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That was one pretty town, she thinks, eo back there one day But that was a lon, none of the buildings over six stories tall Unlike the city she’s staring at nohose don, from where she sits, looks like a castle on a hill, all silver spires and metal majesty

She climbs down from the billboard and walks another fifteenshadows stretch across the street froood on her overheated skin She finds a jewelry shop and stands for a long ti around artificial velvet necks and rings set deep in cute little boxes Meaningless These objects once took the one epoch She has known people in her past who have collected such things, hoarding thelory of a trinket econoer boxes contained within larger boxes still, and they brooded atop the Teers around and feel on occasion--a ruby pendant shaped like a teardrop, like her island It has a gold setting attached to a chain, but if it were hers she would tear off theit between her fingers

Gazing at it, she sees a reflectedher frourkha knife fro it over her head and ready to bring it down

And that’s when she sees the rifle barrel pointed directly at her face

Whoa there, mister, she says and lowers the blade I was preparin to chop you for a slug What’s the idea sneaking up on people like that?

As soon as he hears her speak, the ht you were one of the

Well excuseht blond hair that falls into his eyes He’s freshly shaved and has a look of alertness that makes her think of a cat or a rodent, so

It’s not safe here, he says to Teolden boy?

At that he puts two fingers in his s and out of alleys rushes a small army of men--maybe twelve all told--and they circle around her

Oneher arms and the skin of her neck

Are you hurt? he asks Are you bitten anywhere?

I’m dandy Lay off me

He puts both hands on the sides of her head and looks into the pupils of her eyes Then he turns to the blond et back

Not if you’re fond of breathin, she says

Come with us, the blond ot ice?

What?

You got ice to put in drinks?

We have freezers, yes

Okay, then Lead away, h the lofty towers of don, shooting a couple slugs in the head on the way

To keep the population down, explains the blond roup, and the others trail along behind scanning the area in all directions

Te a fixed space between herself and the others There’s one man in particular she doesn’t like the looks of He’s skinny and has an oily mane of hair kept in place by a baseball cap--and he seeaze on her, heavy, reflected in the dark shop s She slows her pace and falls to the back of the group to try to get away froether at the rear of the line

My name’s Abraham, he says to her What’s your name?

Sarah Mary

Sarah Mary what?

Sarah Mary Williams

How old are you, Sarah Mary?

Twenty-seven

He looks her up and down, his eyes lingering with a little sneer over every part of her

You ain’t twenty-seven, he says

Prove it

My brother Moses says I got an intuition for truth and lying He says I can sniff out a liar at a hundred yards It’s my secret talent I can sniff you out, Sarah Mary

She looks straight ahead, grinding her teeth and thinking about a tall glass of Coke with ice in it frooes on I would say you’re sixteen, seventeen at the outside

I lived souess it matters how many