicket, her bridle tangled up in the branches.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I turned back to Aeric, a smile on my face. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 It's one of the battalion horses. She must have bolted during the fight and got herself tangled in the thicket.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Aeric brightened immedia\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
tely. He knew what this meant as well as I did. A man couldn't outrun the beastmen, but a horse could. And the big chargers used by the battalion officers could support both of us for leagues, if we didn't push her. This was a fine stroke of luck. More th
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n that, really. This was salvation.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I'll get her untangled from the brush. Stay here and keep an eye out.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 You sure leaving a one-eyed scout to watch for trouble is a good idea?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I grunted a laugh. It was nice to see the young man still retained somethin\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
g of his sense of humor, despite what he had just been through. I waded into the bushes and set about calming the animal as I unwrapped the lead from the tangle of branches.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I freed the horse and led it from the thicket. Aeric wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t waiting for me where I\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 had left him. Instead, he was crouched down on the far side of the road, peering down the hill at something. He turned back to me, a look of dread on his face. Whatever he had seen had scared him, but he wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t running for the horse. Instead, he was wavi\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 g me over to join him.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 With a growing sense of dread creeping through me, I secured the horse's lead to a thick\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 branch and darted across the road, lying down next to Aeric behind a dead log. Then I looked down the hill. Not sixty yards away, two men were struggling up the hillside. Neither of the men were riflemen, nor were they armsmen from the battalion. They we
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 r\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
e both dressed in heavy plate, armed for melee combat with sword and shield. These men were obviously knights of Shayne, but I didn't know who they were or why they were here. Then, my attention was drawn to what was clambering up the hill behind the two 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 m\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 en, in hot pursuit.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
A pack of the undead, at least twelve strong, was steadily gaining on the two knights. Their dead, lifeless eyes were fixated on the men as they sprinted up the hill after them. But though the beastmen were fast, and uniform in their de
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 sire to kill, they were undisciplined. The undead brutes were spread out in a ragged line, the quickest of them already closing on the two fleeing knights. The slower creatures were still some distance off.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 But that wasn't the worst of it. Bringing up the \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 rear, astride an undead nightmare horse, was the last thing I wanted to see. I was looking at one of The Eleven.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I couldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t stop myself from shivering at the sight of the fell creature.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 In life, The Eleven had been the personal guard of King Sirius Shayne,\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 father of the current king. But the eleven brave knights had all been slaughtered during the Battle of the Betrayer. Then Tetrax used his fell magics to bring the Eleven back from the dead to serve as the leaders of his cursed army. The eleven brave knig
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 h\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ts that had dedicated their lives to protecting the Shayne family now fought to destroy the Kingdom of Shayne.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The dread knight was clad in ornate mail armor, filigreed with gold and black trim. He held a long lance in one hand, and a brutal long sword was\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 strapped across his back. And though the fearsome creature could have easily run down the two fleeing humans, he seemed content to hang back and let his minions do the dirty work. The skeletal steed of the knight cantered at an easy pace behind the pack 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 o\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 f undead as the beasts closed on the two fleeing men.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 When this particular Dread Knight had been alive, in the service of the King, he had been known as Oneal Sharps, Master of the Lance. But upon undeath, the Betrayer had renamed him Rictus. And Rictus wa
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s feared by the soldiers of Shayne for good reason. This horrific creature had killed many brave men.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The fastest of the beastmen was a hulking simian brute, with hugely muscled arms and long canine teeth jutting from savage jaws. The monster closed the di\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
stance with loping strides, on all fours, then threw itself into the air, leaping towards the trailing human. The man whirled around, raised his shield, and braced himself for the impact. The gorillalike beast smashed a huge forearm into the shield with s
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 u\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ch force that the sturdy warrior buckled, falling to the ground under the strength of the blow. But his companion hadn't abandoned him. A gleaming sword flashed through the air, taking the brute's arm off at the elbow, then flashed again, cutting deeply t
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 h\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
rough the beast's neck. The simian creature tried to lash out with its remaining arm, the mindless fury and focus of undeath driving it on, but the man sheltering under the shield sprang back up, slamming his shield into the beast and sending it tumbling 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 b\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ack down the grassy hillside.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Other undead were on them now. The two humans, understanding they could flee no further, grimly turned to face their pursuers. It was unlikely they would survive, but you don't become a Knight of Shayne if you\hich\f40 
\rquote \loch\f40 re the type of m\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 an that lies down and dies quietly. Side-by-side, the two men set themselves, ready to fight to the end.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I faced a dilemma, in that moment. These two men looked capable and determined, but they stood no chance against Rictus and his undead beastmen. But th\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ey would likely keep the enemy occupied long enough for Aeric and me to flee on our horse. Honestly, it was probably our duty to run. We had to warn command at Fort Montoya that the pass had fallen. That was far more important than the lives of two knight
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
. If command didn't reinforce the pass in time, The Betrayer's forces would sweep down into the vale and slaughter hundreds, maybe thousands. Alerting the fort had to be our first priority.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Right\~.\~.\~.\~That's what I would tell myself as I tried to fall asl\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
eep at night, racked by guilt for being a coward. In that moment, Janey's face flashed into my mind. My beautiful wife. What would she say if she knew I had left two of my countrymen to die?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I knew exactly what she would say. I knew just how her pert littl\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
e nose would crinkle up as she said it, too. She wouldn't yell, or scream. She wouldn't try to reason with me. She would shake her head, once, then ask me if I felt good about my decision. That's all she would do. She always knew how to see right to the h
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 art of a matter.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Curse the moon,\'94\loch\f40  I swore. I\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839\charrsid16348839 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 wouldn't}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 
\ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839\charrsid16348839 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 feel good about abandoning these men. That's what it came down too, despite the very, very bad odds. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
That woman is going to get me killed,\'94\loch\f40  I muttered. Then I raised the carbine, steadied the barrel on the log in front of me, and announced to the terrify\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 i\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ng creatures below that I was present, and that they should probably come and kill me.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Both knights were fighting for their lives. A stout beastman with tusks and claws was slashing wildly at the shorter man. If not for the gleaming plate mail and shield, \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
that knight would have been shredded. But as it was, the valiant fellow was standing his ground, warding the boarlike beast off with his shield as he fenced with another creature carrying a spear. The knight was incredibly skilled, holding his own against
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 two foes at the same time.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
The other knight, a head taller than his companion and wearing a sky-blue cape that marked him a Royal Guardsmen, wasn't faring much better. He was fending off a pair of beastmen himself, but a third, pantherlike creature was sli
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 nking off to the side, scrambling higher up the hill to come in behind the guardsmen.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The carbine bucked, and the air rang out with my shot. None of the combatants had been expecting the jolting retort of the gun, and the two men visibly flinched at the lo\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ud noise that echoed repeatedly off the narrow walls of the valley. But the pantherlike beastman did more than flinch. The bullet fired from my carbine caught the creature in the side, tore through both lungs, and sent the beast toppling down the hill.

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 big Royal Guardsmen used the distraction to his advantage, knocking aside the club of one of his attackers. Then he lashed out with his gleaming sword, skewering the rat-faced beast in front of him right through the chest.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The shorter knight wasn't faring\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 so well, however. The boarlike beast managed to get a hand under the knight's shield and grabbed his boot, yanking the unfortunate fellow right off his feet. He landed hard on his back, stunned for the briefest of seconds by the fall. With my second carb
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 i\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ne already at hand, I sighted in on the boar man's tusked face. The piglike beast jumped, landing on top of the knight, then reared back with one claw-tipped hand to slice at the man
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s face. I focused in on one of the monster\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s beady, undead eyes, and pul\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 l\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ed the trigger.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
The bullet punched through the thick skull of the creature, killing it instantly. The beast collapsed heavily atop the fallen man, its full weight settling on his chest. The knight seemed to be in quite the unfortunate position, trapped as 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
he was, but the spear-wielding beastman was too eager, and lunged for the kill. The knight shifted slightly, interposing the dead body atop him in between himself and the spear, trapping the weapon as it skewered the dead boar man. The knight lashed out w
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 i\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 th his brilliant sword, cutting the legs out from under his attacker, then used the brief reprieve to roll the dead creature off his body and spring back to his feet.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I dropped the spent carbine, reaching for my third rifle. Aeric snatched it up and began \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 reloading. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 We're fighting instead of running, then?\'94\loch\f40 
 he asked, beginning to reload with practiced motion.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I glanced at the young man, knowing the brave lad would follow my lead instead of running, even if it would likely get us both killed. I didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t know \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
what I could possibly say that would prove worthy of that kind of trust. So I didn't even try.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 One of those knights down there owes me money.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He snorted a laugh as I returned my attention to the fight.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The tall Royal Guardsman had fought the club-wieldin\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
g beastman to a standstill, but the second, slower group of undead had arrived, swinging the odds back into the favor of the undead. Now each of the knights was outnumbered almost four to one. The situation was dire.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The shorter of the knights finished off\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 the beast that had fallen to the ground, but several undead moved to surround him. A burly goat-faced beast with an axe charged forward, swinging wildly. The short knight skillfully parried the blow with his shield, then managed a slash in reply, slicing
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 his foe across the chest. But the monster ignored the grievous wound and attacked again.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Engaged as he was with the goat beast, the knight was hard-pressed to turn and face a thin, catlike female coming at him from his right. She clutched wicked daggers in\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 either hand. I didn't know if those knives were sturdy enough to pierce the knight's tough plate armor; it wouldn't do to find out the hard way. Sighting in on the feline creature, and leading her ever-so-slightly to compensate for her lateral movement, 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  pulled the trigger.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 In the split second before I fired, the knight whirled on her, throwing his shield up to slam her away. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Curse the moon!\'94\loch\f40 
 I swore. The bullet hurtled towards the undead woman, but was intercepted by the knight's shield, and the loud re\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
port of the bullet ricocheting off the thick metal made me cringe. The thump of the ricochet bouncing off his shield startled the knight, as did the bright sparks that suddenly leapt from the metal near his face. The moment's distraction caused him to fal
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
er, and the goat-faced beast slammed that heavy axe into his side, blasting the knight off his feet. His magnificent breastplate saved him, but it must have been a terribly painful blow. The stout knight was smart enough to keep moving, so he let the mome
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 tum of the fall carry him down the hill as he rolled a couple of times. He came back to his feet, sword now clutched in two hands, his shield lost in the fall.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cursing violently, I dropped the carbine and reached for one of Aeric's loaded rifles, hoping I hadn't just doomed the knight with that errant shot.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 When I turned back to the battle, I noted the large guardsman was down, lying on his back, swinging his swo\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
rd frantically as the encroaching group of undead drew closer, mobbing the fallen man. His brilliant armor deflected most of the damage, but I knew some of the blows got through. He kept fighting, desperately trying to keep them at bay.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Another goatlike be\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
astman grabbed the knight's shield, attempting to pry it out of his grasp. The creature's head imploded as my next shot caught it squarely in the ear. The prone knight tried to roll to the side, to create space to rise back to his feet, but he was still s
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 u\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
rrounded by three undead foes. A brute with a spear lunged, catching him in the back. That breastplate saved him from instant death, but the powerful blow cracked his armor, and the tip of the spear pierced the brave man's flesh. He screamed in agony, but
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
never stopped fighting. He desperately struggled to pull free of the spear in his back. The pain must have been terrible, but he spun away, breaking the haft of the spear, then rose to one knee and struck out with his sword, felling a foe with a powerful 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 b\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 low that nearly split the creature in half.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Again I fired, this time taking the undead monster holding half of a broken spear in the chest. The brute grunted in surprise, toppling off his feet and tumbling down the hill. I had one more carbine at hand. Aer
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ic was busily reloading, but it would be at least twenty seconds before the rifle he was working on was ready to fire. The shorter knight farther down the hill still faced three foes. He was giving ground to keep from being surrounded. The larger knight, 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 w\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ounded and bleeding, was facing two opponents. He still had his sword\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839\charrsid16348839 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 and}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839\charrsid16348839 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 shield, and was back on his feet, but was moving slowly now.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Deciding the knight trying to dodge three opponents was in graver peril, I sighted in on the large axe-wielding goatman a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
nd fired. Hitting a moving opponent in the midst of a melee, while being careful not to accidentally hit allies, is much easier said than done. The bullet whistled towards the brute, but only caught him a grazing blow to the back of one meaty thigh. The u
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 dead beast faltered a step, but didn't so much as glance down at the wound. The creature's attention was unerringly fixed on the knight.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Not good,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I muttered, angry at myself \'93\loch\f40 Aeric\~.\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 ?\'94\loch\f40  I implored, willing him to load faster.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Aeric grunted something\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  in reply that didn't warrant repeating as he finished loading the carbine, then veritably threw the rifle at me as he began loading the next one.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 In the brief moment I had taken my eyes off the battle, the shorter of the two knights had managed to fell an\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
other beastman, chopping it down with brutal efficiency, but the axe-wielding brute made him pay for it, hitting him yet again. The knight was expecting the blow, and managed to roll with it. He fell even farther down the hill, but didn't suffer serious d
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
mage. His partner wasn't so lucky. The guardsman batted one of the undead monsters aside with his shield, and lunged at the other, skewering an antlered beastman through the stomach with his razor-sharp blade. But his attack was too low. His strike certai
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ly hurt the creature, but he hadn't hit anything vital. The beastman screamed in defiance, then lashed out with a large, furry fist, punching the knight in the face. His helmet served to protect him from some of the blow, but the beast followed the punch 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 w\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ith another, then another. By the time the fourth blow fell, the knight's gleaming, dented helmet flew from his head, and he was falling again. The valiant man yanked the beastman with him, sending the wounded creature tumbling down the hill, but he had n
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 o\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  defense against his last attacker. A rat-faced female with a sickle loomed over him, weapon raised for a killing blow.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 My bullet took her in the shoulder, shattering bones as it tore through the upper part of her body. The un-thinking beastwoman tried to \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
use her weapon anyway, but there wasn't enough left of her shoulder to hold the sickle. She tried to swing, but ended up sort of just twirling down to the ground, off balance and sorely damaged.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Turning my attention back to the other knight, I let out a br\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
eath of relief. He was holding his own against two foes. And the injured man was out of harm's way, at least for a moment. The longer the two valiant knights could drag this out, the better. It gave us more time to reload.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I began turning towards Aeric, re\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ady to tell him we had turned the tide of the battle, and that we might just survive this. But that's when I spotted the forgotten Dread Knight, sitting atop his fell steed. He had finally decided to join the battle. Spurring his undead mount to a full ga
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 l\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 lop, he charged, iron-shod hooves tearing at the grass as the great beast hurtled towards the shorter knight.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Rictus had angled his charge to come in right behind the knight. He had cleverly waited until the desperate man was looking in the wrong direction\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
, his full attention on the two foes in front of him. The knight had no idea that death was fast approaching from behind.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The full weight of futility fell on me as I dropped the empty carbine in my hands. I screamed, hoping to draw the knight's attention t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
o the horrific being charging from behind, but he was at least seventy yards away now, and fighting for his life. Aeric was just picking up the rod to charge the carbine in his hands. Seven seconds, at least. Far too long to take a shot to save the knight
.\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  I could only watch in horror as the fell-steed ate up the ground with terrible speed. The Dread Knight lowered his lance, sighting in on the back of the embattled knight.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 From seemingly out of nowhere, the other knight, the one that had been so grievously\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 wounded, shot down the hill like a madman, letting gravity do most of the work as he miraculously kept his feet. His brilliant blue cape fluttered behind him as he picked up speed. The guardsman threw himself at the other knight, knocking the smaller man
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 clean off his feet, sending him bouncing painfully down the hill. Saving him from certain death.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And taking his companion's place at the tip of the lance.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Rictus spitted the valiant man with the lance. The guardsman's limp body tumbled lifeless to the grou\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 nd.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Anger and revulsion welled up inside of me. That brave knight had just given his life to save a brother-in-arms. Aeric handed me a primed and ready rifle, and instinctively I aimed at the Dread Knight. But out of the corner of my eye I noticed the axe-
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 toting beastman, now charging\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839\charrsid16348839 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 down}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839\charrsid16348839 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
the hill to where the other knight had finally stopped rolling. That knight, though disoriented and bruised, was struggling back to his feet. He was still alive, but wouldn't be for long. Switching my aim to the beastman,\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 I fired.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
The bullet smashed through the brute's spine, dropping it instantly, right at the feet of the remaining knight. He must have still been a bit addled from the fall. He seemed to notice the creature for the first time as it came to a stop at his fe
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 et, then he looked back up the hill in my direction.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Don't look at me, idiot,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
 I muttered, though I knew he couldn't hear me. The man was nearly one hundred yards away at this point, having tumbled all the way down to the base of the hill. \'93\loch\f40 You're not out\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  of the woods yet.\'94

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
In a seeming stroke of luck, I realized Rictus had carelessly trampled the knife-wielding beastwoman with his horse. Both her legs appeared to be broken. She wasn't completely dead, but she was no longer an immediate threat. That just l
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
eft Rictus to deal with. The Dread Knight had wheeled his horse around, drawn the massive longsword from his back, and was bearing down on the remaining knight, who had lost his sword in the fall. The man was completely unarmed.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Aeric handed me a carbine. \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I would have one shot at this. If I missed, the knight was a dead man.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Leading the charging steed, I compensated for the speed of the horse, then took into account the distance. I said a silent prayer that my aim would be true.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Then I fired.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid16348839 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839\charrsid16348839 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
* * *
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid16348839 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839\charrsid16348839 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
It is said that The Eleven are very hard to kill. There were different theories about how one might dispatch one of the Dread Knights. Some said you had to take the head off. Others said fire was the only way to do the deed. Over the past year, since this
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
war with Tetrax the Betrayer had started, I had heard a dozen theories and rumors about how one might kill one of the Eleven. I had no idea which, if any, of the theories was true. But I had a very real concern that shooting one, at a hundred yards, might
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 not do the trick.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 So, I shot the bastard's horse instead.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The bullet shattered the hip joint of the rear leg. Mid-stride, the beast's leg buckled, and it toppled heavily to the ground, sending the Dread Knight tumbling violently through the grass. Such a f
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
all would have taken most any man out of the fight, but Rictus smoothly rose back to his feet. He glanced first at the thrashing, undead horse, then at the sword in his hands. The fall had broken the weapon near the hilt. He was left holding nothing more 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
han a handle and a few inches of blade. Furious, he looked up the hill, directly at me. Despite the distance of some ninety yards, I could feel the hate of that baleful glare all the way from there. But the Dread Knight had prey closer at hand, and it tur
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ed to look for the knight. To his credit, the man hadn't been idle while I shot the horse out from under Rictus. He knew the reputation of the creature hunting him, and he wasn't going to hang around waiting for me to kill it. Instead, he was hustling bac
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 k\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 up the hill, searching frantically for his fallen sword. He found the blade in nearly the same moment that the Rictus rounded on him. Not more than a breath later, Aeric handed me a fresh rifle. The stalwart young man was still loading carbines with quic
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 k\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 , smooth precision.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Rictus regarded the short, powerfully built knight. Then the creature turned its terrible eyes towards me once again. Just as before, the gaze of the powerful creature was a palpable thing. I could feel the monster appraising me, hating
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  me. I could sense its desire to tear the life from my body. Despite myself, I let out an involuntary shudder. The\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839\charrsid16348839 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 wrongness\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839\charrsid16348839 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
of this creature tore at my sensibilities. But I didn't turn away. I didn't run and hide in terror. Steeling my resolve, I turned m\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 y focus to the front site of the rifle, and hoped a bullet would hurt this creature.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 But I didn't get to find out. Rictus tossed the handle of his broken sword to the ground in disgust. Then he spoke. His sibilant, raspy voice carried all the way up the hi\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ll to me, despite the fact that the Dread Knight used nothing more than a whisper.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839\charrsid16348839 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Well fought}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839\charrsid16348839 
\loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 ,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  the creature hissed, his eerie voice seeming to carry like the wind itself. \'93}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839\charrsid16348839 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 You prove to be worthy foes. I am most pleased. I will return with a new hunting \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 party. Then I shall drink your blood.\'94}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839\charrsid16348839 
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 With that, the undead knight whirled away and fled back the way he had come, seeming to float over the grass as he moved. Within moments, he was gone, fading into the trees.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 What\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 .\'94\loch\f40  Aeric asked, breathing heavily\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 , \'93.\~.\~.\~\loch\f40 \hich\f40 was that?\'94\loch\f40 
 The young man, stalwart as he was, had clearly been unnerved by the voice of the undead knight.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I turned to him, a smile on my face as relief washed over me. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 That, my young friend, was one of The Eleven.\'94\loch\f40  Aeric paled noticeably, but I \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
\hich\f40 continued speaking before he could panic. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 When it found out Aeric of the Royal Fusiliers was up on this hill, it fled in terror.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 The young man grunted, but he seemed to be at a loss for words. \'93\loch\f40 Aeric, load the rest of these rifles, and keep your eyes pee\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 led for trouble. Er\~.\~.\~.\~your\~}{
\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839\charrsid16348839 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 eye}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839\charrsid16348839 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
, at least. And make sure the horse doesn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t bolt. It's still our ticket out of here. I'm going to go check on the knight.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Rifle at the ready, I moved out from behind the log we had been using for cover and made my way dow\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
n the steep slope. The knight finished off the few undead that were still twitching on the ground, then walked over to the fallen body of his companion. I reached him about that same time. The young knight was visibly shaken.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I'm sorry about your friend,\'94\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  I offered weakly.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 The knight shook his head sadly as he gazed down at the guardsman. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
I've known this man since I was a boy. He saved my skin more than once. I always knew he might die protecting me. But I never really believed it would come to that.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 He\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  died a hero's death,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I observed. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
That was quite a selfless thing he did. I'm sorry we couldn't save him. I missed too many shots.\'94\loch\f40  It was my turn to shake my head. I hadn't known the dead man, but the sting of his death hit me, too. If my shooting had 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 b\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 een more precise, if I had prioritized targets better, maybe he wouldn't be dead now.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 The knight stood up, then clapped a heavy, mailed hand to my shoulder. \'93\loch\f40 I'm sure you did all you could, soldier. We're at war. Part of surviving war means learning to liv
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 e with what you have lost.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I gave the man a nod, and together we trudged up the grassy slope. The knight spoke as we reached the top. \'93\loch\f40 
It was a good thing your company still held this hill. I was afraid the entire battalion had been wiped out. Tell me, ho\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 w many men do you have left in your command?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 We crested the hill in that moment, and the knight seemed stunned when he didn't see a company of fusiliers waiting for us. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Behold, my command,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
 I said, pointing to the bloodied young man sitting on the log. \'93\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 A one-eyed boy, and a scared horse. In all honesty, it isn't\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839\charrsid16348839 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 my}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839\charrsid16348839 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
command. The boy and I both hold the rank of private third class, which is the lowest rank in the army. The horse probably outranks both of us, by seniority. Technically, this is probably\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839\charrsid16348839 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 her}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839\charrsid16348839 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 command.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I looked to the knight, to see if he appreciated the absurdity of this situation as much as I did, when I noticed Aeric jump off the log and throw himself down on one knee. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 My lord,\'94
\loch\f40  the young man hastily blurted out, his eyes fixed on the groun\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 d in front of him.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
It took me several seconds to figure out what Aeric was doing. I looked at the young man, then at the knight, then back at the young man. I finally noticed the royal crest on the knight's breastplate. A lightning bolt clutched in the mou
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 th of a warhound. The emblem of House Shayne.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Oh,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I finally muttered, realization dawning on me like a wagon full of rocks. \'93\loch\f40 You\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 re Prince Gegard.\'94\loch\f40 
 It was half a statement, half a question. I had just been having a casual conversation with the Crown Prin\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ce of Shayne, heir to the throne. Stating I felt like an idiot doesn't do the sentiment justice. Immediately, I moved to kneel in front of the prince, but halfway down I thought better of it. I was in uniform, so I rose and began to salute, slapping my ri
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 g\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
ht hand over my breast. But then I thought better of that, too. I had no idea what decorum dictated I do for the crown prince. I froze, panic setting in, though that was hardly a first for today. I was getting used to the sensation. \'93\loch\f40 
I'm sorry, sir. Do I \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 alute you, or kneel? Or maybe both?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Prince Gegard grunted in amusement. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Relax, soldier. You two just saved my life. I should be saluting you.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  He turned to Aeric. \'93\loch\f40 
On your feet, lad. The two of you just did the kingdom a great service. You just saved the\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  crown prince. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 m certain you don't get to say that every day.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
 Gegard took a moment to look around, as if to assure himself that it was, in fact, just the three of us up here. \'93\loch\f40 And, might I add, that was some damned fine shooting. I figured at least hal\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 f
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 -a-dozen fusiliers were up here firing away. You two should be proud of yourselves.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Just doing our job, sir,\'94\loch\f40  I mumbled, giving the prince a nod.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Aeric seemed just as uncomfortable with the praise as I did. He mumbled something incoherent about getting t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 he horse and walked away.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 The prince turned towards me. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 You two are really all that are left of the battalion?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Afraid so, sir. I figure we're done here. Two men with rifles aren't\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
 going to hold this valley. We were making for the pass, heading towards Fort Montoya to warn command that the battalion has been wiped out.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Prince Gegard nodded his helmed head. \'93\loch\f40 I concur. We three can't hold this position. We need to warn command immedi\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ately.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Aeric returned with the horse. The expression on his young face was grave. Once again, he had been thinking ahead, and had figured out something that was just now occurring to me. He walked right up to the prince and held out the horse's lead, offe
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ring it to Gegard. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Lucky we found this horse, sir,\'94\loch\f40 
 Aeric said, fighting to keep his face steady. Only then did the obvious dawn on me. This horse couldn't hold three men. By saving the prince, we had just doomed ourselves. We couldn't very well ride off\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 on the charger and leave the crown prince and heir to the kingdom to die.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Curse the moon,\'94\loch\f40  I swore under my breath. Saving the prince had probably just cost both of us our lives.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Prince Gegard accepted the lead automatically, then paused as he too did the\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
 math. He realized what it meant that Aeric was offering him our horse. Despite the gravity of the situation, Aeric's next words did me proud. He didn't even hesitate. \'93\loch\f40 
Best be on your way, my lord. We have no way of knowing how soon the enemy will return.\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  They could be back any moment. You should get yourself to safety, sir. And warn command that the pass has fallen.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Prince Gegard nodded his head solemnly as the young man spoke. Then he let out a short, sardonic laugh. He paused, then laughed again, this \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
time a little more emphatically. Then he turned back to Aeric. \'93\loch\f40 
You're not wrong, Private. We need to warn command. But do you know what will happen if I ride out of this valley, all alone. The lone survivor of an entire battalion of men? Do you understan\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 d
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  what would happen if the prince was the only man to leave this valley alive?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 That caught both of us off guard. Aeric shook his head in confusion. The prince laughed yet again, shaking his head slowly. \'93\loch\f40 If I ride out of here alone, we lose the war. End of
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  story.\'94\loch\f40  He paused, letting his words sink in.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I would think, sir, that everyone would be relieved you survived,\'94\loch\f40  I interjected.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Gegard shook his head in disagreement. \'93\loch\f40 My mother would be relieved. My father, and indeed, every other man, woman, and child \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
of Shayne would think me a coward. To have been the sole survivor of this battle, they would all assume I had fled, leaving my men to be butchered.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 But that's not the case,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I protested. \'93\loch\f40 I saw you fighting down there. You slew half-a-dozen of those crea\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
tures with your own sword.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 And at least a dozen more before that,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  the prince affirmed. \'93\loch\f40 
But the truth wouldn't matter. There would be no way to corroborate that story. There would be no evidence other than my own testimony of how heroically I fought as \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
the men all around me died. No one would believe the tale. They would think I had run at the first sign of battle, leaving the battalion to be butchered to cover my retreat. No man would ever willingly follow me into battle again. The morale of the nation
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 would be shattered. The Kingdom of Shayne would never recover.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 He looked at both of us in turn. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I admit, it is a tempting offer. But if I ride out of here on that horse, the war is lost.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Then he smiled sadly as he continued. 
\'93\loch\f40 You two climb up there and \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ride for the fort. I'll make my way on foot. If you're quick, maybe the reinforcements from the fort will find me before that Dread Knight does.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Aeric and I exchanged bewildered looks. This day had taken one-too many strange turns. Neither of us knew what\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
 to make of this development. But the prince wasn't going to let us worry over it. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I know what both of you are thinking, so let me make this easy for you. Both of you get up on that horse and get moving. Now. That's an order!\'94

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Aeric seemed to be in shock.\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  He tore his gaze from the prince, looking to me for guidance. I shrugged. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
The crown prince gave you an order, Private. Mount up.\'94\loch\f40  Still seemingly in shock, the young man clambered up into the saddle.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Your turn,\'94\loch\f40  the prince said to me, pointing at the ho\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 rse. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
Ride hard for the fort. I don't relish the jog ahead of me. This armor looks pretty, but after a few leagues it's like walking around with an anvil on my shoulders.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I walked over to the horse. Was I really about to abandon the prince here, with a ho\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 rde of enemies on the way?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Janey's beautiful face appeared in my mind's eye again. Her nose was crinkled as I imagined her looking at me.\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839\charrsid16348839 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Do you feel good about that decision}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839\charrsid16348839 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
, she seemed to say to me again. She was always asking me that, even when she was \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 leagues away. She really was something, my Janey.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Curse the moon,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  I swore out loud. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 You're going to get me killed, woman.\'94\loch\f40 
 Both of my companions were looking at me oddly. I didn't care. It was my turn to chuckle. I reached up and grabbed Aeric by the ar\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 m. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
You did good today, Aeric. I'll fight by your side anytime. Now ride hard for the fort. Command needs to know what happened here.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Aeric peered down at me with his good eye, the intelligent young man fully realizing what I meant to do. \'93\loch\f40 You can count o\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 n it.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 The prince interrupted us, stepping forward as he realized something was amiss. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 What are you doing, Private? I gave you an order. Get on that horse and get out of here.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I rounded on the prince, putting one hand to my ear as I spoke. \'93\loch\f40 I'm sorry sir\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
, but I've done an awful lot of shooting today. Riflemen are often hard of hearing. Firearms are uncommonly noisy.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Before the prince could react, I turned back to injured young man on the horse. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Ride hard, ride fast, and get yourself safe, Aeric.\'94\loch\f40  Then I\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 slapped the horse hard on the flank, sending the charger off at a gallop.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 The two of us watched the young man ride away for a moment before the prince spoke. \'93\loch\f40 Private, you just disobeyed a direct order from the Crown Prince of Shayne, in a time of war. Yo
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 u've just committed high treason, soldier.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 What's the punishment for something like that?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hanging, as I understand it,\'94\loch\f40  he said, with mock gravity in his voice.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Do you have a length of rope, my lord?\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  The prince shook his head. \'93\loch\f40 Then you'll just have \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 to hang me\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839\charrsid16348839 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 after}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839\charrsid16348839 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
we get your royal ass off this mountain.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 The prince stared at me in shock for a brief moment before a wry smile crept onto his face. Then he began laughing as the two of us started walking. \'93\loch\f40 It's a long road back to Fort Montoya. Are you 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 going to be flippant with me the entire journey?\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
I'm afraid so, sir. If I'm to hang for treason, I feel I should make the most of it. General flippancy, disobeying orders, and insulting your royal person are all well within the realm of possibility. I figure on committing this treason properly.\'94

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The two \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 of us were smiling as we entered the pass, enjoying the moment of levity. We both knew it wouldn't last.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid12876050 
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid16348839 
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s28\qj \li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid16348839 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
J.J. Cragun is the grand prize winner of the sixth annual Baen Fantasy Adventure Award. The award recognizes the best original adventure fantasy shor\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
t story in the style of fantasy greats like Larry Correia, Mercedes Lackey, Elizabeth Moon, Andre Norton, J.R.R. Tolkien, and David Weber. For more information on the BFAA, including formation on past winners, and now to enter, click\~}
{\field\fldedit{\*\fldinst {\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  HYPERLINK "https://ww\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 w.baen.com/contest-faa" }{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777 {\*\datafield 
00d0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b0200000003000000e0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b5a000000680074007400700073003a002f002f007700770077002e006200610065006e002e0063006f006d002f0063006f006e0074006500730074002d006600610061000000795881f43b1d7f48af2c825dc4852763
0000000085ab00000000}}}{\fldrslt {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \cs36\b\f40\fs21\ul\cf19\insrsid16348839 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 here}}}\sectd \ltrsect\linex0\endnhere\sectlinegrid360\sectdefaultcl\sectrsid9384073\sftnbj {\rtlch\fcs1 
\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid16348839 .
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid16348839 \rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 
{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid16348839 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid12417777 \page 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12417777 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs40 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f44\fs40\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af44\dbch\af31505\loch\f44 Talk Girl

\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs32 \ltrch\fcs0 \f44\fs32\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af44\dbch\af31505\loch\f44 Wil McCarthy
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12417777 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \dbch\af0\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12417777 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
My machine was different than Harv Leonel's. Extracting the quantum memories that cling to highly conserved biological structures\~.\~.\~.\~
well, it's a dicey business under the best of circumstances, and Leonel was plucking the very lowest-hanging fruit from\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
that tree. For the rest of us, he left either scraps beneath the table or luscious morsels far out of reach. Not that his journey was an easy one, or free of costs. Certainly not. And yet, in being first he was, in many ways, the mnemochronnaut with the l
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ast to prove. Which is a funny thing, if you think about what happened afterward.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The Ice Age he claims to have traveled back to is corroborated here and there by archeological or linguistic or genetic evidence, and our very cultural notions of those time \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
periods are increasingly shaped by his experience. Who hasn't seen the CGI landscape reconstructions from National Geographic? Heard the lilt and jabber of the ancient languages he claims to have spoken? Who hasn't watched the movie, with Sidney Smith pla
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 y\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ing all five title roles?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And yet, nearly half of Real Scientists consider Leonel a crank, and his staff a team of either world-class chumps or third-rate charlatans.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Are you ready, Beth?" Shirley asked me as I leaned back in the seizure chair. We were in\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  my garage, heaped high with second-hand and scratch-built equipment. Was I ready?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 What a question.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Like the Y-chromosome, mitochondrial DNA is handed down intact from one generation to the next, and so on, and so on, except that instead of following the m\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ale lineage, it's handed down from mother to daughter. My time machine was different from Leonel's because I was tracing back the past's other half. Its female half.
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Are you ready?}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Ready for what? For brain-damaging seizures, as the machine stuffs whole fi\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ling cabinets of ancient information through the narrow channel of my hippocampus? Ready for the incredulity of colleagues, and for a burden of proof that can never be fully and properly met? Regression science was a dicey business at the best of times, y
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
s. With its track record of results that managed to be both unfalsifiable and trivial, and also yes a record of fraud and abuse and charlatanism, with a lunatic fringe trailing off into crystal-hugging nonsense, it was a field that could kill careers by m
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 re association. It had arguably killed mine already; as I edged away from the pure study of mitochondrial genetic inheritance\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
as I began to wonder what quantum information might be clinging to that DNA, also handed down intact from one generation to the n\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 xt\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
I found my funding sources drying up, job offers drying up, refereed journals increasingly refusing to publish my papers, even when they\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 did}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 stick to pure genetics.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 All it took was a sentence here and there, in the closing remarks of otherwise sober scholarly articles: "Whether Harv Leonel\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s findings can be generalized to other structures within the human genome is an open question, and merits further study." Just th\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
t! Science can be a jealous business, with far too many would-be practitioners and not nearly enough jobs in which to practice. A Ph.D. is a costly degree\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 seven years in my case, and some said I got off easy\hich\f40 \emdash 
\loch\f40 and what it buys you are shitty postdoc assignm\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 nts that lead, if you\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 re lucky, to shitty adjunct faculty positions. It doesn\hich\f40 \rquote 
\loch\f40 t take much to push you to the fringes of the battle, put you out of the running for anything serious, or in some cases anything at all.\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Oh, that Beth Remert! Not very rigorous, \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 that one.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And so I began to think, I might as well have the benefit of actually pressing the trigger switch on a time machine and finding out the truth for myself.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 For myself. Funded mostly\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 by}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 myself, with just a pittance from the Mnemochronnautics Society\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 , in exchange for the most detailed (and dare I say brilliant) proposal I
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d ever penned.
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Are you ready?\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
She should be asking herself that question. I thought: Why are\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 you}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 here, Shirley Doaks? The pay is shit, and the benefits could be career suicide.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And y\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
et, damn it, my machine was harder to build than Harv Leonel's. The Y-chromosome's three arms are close enough together to maintain near-field effects from tip to tip, and without a fourth arm to permit stable resonances that destroy the delicately entang
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 l\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ed states of the human quantome. Mitochondrial DNA? Not so much. It forms a tiny ring through which vibrations can echo round and round, with no ends to stop at and no floppy joints to damp them. To stave off decoherence I needed to pull the information o
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 f\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 f\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ten times faster}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 than Leonel had. Ten times. Think about that, yes:\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 everything}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 in science is harder for women. Thanks, nature.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 My machine was more difficult, and yet in its own way a lot more elegant. I had the shoulders of giants to stand on, plus the b\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 enefit of ten years\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
 progress in quantum computing technology. And the benefit of Shirley, without whom I certainly could not have built even half of this equipment. Perhaps that's why she took the job\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
a challenging assignment in all respects. Fail big or\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 win small; perfect for a black-lipstick-wearing contrarian.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "I'm ready," I told her. I meant something more complicated than that\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 something almost wordless\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
about fear of failure and fear of never trying anything at all, or never anything important or risky\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 . Or of having\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 taken}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
the risk without ever really meaning to, and never even making the steep cost of it worthwhile. I wanted to tell her something about truth, and the yearning for truth that seduces so many of us into lives of humdrum, workaday science a
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 nd then abandons us, with no money and no real accomplishments to show. No, that fate was not for me. Not this girl.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I wanted the Ice Age\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 I wanted the\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 truth}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 
\ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 about it\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 and I wished I could communicate all of that in those two little words.\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 m ready.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Why doe
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s language fail us at the moments we need it most?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Whatever. At a loss for anything more meaningful to say, I pressed the trigger.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12417777 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12417777 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Harv Leonel described sensations of movement, of translocation, of plurality in space and time. I didn't feel any of that. \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 One moment I was myself, in the seizure chair of a home-built time machine, and the next I was\~.\~
.\~.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 A little girl holding a piece of fruit, still chewing on the bite I'd taken out of it. My mother standing next to me.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "This girl likes this taste of this f\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ruit," I said to her, and she gasped, and then laughed.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Like?" she asked. "Like fruit?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "This girl likes this taste of this fruit," I said again, then added, "This fruit tastes sweet!"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 My mother's laugh was fearful, as if I'd said something disconcerting,\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  perhaps even a little bit obscene.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Baby\~.\~.\~.\~speaks," said Mother.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "This girl speaks," I agreed, wondering why she found it strange. I had spoken before. I'd made the noises that correlated to things and actions in the world. Never perhaps so many at on\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ce, but the words fit together. They\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 said}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \~
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 something.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Girl}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \~
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 speaks?" Mother asked, looking as if she\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d swallowed a spider.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Yes," I told her. "This girl is not baby." The word "baby" did not apply to girls who could speak.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Mother didn't like that. She snatc\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 hed the fruit from my hand, staring at it suspiciously. She sniffed it, then cast it aside into the bushes.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Bad," she said, emphasizing the word with a gesture of negation. She pointed to the tree from which the fruit had come. "No."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Why?" I asked her. S\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 he'd plucked the fruit herself, eaten one and then, satisfied, handed another to me. I'd broken no rule, disobeyed no command.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "No!" she said, more forcefully. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d never seen her like this before: distressed and vaguely fearful, but also confused.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Why?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Baby, no. Fruit bad."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Not baby," I corrected. Then I asked her, "What is this girl's name?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Again, she gasped. I understood in that moment that I didn't have a name. Babies didn't have names; only girls and boys and men and women had names. This m\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ade me angry.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "This girl is not baby!" I screeched at her.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "No!" she said again. And slapped me across the face.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I shrieked at that, turning and running away into the bushes. She followed, scooping me up, and said, "No run! Danger! Home now."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I howled, str\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 uggling against her grasp, but she was strong\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
much stronger than I was. I could not get away from her. She had slapped me and grabbed me and taken my fruit, and I could not get away. I began to cry.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Hush," she said angrily. Then, more kindly, "Hush, baby.\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  Home now."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I remained silent after that, unsure how or why my words had upset her.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12417777 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12417777 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
I didn't speak again for several days, and when I did, it was among fellow young children. Two boys and I were throwing pebbles at a beetle, and I said to them, "This gir\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 l likes throwing pebbles."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The boys stopped what they were doing, gawked at me, and then laughed. Not cruelly or nervously, but simply as though I'd said something amusing.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Throw!" one of them said.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Like pebbles," said the other.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I didn't know what to ma\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ke of this. Did they not also like throwing pebbles? They certainly seemed to. Why would it be strange to say so?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Do these boys like to throw pebbles?" I asked them, for they had no names that I'd ever heard.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Again, they laughed.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Throw pebbles!" one of t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 he them said.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I stopped talking then, unsure what to make of any of this.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12417777 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12417777 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
The next time I spoke, I sang. It was a few nights later, around the communal fire near the center of the village, and one of the men\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 not my father\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 sang a song that went, "Love, lo
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ve, love. Love love love. Love love love. Love, love, LOVE!"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I liked the song, so without really thinking about it I added a verse of my own: "Love is in this girl's tummy. Love is in this girl's TUMMY!"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The tummy, it seemed to me, was where love and other\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  emotions were felt.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The campfire chatter of the village fell silent. All eyes were on me. I shrank.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Then someone laughed, and someone joined her, and in another moment, everyone was happy. Was that me? Had I had made everyone happy? How? Why? It didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t make sense to me.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Talk girl," someone said, and everyone laughed at that, too. They pointed to me and \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 said it again. Talk girl, talk girl. Not a taunt, but a\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 name}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
. They were naming me. But what a strange name! I knew my mother\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s name was Nik-Nik, and my father was Brog. These were not\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 words}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 , they were\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 names}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 . Could a name be made of words? I shook with stra
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 nge emotions, saying nothing, but taking in the sensation of the people\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s joy, which I had somehow brought about.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12417777 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 #

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12417777 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
It was several more days before I spoke again, and several weeks before I sang. And yet, it became increasingly normal for me to do both thi\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ngs\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
sometimes in the same breath. Over a period of many days the people of my village came not only to accept this about me, but to celebrate it. I was Talk Girl\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 of course I should talk!
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 But.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Even at such a young age (I must have been about three years old\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
, certainly no older than just-barely four), I soon became aware, and then frustrated, that no one else in the village ever seemed to talk or sing back to me. Not really. They knew all the same words I did, and indeed for a time, many of the adults knew\~
}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 mo\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 re}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \~
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 words than I did. But they seemed unable to string them together except by twos and, rarely, threes.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And here it occurred to me, as Beth Remert, the neurogeneticist and mnemochronnaut, that these people seemed to think in nouns and verbs and (more rarel\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
y) adjectives, rather than in thoughts\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 per se}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 . I, alone, could give voice to all the nuanced relationships between the objects and actions of the world, which seemed so evident to me. All the things worth talking and singing about! The people around me see
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 med to\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 understand}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 speech, to nod appreciatively when my words correctly described what they wanted or hoped, or when I helped them tell a story about what had happened to them that day.

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "You walked to the river and caught some frogs? Yes? Did you cook them\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ? Were they delicious?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Even if they couldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t tell their own stories, they could, with scattered words and gestures, supply me with enough information to tell it all for them, and this seemed to please everyone
\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 even Mother.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 It occurred to me (or rather, to\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  Beth Remert) that I would grow up to be Talking Woman, Harv Leonel's mythical first human. Or rather, the first\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 neurologically modern}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
human. This thought amazed me, but fleetingly, for a fraction of a moment, and then Beth Remert was gone, and only Talk G\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 irl remained.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And as Talk Girl, I found myself growing increasingly bored. I spoke to everyone\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 my parents, my cousins, my neighbors\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
trying to draw more words from them. I might ask, "Why is today hot, Father?" or "When will Mother return from gathering?" a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
nd I would get back answers like "Hot sun" or "Afternoon," and that would be that. The only real answers were the ones I said for them. The only stories were the ones I told myself.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I became frustrated, and then lonely, and then I began\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 by inches and stage\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 
to fall into a kind of toddlerish depression. "What is, is," I would tell people, when they tried to speak their stories through me. What good was speaking, anyway?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Until one day, a new thought occurred to me. The day I had first spoken complete thoughts\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
, mother had given me a piece of fruit and then angrily taken it away. Had the fruit been responsible? I knew that some foods could make you full, some could make you thirsty, and rather a lot of them could make you sick, because they weren't really foods
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
at all. The world was full of berries and toads and bugs that would make you vomit. Could there also be fruits that would make you talk? My mother had also eaten the fruit, and she had not learned to speak, but perhaps she was too old? Some things, like m
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 i\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 lk and mush, were only for children. Could there be fruits that would make only children talk?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 This seemed plausible enough to me, given the large number of obvious differences between adults and children, and so I began to formulate a plan around it.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "We \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
should eat fruit," I would say to the older children I encountered around the village. Not children my own age, who were not allowed to wander, but boys old enough to carry a spear, and girls old enough to carry a knife and digging stick. Boys and Girls w
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 h\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 o could take me where I wanted to go.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 If they said anything at all, I would grasp their hand and close it into a fist. "Fruit is this big. Fruit is red and yellow and purple. Where is this fruit?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 To this they would sometimes laugh, and sometimes shrug, an\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
d sometimes snatch their hands away and scold. But on my third day of trying, I found a boy who nodded and said, "Yes. Fruit. There."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He waved in a general direction.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "We go there?" I asked him excitedly. "We eat fruit? Fruit is good. Mmm!"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The boy, whose \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 name was Dak-Dak, looked suspicious at this.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Why?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Talk Girl knows this fruit. This fruit is good. Talk girl wants to share this fruit."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 That seemed just barely good enough to assuage his suspicion, so he nodded, and asked permission from one of the vill\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
age elders to take me for a walk. Permission was granted, and off we went.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Bugs and frogs and birds sang in the trees, as if wishing me good fortune. The walk was long, and so I composed a song of my own: "Talk Girl shares fruit. Talk girl shares fruit with Dak-Dak. Talk girl shares FRUIT!" I sang it over and over, until Dak-Dak
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 told me to stop, at which point I simply hummed it, unable to contain my excitement.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Finally, we arrived at a tree bearing the fruit. Not the same one my mother had plucked from, but similar enough.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I tried to pick a fruit for myself, they were too high fo\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 r me to reach.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Help me," I said to Dak-Dak.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Obligingly, if somewhat annoyedly, he picked two fruits, handing one to me and taking the other for himself.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I bit into mine. "Mmm! Fruit is good! Dak-Dak should eat this fruit!"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 As myself, Beth Remert, I though\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t, it's not an apple. In the legends related by Harv Leonel, he had used the word "apple", but he hadn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t seen it for himself. He
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d landed several generations too late for that, and then several thousand generations too early. This fruit was something more\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
like a pear, but fatty, too, like an olive or a coconut. I knew I had to remember this! Perhaps something resembling this still existed in the world, as corroborating evidence! It was only the increasing body of corroborating evidence that saved Leonel fr
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 o\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 m 100% crank status, and I would need\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 something}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 . But again, this thought was fleeting.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Dak-Dak eyed both me and the fruit, now skeptical again. Here was a strange thing; sometimes my words could convince people to do things, or accept things. Other times, \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
they seemed to have the opposite effect. Had I said something wrong, or in the wrong way? I had no elders to teach me this, and it sorely confused me.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "It\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s good," I said, more quietly, then ate the rest of mine.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Frowning, Dak-Dak sniffed the fruit before \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 taking a small bite. Then, finding that acceptable, he took a larger bite.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Mmm?" I asked him.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Mmm," he answered. Yes, the fruit is good.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Can Dak-Dak talk now?" I asked him. Because for me it had happened that fast.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Mmm? Talk?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Talk, Dak-Dak."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Talk," \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 he said vaguely.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 For me, the fruit had worked immediately, which meant that it\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 wasn't}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 
\ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 working for Dak-Dak. Was he too old? Was the whole idea simply wrong? Frustrated, I closed my eyes and began to cry. Never had I felt so alone.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And then I\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 did}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 
\~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 feel a sens\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e of dislocation, and movement, and then a dizzying rush of acceleration. What was happening?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I opened my eyes again, and then, in a sudden, fluttering moment I was Beth Remert, neurogeneticist, lying back in the seizure regression chair in my garage. Blin\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
king against the tears that were still leaking from my eyes. Somehow feeling both lost and found, at home in my own body and yet also a stranger.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Oh my God!" I said to Shirley Doaks. "Send me back! Send me back!"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "What?" she asked, because from her point \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 of view I'd only lost consciousness for a few seconds.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Increase the field strength! Send me back there! Oh, God, Shirley, I saw Talking Woman, somewhere in Ancient Africa. I\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 was}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Talking Woman! For God's sake, send me back!
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Hold on. What?"
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 We went back an\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
d forth like that for a few iterations, until I finally persuaded her to start fiddling with the controls. Field strength! Write head gain! She even got down into the BIOS of my laptop and doubled the CPU clock speed. All to no avail. In that peculiarly Q
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 u\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ixotic way of mnemochronautics, our experiment in quantome memory extraction had ended. We had, in Leonel\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s parlance, "reached the end of the tape,", and despite a dull day of effort (for my journey had taken place at 9:15AM) nothing we tried could extrac\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 or inject even one more instant of recovered memory. The past was, once again, closed to me.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 How I envied Harv Leonel that day! Oh, who am I kidding? I envy him still, and the\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 years}{
\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 he spent in the Antediluvian world. Before the Flood, before the end if t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
he Ice Age and the start of recorded history. Leonel had seen the Flood with his own two eyes, or rather the eyes of a theretofore legendary ancestor. He\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d consorted with trolls, and witnessed the first ocean crossing, a million years before humans had ev\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n learned to sew. Oh, damn. What were a few weeks in Eden, compared to that?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Or perhaps I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ve got it wrong; perhaps even\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 five seconds}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 in Eden is worth all the prices I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ve paid. It may be true that my own experience -- less consequential than Leonel
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s and ye\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t somehow even more controversial\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 serves only to tantalize believers and draw the scorn of critics, while proving nothing. The "apple" was most likely\~}{
\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Dacryodes edulis}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
, the\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 atanga}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
or "bush pear" of Cameroon, but so what? Skeptics will tell you I could have\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  known that before building my machine. I could have made it up.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 But I didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t. Right? Believe me or not, as you see fit, but in any case,\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 I}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
know it happened. I know I caught a real glimpse of the real world in Antediluvian times, and on my better days I so\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 metimes find that's enough.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And, you know, sometimes not.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Perhaps someday we\hich\f40 \rquote \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ll really really tame this science, and all of us will know for sure what really went on in the ancient world. Until that day, we\hich\f40 \rquote 
\loch\f40 re like Talking Woman herself\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 able to share our experience with others, but not to grant it. And perhaps that\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s better than t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 h
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e alternative; my greatest fear is not that I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
ll be proven wrong (which I know is impossible), but rather that my life will serve only as a footnote to some greater truth, first revealed by someone luckier than myself. Or perhaps that has happened already,\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 but as Talk Girl would say, with wisdom far beyond her years and far beyond her era, "What is, is."
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Indeed.
\par 
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 Bethany Remert, Dallas TX}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 

\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid12417777 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \dbch\af0\insrsid12417777\charrsid12417777 
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 "Talk Girl" is set within the world of Wil McCarthy\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s novel\~}{\field\fldedit{\*\fldinst {
\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 HYPERLINK "https://www.baen.com/antediluvian.html" \\t "_blank" }{\rtlch\fcs1 
\ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid2499334 {\*\datafield 
00d0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b0200000083000000070000005f0062006c0061006e006b000000e0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b66000000680074007400700073003a002f002f007700770077002e006200610065006e002e0063006f006d002f0061006e0074006500640069006c007500760069006100
6e002e00680074006d006c000000795881f43b1d7f48af2c825dc48527630000000085ab000000}}}{\fldrslt {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \cs36\b\i\f40\fs21\ul\cf19\insrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Antediluvian}}}\sectd \ltrsect
\linex0\endnhere\sectlinegrid360\sectdefaultcl\sectrsid9384073\sftnbj {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\i\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid12417777 ,}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid12417777 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 out in October 2019 from Baen Books. McCarthy is a former\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  contributing editor for\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\b\i\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 WIRED}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid12417777 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
magazine and science columnist for the SyFy channel, where his "Lab Notes" column ran for ten years. His short fiction has graced the pages of magazines like\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\b\i\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Analog, Asimov's, WIRED}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 , and
\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\i\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 SF Age}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid12417777 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 , and his novels include\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\i\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Bloom}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid12417777 ,\~}{\field\fldedit{\*\fldinst {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 HYPERLINK "https://www.baen.com/the-collapsium.html" \\t "_blank" }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid2499334 {\*\datafield 
00d0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b0200000083000000070000005f0062006c0061006e006b000000e0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b6a000000680074007400700073003a002f002f007700770077002e006200610065006e002e0063006f006d002f007400680065002d0063006f006c006c00610070007300
690075006d002e00680074006d006c000000795881f43b1d7f48af2c825dc48527630000000085ab000000}}}{\fldrslt {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \cs36\b\i\f40\fs21\ul\cf19\insrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The Collapsium}}}\sectd \ltrsect
\linex0\endnhere\sectlinegrid360\sectdefaultcl\sectrsid9384073\sftnbj {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid12417777 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 (a national bestseller), and\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\ab\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\i\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid12417777 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 To Crush the Moon}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid12417777 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 . He h\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 as also written for TV, and appeared on the History Channel and the Science Channel. In addition to fiction and journalism, McCarthy also writes patents for a top law firm in Dallas.}
{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid12417777 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid2499334 \page 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2499334 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs40 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f44\fs40\cf1\insrsid2499334\charrsid2499334 \hich\af44\dbch\af31505\loch\f44 
Weeping Willikers
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs32 \ltrch\fcs0 \f44\fs32\cf1\insrsid2499334\charrsid2499334 \hich\af44\dbch\af31505\loch\f44 by Aaron Michael Ritchey
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2499334 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \dbch\af0\insrsid2499334\charrsid2499334 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2499334 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid2499334\charrsid2499334 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Hiram Woolley didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t need his bloodstone or his Saturn ring or any sort of help to know that he didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t want to answer the door. That knock sounded angry. It was only a matter of time before the neighbors, especially one neighbor, came calling. He\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d hoped \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
o get away with his bit of charity unnoticed. That wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t meant to be.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He swung open the door. Mavis Keaner stood on his front porch, hands clenched. Mrs. Keaner liked her rose water and cold cream. She\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d missed a line of white under her left eye, a glarin
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 g eye, nearly closed with an infected stye. Her mouth was small, tight, and wrinkled. Her blue dress was as faded as it was loose on her slim, spare frame. The lace was nice, though.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Mr. Woolley, I know your property is your property, and I know living wi\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
th your wild, troubled son must not be easy, and I know that in these trying times, it is our Christian duty to give comfort, but\~.\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 \'94\loch\f40  A blush rose in her cheeks.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Michael, his son, was out at the creek with some of his friends. However, Mrs. Keaner hadn\loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t come to his beet farm to talk about Hiram\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s questionable parenting. She had to include the remark in preparation for future tirades.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 You know a lot,\'94\loch\f40  Hiram said quietly.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Mrs. Keaner leaned in and glanced around. The furniture might be dusty, but the fl\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
oor was just swept. And he hoped the doilies covered up most of the grime. Hiram was a lean widower, wind-beaten and balding. It was easy for her to inspect his equally questionable housekeeping.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She leaned in as he leaned out to get a glimpse of his field\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s, greening, though the spring was coming in cold.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Mrs. Keaner straightened and brushed a hand down her blue dress. \'93\loch\f40 
Let me get right to the point. While offering those hobos a place to stay on your land is charitable, it threatens the stability and safety\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  of your neighbors, surely you can see\~.\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 \'94\loch\f40 
 And then she rattled on and on like an automobile that had to idle hard or stop for good.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram scratched the back of his neck and let her go on and on. He nodded. He agreed with most everything she said. And \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 when she finally found a place to pause, he kept it short.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 The Eggers are a family, not just men,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Hiram said. \'93\loch\f40 They\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
ve had a rough go of it. The dust bowl, you know. Come in from their farm in southern Colorado. A lot of misfortunes.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Too much bad luck for it to be luck. Hiram knew that sooner or later he\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d need to use the knowledge to help them. Something was eating away at the family, worrying them, like how a dog will worry and chew at a bad leg. They were on their way to work a rel\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 tive
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s apple orchard in Washington. That was the hope, at any rate.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 If Mrs. Keaner heard him, she didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t show it. \'93\loch\f40 And the baby! I do have good ears, or so my husband says, and I hear that baby\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s crying both day and night. I have never seen, well, heard, s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 uch a bad case of colic. You know how you fix that?\'94\loch\f40 
 Again, she glanced into his house, and then waited, expecting him to invite her in or do some other sort of mannerly gesture.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Or to answer her question. Hiram knew dozens of cures for a colicky baby. And\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  he could cure her stye without too much fuss. However, Mrs. Keaner didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t want a word from him. It was what Michael would\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ve called a rhetorical question.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Good thing Michael wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t around. He had a way of baiting people, and Mrs. Keaner was already on the\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  hook.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Why, you rub a little honey on the gums,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  she said. \'93\loch\f40 But in such a severe case as the Eggers baby\hich\f40 \emdash \'94
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid2499334\charrsid2499334 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cecil,}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid2499334\charrsid2499334 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Hiram thought.\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid2499334\charrsid2499334 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The baby\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s name is Cecil, and he knows things aren\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t right. He knows, and that\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s why he cries and cries.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid2499334\charrsid2499334 
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram thumbed the Sat\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 urn ring on his finger. He\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d been having bad dreams that put needles in his gut.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 The woman rattled on. \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d make my gripe water, which of course, involves crushed fennel seeds and strong spirits, whiskey or rye. While that is against our religion, Mr. Wool\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ley, one can never\~.\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 \'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram needed to get out of the conversation. If only he had a charm to make a polite exit.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 d have to lie, but only a little, for truth was his shield, his sword his sober and chaste mind. Hiram touched his stomach. \'93\loch\f40 Mrs. Keane\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
r. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 m sorry, but I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 m not feeling well. If you\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 ll excuse me, I do believe I need to make a visit to the johnny house out back.\'94\loch\f40  Which wasn\hich\f40 
\rquote \loch\f40 t exactly a lie.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 When Mrs. Keaner wound herself up to offer still more advice, he was forced to shut the door.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Still \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 she pounded. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 And if you have the dime for it, Mr. Woolley, there is castor oil.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Thank you, Mrs. Keaner!\'94\loch\f40  He stomped his feet, so she\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d hear him march through his spare home and out the back door. He managed to get wiring for electricity, but he\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d not ma\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
de the jump to indoor plumbing yet. Michael was forever threatening to leave if they didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t get a water closet, yet it didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t seem right to reach for comforts when the rest of the nation struggled under the Depression.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Heaven was kind. Mrs. Keaner didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t f\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ollow him around back.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Yet Hiram wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t done for the evening. Another chore awaited him.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Standing in the field was Tom Eggers. He was weeping, holding his hat, a strong man brought low.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t hear the baby.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 In his dreams, he always heard the baby.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2499334 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid2499334\charrsid2499334 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 *
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  * *
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2499334 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid2499334\charrsid2499334 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
At the Eggers camp on the corner of Hiram\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s property, the family had set up a tent and a lean-to tied to the homemade trailer they pulled with their Model A. The canvas was staked to the ground. A big hutch had been lashed to the top of a pile of furn\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
iture in the trailer. Chicken nesting boxes were stacked around the truck, full of dish towels and some china.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The children stood under the lean-to. They had clean faces, but the dirt of their journey marked their necks and ears. The boys wore patched brit\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ches of rough cloth. The girls wore flower sack dresses which couldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t have been soft. They all smelled of the old smoke of their morning campfire. Hiram had given them bundles of beets, and they\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d eaten them, greens and all, fried in pork fat.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The mother \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 of the bunch, Helen Eggers, stood in front of them, her arms crossed. A yellow dress covered long underwear as if she couldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t shake the morning chill. A lean woman, she fought to keep warm. Hiram\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s late wife, Elmina, had been similar.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Helen chewed somethi\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ng, maybe a bit of tobacco. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cecil is gone, Mr. Woolley. Just gone.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Addie Beth was twenty but seemed younger. She was a twitchy, jittery creature. A red splotch marked her left hand where she had but a thick thumb and two fingers grown together. The defec\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
t left her left hand a crimson crayfish\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s claw. Her pale right hand would strike out in intervals when she wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t scratching at her wild blonde hair.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Her eyes, though, were blue, with thick lashes, and there was a cleverness that belied her twitches and chatter. The young woman\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s face was clean of tears, and she\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d washed behind her ears. It seemed all the weeping was to be done by her father, who kept \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 b\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 lowing his nose into his handkerchief, yellowed from snot and use.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Ma\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s right,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Addie Beth said. \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s was washing my face in a tub down the way. I set Cecil down. With the water in my eyes, I couldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t see a lick. I turned and Cecil was gone.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Twitching wa\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 sn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t enough for Addie Beth. A nervousness filled her, and it could only come out in nonsense songs. She couldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t help it. Her condition was going to make finding a husband for her a bit difficult, yet those eyes just might do the trick.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Addie Beth tried to\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  keep her song in, but she couldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t. \'93\loch\f40 Willikers, Willikers, no one\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s seen Willikers, because Willikers can\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t be seen.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 A shiver went through Hiram. Growing up, when his mother and grandmother were as upright in their speech as they were in their dress and \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
their religion, while other kids could say \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Jeeze,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  or \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Jeezum Crow,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  or \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Gee Whillikens,\'94\loch\f40  Hiram\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
\hich\f40 s mother would blanch and correct Hiram because \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Jeezum\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  was close enough to blasphemy to count. Even \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Gee Willikers\'94\loch\f40  was too much for the Woolleys.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 After Hira\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 m\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s father left for Mexico with his other family, and his mother disappeared years later, Grandma Hettie hadn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t relaxed. She
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d tell him that the cunning folk\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s power lay in their speech, and their words should come out carefully. \'93\loch\f40 Keep a prayer on your li\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 p
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 s, Hiram, and goodness in your heart. In the end, every word you say is a spell.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram stood with his right hand in his pocket, gripping his heliotropus, the bloodstone he kept with him always. Around his neck, hidden by work shirt and overalls, hung the \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
chi-roh amulet, with the words IN HOC SIGNO VINCES etched into the iron. On his finger, where his wedding band should be, he wore a Saturn ring.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Addie Beth sighed. \'93\loch\f40 Sorry, Ma. Sorry, Pa. I can\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t keep my songs quiet sometimes. I feel bad.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Gripping the ston\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e, he waited to see if he felt a tinge. No, Addie Beth was telling the truth.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Tom let out a fresh sob. He couldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t stop weeping. After losing a kid to pneumonia and then their precious baby to something else, Hiram couldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t blame the man for his tears.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Yet\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  Hiram found the man troubling, as troubling as the Willikers chant that had burst from Addie Beth.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Helen Eggers fought her despair with plain old hate. \'93\loch\f40 You find him, Tom. You find him, or you\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ll be burying me on this goddamn beet field \hich\f40 \lquote \loch\f40 
cause I won\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t los\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e another child. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 d rather cut my own goddamn throat then live another goddamn day being tortured by our goddamn bad luck.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram frowned at her blasphemy. That wouldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t help them any nor would her despair. His dreams came back to him\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 a baby in the forest\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
, wailing. Cecil. And something was in the woods with him.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The Eggers weren\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t unlucky. Something foul thing clung to them like a goathead thorn pushed into the bottom of a boot.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ll need something of Cecil\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Hiram muttered. \'93\loch\f40 Something personal. We\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ll f
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ind him. We\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ll fix it\~.\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 if the Lord Divine is kind this day.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Helen\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s laugh was sharp and humorless. At least she didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t curse.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2499334 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid2499334\charrsid2499334 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 * * *

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2499334 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid2499334\charrsid2499334 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Down the way, by an old tin tub collecting rainwater, neither Tom, nor Addie Beth, nor Hiram found any trace of footpr\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ints. It was like an eagle had swooped down to steal the baby away.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram missed the cries of the babe. At least he\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d been alive and squawking. Now, he was simply gone. In Hiram\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s dreams, that cry was never silenced. He\hich\f40 
\rquote \loch\f40 d have faith Cecil still lived until\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  the world showed him differently.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram had retrieved his toolbox and carried it over his shoulder with a wide leather strap. He\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d removed screwdrivers, wrenches, and other more mundane implements and added his revolver, a big flashlight, and a Y-shaped r\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 od of witch hazel. At the same time, he\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d left a note for Michael, letting his son know he\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d be home late. Hiram was hopeful that meant by sunset, midnight at the latest.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Tom sniffed. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Whatcha got there, Mr. Woolley?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 The beet farmer shrugged. \'93\loch\f40 Just some t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 hings.\'94\loch\f40 
 He thought of warning them that they might not understand everything he said and did. Instead, he figured their grief would make the next few hours hazy. As long as they found the baby, there probably wouldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t be a lot of questions.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 He\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s gonna fix\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  it, Pa. He\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s gonna use his toolkit to fix things. We\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
s gonna find Cecil. Hiram is a righteous man, a Christian man, who let us squat on his property while his neighbors fussed at him. Why, that Mrs. Keaner gave him an earful.\'94\loch\f40  Addie Beth waved her claw a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 r
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 ound until she used her other hand to grab it and settle it down. Then she scratched at herself. At least one louse in her mess of hair surely lost its life to her itching. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Willikers!\'94

\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The sun was being a little too quick crossing the sky. They didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t hav\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e much time.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cecil is gonna be hungry! Willikers!\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Addie Beth shouted. Then she shushed herself. \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ll be quiet, Mr. Woolley. While you work. You
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 re gonna work it, I know\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 d it.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Hiram nodded and took the witch hazel rod from the toolbox, closing it quickly to hide his gun. After the second night of listening to Cecil cry in his dreams, Hiram had taken the rod, peeled it, and soaked it in nightshade. Now it was dry and discolored.

\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Did Cecil have any special nicknames?\'94\loch\f40  Hiram asked.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Tom\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s face crumbled into more weeping.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Addie Beth again had to quiet her crayfish hand. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Nope. Just Cecil.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Using his clasp knife, Hiram carved three crosses, then the name CECIL EGGERS, then three more \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 crosses. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
Thanks, Addie. This rod should lead us to your brother.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Gosh,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Tom murmured. \'93\loch\f40 
When I was a boy, a man down the road had a rod like that. He said he could find water, and gee willikers, did it work. He found a well for the parson when he moved i\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 n.\'94
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid2499334\charrsid2499334 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Willikers.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid2499334\charrsid2499334 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
There was that word again.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Water. Treasure. But other things.\'94\loch\f40  Hiram closed his eyes and gripped the rod. He said a long prayer. He\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d skipped lunch. That was good. His hunger would sharpen his senses. A fasting man was a righteous man, and \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 he would need all his righteousness to find the lost babe.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t a baby the greatest of treasures? Even when the gravy went thin, and every child\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s mouth seemed forever empty, a baby made things all right.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Am I Hiram Woolley?\'94\loch\f40  Hiram felt the rod jerk in \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 his hand.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Did Herbert Hoover win the 1932 election?\'94\loch\f40  The rod remained still.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Is Cecil Eggers still alive?\'94\loch\f40  Again, the rod moved as if touched.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Tom choked out a sob.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hiram held out a hand. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Addie Beth, if you please.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She gave him a frayed piece of cloth,\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  blue, as soft as puppy fur. A crust of the baby\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s spit-up stiffened one corner.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram wrapped the cloth around his rod. He whispered Psalm 67, asking for God\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s mercy. He didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t need to say Cecil\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s name again. The rod was primed and wanting to find him.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hi\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ram had walked ten paces toward the Wasatch Mountains when he realized Tom and Addie Beth weren\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t behind him. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
Follow me and keep close,\'94\loch\f40  Hiram said.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 They marched out from Hiram\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s fields. He held the barbed wire marking his property to let Tom and Addie Be\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
th slip through. Tom had turned off his tears, for now, and yet his handkerchief was in his hand.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Tom couldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t hold his eyes steady when he looked at Hiram. The man would glance away. Was that a man ashamed of his poverty and his desperation? Or was there \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
guilt in that gaze?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Addie Beth couldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t stop herself from her chatter. \'93\loch\f40 I feel plumb awful for losing Cecil. I was responsible, but a girl can\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t always be watching. I turned a second. Ma says that. When Ollie or Randal gets away from her, she says that. I \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 say it too. But it\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s our luck, ain\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t it, Pa? It
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s our luck.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I reckon it is, Addie Beth. I reckon it is.\'94\loch\f40  He sniffled, hawked, and spat.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram followed the witch hazel wand across Lyman Johnson\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s fields. An hour later, three miles at least, they found the\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 trail that switched-backed up the bald face of the Wasatch Mountains. There used to be pine forests there, but early settlers had taken every stick. Now, scrub oak created a tangle. The path cut through it, up and around, until the trail dropped them dow
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 n\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  into a little crack of a valley. A stream swollen with the snowmelt burbled down over rocks. Here, pines perfumed the crack.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Evening was upon them. There wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t a doubt in Hiram\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s mind he\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d be using the flashlight in his toolbox. The cool air made the pin
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 es even sweeter, and the dampness of the water felt good after the dry miles. He hoped it wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t going to be a dry spring. If it was, he\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d have to do a little rain magic, but it never felt so honest casting that charm, since the rain had a way of wetting \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 h\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 is fields and ignoring the Keaners and the Johnsons.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 A shudder ran through Addie Beth\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s arms. \'93\loch\f40 
First the farm goes. It was a shame. And then, Willikers, on the road, we lose little Bart. Not even two. We buried him. Afore that, we had bad blood with Uncle \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
William. He took his family and left us. Maybe it was good. He wouldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t have wanted to wait for a funeral. In Rock Springs, that\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
s in Wyoming, the preacher said the words for free. We got a little luck there, but then he said awful things to Pa.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t.\'94\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Tom warned.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram wondered what the preacher had said.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Addie Beth walked up the trail, her boots churning up dirt. She let out a strangled yell, then, \'93\loch\f40 Willikers, the truck breaks i\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
n the Rockies. Pa spent the night working on her. Had to walk to town. Willikers. Gone a long time. Back at it. We thought our mis-mis-misfortunes were behind us. I won\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t miss our misfortunes. When we wail in our sorrow, who is there to hear? Willikers! W\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 a\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 shington is a long ways away.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Enough, now,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Tom said. His eyes were red, and his face was pale, and those eyes, so furtive. \'93\loch\f40 We ain\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t got bad luck. God is testing us. But we\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ll pass it. We\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 re good\~.\~.\~.\~\hich\f40 you and I are good people.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram felt the bloodsto\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ne in his pocket pinch his thigh. He paused, sweating. Hunger and bad feelings knotted his gut. The heliotropus protected him from venom and trickery. It felt the treachery\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 the Eggers family were good people.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Holding the rod wrapped in the blue cloth with \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 his left hand, he gripped the bloodstone in his right. He prayed silently.\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid2499334\charrsid2499334 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 God in Heaven, if there is treachery in the Eggers family, show me the culprit. Help me to win them back into your love.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid2499334\charrsid2499334 
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The bloodstone stayed quiet in his hand. It even cooled a bi\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Who was the problem? The girl hadn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t wept, but neither did the mother. The man was out of his wits, all right. Was Addie Beth any less crazy?
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 What\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s the problem, Mr. Woolley?\'94\loch\f40  Addie Beth asked.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t know yet,\'94\loch\f40  Hiram whispered.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He withdrew his hand to\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  grip the Mosaical rod. They continued their trek up the path. Every time he tried to quiet his mind, the girl would break out in a nonsense song.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 And the sun was getting low\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 the day folding itself into the night. The evening star appeared in the sky, a po\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 werful astral entity.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 They had a moment of quiet.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Addie Beth choked, grunted, but couldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t keep her song in. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Willikers, Willikers, someone loves Willikers, but Willikers loves no one!\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Another shiver tickled his neck. The bloodstone felt like an ember in \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 the pocket of his overalls.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
They topped a ridge and stopped in the bloody light of the sunset. A crag jutted into the air above them on their right. To the left lay the stream and pines. Down from them, fifty feet away, stood a ramshackle building of gray 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 wood, an old mining shack, fifty years old at least. Trees clustered around the building. Some ragged bit of cloth flapped on the door. It was neither canvas nor oilcloth\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 it didn\hich\f40 
\rquote \loch\f40 t have that stiffness to it. A tight roll of the cloth was stuffed in the to\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 p\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  of the shack\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s door to keep it closed.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 A baby\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s squall drifted on the last breezes of the day.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Gooseflesh broke out over Hiram\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s arms. The rod jerked itself out of his hands. It and the blue cloth fell to the dirt.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 A vision came to him. He was dizzy from \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
hunger and from the stink of Tom and his daughter. Was it their strong odor? Or was it oozing out of the shack? Something was in that cluster of rotten wood, something old and poisoned. And powerful.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram bent over, hands on his knees, breathing hard. His\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  Saturn ring itched him. In his mind\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s eye, he saw the witch inside the shack. The witch was naked; it had long, greasy hair covering a face far dirtier than anyone sane would allow. It clutched the baby to a chest, where one impossible misshapen breast h\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 u
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ng, marked with an angry red nipple, a cyst of a nipple, as scum-ridden and foul as the rest of the witch\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s skin. The other part of the thing\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s chest was flat, muscled, and hairy.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram closed his eyes. The witch radiated lust. It wanted the touch of the m\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 an or the girl\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 it had caressed one of them before. But which one?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram opened his eyes and straightened.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Tom let out a strangled cry. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Cecil!\'94\loch\f40  He went to run toward the shack.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram kicked the man\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s boots out from under him. Tom went sprawling into the di\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 rt. His thick-knuckled hand clawed at the dirt. He didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t get up angry. He laid face down into the dirt and wept. Addie Beth stood over her father, her crayfish hand and normal hand gesticulating.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s eyes adjusted enough to see into the gloom. A blue \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 dress hung on that shack. A blue dress with white lace that could\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
ve come off Mrs. Keaner\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s body.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2499334 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid2499334\charrsid2499334 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 * * *

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2499334 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid2499334\charrsid2499334 \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93
\loch\f40 Willikers, why\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 d you kick my pa, Mr. Woolley?\'94\loch\f40  Addie Beth asked in a somber voice.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He turned to her. She raised those pretty blue eyes to Hiram. He\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d seen eyes like that before. A memory broke through his sweat and hunger. He recalled a church social, held after a long day of God and fellowship. Irene Smith had been there, a girl his ag\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 e
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 . He\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d tried to cross the room to talk to her\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 he was young, uncertain, and he couldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t get his courage up. He watched her laugh with her friends, and every so often, she\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d throw those blue eyes at him, and he\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d look away.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Addie Beth took his hand. \'93\loch\f40 The bab\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 y\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s in that shack, Mr. Woolley. You might want to go down there.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He could feel the heat off her. And her stink didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t seem so bad. In fact, there was a sweetness there, a subtle perfume. Not soap but rose water. A faint ghost of how Mrs. Keaner smelled. I
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t was the witch\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s lust, affecting him, maybe getting to Addie Beth as well. Or was the girl herself the source?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The baby wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t crying now. Cecil was sucking on the witch\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s unnatural teat. The baby wouldn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t get milk. What would he get?
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Addie\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s voice was qu\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 iet. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 We done found Cecil, Mr. Woolley. You found him. So go on.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t want the baby harmed. However, he didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t like Addie\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s heat nor her prodding. He blinked the sweat out of his eyes and shook the young woman\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s hand out of his own. Tom continued \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 to weep into the dirt.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Hiram found enough spit in his dry mouth, to ask \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 What did the preacher say to your pa?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Tom tried to get to his feet. He failed, too weak it seemed, and sat down on his backside and cradled his arms. His eyes were on the shack.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Addi\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 e Beth grunted. She was trying to keep her secret. She raised her hands and shook them, then she wrapped her arms around herself. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
Leviticus! He quoted Leviticus at Pa! Willikers! Willikers! Willikers!\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 It wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t just a bastardized curse word.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 She let out \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 a strangled cry then sang her nonsense song one last time. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Willikers, Willikers, Daddy loves Willikers, but Willikers loves no one.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Tom was rocking back and forth, moaning.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram knew the truth of it all. His bloodstone burned in his pocket. It was good,\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 but his chi-roh amulet was far more powerful. Hiram drew it out from his work shirt. The dark had fallen on the shack. It was like someone had switched off the sunset.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He set down his toolbox and grabbed his flashlight. He stuck his revolver in his pocket.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The door to the shack creaked open.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 He clicked on the big flashlight and lit up the shack. Willikers, the witch\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s name was Willikers, was pulling the blue dress over its head. It might\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
ve been a human being once, but now, it wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t anything close to a pe\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 rson. It was a creature of darkness and lust. Inhuman.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The baby squalled from inside the shack\hich\f40 \emdash \loch\f40 those weren\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t hungry cries. He had fed on whatever nastiness had oozed out of the witch\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s breast. Cecil bawled out of fear.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Willikers floated toward up the trail\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 toward them. Its toenails and fingernails were long, black, chitinous, like the backside of a beetle. The blue dress hung off its body, one side of its chest full, the other empty.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram let go of his amulet and pulled his revolver out of his pocket. The \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 first fall of the hammer struck an empty chamber; it was an old trick he\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
d used for safety. The second trigger pull wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t any better. The weapon clicked uselessly in his hands. The witch must\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ve jammed his gun. Hiram dropped the revolver.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Addie sucked in \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 a breath. \'93\loch\f40 Please, no, please. We just want our Cecil back. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s sorry. I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
s was scared, and my condition, it was my condition.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram doubted that. But he had no doubts about the accusations the preacher had hurled at Tom. The preacher must\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ve seen the fami\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ly man\hich\f40 \rquote 
\loch\f40 s wandering eye during the funeral, or else perhaps the preacher had an eye for such men himself. Sometimes those who quoted Leviticus 18 and 20 the loudest, were the ones who struggled the most.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Shining his light on the thing, Hiram gripped his chi\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
-roh amulet in a sweaty hand. If only he had time to start a fire, he might have been able to hurt Willikers with a witch bottle. That wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t going to happen.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The baby\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s wail seemed to get louder and louder.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Tell me the truth, Tom,\'94\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Hiram said in a choked voice. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I can hold it off. But you need to tell me the truth.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 And my truth, too\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Addie Beth sobbed. \'93\loch\f40 
When Bart died, it hurt me. Willikers knew it. It whispered to me, and I whispered back. At first, I thought Willikers wanted me.\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  No, Willikers wanted Pa. And Pa wanted Willikers.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram jerked Addie to her father, so she stood over him. Hiram then jumped in front of them both. He raised the chi-roh amulet. His flashlight went out. He didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t bother to shake it. If Willikers could di\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 sable his gun, it could extinguish his light source. Hiram could almost feel those beetle-back fingernails at his throat. He dropped the flashlight and clung to his faith.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Tom, this is your doing,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Hiram said, trying to keep his voice strong. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Tell me.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I was lonely. My wife is fine, but I get lonely in other ways,\'94\loch\f40  Tom said.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 A rotten smell stifled them. Around and around them, the witch floated. The sky was moonless; midnight darkness covered the trail. The only lights were the twin glimmerings of Willik\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 er
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s eyes. In front of them, behind them, on this side, then that.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Only the chi-roh amulet kept Williker\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s nails out of their flesh. Hiram kept the amulet between Willikers and its prey. In his hand, the circle of iron was ice cold.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 m sorry for it,\'94\loch\f40  Tom\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  said in a hushed voice. \'93\loch\f40 
I tried to be strong, and I prayed to God for strength to fight it. I failed Him, myself, my family. Willikers was around, always around, whispering at us after Bart died. Like Addie said. When the truck broke down, and I had to 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 w\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 alk to town. Willikers whispered to me. I went to it. It said it\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d let us go in peace if I laid with it, but I know\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
d its promise was a lie. But it was a lie that I so wanted to believe.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 I forgive you,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Hiram said. \'93\loch\f40 I forgive you both. This world can be \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
a sorrow, a bitter place, and sometimes the lies are just too sweet.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Willikers floated in front of them. Its long hair was like the night itself. Its vile eyes gleamed like diamonds locked in rock.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Go on, witch, git!\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Hiram yelled. \'93\loch\f40 Your hold on this fam\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
ily is over. They are righteous folk, and they are under my protection now.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Willikers might\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ve laughed, or it might\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ve screamed, but Hiram was done with this beast. Hymns, psalms, prayers, a dozen passages from the Bible rose up in Hiram
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s mind. Too much \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 fire filled his glands for him to pick. He finally chose one that was tried and true and that both the man and his daughter would know. Hiram raised his voice in the Lord
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s Prayer. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Our Father, who art in Heaven!\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Tom staggered over to him. Hiram pulled hi\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
m close. Addie Beth did as well. She clung to Hiram. She was strong, and her arms squeezed him. However, she was controlling her condition enough to join him in prayer. Her father followed along.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The three prayed the Our Father in the darkness, over and ov\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 er, at least three times all the way through.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The flashlight on the ground winked on. The light fell on the blue dress, lying in the dirt, a pile of empty cloth. Willikers was gone.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2499334 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid2499334\charrsid2499334 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 * * *

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2499334 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid2499334\charrsid2499334 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Hiram found the baby lying on the dirt floor of the shack. Cecil was\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 wrapped in a blue gingham blanket. He shrieked, sobbed, shrieked some more, as Hiram carried him back to Tom and Addie Beth. When the baby smelled Addie Beth, he reached out two chubby arms. She took him, and little Cecil hiccupped and shuddered himself 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 q\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 uiet.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The three weren\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t ready to make the journey back, not yet. It was a good couple of hours at a fast clip back to Hiram\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s farm. Hiram hoped Helen would hold off on her suicide until they returned. The worst of their troubles were over, or so Hiram pray\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 ed. He\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d send them on with a protection lamen he\hich\f40 
\rquote \loch\f40 d write up on virgin parchment. It was their faith, however, that would keep them safe.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Cecil slept, held by Addie Beth, who wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t as jittery now. She seemed able to control her outbursts, and when she did \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
have to talk, she whispered nice things to her baby brother, and no more talk of Willikers.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 They sat on the trail with the flashlight in the middle of them, balanced on Hiram\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s toolbox.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram had slaked his thirst from the stream. His hunger felt distant.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Tom wasn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t weeping. He sat staring off into the distance. \'93\loch\f40 I\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 ll change in Washington. I won\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
t be a sinner no more. I swear it.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram was at a loss of what to say. Maybe he should hate the girl for whispering back to the witch, and maybe he should hate the\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  man who had let himself be seduced. He couldn\hich\f40 
\rquote \loch\f40 t. Temptations were something he understood, and when times were tough, those temptations could turn overwhelming. He thought of his momentary weakness with Addie Beth and the memories of Irene Smith.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram ha\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 d to say something. He still clutched his amulet in his fist and prayed for the words. They came. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 
Be kind to yourself, Tom. Be kind to your family. Do what you can. We were not born sinners. We were born perfect. We were made in His image after all.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Tom surprised Hiram by chuckling. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 Made in His image? I have these feelings. And Addie Beth has her condition. What does that say about Him? What does that say about us?\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram gazed up at the stars. The finer points of theology were lost on him. He kept i\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 t simple. \'93\loch\f40 \hich\f40 A cracked bucket can still carry water.\'94
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Only if it\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s not cracked too much,\'94\loch\f40  Tom said.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 And maybe you aren\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t cracked at all.\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Hiram knew a thing or two about being an outsider. \'93\loch\f40 Maybe you\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
\hich\f40 re just a dang human being.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram thought about quoting\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  Paul\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
s first letter to the Corinthians, chapter thirteen, verse twelve to thirteen. Then thought better. He was a cunning man, not a preacher. He stood up. \'93\loch\f40 Let\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s get back to fix what we can.\'94\loch\f40 
 He scooped up his toolbox.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 When he got home in the middle of t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 he night, Michael lay stretched out on the sofa. The boy had probably been waiting on him and fell asleep.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram stood in front of the ice box and drank most of a bottle of butter milk. It was a bit greedy of him, but there were far harder things that othe\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 r folks had to deal with.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2499334 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid2499334\charrsid2499334 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 * * *

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2499334 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid2499334\charrsid2499334 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Hiram saw Mrs. Keaner, after church, that Sunday. He was relieved to see that her blue dress was very different from the one Willikers had worn. Hiram had stuffed the witch\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s dress in his toolbox and later burned it.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Mrs. Ke\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 aner knew some knowledge, certainly, but Hiram didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
t think her craft went beyond taking care of colicky babies and maybe a charm or too to keep away the darker spirits out there.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Michael was off with the other boys his age, tossing eager glances at the gi\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 rls in their own conversations. The girls had eager looks of their own. So it went most of the time. When it didn
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t, that seemed to Hiram like God\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s plan as well.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Saturday it had rained all day, which meant the farmers were in good spirits.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Mrs. Keaner cam\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
e over, stye still on her eye, and that cold cream smell to her. Her husband lingered behind her. While Hiram was taciturn, Mr. Joseph Keaner might as well have been from stone. He raised a hand.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram raised one back.
\par \loch\af40\dbch\af31505\hich\f40 \'93\loch\f40 Those hobos are gone, and thank you,\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40  Mr. Woolley,\'94\loch\f40 \hich\f40  the woman said. \'93\loch\f40 
Strange, though, sometimes I can still hear that baby crying in the wind. The Lord can\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 t abide parents who don\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 t take care of their children.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram felt the sharp words on his lips. He thought of the letter he\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 d gotten. Wri\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 tten in Addie\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s unsure penmanship, it told how the Eggers had made it to Washington, found work there, and that Cecil\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s colic was better. The baby had a natural hunger and was growing just fine. They framed the lamen he\hich\f40 \rquote 
\loch\f40 d given them and hung it on the wal\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 l.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Hiram didn\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 
t snap at Mrs. Keaner. What good would that have done? Instead, he swept off his hat, smoothed the wisps of hair on his scalp, and raised his face to the sunshine. He sighed. \'93\loch\f40 Nice spring we\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 re having\~.\~.\~.\~
\hich\f40 rain and then sunshine.\'94
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Sometimes d\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 iscussing the weather was far better than any charm a cunning man could cast.
\par \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 After all, every word was a spell.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid16348839 
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid2499334 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid2499334 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid2499334 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
This story is set in the world of Depression-era historical fantasy novel\~}{\field\fldedit{\*\fldinst {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid2499334 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
 HYPERLINK "https://www.baen.com/the-cunning-man.html" \\t "_blank" }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid1473348 {\*\datafield 
00d0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b0200000083000000070000005f0062006c0061006e006b000000e0c9ea79f9bace118c8200aa004ba90b6c000000680074007400700073003a002f002f007700770077002e006200610065006e002e0063006f006d002f007400680065002d00630075006e006e0069006e006700
2d006d0061006e002e00680074006d006c000000795881f43b1d7f48af2c825dc48527630000000085ab0000}}}{\fldrslt {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \cs36\b\i\f40\fs21\ul\cf19\insrsid2499334 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 The Cunning Man}}}\sectd \ltrsect
\linex0\endnhere\sectlinegrid360\sectdefaultcl\sectrsid9384073\sftnbj {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\i\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid2499334 \~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\b\f40\fs21\cf1\chshdng0\chcfpat0\chcbpat8\insrsid2499334 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
by D.J. Butler and Aaron Michael Ritchey, out in November. Aaron Michael Ritchey is the author of twenty-one novels and numerous pieces of short fiction. He was born on a cold an\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
d snowy September day in Denver, Colorado, and while he\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 s lived and traveled all over the world, he\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 
s a child of the American West. Sagebrush makes him homesick. While he pines for the road, he still lives in Colorado with his cactus flower of a wife and \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 t\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 wo stormy daughters.}{
\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid2499334 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid1473348 \page 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1473348 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs40 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f44\fs40\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 A Visit to the Galaxy Ballroom}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\ab\af0\afs40 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f44\fs40\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs32 \ltrch\fcs0 \f44\fs32\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1473348 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \dbch\af0\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1473348 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 Scout Lina yo\rquote 
Bingim inhaled, tasting the sharp, cold air, feeling a phantom flutter against her cheek. She blinked up at the gray sky, at snow\emdash snow! She paid off the cabbie, soft flakes melting against her face.
\par She liked the fresh smell of the snow, but she had not come here to linger in quiet appreciation on the street. No, her purpose was to have a good time while enthusiastically expending energy.
\par Scout Lina yo'Bingim, off-duty for the next twenty-four hours, turned away from the curb and walked determinedly toward the building with the message lit up in bright pink and yellow lights:
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1473348 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 WELCOME TO THE GALAXY BALLROOM
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1473348 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 
According to her information, she would find Scouts and pilots and mercenaries inside. She would find dancing, and gaming, and drinking, and\emdash bowli ball.
\par She had specifically come for the bowli ball.
\par Inside the bar was everything one might expect of a rowdy emporium on a deep space route: twenty-three kinds of beer and ale instabrewed on the premises; both top-line and bottom-tier liquor, but n
one in between; and wine in quantity. A modest line of smokes was also on offer for those who sought peace.
\par Peace was not what Lina had come for.
\par Ten Standard Days ago, she had been on Liad, and looking forward with warm anticipation to Festival, at Solcin
tra. It had been a very difficult year; she deserved the Festival and she had intended to take full benefit from all of the festivities open to her.
\par Nine Standard Days ago, she had been called in to her commander's office\emdash and given a mission.
\par She was to tr
ansport the Council-appointed Administrative Arbiter of Scouts, one Chola as'Barta, to Surebleak in the Daiellen Sector with "all haste." She was detached from her usual duties to this mission; Chola as'Barta her immediate superior and supervisor.
\par She was assigned\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 Bentokoristo}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 , she being one of six to have trained on it\emdash 
a new ship sporting a not-quite-experimental enhanced drive and an upgraded weapons system.
\par That was the sole piece of good news;\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 Bentokoristo}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 \~
was beautiful to fly. But no matter how fast the ship was, she was not fast enough to get to Surebleak and back again in time for the Festival at Solcintra, even if Lina flew like a Scout\emdash which was not, after all, an option.
\par Admin as'Barta was\~.\~.\~.\~not a Scout. Lina was therefore constrained to put to
gether a series of Jumps which would get them from Solcintra to Surebleak with a minimum of downtime, and which would not strain the resources of a man who counted five trips to the gaming salons in Liad's orbit as being an experienced space traveler. Adm
i
n as'Barta must, the commander insisted, arrive in fit condition, able to immediately embark upon his mission. The Administrator had been appointed to find what had occasioned the schism of the Scouts on Surebleak, creating the foolish situation of two Sc
out organizations\emdash the Liaden Scouts, and the so-called Surebleak Scouts.
\par Nine Standard Days, the trip had taken, coddling Admin as'Barta.
\par For his part, he ignored her advice to move onto Surebleak time before they arrived, and periodically infringed on her rest shifts to try to talk the politics of the fissioning Scouts. He\rquote 
d asked her why she thought the break had occurred, and her reply\emdash "pilot\rquote s choice"\emdash had satisfied him not at all.
\par And, there, he\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 wasn't}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 \~
a Scout, he was a Council-appointee, selected for his supposed "connections" in the piloting sphere. It was unlikely he'd known anyone who had died at Nev'Lorn, nor was he aware of the treachery that had led to the battle there.
\par "But how," he had demanded, as they waited for dinner to warm, "could a Liaden, born and bred to excellence in all things, having achieved a place in life through being a Scout\emdash 
how could any such person turn their back on Liad and all that Liad offers? Liadens have the advantage of the Code and delms for guidance!"
\par "The same reason, Admin. A pilot flies the best course they may with the information to hand. A pilot operates in the moment, with the delm light years away and the Code irrelevant to the case."
\par "Have you found the Code irrelevant on many occasions, pilot?"
\par He held up a hand, forestalling a reply she had not intended to make.
\par "Consider your answer carefully. I will be needing an assistant after I am approved as permanent Director of Scout Operations on Surebleak. Once I hav
e spoken to ter'Meulen, and this foolish matter has been regularized, there will be many rewarding administrative tasks available to a discerning Scout who may wish promotion and increased\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 melant'i.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 "
\par At that point the chime sounded for dinner being hot and ready, and Lina had deftly avoided the topic of promotion to as'Barta's assistant. As to the "foolish matter" of the schism, if it was\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 Clonak ter'Meulen}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 \~with whom the Admin was to liaise, then the matter would be settled by teatime. One could, if one wish
ed, wonder why the most devious Scout currently serving hadn't fixed the "foolish matter" already, but that was merely a waste of time. Clonak always had his reasons, though they be ever so inobvious.
\par At last, they had made Surebleak, and she was granted leave\emdash twenty-four hours free of Admin as'Barta!\emdash but not before she had been instructed as to proper behavior even on her own time.
\par "Do not fraternize with the locals, Scout. Beware of any attempts to make you divulge your mission. I am told that there are places where proper Scouts meet. You will confine yourself to those venues."
\par Repairing to the small room she had been granted, Lina called up the screen and considered her options.
\par Given the connection to Clan Korval and their likely inclusion of the vague 
and detested "locals," she decided not to attempt the Emerald Casino. The entertainments advertised at Audrey's House of Joy tempted, but, again, there would likely be "locals" present.
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 Best Bowli Ball Court on Surebleak!}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 \~the next advertisement promised, a
nd Lina grinned. She did consider the "local" angle, but reasoned such an emporium was more likely to attract Scouts than Admin's loose "locals."
\par Lina therefore called a cab, and very shortly she was entering The Galaxy Ballroom.
\par She stopped at the counter to buy a ticket\emdash not, alas, a token for a private Festival bower, or a key to an all night playroom\emdash 
but admission as a contestant in one bout of "real bowli ball action!" which would warm her blood and satisfy her need for action, if not her wistful libido.
\par She excused her way past several inebriated mercs, one a red-haired master sergeant who briefly thought she\rquote 
d come for him alone, but then he recognized the jacket and insignia and bowed a polite "Efning, pilot!" at her hopefully. "Come back if you need a winner!"
\par He\rquote d managed to grab a table and was large enough that it was mostly hidden behind him. "I got two chairs, prezzels, a warm heart\emdash and I just been paid!"
\par She gathered that he did have a warm heart\emdash her empathy rating was just below that qualifying as a small talent\emdash but she\rquote d been considering a real workout, and soon.
\par She smiled, and her hand flung an equally polite}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 \~busy here\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 
in his direction as she moved into the darkness, seeking that proper bowli ball deck, with transparent walls and resilient ceiling, an excellent air system, and opponents worthy of her.
\par A half-dozen languages brushed past her ears; the potent scent of alcohol mixed with the additional odors of many dozens of people exuding sweat and energy in the dimness.
\par Ahead, she heard a distant thud, and another, a round of cheers and laughter, a high voice calling, "I\rquote ll still take two to one on the blue boots!"
\par Scout skill to the fore, Lina yo'Bingim slid between two hefty mercs on their sudden way to the john as yes\emdash there!
\par There were four players on the deck, their time almost up. She stopped to watch the play.
\par One player stood out. He was doing too many dives to stay in the game much longer; in the mirrored ceiling, she could see him rolling to his feet with an awkward re-step to gain balance. She could tell that he was hurting\emdash it didn\rquote 
t take her high empathy rating or her training in body language across three cultures to see that.
\par She pushed forward, the better to see the clock.
\par Ah, that was the key. He had only seconds to hit his mark\~.\~.\~.\~and finish, at least.
\par The ball came at him again; he kneed it roughly, it went higher than his other knee, which had likely not been his intent, but he made a good recovery by striking it with his elbow, the ball\rquote s own kinetics giving it an off-centere
d boost in the direction of the oldest fellow on the deck, who nonchalantly elbowed it on to a third person who\emdash 
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 Blangblangblang!}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 
\par The bell rang; the third and fourth in the action dove for the ball together and came up laughing, bobbling the thing back and forth as it tried to spend the energy gained from the last burst of action. The spectators cheered, money changed hands, and the
 transparent door to the deck was opened as the next players moved forward.
\par The MC spoke purposefully into the mic, "Next up we have a five-group, came in together, and then\~.\~.\~."
\par The player who had overexerted himself stumbled as he left the court, was steadied briefly by another of the combatants with an over-wide grin\~.\~.\~.\~and collapsed on the spot, nose bleeding.
\par "I\rquote m a medic," one of the group entering the court yelled, and one of his companions added\emdash "field medics, here, let us through!"
\par That quickly, the downed player was off the floor, and the next group of players, as well. The Master of Ceremonies looked around, eyes bright, and spoke into the mic.
\par "Hold up your tickets, show your cards! We'll do a quick single-match to give the next group time to get back!"
\par Lina\rquote s arm reached high\emdash yellow ticket, solo\~.\~.\~.
\par The MC saw her, waved her toward the deck door and pointed at another yellow\emdash 
\par "Come on up, pilots! Now or never; we got group play booked 'til after midnight!"
\par They met on the court, her opponent near her own age, a pilot, and, she saw with pleasure, a Scout. He wore light duty clothes, no rank marks visible, save the wings on his collar; his face was open, and a hint of a smile showing.
\par He would do, thought Lina, and returned the smile.
\par "Well, pilot?" she challenged him. "Shall we?"
\par He took a moment to survey her\emdash she saw his eyes catch on the wings adorning her own collar, before he bowed, Scout to Scout.
\par "Pilot, we shall!"
\par "All right!" the MC called. "Let's get the ball rolling! Twelve minute match\emdash what'll it be?" he asked, turning to them. "Liaden training rules, Scout standard rules, open court rules?"
\par "Scout standard?" she asked her opponent, and got a flicker of fingers in agreement.
\par "I am Lina," she said, stripping off her jacket and giving it into the MC's ready hand.
\par "Kelby," he answered, also relinquishing his jacket.
\par "Check the equipment, Pilots, you got thirty-three seconds."
\par Kelby received the ball first to check. Lina ran a quick rainbow, for focus, and looked about her.
\par "Spot!" she called, pointing, as Kelby called out, "Here also!"
\par The MC waved; a youngster with a mop rushed onto court and dealt with the spot of sweat, and the other, of blood.
\par "Right!" the MC shouted into his mic. "Up here we got Kelby and Lina, pickup match, twelve minutes, Scout standard!"
\par The crowd cheered, briefly.
\par The MC turned to them.
\par "Any private challenge; any bet between the two of you?"
\par Kelby looked at her, hands raised, face glowing as if he\rquote d already been playing five minutes\~.\~.\~.
\par Lina bent forward, as eager as he to get the match started, whispering:
\par "Loser buys both breakfast?"
\par A grin showed in brief appreciation; she saw interest in his eyes.
\par He bowed, formally, accepting the challenge of an equal, and repeated the stakes to the MC, who outright laughed.
\par "All right, soldiers and pilots! Scouts and citizens! These two know how the game is played! Got a little private bet going\emdash loser buys breakfast for both!"
\par The cheering this time was fuller, longer; the bell went}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 \~blangblangblang;}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 \~
the MC slammed the bowli ball into the circle between them, and dove for the safety of the transparent observer's booth.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1473348 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 #
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1473348 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 The deck was better than Lina had 
anticipated. The floor gave a firm, even footing without being loud; it was resilient rather than bouncy. She and Kelby had almost overrun each other on the launch, but the spin favored Lina. She twisted to catch and flick the busy ball high off a wall be
hind Kelby.
\par From within, the walls were slightly smoky and even ball-streaked but her first corner fling proved they were in good condition.
\par The first several minutes were given to testing\emdash the facility, the ball, each other. The ball was regulation, with a 
tricky underspin. Every fifth or sixth time it hit, the ball added rather than subtracted and the amplified spin could push it along the wall or out of a grasping hand.
\par The match being timed rather than one-and-out, they both survived learning the ball\rquote s eccentricities; Lina first when the ball tore itself from her hand to bounce down her wrist and into her chest, much to the delight of the crowd, and Kelby who
\rquote d timed a leap-and-grab perfectly, displaying both great style and interesting physique, only to have the ball hang for a half-second longer than anticipated, before flinging itself across the surface of the wall like a hurrying caterpillar.

\par The bell\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 blanged}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 \~
caution at six minutes; distracted, Kelby had to do a three-hit, elbow, shoulder, palm to get 
the ball where he wanted it for his next throw. Between them, they'd been upping the tempo, and both still taking time to observe each other's moves and strengths.
\par Yes, Lina thought; he'll do\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 nicely,\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 
as he turned from the recover and threw unexpectedly over his shoulder with his back to her\emdash a good view\emdash 
nearly rooting her to the spot with the trick move. She deflected the ball with her ankle before it hit the floor, portions of the betting crowd apparently doubtful that she\rquote d managed it, and then had to dive
 and kick with the other foot, but this was one of}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 \~her}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 \~
tricks, angling the ball high off the wall, against the ceiling, and onto another wall, the ball underspinning, leaving Kelby little choice but to do a dive of his own and juggle the ball until he mast
ered the tempo sufficiently to get his footwork back in sync.
\par "One each, here at the center stage!" called the MC. "Get your bets in, watch the action! Winner gets a free breakfast 'cause the loser\rquote s going to pay! Thrills and chills here\emdash Hey! Didja see that recover?"
\par Lina took the next throw with her left hand and did a quick launch; Kelby barely had time to catch and do the same. For several moments they traded the ball at throat level\emdash flick, flick, flick\emdash 
eyes on the ball, the throat, the face, slowly coming closer, faster\~.\~.\~.
\par Their eyes locked briefly as they trusted the motion, then they began backing away as they continued the same throw and catch at least a dozen more times. He changed it up: took the ball left-handed and swung back and around once be
fore launching vertically so Lina had to move closer to catch it.
\par It was her turn to vary, her throw bouncing off a sidewall so she could catch it and she did that twice again, moving toward a corner, making him retreat to stay in front of her. Then an underhanded lob toward the leg he\rquote d just raised and \'85

\par A roll! He landed hard, snatched the ball, the roll brought him very close before the ball was released, and he used the wall for the save, the angle bouncing the ball from wall to ceiling.
\par It was the ceiling that almost defeated her; Lina managing to just get to the bounce that extended to the other side of Kelby, who was still rising. The ball was in overdrive. Lina lunged, got a hand on it, and then tangled in Kelby\rquote 
s legs, the ball bouncing overhead, with the crowd roaring.
\par Kelby lunged from his spot in the tangle, keeping the ball up and then she did the same, on one knee and then he reached through her arms and swung to keep it higher; the continued nearness a surprise, the joint effort promising.
\par The crowd was cheering wildly, some counting, and the "four, three, two, one\~.\~.\~." ended with the\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 blangblangblang}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 \~of the closing bell.
\par Lina smothered the ball, hand on her shoulder to keep it still while Kelby\rquote s hand was also on her shoulder and a laughing MC made his way onto the deck\~.\~.\~.
\par "Looks like we gotta live heat here! Even score! Guess the pilots here'll hafta figure out who pays for breakfast some other way, hey?"
\par He reached cautiously for the ball, with Kelby and Lina not quite smoothly working it from between them into his hand.
\par "I tell you what," he said into the mic, working the still merry crowd. "This ball's had quite a workout\emdash it's still buzzing and so am I! Big cheer for Lina and Kelby!"
\par The crowd obliged as the MC helped the two of them finish detangling, and the mop-up crew came in to make all seemly for the next group.
\par "You\rquote re good," Lina told Kelby as they hurried out, jackets in hand.
\par He bowed on the move, hand rising to sign\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 So are you.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 
\par "I'm just in today," she said, when they paused by the door to pull on their jackets. "Please, Pilot, lead on!"
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1473348 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 #
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1473348 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 
Lina returned to port with an hour still to run on her leave. The room she had been assigned was scarcely more than a pilot's ready room: a cot, some shelves, and a screen.
\par Kelby\rquote s rooms were multiple and tidy, the small kitchen, small bath, and small living area with both a couch and a bed far wider than a cot.
\par As it came about, she had paid for breakfast at Reski\rquote s, a mere three hundred paces from his rooms\emdash perfectly equitable, as he had paid the taxi, shared his wine and worthy snacks, and not the least, his bed.
\par This room\emdash well. If she were to be on Surebleak longer than three nights, she would have to find something else.
\par But that was for later. For now, her condition was considerably improved.
\par She\rquote d had a romp far better than an impromptu Festival meeting, and had already accumulated a favorite morning cafe, taxi company, and bowli ball court, not to mention having Scout Lieutenant Kelby chel\rquote Vona Clan Nosko\rquote 
s personal and work comm codes in her pocket.
\par Came the sound of steps in the hall, followed by imperious knocking and the querulous voice of her direct superior.
\par "Open now, yo'Bingim!"
\par For a heartbeat, she considered ignoring the command, her leave with yet an hour to run.
\par "yo'Bingim!"
\par She growled softly and stepped to the door, opening with hairbrush in one hand and in the other, her wings.
\par Administrator as'Barta stood in the door, a pilot Lina had never seen before behind him\emdash she was not a Scout.
\par "So you returned after making your contact, did you? I had word that you were off in the wilds beyond the city last night."
\par Lines of anger bracketed his mouth.
\par Mastering her own spurt of anger, Lina bowed a brief welcome to her superior, and made no answer regarding her whereabouts while on leave.
\par "Should you like to come in, Administrator?"
\par "No, I should not, yo\rquote Bingam. Give me the key cards for our ship\emdash all that are in your possession."
\par "All," she repeated, unsnapping her pouch even as she turned toward her jacket, hung on the back of a chair.
\par "You will not need your jacket," as'Barta snapped.
\par "A pilot keeps keys to hand, sir. You had wanted all in my possession."
\par She slipped her hand into the discreet inner pocket and removed the first set of keys, and the second set from her pouch. Those she brought to the door, and held toward the Adminstrator, who fell back a step and waved peremptorily at the stranger pilot.

\par "Pilot sig'Sted receives the keys."
\par The pilot stepped forward to do so, her eyes averted. Lina frowned at the logo on the breast of her jacket. vee'Mastin Lines, she saw. Adminstrator as'Barta's vaunted "connections with the piloting sphere" included owning half of vee'Mastin Lines.
\par Lina's fingers tightened on the keys, and she pulled them slightly back.
\par "I will surrender these to a Scout," she said. "vee'Mastin Lines has no cause to hold the keys to a Scout ship."
\par "You will surrender those keys when and to whom I direct you!" snarled as'Barta. "Give them to her!"
\par "No," said Lina, and put both sets of keys into her pouch.
\par "Insubordination! I will see you stripped of rank, and license."
\par "I will surrender the keys of a Scout ship to a Scout," Lina returned. "You have hundreds of Scouts at your beck, Administrator. Call one here."
\par He moved suddenly, surprisingly, kicking at her knee. She jumped back, avoiding the clumsy blow\emdash and the door closed with a snap that meant the outside lock had been engaged.
\par Lina crossed the room to her screen, and called the duty desk.
\par "This is Lina yo'Bingam. I need to schedule an appointment with the base commander, immediately," she said.
\par There was a pause.
\par "Lina yo'Bingam, you are already on the commander's hearing list," the duty desk officer said. "Admini
strative Arbiter of Scouts as'Barta has filed a complaint, and placed your license under lock. The hearing is scheduled in two hours. You will be escorted to the meeting room."
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1473348 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 #
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1473348 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 
Escort had been two Scout security officers. They had checked her weapon, locked it, and allowed her to return it to its place in her jacket. Ship keys were not mentioned; the first set was in her jacket; the second set in her pouch\emdash 
standard procedure. Lina walked between her escorts calmly, eager to lay the situation out before a Scout, who knew the regs, and who would understand her objection to turning over the keys to a Scout ship to a passenger line pilot.
\par Her escort triggered the release on a door, and she walked into the conference room between them.
\par Before her was a conference table. Behind the conference table was Admin as'Barta, a hard-faced Scout captain\emdash and the passenger line pilot to whom she had refused to give\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 Bentokoristo's}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 \~keys.
\par There were no chairs on her side of the table.
\par Lina drew a hard breath.
\par "Why is there a civilian at this Scout hearing?" she asked.
\par "It is not your place to ask questions here," snapped Admin as'Barta.
\par The Scout captain frowned.
\par "I will answer. It is a reasonable question of protocol, and an unusual situation."
\par He inclined his head slightly.
\par "Pilot sig'Sted is Administrator as'Barta's advising pilot. As the difficulties the Administrator has come to solve are Scout-based, it is considered best that the Administrator's team be outside of the Scout hierarchy."
\par "The disciplinary hearing is now called to order," Admin said briefly. "This procedure is being recorded and will become part of your permanent records."
\par He glanced down at his tablet and began speaking in her direction without making eye contact. As he spoke he ran his fingers down the tablet, apparently checking tick-boxes as he hit each point.
\par "Last evening I had dinner with Pilot sig'Sted, a mature pilot well-known to me. Her\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 melant'i\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 is without stain, and I trust her implicitly in all matters of piloting."
\par Pilot sig'Sted, seated next to him, had the grace to look embarrassed.
\par Lina put her hands behind her back and broadened her stance, waiting.
\par "I described to Pilot sig'Sted the irregular and exhausting journey produced by Scout yo'Bingam on my behalf. Pilot sig'Sted gave
 it as her professional opinion that the pilot in charge had been hasty and foolhardy, had made questionable and potentially dangerous choices of route, and subjected me to unnecessary hardship."
\par He paused to glance up, but did not meet Lina's eyes.
\par "Based on this information, I immediately moved to have Scout yo'Bingim's license revoked until she has taken remedial piloting classes and re-certifies at every level."
\par Lina looked at the Scout Captain.
\par He avoided her eyes.
\par "I am," she said, "a Scout pilot. That is the equivalent of a\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 master pilot.\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 I
\emdash "
\par "You do yourself no good by being uncooperative," Admin as'Barta stated.
\par The Scout Captain said nothing.
\par Lina bit her lip.
\par "In addition to her piloting errors, and willful disrespect for my person, my\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 melant'i}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 , an
d my office, it has become clear that Lina yo'Bingim is an agent of the false Scouts. No sooner had we landed, she filed for leave, and met with an agent attached to command structure of the very group which I am here to correct and bring back into alignm
ent with the proper Liaden Scouts.
\par "In short, Lina yo'Bingim is working against my office, my mission, and myself. She is working to undermine and destroy the Liaden Scouts! Revoking her license to fly scarcely begins to address the problem. She must be str
uck from the lists of Liaden Scouts. In this she will finally serve my office and my mission, by standing as an example of what happens to those who work against the proper order and the Code."
\par "Scout Captain\emdash " Lina began.
\par "Be silent," Admin as'Barta snapped.
\par She glared at him, felt her escort shift closer from the sides, and closed her eyes briefly, accessing the rainbow, for calmness.
\par "You may retain your place in the Scouts, though at a much reduced rank," Admin as'Barta said, then. "Tell me what information you shared with this agent of the schismatic officer ter'Meulen."
\par She took a breath.
\par "He named his ship; I named mine. We shared our class years and first flight dates. We counted the bruises we had from the bowli ball match we had played, and laughed because there, too, we had tied. I did not tell him the name of my superior; he did not 
tell me the name of his, though ter'Meulen\emdash "
\par She looked again to the Scout Captain, who did not meet her eye.
\par "ter'Meulen," she continued, facing the admin again, "was head of pilot security for the Scouts\emdash for the Liaden Scouts\emdash for decades. He is no enemy of yours. If it is}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 \~ter'Meulen}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 \~who has authored this breach, then you must look for the fault in our own ranks."
\par Admin as'Barta sat back, satisfied. He turned to the Scout Captain.
\par "You hear her. She must be cast out."
\par "Yes," the Scout Captain said. "I hear her. The paperwork will be completed this afternoon."
\par "Captain," Lina said urgently. "The keys to the Scout ship I piloted here\emdash }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 Bentokoristo.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 \~There are only six trained to fly her\~.\~.\~."
\par "That is no longer your concern, Lina yo'Bingim," he told her, and held out his hand.
\par "The keys, if you please."
\par Relief almost undid her. At least, in this, he would be proper. The Scout ship would be relinquished to a Scout.
\par She reached into her jacket, into her pouch, approached the table and placed the keys in his hand.
\par "Escort, take Lina yo'Bingim to her quarters. Hold yourselves ready to escort her out of this facility, once the paperwork is complete. Dismissed."
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1473348 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 #
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1473348 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 
She was a Scout; everything she needed or wanted was in her jacket. Her license\~.\~.\~.\~she drew it out, slid it into the slot\emdash and caught it when it was forcibly spat out\emdash rejected.
\par Thoughtfully, she considered Admin as'Barta, the Council of Clans, and the assumptions surrounding this mission to re-unite the Scouts.
\par She then considered Clonak ter'Meulen, whom she had known, slightly. A Scout sublime, Clonak ter'Meulen, and one who cared for his pilots above all other things.
\par What could have happened, to make Clonak ter'Meulen break away from the Scouts he had loved?
\par The door to her cubicle opened. Her escort said, "It is time."
\par They handed her a stick\emdash her records, they said. They walked her to the door, and outside, into the port. They left her standing on cold 'crete at the edge of the street, and went back inside.
\par Lina yo'Bingim inhaled sharply, tasting the sharp, cold air, feeling the phantom flutter of a snowflake against her cheek.
\par Across the way, she saw the bright green of a call-box. She crossed to it, fingering the slip of paper with Kelby chel'Vona's numbers on it out of her belt.
\par He answered at once, sounding pleased to hear from her so soon.
\par "I find we have an acquaintance in common," she said, after they had been pleased with each other. "Clonak ter'Meulen."
\par "Yes, of course. Everyone knows Clonak, so I've always heard it."
\par "I, too," she said. "He never let a pilot reside in peril. I wonder if you could bring me to him?"
\par "Certainly, but\emdash why?"
\par "One of the things I recall Clonak saying\emdash his fondness for Terran quotations, you know. He had used to quite often say that}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 \~it\rquote 
s better to be part of the solution than part of the problem.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 
\par "I want to talk to him about becoming part of the solution."
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1473348 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \dbch\af0\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s28\qj \li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1473348 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 This story is set within Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
\hich\f40 \rquote \loch\f40 \hich\f40 s Liaden Universe\'ae\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 series, and within the timeline of December Liaden novel}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348 \~}
{\field\fldedit{\*\fldinst {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 HYPERLINK "https://www.baen.com/accepting-the-lance.html" \\t "_blank"
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  }}{\fldrslt {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \cs36\b\i\f40\fs21\ul\cf19\insrsid1473348 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Accepting the Lance.}}}\sectd \ltrsect
\linex0\endnhere\sectlinegrid360\sectdefaultcl\sectrsid9384073\sftnbj {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348 \~\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
Maine-based Sharon Lee and Steve Miller have written dozens of short stories and twenty plus novels, mos\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 \hich\f40 t set in their star-spanning Liaden Universe\'ae\loch\f40 
. Before the husband-and-wife team settled down to the serene and stable life of science fiction and fantasy writers, Steve was a traveling poet, a rock-band reviewer, reporter, and editor of a string of commun\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 i
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ty newspapers. Sharon, less adventurous, has been an advertising copywriter, copy editor on night-side news at a small city newspaper, reporter, photographer, and book reviewer. Both credit their newspaper experiences with teaching them the finer points o
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 f\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  collaboration. Steve and Sharon maintain a web presence at}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348 \~}{\field\fldedit{\*\fldinst {\rtlch\fcs1 
\ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 HYPERLINK "http://korval.com/" \\t "_blank"\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  }}{\fldrslt {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af0\afs21 
\ltrch\fcs0 \cs36\b\i\f40\fs21\ul\cf19\insrsid1473348 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 korval.com}}}\sectd \ltrsect\linex0\endnhere\sectlinegrid360\sectdefaultcl\sectrsid9384073\sftnbj {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348 .}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348 
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1473348 \rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {
\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid1473348 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid1473348 \page 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1473348 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs40 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f44\fs40\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 Next Giant Leap}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs40 
\ltrch\fcs0 \b\f44\fs40\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs32 \ltrch\fcs0 \f44\fs32\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 by Patrick Chiles
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1473348 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \dbch\af0\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1473348 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 Vladimir Vaschenko\rquote 
s first indication that his landing attempt might not have planned for every variable was when the ground beneath him exploded.
\par Frozen nitrogen tended to do that when it changed phases, which it was doing with gusto under his rocket exha
ust. The plume from his descent engines had a long reach; the radar altimeter showed him to be more than a hundred meters above the surface. Liberated by his exhaust heat, brilliant white clouds of violently sublimating nitrogen erupted beneath him and ob
scured the ground. Spires of what he assumed to be more of the same rose above him; he was threading a path down through a forest of frozen gases. The safer course would have been to boost above the terrain, but that would cost propellant he\rquote 
d need later\emdash assuming he could find a clearing through this fog.
\par The indistinct picture from his ground mapping radar, suggesting a corridor between the spires, marginally increased his confidence. Or it could just as easily be noise in the returns. He\rquote d seen it happen b
efore in the fighter aircraft that the radar had been adapted from. Pilots who trusted it too much often ended up dead.
\par The LK lander\rquote s big window was of little help. Rising clouds of nitrogen and methane stubbornly followed his track. Wherever he pointed 
his craft, a blinding fog soon appeared. The unease of flying through this strange environment was tempered by the joy of doing it far from the reach of ground controllers nitpicking every decision. The liberties he\rquote 
d enjoyed during the long journey had already expanded his personal horizons beyond anything in his previous experience\emdash what might his surface exploration bring?
\par Vaschenko chided himself: First he had to land this rickety thing. He pressed ahead, eyes darting between his window and instruments. 
That this world had even less gravity than his lander was originally designed for translated to more time in his favor, an advantage which was disappearing by the second as he continued hovering. Indecision took time he didn\rquote 
t have, and cost him fuel he couldn\rquote t spare.
\par A broad, dark mass emerged at the end of the corridor on his screen. Better definition suggested less ice, but he needed to get out of here for a clear view of where he was going. Deciding to sacrifice fuel for the safe bet, he tipped the cra
ft forward and goosed the throttle.
\par With its spindly legs and spheroid upper stage riding atop a column of rocket exhaust, the buglike lander rose out of the mist to trace a parabola above the ice spires. Vaschenko cut back on the throttle and coasted over
 the top toward what he hoped was solid ground.
\par At three hundred meters the terrain ahead looked clear, displaying ruddy shades of orange and brown with flecks of white.
\par At two hundred meters, those flecks resolved into sporadic patches of ice across the s
urface. He leaned farther into the window, expanding his field of view and hoping to find a large enough clearing free of ice and boulders. After coming all this way, he didn\rquote t think that was asking for much.
\par One hundred meters. Random clouds of nitrogen mist billowed up as his descent engines blasted away at the scattered ice patches. They dissipated quickly, which told him the ice wasn\rquote 
t very deep. It was worth the chance. He pulled back the throttle a bit more.
\par Fifty meters. Descent fuel at twenty percent. Time to commit. There was a shallow depression ahead, smoother than the surrounding terrain, not entirely free of ice but not icy enough to worry about, either. The thought occurred to him that it was quite po
ssibly a frozen pond with a deceptive coating of dust, which he quickly put out of his mind. He\rquote d see soon enough.
\par \'93I am passing fifty meters now. Initiating final descent.\'94 His microphone was hot, transmitting everything he said to his comrade orbiting overhead in the Soyuz they\rquote d named\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 Dvina}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 . He\rquote d said almost nothing until now.
\par Thirty meters, down to seventeen percent. He eyed the abort handle. If the landing site turned out to be unstable, he only had to twist the handle and let the ascent engine boost hi
m back into orbit. After coming this far, he saw that as an unacceptable capitulation. He was no daredevil, but he was no quitter either. This had to work.
\par At twenty meters, another cloud of nitrogen ice erupted beneath him as he hovered over the shallow d
epression. Fourteen percent fuel. He held his altitude, letting his landing rockets blast away a clear space. He eased back on the throttle as the whiteout subsided.
\par Ten meters, then five, and soon wires hanging from beneath each footpad contacted the ground, sounding an alarm in the cockpit. \'93Contact,\'94
 Vaschenko announced sharply as he stabbed the engine cutoff. The LK fell the remaining two meters in slow motion, hitting the frozen ground with a jolt that resonated through the little craft. The map must translate to mass market size and resolution.

\par \'93Vehicle is down, upright and stable,\'94 though he could detect a slight list forward that was disorienting in the low gravity. An inclinometer by his shoulder confirmed the ground wasn\rquote t completely level, but it was in tolerance. He wasn
\rquote t going anywhere.
\par A giddy voice crackled in his headset. \'93It is good to know you are upright, comrade colonel. Otherwise I don\rquote t believe we could find a tow truck out here.\'94
\par It was Gregoriy, still watching over him from orbit. \'93I will take your word for it,\'94 Vaschenko replied, just as giddy. \'93If you can\rquote t find one, no one can.\'94 It was nonsensical and he knew it, though who could fault him? He\rquote 
d just become the first cosmonaut to land on another world, coming as far as any human had traveled, in fact as far as any human could reasonably hope to travel.
\par He couldn\rquote t decide what was more improbable: That their machines had brought him safely to a distant expanse of frozen tundra more forbidding than the Siberian wastes, or that they\rquote d covered the distance in only six months. Blindingly
\emdash almost inconceivably\emdash fast, but still not enough for dramatic relativistic effects. When they returned next year, they\rquote d be a few days younger than the people they\rquote d left behind. The long signal delay was disquieting enough.

\par And liberating. For the first time in his career, he\rquote d had the unchallenged command of an amazing spacecraft. For what could Moscow do to interfere when simple verbal exchanges took hours?
\par Ah, well. Such thoughts could wait for later. He checked the mission clock. They were on a tight schedule and an even tighter energy budget, thermodynamics being more pitiless than the Kremlin\rquote 
s worst bureaucrats. His fuel cells could run for days, but his suit batteries could only hold out for so long when ambient temperatures flirted with absolute zero.
\par \'93Ambient\'94 temperature\~.\~.\~.\~that was amusing. Who\rquote d have thought there would be enough atmosphere for it to be a concern? Even this world\rquote s exceedingly thin envelope of gases conducted away enough heat 
that it threatened to drain batteries and freeze fragile components solid, yet he still needed the alcohol vaporizing system to draw excess heat away from sensitive electronics.
\par He made his way through the post-landing checklist with swift efficiency, speaking with Gregoriy up in\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 Dvina}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 \~only when necessary. \'93Vehicle is secure, ready for surface operations.\'94 He finished his report and took a deep, cleansing breath. The upcoming rest period would be his only break for several hours.

\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1473348 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 * * *}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 
\ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1473348 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 Rest, such as it was,
 came fitfully. The lander\rquote s cabin heaters combined with the warmth radiating from its electronics to keep the killing cold at bay, though he could still feel its malign presence through the cabin\rquote s outboard panels. The lander\rquote 
s slight incline had kept him tucked up against a pressure bulkhead as he tried to sleep, just enough for the cold to wake him whenever he touched it. He ended up curled into a fetal position inside of his sleeping bag.
\par Vaschenko stretched as best he could in the cramped cabin. A thin
 layer of frost coated the forward porthole, there being just enough atmosphere outside to cause problems. He turned and stuck his head into the extravehicular suit port. For this harsh environment, the hard-shell surface excursion suit had been mounted o
utside as an extension to the cabin. Its backpack life support unit formed a small, rectangular hatch that he would climb through into the suit.
\par At least that was how it was supposed to work. With the suit now hanging lopsided at a shallow angle he clumsily
 fell into it, banging a leg against its internal control box along the way. Cursing, he snugged his feet into rubberized insulating socks and tested them against the hard boots. He bounced a few times until he was satisfied his feet wouldn\rquote 
t slip around too much, ignoring the throbbing pain in his shin.
\par He was more concerned about having possibly damaged the controls mounted just in front of his chest. He hurriedly inspected the box and its settings, checking for damage or misconfigured switches before snapping on its internal power. The suit\rquote 
s rebreathers came to life, filling his metallic cocoon with a dull whine as he reached into the LK to pull its outer hatch closed. Warm air hissed through vents around his waist and shoulders as he eyed gauges mounted
 just below the rim of his bubble visor. Satisfied he wasn\rquote t about to freeze or suffocate, Vaschenko called to his comrade in orbit. \'93Suit is on internal power, air cycling is nominal. Preparing to close.\'94
\par \'93Very good, Comrade Colonel. Don\rquote t forget your snowshoes.\'94
\par \'93I thought\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 you}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 \~packed them?\'94
 Vaschenko smiled to himself as the pilot answered with a simple double-click of his mic switch. Gregoriy would have sold his own children to gypsies for the chance to do this, especially after the EVA their crewmate Al
exi had enjoyed during the long journey here. He would make certain to arrange a similar jaunt outside for his mission pilot on the return leg of their grand tour.
\par Satisfied with his suit\rquote s function, he reached back once more to close its internal hatch. A
s he locked down the seal directly behind him, it disengaged him from the LK on the other side. He hung loosely against the portal now, his feet resting on the lander\rquote s porch.
\par \'93Suit port is closed and free,\'94 he said. \'93Preparing to disengage.\'94
\par The suit itse
lf was a bulbous shell that looked as if it could have been scavenged from a movie set. He slipped his arms through rotary joints at the shoulders and elbows, then settled his hands into roughly articulated gloves at the ends of each sleeve. He flexed his
 arms and swung them through their range of motion, which was remarkably good for being a pressurized suit of armor.
\par He braced against the railing to take a step forward, just as he\rquote d practiced hundreds of times in Star City\rquote s simulator bay. The backpack sl
id out of its suit port more smoothly than in practice, a nice surprise which he attributed to the low gravity. He was careful not to put too much force into his movements lest momentum overtake him\emdash 
this world might have offered only a fraction of Earth\rquote s gravity, but that didn\rquote t change the suit\rquote s considerable mass.
\par The porch offered just enough room to position himself at the top of the ladder. It looked impossibly shaky, its angles changing as it folded over one of the LK\rquote s insectoid legs. Shallow, then steep. He\rquote 
d practiced it so many times that he could just about do it blindfolded.
\par \'93I\rquote m on the ladder,\'94 he reported. \'93Ready to descend.\'94
\par There was a burst of static followed by a new voice. \'93Understood, Comrade Colonel.\'94 It was Alexi in the control block aboard their mothership\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 Arkangel}{
\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 . Gregoriy\rquote s Soyuz and its radios were now below the horizon and beyond his line of sight.
\par \'93Heading down now.\'94
\par The rungs were far apart, too much for a normal human, but perfectly spaced for a man in a hard suit. He made quick work of it, having learned from his many ground simulations t
hat this was probably the riskiest phase of his EVA short of stumbling into some undetectable subsurface geyser. He let himself fall the final meter in slow motion and came to a stop atop the leg\rquote s footpad. \'93I am at the base of the ladder.\'94

\par Alexi\rquote s voice crackled in his ear, the radio static emphasizing his distance despite being almost directly overhead now. \'93And how is the view down there, comrade?\'94
\par Of the many challenges he faced on this expedition, visibility was not one of them. The bubble visor gave him a wide field of view while the lander\rquote 
s floodlights made up for the distant sun. Vaschenko shook off the gnawing sense of isolation as he considered a suitable answer. For the moment he only cared about what might be directly beneath his feet. He drew a
 breath, knowing he was being recorded and determined to not sound the slightest bit shaky. \'93
The surrounding area consists of hard, rocky soil with what appears to be a number of fresh divots. I suspect they held subsurface ice which my landing rockets evaporated. I can see more nearby, outside of the blast zone.\'94 He paused. \'93
Much of the surface has a clear glaze of ice\~.\~.\~.\~perhaps water ice, atop the nitrogen?\'94 He had trouble believing his own assessment\emdash finding water would be stunning, were he correct. \'93
I also see veins of blue and green within the ice, which would indicate methane.\'94
\par \'93Thank you, Comrade Colonel. What is your suit\rquote s skin temperature?\'94
\par Vaschenko knew what Alexi was getting at. He checked another gauge by his control box. \'93Minus one hundred twenty, not enough for anything to violently sublimate.\'94
\par The younger cosmonaut laughed. \'93More than cold enough to chill a bottle of Stoli, though.\'94
\par Vaschenko laughed with him. A good stiff drink would have been welcome at the end of all this. He took another deep, expectant breath. The time had come. \'93I am stepping off of the footpad now.\'94
\par With one hand still on the ladder, he cautiously poked at the crust with his left toe. Any loose material had been blasted away during his landing and what remained was 
almost as solid as rock. He pressed his foot into the regolith and withdrew it, studying the small impression it left behind. It was like stamping forms into dry ice. He released his grip on the ladder, stepped out with both feet, and exhaled. He held out
 his arms and turned in a circle to test his footing. He was actually here, standing free.
\par He cleared his throat before making the announcement their mission managers had waited so long for: \'93Standing on the shoulders of our comrades before us, I make this great leap forward on behalf of the people of the Soviet Union.\'94
\par There. He finally said it. The words had been carefully scripted by committee, approved by the Politburo, and drilled into him with a final demonstration for the mission political officer pri
or to their launch from Baikonur. He imagined the self-satisfied grin on that officious buffoon\rquote s face when his words were received in a few hours.
\par Vaschenko hoped they would mean something to his countrymen. After being rehearsed so many times, they meant nothing to him. An empty sentiment, and a small price to pay for being able to command such a bold mission. He\rquote 
d made worse compromises over his career.
\par \'93Congratulations, Comrade Colonel! It is a privilege to be the first human to hear you announce this glorious achievement.\'94 The high-frequency static couldn\rquote t hide the giddiness in Alexi\rquote s voice. Even if his reply hadn\rquote 
t been as well-rehearsed, he still answered in the manner expected. \'93I will relay the TsUP\rquote s response as soon as we receive it here.\'94
\par \'93Thank you, Alexi.\'94
\par He wondered when his countrymen would be allowed to know they were here, as their mission had been a tightly guarded secret from its inception. Signal delays at least followed clear physical laws which made them predictable. Political delays
 were another matter, only having to follow whatever passed for laws or logic in the head of the decision maker.
\par As Earth grew ever more distant, the light delay had quickly tested ground control\rquote s limits. The mission managers had tried to compensate by making the daily activity plans even more painstaking than usual\emdash and he\rquote 
d already been accustomed to overly ambitious plans in his days aboard Mir\emdash which Vaschenko and his crewmates had eventually ignored. They\rquote d made a dutiful effort to comply at first, but\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 Arkangel\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 
was simply too complicated. The operational concept of a nuclear pulse drive was straightforward enough, but the execution had been another matter entirely: It was a lot of mass, propelled a frighteningly long way, at unheard-of velocities, whose 
critical systems had never functioned under varying levels of acceleration for such long periods.
\par It was perhaps fortunate that they had been forced to keep so much of it simple\emdash aping the Americans\rquote  tendency to overcomplicate designs and incorporate every 
wish-list item from every manager who touched the project would have left them crippled in orbit before detonating the first propellant slug. The combination of complexity and extreme distance had made them more self-reliant\emdash and therefore freer
\emdash than anyone envisioned. Their mass and velocity had meant that even an immediate return order would have taken months to comply with.
\par Vaschenko trundled over to the equipment bay, now covered in the same frost that coated the rest of the descent stage. He scraped at 
it with the hard edge of his glove until he could get a hand around its latch. After some effort, he could feel the ice crumbling around its mechanism and the lever reluctantly gave way. He still had to pry the access panel free, working the hardened tips
 
of his gloves through the crust of ice and around the lip. Once open, he reached in to remove a long-handled scoop and sample bag from their mounts. He turned and scraped at a patch of mostly loose soil, scooped up as much as the bag could hold, and clipp
ed it to a cable on his waist. \'93Contingency sample secure,\'94 he said, which Alexi acknowledged with two rapid clicks of his microphone. If something happened and he had to make an emergency return to orbit, he would not leave empty handed.
\par Vaschenko returned
 to the equipment bay for the next item on his list, removing a tripod and telescoping pole with a roll of fabric mounted at one end. He trudged away from the lander, eyes down, watching each step until he appeared to be out of the blast zone.
\par Satisfied he
 was in the clear, he set the pole onto the ice. Not surprisingly, it barely penetrated the surface. He lifted a small mallet from his utility belt and began hammering away at the top of the pole until it could stand upright, then unfolded the tripod arou
nd its base. Every otherwise mundane task in spaceflight had to be thought through and engineered, and this was no different. Whoever had been responsible for the flagpole had anticipated that it might not be able to stand on its own.
\par Vaschenko paused to look up from his work for the first time, turning to take in the full scope of his surroundings. Working around the lander with his back to the horizon almost this entire time, he\rquote 
d stayed focused on the patch of ground around the little spacecraft which had served him so well, its familiarity shielding him from the dread of being utterly alone on such a forbidding world. If the word \'93alien\'94
 had any meaning at all, then it must surely apply here.
\par Stark white ice floes with variegated shades of blue and green 
stretched to the horizon, which itself appeared dizzyingly close. Random wisps of gas curling up from cracks in the surface implied some source of internal heat, while jumbles of nitrogen icebergs were clustered around a frozen shoreline perhaps a half-ki
lometer distant. Its crust was pockmarked in an odd, pebbled texture which he would investigate if his suit batteries held up long enough. Behind the lander, the white spires he\rquote 
d had to negotiate during his approach stood tall, like sails on the sea.
\par He drew an arm back inside and turned down his suit radio. Mission rules required that he keep it in voice-activated mode throughout surface operations, but they hadn\rquote t said anything about volume control. One didn\rquote 
t rise to the level of colonel without learning precisely how and when to break the rules.
\par The silence became a sound unto itself, as eerily chilling as the icebound landscape. He could hear the frozen ground\rquote 
s muffled crunch beneath his hardened, heavily insulated boots. The dull whine of air exchangers rose and fell with each breath, their background noise punctuated by the sharp pops and groans of his suit\rquote 
s outer shell as it withstood the menacing cold. He was the only human on this world, one of only three to have traveled this deep into the Solar System\emdash and no one outside of his crew, his m
ission control team, and the innermost circle of the Politburo knew about it. He hadn\rquote t thought it possible to make a man feel any more isolated from the rest of humanity than he was right now, but they had found a way. Of course they had.
\par What would his w
ife and children think, once they eventually learned of his adventure? Would they rejoice in his achievement, or would it be just one more in an already too-long string of absences? All they knew was that he was on another long-duration mission classified
 \'93Most Secret\'94 with all communications home restricted to recorded messages. Trust the KGB to take full advantage of the signal delay to keep the cosmonaut families in the dark.
\par As he contemplated this strange landscape, he was taken with an even stranger n
otion: What if he just started walking, away from the safety of his landing site and the control of others? Nothing but his own inhibition could stop him. What if he simply kept going until his batteries ran out or his carbon dioxide filter became saturat
e
d? Was there freedom in abandonment? Or was death the ultimate liberation, as the long-suffering Orthodox priests of his youth had once tried to convince him? He pushed those thoughts from his mind before the crush of loneliness threatened to paralyze him
, just as he always had. Only the scenery had changed.
\par How to describe this place without sounding like a starstruck child? Fortunately no one was expecting flowery, poetic language from him. He was expected to record what he observed, and that\rquote s what he wo
uld do. He turned the volume knob back up and was rewarded with the comforting hiss of a two-way connection again.
\par He unfolded one last section of tubing at the top of the flagpole. As it locked into place at a ninety-degree angle, a garish red banner bear
ing an embroidered golden hammer and sickle unfurled beneath it. His next words had been rehearsed just as many times as had his first announcement from the surface:
\par \'93I now plant the flag of our great people and hereby claim this planet, Pluto, for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.\'94
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1473348 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 * * *}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 
\ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1473348 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 
Vaschenko sensed something had changed the moment he and Gregoriy returned to\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 Arkangel}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 . Alexi waited for them at the docking tunnel, his forced smile hinting at something else behind the sentiment. The flight engine
er had been unusually clipped and businesslike during their return, forgoing the levity that normally peppered their exchanges.
\par He traded looks with Gregoriy. \'93Not a warm welcome home I think, Alexi Mikhailovich.\'94
\par \'93My apologies, Comrade Colonel. I am not very good at hiding things, I\rquote m afraid.\'94
\par \'93You\rquote d have made a terrible GRU officer,\'94 he agreed, \'93which is one reason I wanted you on my crew.\'94
\par The younger man\rquote s eyes lit up at the compliment. He handed his commander a strip of paper from their thermal printer. \'93New orders from Moscow,\'94 he explained.
\par Vaschenko studied the text. \'93This time stamp is five hours ago. They will be expecting my acknowledgment.\'94
\par Alexi looked uncomfortable. \'93I reminded them that you were presently occupied with returning to\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 Arkangel}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 , and that I would relay their orders immediately upon your return.\'94
\par Vaschenko frowned, then handed the printout to Gregoriy. The pilot read it with disbelief.
\par \'93They do realize how long a direct return will take?\'94
\par \'93The emergency plan is six months,\'94 Vaschenko said. \'93Less time than with our scheduled Neptune and Uranus flybys, but it will require all of our reserve propellant.\'94
\par \'93I don\rquote t understand, Comrade Colonel. What good can we do?\'94
\par \'93We don\rquote t have to understand anything,\'94 he said, more coldly than he felt. \'93We only have to follow orders. Acknowledge my receipt.\'94
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qc \li0\ri0\sb240\sa240\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1473348 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 * * *}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 
\ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\qj \fi480\li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1473348 \cbpat8 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 
That had been the answer a commander would be expected to give. The reality of their situation had been more complicated\emdash and troubling\emdash as Moscow\rquote s subsequent orders had become even more heavy-h
anded: jettison all empty supply modules and unnecessary payload. Return immediately. Every day counted, therefore every gram of excess mass had to be shed, including everything he\rquote d brought up from the surface.
\par Given their situation, were they compelled to follow orders? A year ago, he\rquote d have done precisely as told. Now, given all that was happening on Earth, they\rquote 
d still expected him to simply click his heels, salute, and carry on? It would have been laughable were the consequences not so grave, yet Gregoriy\rquote s earlier question continued to haunt him:\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 What good could we do}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 ?
\par It depended on one\rquote s notion of \'93good,\'94 which had become more elastic than he\rquote d thought possible. He laughed darkly: one more assumption about himself this mission had irrevocably changed.
\par On the surface, each step he took away from the lander put him in more danger: hidden nitrogen pockets and crevasses, ice geysers and ruthless cold, all waiting for him to make a single mistake. How long would he have had if a battery failed, a heater bu
rned out, or a seal succumbed to the cold? How far could he have walked before he was frozen in place?
\par The farther he\rquote d ventured, the less he\rquote d cared. Death would have been on his terms, as he\rquote d known the risks, but had chosen to step out onto that alien tundra anyway. The many dangers had focused him on the present in a way he\rquote 
d only occasionally experienced as a cosmonaut\emdash that old pilot\rquote s adage about hours of boredom interrupted by moments of sheer terror. It had been the first time in his life that he\rquote 
d truly lived in the moment, free of the micromanagement that had defined his earlier missions. Being alone on Pluto\rquote s surface had been his first taste of real freedom.
\par Alone again now aboard\~}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 Arkangel}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 
, he felt like a prisoner aboard his own spacecraft. His crewmates had been gone for months, abandoning him at the edge of the Solar System. Even if Moscow could have forgiven mutiny, even if he ignited the pulse drive and aimed for home, he\rquote 
d waited too long: life support would run out well before he arrived at Earth. Alexi and Gregoriy had long since used up their own, their silent frequency confirming his calculations.
\par He stared at the words in his journal, from happier times with his crew:
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 
It is good to be back aboard with my comrades after being in such a desperately cold, forbidding place. It feels warm and inviting here now in a way that a spacecraft never has. If it had a fireplace, the feeling would be complete!}{\rtlch\fcs1 
\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 Pluto was utterly unlike anything I expected, beyond anything else in a Solar System already filled with unlikely worlds. I call it \'93forbidding\'94 deliberately, as 
\'93frightening\'94 would be too harsh though others may disagree. It was certainly disquieting, as though I had stepped into a realm not meant for men. It was as if I had disturbed something precious and absconded with riches beyond measure.}{
\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 
\par }{\rtlch\fcs1 \ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 There is much to learn from here, and we have been ordered to abandon it all. For what purpose?}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 
\par A question that he\rquote d long ago learned to suppress now dominated his thoughts: What if humans were uniquely created with a purpose? Did that not argue for the primacy of individual liberty over the collective? He\rquote d c
ertainly felt like a better commander as Moscow\rquote s grip on them grew more tenuous with distance. Was that just his pride? If there was a difference, did it matter?
\par Yet even at the end, in a state of solitude beyond human experience, he could still feel the firm hand of Moscow tugging at his leash. It was a grip that would only be released in his death.
\par Was that where ultimate freedom lay?
\par He would soon find out.
\par Vaschenko closed his journal for the last time and secured it by his bunk. Perhaps one day someone would find it and the world could learn the truth of what they did here.
\par He pushed away and sailed forward, out of the crew quarters and into the command deck, settling into the docking tunnel. The air had become noticeably stale of late. He didn\rquote t bother consulting the environmental panel: The headache he\rquote 
d been carrying since yesterday told him the CO2 scrubbers would soon fail.
\par It was time. He reached for the tunnel\rquote s purge valve, closed his eyes, and waited for the darkness to become all-consuming.
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1473348 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \dbch\af0\insrsid1473348\charrsid1473348 
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\s28\qj \li0\ri0\sa150\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1473348 \cbpat8 \rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 
\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af911\hich\af911\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
This story is set in the world of January 2020 hard science fiction novel}{\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348 \~}{\field\fldedit{\*\fldinst {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\i\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 HYPERLINK "https://www.baen.com/frozen-orbit.html" \\t "_blank"\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  }}{\fldrslt {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\ai\af0\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\cs36\b\i\f40\fs21\ul\cf19\insrsid1473348 \hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 Frozen Orbit}}}\sectd \ltrsect\linex0\endnhere\sectlinegrid360\sectdefaultcl\sectrsid9384073\sftnbj {\rtlch\fcs1 \ab\af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 \b\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348 
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 , by Patrick Chiles. Patrick Chiles has been fascinated by rockets and spaceflight ever since he watch\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 
ed the Apollo missions as a kid in South Carolina. How he ended up as an English major in college is still a mystery, though he eventually overcame this self-inflicted handicap to pursue a career in aviation. He is a graduate of The Citadel, a Marine Corp
\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40 s\hich\af40\dbch\af31505\loch\f40  veteran, and a licensed pilot. He currently resides in Tennessee with his wife and sons, two lethargic dachshunds, and a bovine cat.}{\rtlch\fcs1 \af911\afs21 \ltrch\fcs0 
\f40\fs21\cf1\insrsid1473348 
\par }\pard\plain \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid1473348 \rtlch\fcs1 \af0\afs24\alang1025 \ltrch\fcs0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af31505\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {
\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid1473348 
\par }\pard \ltrpar\ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\wrapdefault\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid11498235 {\rtlch\fcs1 \af0 \ltrch\fcs0 \insrsid2499334\charrsid11498235 
\par }{\*\themedata 504b030414000600080000002100e9de0fbfff0000001c020000130000005b436f6e74656e745f54797065735d2e786d6cac91cb4ec3301045f748fc83e52d4a
9cb2400825e982c78ec7a27cc0c8992416c9d8b2a755fbf74cd25442a820166c2cd933f79e3be372bd1f07b5c3989ca74aaff2422b24eb1b475da5df374fd9ad
5689811a183c61a50f98f4babebc2837878049899a52a57be670674cb23d8e90721f90a4d2fa3802cb35762680fd800ecd7551dc18eb899138e3c943d7e503b6
b01d583deee5f99824e290b4ba3f364eac4a430883b3c092d4eca8f946c916422ecab927f52ea42b89a1cd59c254f919b0e85e6535d135a8de20f20b8c12c3b0
0c895fcf6720192de6bf3b9e89ecdbd6596cbcdd8eb28e7c365ecc4ec1ff1460f53fe813d3cc7f5b7f020000ffff0300504b030414000600080000002100a5d6
a7e7c0000000360100000b0000005f72656c732f2e72656c73848fcf6ac3300c87ef85bd83d17d51d2c31825762fa590432fa37d00e1287f68221bdb1bebdb4f
c7060abb0884a4eff7a93dfeae8bf9e194e720169aaa06c3e2433fcb68e1763dbf7f82c985a4a725085b787086a37bdbb55fbc50d1a33ccd311ba548b6309512
0f88d94fbc52ae4264d1c910d24a45db3462247fa791715fd71f989e19e0364cd3f51652d73760ae8fa8c9ffb3c330cc9e4fc17faf2ce545046e37944c69e462
a1a82fe353bd90a865aad41ed0b5b8f9d6fd010000ffff0300504b0304140006000800000021006b799616830000008a0000001c0000007468656d652f746865
6d652f7468656d654d616e616765722e786d6c0ccc4d0ac3201040e17da17790d93763bb284562b2cbaebbf600439c1a41c7a0d29fdbd7e5e38337cedf14d59b
4b0d592c9c070d8a65cd2e88b7f07c2ca71ba8da481cc52c6ce1c715e6e97818c9b48d13df49c873517d23d59085adb5dd20d6b52bd521ef2cdd5eb9246a3d8b
4757e8d3f729e245eb2b260a0238fd010000ffff0300504b030414000600080000002100215aa28421070000db1d0000160000007468656d652f7468656d652f
7468656d65312e786d6cec594f6f1b4514bf23f11d467b2fb113274da23a55ecd80db469a3d82dea71bc3bf64e33bbb39a1927f10db547242444411ca8c48d03
022ab51297f269024550a47e05deccecae77e271939400153487d63bfb7b6fdefbbd3ff367af5c3d4a183a2042529e3683fa7bb5009134e4114d47cde076bf7b
69354052e134c28ca7a4194c880cae6ebcfbce15bcae62921004f2a95cc7cd20562a5b5f5890210c63f91ecf480aef865c2458c1a3182d44021f82de842d2cd6
6a2b0b09a66980529c80da5bc3210d09ea6b95c146a1bcc3e03155520f844cf4b46ae248186cb45fd70839916d26d00166cd00e689f8619f1ca900312c15bc68
0635f3172c6c5c59c0ebb9105373642b725df397cbe502d1fea299538c06e5a4f56e63edf256a9df00989ac5753a9d76a75eea33001c86e0a9b5a5aab3d15dad
b70a9d1590fd39abbb5d5bae355c7c45ffd28ccd6bad566b792db7c52a3520fbb331835fadad3436171dbc0159fcf20cbed1da6cb7571cbc0159fcca0cbe7b79
6da5e1e20d286634dd9f41eb8076bbb9f61232e46cdb0b5f05f86a2d874f51900d6576e929863c55f3722dc1f7b8e8024003195634456a9291210e218bdb98d1
81a07a02bc4e70e58d1d0ae5cc909e0bc950d04c35830f320c1531d5f7f2d9772f9f3d41c7f79f1edffff1f8c183e3fb3f58458ed4364e4755a917df7cfac7a3
8fd0ef4fbe7ef1f0733f5e56f1bf7cfff1cf3f7de60742f94ccd79fec5e35f9f3e7efee527bf7dfbd003df14785085f7694224ba490ed11e4fc031c38a6b3919
88f349f4634cab129be948e214eb593cfa3b2a76d0372798610fae455c06ef08681f3ee0b5f13dc7e05e2cc62a8fb7e3d9f53871803b9cb316175e16aeebb92a
34f7c7e9c83fb91857717b181ff8e66ee3d4896f679c41dfa43e95ed983866ee329c2a3c22295148bfe3fb8478f8ba4ba9c3eb0e0d05977ca8d05d8a5a987a29
e9d381934d53a16d9a405c263e0321de0e373b77508b339fd75be4c045425560e631be4f9843e3353c5638f1a9ece3845509bf8155ec33b237116115d7910a22
3d228ca34e44a4f4c9dc12e06f25e8d7a175f8c3bec326898b148aeefb74dec09c57915b7cbf1de324f3617b348dabd8f7e53ea42846bb5cf9e03bdcad10fd0c
71c0e9dc70dfa1c409f7e9dde0361d39264d1344bf190b4f2caf11eee46f6fc286989856034ddde9d5094d5fd5b813e8dbb9e317d7b8a1553effea91c7ee37b5
656f0209be9ad93ed1a8e7e14eb6e73617117df3bbf3161ea7bb040a6276897adb9cdf36e7e03fdf9ce7d5f3c5b7e469178606adb74c76a36db6ddc9dc5df790
32d65313466e48b3f196b0f6445d18d472e6c449ca535816c34f5dc93081831b096c6490e0ea43aae25e8c33d8b4d703ad642473d52389322ee1b06886bdba35
1e36feca1e3597f521c4760e89d50e8fecf0921e2ece1aa51a63d5c81c688b8996b482b34eb67439570abebdce64756dd49967ab1bd34c5374662b5dd6149b43
39505eba0683259bb0a941b015029657e0ccafa786c30e6624d2bcdb1815613151f87b42947b6d1d8971446c889ce10a9b7513bb228566fcd3eed91c391f9b25
6b40dae94698b4989f3f6724b950302519044f56134babb5c55274d80cd69617970314e2ac190ce1980b3f930c8226f53610b311dc15854ad8ac3db5164d914e
3d5ef367551d6e2ee6148c53c699906a0bcbd8c6d0bcca43c5523d93b57f71b9a193ed621cf03493b359b1b40a29f2af5901a176434b864312aa6ab02b239a3b
fb9877423e5644f4e2e8100dd858ec61083f70aafd89a884db0a53d0fa01aed634dbe695db5bf34e53bdd032383b8e5916e3bc5beaab99a2e22cdcf493d206f3
54310f7cf3da6e9c3bbf2bbae22fca956a1affcf5cd1cb015c1e2c453a0221dcec0a8c74a534032e54cca10b65310dbb02d67dd33b205be07a165e03f970bf6c
fe17e440ff6f6bceea30650d6740b547474850584e542c08d985b664b2ef1465f57ce9b12a59aec86454c55c9959b307e480b0beee812bba070728865437dd24
6f03067732ffdce7bc820623bd47a9d69bd3c9caa5d3d6c03fbd71b1c50c4e9dd84be8fc2df82f4d2c57f7e9ea67e58d78b146561dd12fa6bba4465115cee2b7
b6964ff59a269c6501aeacb5b663cd78bcb85c1807519cf51806cbfd4c06574048ff03eb1f1521b31f2bf482dae77bd05b117c7bb0fc21c8ea4bbaab4106e906
697f0d60df63076d32695596da7ce7a3592b16eb0bdea896f39e205b5b7696789f93ec7213e54ee7d4e245929d33ec706dc7e6520d913d59a230342cce212630
e62b57f543141fdc83406fc195ff98d94f533283275307d9ae30d935e0d124ffc9a45d706dd6e9338c46b2748f0c118d8e8af347c9842d21fb79a4d8221bb416
d389560a2ef90e0dae608ed7a276b52c85174f172e25ccccd0b24b617397e653001fc7f2c6ad8f7680b74dd67aad8bab608aa57f85b23318efa7cc7bf2392b65
f6a0f8ca40bd0665eae8d594e54c0179b389079f370586a357cff45f58746ca69b94ddf8130000ffff0300504b0304140006000800000021000dd1909fb60000
001b010000270000007468656d652f7468656d652f5f72656c732f7468656d654d616e616765722e786d6c2e72656c73848f4d0ac2301484f78277086f6fd3ba
109126dd88d0add40384e4350d363f2451eced0dae2c082e8761be9969bb979dc9136332de3168aa1a083ae995719ac16db8ec8e4052164e89d93b64b060828e
6f37ed1567914b284d262452282e3198720e274a939cd08a54f980ae38a38f56e422a3a641c8bbd048f7757da0f19b017cc524bd62107bd5001996509affb3fd
381a89672f1f165dfe514173d9850528a2c6cce0239baa4c04ca5bbabac4df000000ffff0300504b01022d0014000600080000002100e9de0fbfff0000001c02
00001300000000000000000000000000000000005b436f6e74656e745f54797065735d2e786d6c504b01022d0014000600080000002100a5d6a7e7c000000036
0100000b00000000000000000000000000300100005f72656c732f2e72656c73504b01022d00140006000800000021006b799616830000008a0000001c000000
00000000000000000000190200007468656d652f7468656d652f7468656d654d616e616765722e786d6c504b01022d0014000600080000002100215aa2842107
0000db1d00001600000000000000000000000000d60200007468656d652f7468656d652f7468656d65312e786d6c504b01022d00140006000800000021000dd1
909fb60000001b01000027000000000000000000000000002b0a00007468656d652f7468656d652f5f72656c732f7468656d654d616e616765722e786d6c2e72656c73504b050600000000050005005d010000260b00000000}
{\*\colorschememapping 3c3f786d6c2076657273696f6e3d22312e302220656e636f64696e673d225554462d3822207374616e64616c6f6e653d22796573223f3e0d0a3c613a636c724d
617020786d6c6e733a613d22687474703a2f2f736368656d61732e6f70656e786d6c666f726d6174732e6f72672f64726177696e676d6c2f323030362f6d6169
6e22206267313d226c743122207478313d22646b3122206267323d226c743222207478323d22646b322220616363656e74313d22616363656e74312220616363
656e74323d22616363656e74322220616363656e74333d22616363656e74332220616363656e74343d22616363656e74342220616363656e74353d22616363656e74352220616363656e74363d22616363656e74362220686c696e6b3d22686c696e6b2220666f6c486c696e6b3d22666f6c486c696e6b222f3e}
{\*\latentstyles\lsdstimax376\lsdlockeddef0\lsdsemihiddendef0\lsdunhideuseddef0\lsdqformatdef0\lsdprioritydef99{\lsdlockedexcept \lsdqformat1 \lsdpriority0 \lsdlocked0 Normal;\lsdqformat1 \lsdpriority9 \lsdlocked0 heading 1;
\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdqformat1 \lsdpriority9 \lsdlocked0 heading 2;\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdqformat1 \lsdpriority9 \lsdlocked0 heading 3;\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdqformat1 \lsdpriority9 \lsdlocked0 heading 4;
\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdqformat1 \lsdpriority9 \lsdlocked0 heading 5;\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdqformat1 \lsdpriority9 \lsdlocked0 heading 6;\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdqformat1 \lsdpriority9 \lsdlocked0 heading 7;
\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdqformat1 \lsdpriority9 \lsdlocked0 heading 8;\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdqformat1 \lsdpriority9 \lsdlocked0 heading 9;\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdpriority39 \lsdlocked0 toc 1;
\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdpriority39 \lsdlocked0 toc 2;\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdpriority39 \lsdlocked0 toc 3;\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdpriority39 \lsdlocked0 toc 4;
\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdpriority39 \lsdlocked0 toc 5;\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdpriority39 \lsdlocked0 toc 6;\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdpriority39 \lsdlocked0 toc 7;
\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdpriority39 \lsdlocked0 toc 8;\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdpriority39 \lsdlocked0 toc 9;\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdqformat1 \lsdpriority35 \lsdlocked0 caption;
\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdlocked0 List Number;\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdlocked0 List 4;\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdlocked0 List 5;\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdlocked0 List Bullet 2;
\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdlocked0 List Bullet 3;\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdlocked0 List Bullet 4;\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdlocked0 List Bullet 5;\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdlocked0 List Number 2;
\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdlocked0 List Number 3;\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdlocked0 List Number 4;\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdlocked0 List Number 5;\lsdqformat1 \lsdpriority10 \lsdlocked0 Title;
\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdpriority1 \lsdlocked0 Default Paragraph Font;\lsdqformat1 \lsdpriority11 \lsdlocked0 Subtitle;\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdlocked0 Body Text Indent 3;\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdlocked0 Block Text;
\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdlocked0 Hyperlink;\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdlocked0 FollowedHyperlink;\lsdqformat1 \lsdpriority22 \lsdlocked0 Strong;\lsdqformat1 \lsdpriority20 \lsdlocked0 Emphasis;\lsdpriority59 \lsdlocked0 Table Grid;
\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdlocked0 Placeholder Text;\lsdqformat1 \lsdpriority1 \lsdlocked0 No Spacing;\lsdpriority60 \lsdlocked0 Light Shading;\lsdpriority61 \lsdlocked0 Light List;\lsdpriority62 \lsdlocked0 Light Grid;
\lsdpriority63 \lsdlocked0 Medium Shading 1;\lsdpriority64 \lsdlocked0 Medium Shading 2;\lsdpriority65 \lsdlocked0 Medium List 1;\lsdpriority66 \lsdlocked0 Medium List 2;\lsdpriority67 \lsdlocked0 Medium Grid 1;\lsdpriority68 \lsdlocked0 Medium Grid 2;
\lsdpriority69 \lsdlocked0 Medium Grid 3;\lsdpriority70 \lsdlocked0 Dark List;\lsdpriority71 \lsdlocked0 Colorful Shading;\lsdpriority72 \lsdlocked0 Colorful List;\lsdpriority73 \lsdlocked0 Colorful Grid;\lsdpriority60 \lsdlocked0 Light Shading Accent 1;
\lsdpriority61 \lsdlocked0 Light List Accent 1;\lsdpriority62 \lsdlocked0 Light Grid Accent 1;\lsdpriority63 \lsdlocked0 Medium Shading 1 Accent 1;\lsdpriority64 \lsdlocked0 Medium Shading 2 Accent 1;\lsdpriority65 \lsdlocked0 Medium List 1 Accent 1;
\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdlocked0 Revision;\lsdqformat1 \lsdpriority34 \lsdlocked0 List Paragraph;\lsdqformat1 \lsdpriority29 \lsdlocked0 Quote;\lsdqformat1 \lsdpriority30 \lsdlocked0 Intense Quote;\lsdpriority66 \lsdlocked0 Medium List 2 Accent 1;
\lsdpriority67 \lsdlocked0 Medium Grid 1 Accent 1;\lsdpriority68 \lsdlocked0 Medium Grid 2 Accent 1;\lsdpriority69 \lsdlocked0 Medium Grid 3 Accent 1;\lsdpriority70 \lsdlocked0 Dark List Accent 1;\lsdpriority71 \lsdlocked0 Colorful Shading Accent 1;
\lsdpriority72 \lsdlocked0 Colorful List Accent 1;\lsdpriority73 \lsdlocked0 Colorful Grid Accent 1;\lsdpriority60 \lsdlocked0 Light Shading Accent 2;\lsdpriority61 \lsdlocked0 Light List Accent 2;\lsdpriority62 \lsdlocked0 Light Grid Accent 2;
\lsdpriority63 \lsdlocked0 Medium Shading 1 Accent 2;\lsdpriority64 \lsdlocked0 Medium Shading 2 Accent 2;\lsdpriority65 \lsdlocked0 Medium List 1 Accent 2;\lsdpriority66 \lsdlocked0 Medium List 2 Accent 2;
\lsdpriority67 \lsdlocked0 Medium Grid 1 Accent 2;\lsdpriority68 \lsdlocked0 Medium Grid 2 Accent 2;\lsdpriority69 \lsdlocked0 Medium Grid 3 Accent 2;\lsdpriority70 \lsdlocked0 Dark List Accent 2;\lsdpriority71 \lsdlocked0 Colorful Shading Accent 2;
\lsdpriority72 \lsdlocked0 Colorful List Accent 2;\lsdpriority73 \lsdlocked0 Colorful Grid Accent 2;\lsdpriority60 \lsdlocked0 Light Shading Accent 3;\lsdpriority61 \lsdlocked0 Light List Accent 3;\lsdpriority62 \lsdlocked0 Light Grid Accent 3;
\lsdpriority63 \lsdlocked0 Medium Shading 1 Accent 3;\lsdpriority64 \lsdlocked0 Medium Shading 2 Accent 3;\lsdpriority65 \lsdlocked0 Medium List 1 Accent 3;\lsdpriority66 \lsdlocked0 Medium List 2 Accent 3;
\lsdpriority67 \lsdlocked0 Medium Grid 1 Accent 3;\lsdpriority68 \lsdlocked0 Medium Grid 2 Accent 3;\lsdpriority69 \lsdlocked0 Medium Grid 3 Accent 3;\lsdpriority70 \lsdlocked0 Dark List Accent 3;\lsdpriority71 \lsdlocked0 Colorful Shading Accent 3;
\lsdpriority72 \lsdlocked0 Colorful List Accent 3;\lsdpriority73 \lsdlocked0 Colorful Grid Accent 3;\lsdpriority60 \lsdlocked0 Light Shading Accent 4;\lsdpriority61 \lsdlocked0 Light List Accent 4;\lsdpriority62 \lsdlocked0 Light Grid Accent 4;
\lsdpriority63 \lsdlocked0 Medium Shading 1 Accent 4;\lsdpriority64 \lsdlocked0 Medium Shading 2 Accent 4;\lsdpriority65 \lsdlocked0 Medium List 1 Accent 4;\lsdpriority66 \lsdlocked0 Medium List 2 Accent 4;
\lsdpriority67 \lsdlocked0 Medium Grid 1 Accent 4;\lsdpriority68 \lsdlocked0 Medium Grid 2 Accent 4;\lsdpriority69 \lsdlocked0 Medium Grid 3 Accent 4;\lsdpriority70 \lsdlocked0 Dark List Accent 4;\lsdpriority71 \lsdlocked0 Colorful Shading Accent 4;
\lsdpriority72 \lsdlocked0 Colorful List Accent 4;\lsdpriority73 \lsdlocked0 Colorful Grid Accent 4;\lsdpriority60 \lsdlocked0 Light Shading Accent 5;\lsdpriority61 \lsdlocked0 Light List Accent 5;\lsdpriority62 \lsdlocked0 Light Grid Accent 5;
\lsdpriority63 \lsdlocked0 Medium Shading 1 Accent 5;\lsdpriority64 \lsdlocked0 Medium Shading 2 Accent 5;\lsdpriority65 \lsdlocked0 Medium List 1 Accent 5;\lsdpriority66 \lsdlocked0 Medium List 2 Accent 5;
\lsdpriority67 \lsdlocked0 Medium Grid 1 Accent 5;\lsdpriority68 \lsdlocked0 Medium Grid 2 Accent 5;\lsdpriority69 \lsdlocked0 Medium Grid 3 Accent 5;\lsdpriority70 \lsdlocked0 Dark List Accent 5;\lsdpriority71 \lsdlocked0 Colorful Shading Accent 5;
\lsdpriority72 \lsdlocked0 Colorful List Accent 5;\lsdpriority73 \lsdlocked0 Colorful Grid Accent 5;\lsdpriority60 \lsdlocked0 Light Shading Accent 6;\lsdpriority61 \lsdlocked0 Light List Accent 6;\lsdpriority62 \lsdlocked0 Light Grid Accent 6;
\lsdpriority63 \lsdlocked0 Medium Shading 1 Accent 6;\lsdpriority64 \lsdlocked0 Medium Shading 2 Accent 6;\lsdpriority65 \lsdlocked0 Medium List 1 Accent 6;\lsdpriority66 \lsdlocked0 Medium List 2 Accent 6;
\lsdpriority67 \lsdlocked0 Medium Grid 1 Accent 6;\lsdpriority68 \lsdlocked0 Medium Grid 2 Accent 6;\lsdpriority69 \lsdlocked0 Medium Grid 3 Accent 6;\lsdpriority70 \lsdlocked0 Dark List Accent 6;\lsdpriority71 \lsdlocked0 Colorful Shading Accent 6;
\lsdpriority72 \lsdlocked0 Colorful List Accent 6;\lsdpriority73 \lsdlocked0 Colorful Grid Accent 6;\lsdqformat1 \lsdpriority19 \lsdlocked0 Subtle Emphasis;\lsdqformat1 \lsdpriority21 \lsdlocked0 Intense Emphasis;
\lsdqformat1 \lsdpriority31 \lsdlocked0 Subtle Reference;\lsdqformat1 \lsdpriority32 \lsdlocked0 Intense Reference;\lsdqformat1 \lsdpriority33 \lsdlocked0 Book Title;\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdpriority37 \lsdlocked0 Bibliography;
\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdqformat1 \lsdpriority39 \lsdlocked0 TOC Heading;\lsdpriority41 \lsdlocked0 Plain Table 1;\lsdpriority42 \lsdlocked0 Plain Table 2;\lsdpriority43 \lsdlocked0 Plain Table 3;\lsdpriority44 \lsdlocked0 Plain Table 4;
\lsdpriority45 \lsdlocked0 Plain Table 5;\lsdpriority40 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table Light;\lsdpriority46 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 1 Light;\lsdpriority47 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 2;\lsdpriority48 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 3;\lsdpriority49 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 4;
\lsdpriority50 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 5 Dark;\lsdpriority51 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 6 Colorful;\lsdpriority52 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 7 Colorful;\lsdpriority46 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1;\lsdpriority47 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 2 Accent 1;
\lsdpriority48 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 3 Accent 1;\lsdpriority49 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 4 Accent 1;\lsdpriority50 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1;\lsdpriority51 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1;
\lsdpriority52 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1;\lsdpriority46 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2;\lsdpriority47 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 2 Accent 2;\lsdpriority48 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 3 Accent 2;
\lsdpriority49 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 4 Accent 2;\lsdpriority50 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2;\lsdpriority51 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2;\lsdpriority52 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2;
\lsdpriority46 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3;\lsdpriority47 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 2 Accent 3;\lsdpriority48 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 3 Accent 3;\lsdpriority49 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 4 Accent 3;
\lsdpriority50 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3;\lsdpriority51 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3;\lsdpriority52 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3;\lsdpriority46 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4;
\lsdpriority47 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 2 Accent 4;\lsdpriority48 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 3 Accent 4;\lsdpriority49 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 4 Accent 4;\lsdpriority50 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4;
\lsdpriority51 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4;\lsdpriority52 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4;\lsdpriority46 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5;\lsdpriority47 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 2 Accent 5;
\lsdpriority48 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 3 Accent 5;\lsdpriority49 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 4 Accent 5;\lsdpriority50 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5;\lsdpriority51 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5;
\lsdpriority52 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5;\lsdpriority46 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6;\lsdpriority47 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 2 Accent 6;\lsdpriority48 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 3 Accent 6;
\lsdpriority49 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 4 Accent 6;\lsdpriority50 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6;\lsdpriority51 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6;\lsdpriority52 \lsdlocked0 Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6;
\lsdpriority46 \lsdlocked0 List Table 1 Light;\lsdpriority47 \lsdlocked0 List Table 2;\lsdpriority48 \lsdlocked0 List Table 3;\lsdpriority49 \lsdlocked0 List Table 4;\lsdpriority50 \lsdlocked0 List Table 5 Dark;
\lsdpriority51 \lsdlocked0 List Table 6 Colorful;\lsdpriority52 \lsdlocked0 List Table 7 Colorful;\lsdpriority46 \lsdlocked0 List Table 1 Light Accent 1;\lsdpriority47 \lsdlocked0 List Table 2 Accent 1;\lsdpriority48 \lsdlocked0 List Table 3 Accent 1;
\lsdpriority49 \lsdlocked0 List Table 4 Accent 1;\lsdpriority50 \lsdlocked0 List Table 5 Dark Accent 1;\lsdpriority51 \lsdlocked0 List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1;\lsdpriority52 \lsdlocked0 List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1;
\lsdpriority46 \lsdlocked0 List Table 1 Light Accent 2;\lsdpriority47 \lsdlocked0 List Table 2 Accent 2;\lsdpriority48 \lsdlocked0 List Table 3 Accent 2;\lsdpriority49 \lsdlocked0 List Table 4 Accent 2;
\lsdpriority50 \lsdlocked0 List Table 5 Dark Accent 2;\lsdpriority51 \lsdlocked0 List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2;\lsdpriority52 \lsdlocked0 List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2;\lsdpriority46 \lsdlocked0 List Table 1 Light Accent 3;
\lsdpriority47 \lsdlocked0 List Table 2 Accent 3;\lsdpriority48 \lsdlocked0 List Table 3 Accent 3;\lsdpriority49 \lsdlocked0 List Table 4 Accent 3;\lsdpriority50 \lsdlocked0 List Table 5 Dark Accent 3;
\lsdpriority51 \lsdlocked0 List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3;\lsdpriority52 \lsdlocked0 List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3;\lsdpriority46 \lsdlocked0 List Table 1 Light Accent 4;\lsdpriority47 \lsdlocked0 List Table 2 Accent 4;
\lsdpriority48 \lsdlocked0 List Table 3 Accent 4;\lsdpriority49 \lsdlocked0 List Table 4 Accent 4;\lsdpriority50 \lsdlocked0 List Table 5 Dark Accent 4;\lsdpriority51 \lsdlocked0 List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4;
\lsdpriority52 \lsdlocked0 List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4;\lsdpriority46 \lsdlocked0 List Table 1 Light Accent 5;\lsdpriority47 \lsdlocked0 List Table 2 Accent 5;\lsdpriority48 \lsdlocked0 List Table 3 Accent 5;
\lsdpriority49 \lsdlocked0 List Table 4 Accent 5;\lsdpriority50 \lsdlocked0 List Table 5 Dark Accent 5;\lsdpriority51 \lsdlocked0 List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5;\lsdpriority52 \lsdlocked0 List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5;
\lsdpriority46 \lsdlocked0 List Table 1 Light Accent 6;\lsdpriority47 \lsdlocked0 List Table 2 Accent 6;\lsdpriority48 \lsdlocked0 List Table 3 Accent 6;\lsdpriority49 \lsdlocked0 List Table 4 Accent 6;
\lsdpriority50 \lsdlocked0 List Table 5 Dark Accent 6;\lsdpriority51 \lsdlocked0 List Table 6 Colorful Accent 6;\lsdpriority52 \lsdlocked0 List Table 7 Colorful Accent 6;\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdlocked0 Mention;
\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdlocked0 Smart Hyperlink;\lsdsemihidden1 \lsdunhideused1 \lsdlocked0 Smart Link;}}{\*\datastore }}