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"You should teach her to protect herself," Neeve told Maura

"I have taught her sos I’ Blue a cup of tea

Blue said, "I’ this It se Then, in solidarity with her mother, she told Neeve, "I’ve never had to protect myself at the church watch before"

Neeve y fields so much, I’m surprised they don’t find you, even here"

"Oh, stop," Maura said, sounding irritable "There is nothing frightening about dead people"

Blue was still seeing Gansey’s ghostly posture, defeated and bewildered She said, "Mom, the church-watch spirits -- can you ever prevent their deaths? By warning the, which meant Orla was still on the line with the other caller

"Dah Orla wasn’t around to hear it

"I’ll get it," Neeve said

"Oh, but --" Maura didn’t finish what she was going to say Blue wondered if she was thinking that Neeve normally worked for a lot ," her mother said, after Neeve had left the kitchen "Most of thes that just can’t be helped That boy is going to die"

Blue was beginning to feel a phantorief "I don’t think an Aglionby boy will die fro your clients?"

"So they can get their things in order and do everything they want to do before they die" Her aze She looked as i barefoot in jeans, holding ato stop you frooing to believe you, even if you find hi to save hi stupid Or you ht just ruin the last few months of his life"

"You’re a Pollyanna," Blue snapped But she knew Maura was right -- at least about the first part Most everyone whoWhat did Blue think she would do -- track down an Aglionby student, tap on theof his Land Rover or Lexus, and warn him to have his brakes checked and life-insurance policy updated?

"I probably can’t stop you froht about why you saw hilowering at her hty word to throw around before breakfast"

"Everyone else," said Maura, "had breakfast a very long ti nuet entlemen escort company," Maura replied

"Ah," Neeve said "That explains it Blue," she added, as she settled back down at the table again, "if you’d like, I can try to see what killed hiot both Maura’s and Blue’s attention in a hurry

"Yes," Blue said

Maura started to reply, then ether

Neeve asked, "Do we have any grape juice?"

Puzzled, Blue went to the fridge and held up a jug questioningly "Cran-grape?"

"That ork fine"

Maura, her face still complicated, reached into the cupboard and drew out a dark blue salad bowl She set it in front of Neeve, not gently

"I won’t be responsible for anything that you see," Maura said

Blue asked, "What? What is that supposed to mean?"

Neither of them answered

With a soft smile on her soft face, Neeve poured the juice into the bowl until it reached the edge Maura turned off the light switch The outside suddenly seeht trees pressed against the s of the breakfast area, green leaf upon green leaf upon glass, and Blue was suddenly very aware of being surrounded by trees, of having a sense of being in theto watch, please be quiet," Neeve re at no one in particular Blue jerked out a chair and sat Maura leaned on the counter and crossed her ar about it

Neeve asked, "What was his naain?"

"He only said Gansey" She felt self-conscious saying his name Somehow the idea that she would have a hand in his life or his death made his nominal existence in this kitchen her responsibility

"That’s enough"

Neeve leaned over the bowl, her lipsslowly in the bowl Blue kept thinking of what herthat you see