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"Right, I get the picture, and duh, like I haven&039;t thought of that How dumb do you think I am?"

Her ansas muffled in the loud crunch as she went to work on the appleprobably just as well

"So, that Jeannie see slowly

"Shhhh," I said, putting a finger to rowled at her McIntosh for a goodinward (olves must just know if someone&039;s on the other side; probably because they could s a toddler, and behind her, Lara

"Hello," Jeannie said The toddler, a boy with his mother&039;s wild blond curls and blue eyes, waved a chubby hand in our general direction "Sleep all right?"

"Like the dead," I said cheerfully

Jeannie rolled her eyes at me in a remarkable imitation of Jessica She carefully set the toddler down in a high chair, strapped hi around for toddler food

"Mhu like shrapnel

"She didn&039;t know you had another kid" Or forgot Jeannie had another kidshe&039;d been a little out of it when the Wyndhams visited us the last time Chemo really plays havoc with your memory

"This? This is Sean And you remember Lara, Betsy"

"Hullo," the tiny olf said as she opened the fridge, pulling out a small Tupperware bowl She popped the lid, and-

"Don&039;t you dare," Jeannie said severely, pretending not to hear the delicate sound of Jessica&039;s gagging "You have one of the chefs cook that haer, or ask me to"

"But it tastes better when it&039;s raw," Lara the Weird whined

"You heard what I said" Jeannie plunked a Lunchable in front of her son, who carefully began diser"

Jessica raised her eyebrows at lared up at her h nuts," Jeannie replied with adht ith your father and the others, but it doesn&039;t do diddly to er"

"Ah, starving yourself to spite the woainst the counter and put a hand over her eyes "Ah, &039;how sharper than a serpent&039;s tooth it is to have a thankless child&039; "

"Mo up a pepperoni slice and popping it into his ht, Mohed "Since I&039;round?"

"Lara, I&039;ht now-your father and I have soaze slid to me, but I don&039;t think she are of it

"I&039;ll take her," I volunteered "I&039;d like to get outside"

"Oh Well That&039;s very nice, Betsy, but you&039;re not really used to olves, y&039;see, and-"

"Not used to-Hello? I lived with one of the, speculative look, then beckoned with one finger "Step over here with me for a moment Would you?"

Jessica shot -later expression and added, "I&039;ll keep an eye on your boy for you, Jeannie"

"That&039;s great, Jessica If he wants another Lunchable-"

"And he will," Lara piped up

"-they&039;re on the botto, she spun on her heel and walked out through a different door, one I hadn&039;t even spotted until Jeannieback down the rabbit hole Me and Alice

Chapter 16

:I&039;ll trust you with an themachines at once The mysterious door had led to the mysterious Laundromat The Wyndhaot a bunch of theover that when I suddenly realized: she didn&039;t want Lara to overhear Or anybody close by to overhear

"I&039; this," she continued, "because I know you liked Antonia and wouldn&039;t have seen her dead I&039; this because Lara can take care of herself So if you turn evil and try to bite her or hurt her in any way, don&039;t be surprised if it&039;s your head bouncing across the playground"

"That&039;s, um, sweet You must be very proud"

"But I need you to remember this: a olf cub is not a human child They&039;re different"

"Okay"

"They&039;re faster Stronger Even crueler She looks like a little girl to you, but you hter, the man who had to kill over twenty-five olves to take the Pack Do you understand?"

I just stared at her while all around us washing machines went shhh-thump, shhh-thu: if you bite my kid, I&039;ll hunt you down and shoot you dead

But it wasn&039;t like that Jeannie wasn&039;t scared for Lara

She was scared forlike this before, but you had a lot going on at the tiht?"

"Right, absolutely, you bet"

"As long as we understand each other"

"Oh, we totally do," I assured her

"All right, then"

"All right"