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"I’m sorry," he said with such sincerity that it felt like the hug he could not give

"Me too"

Booke cleared his throat, acknowledging there was a reason I’d co for him "Care to tell me what’s afoot?"

I summarized my situation in a feords Since he’d been involved in our fight against Montoya and helped us locate Chance’sbut the most recent developments In dreamtime, I had no way to tell how uard me

"And so," I concluded, "I ainst Montoya"

" ‘The enemy of my ene like that"

"You can’t use your cell phone to ask for the information you need, because that offers proof you used es"

I appreciated how quickly and accurately he assessed a situation "Exactly We’ve come to the spot marked on the map, but there’s only a statue here, apart fros?"

"Better"

His eyes brightened visibly "Translocation?"

"Yep I have a sketch for you I made sure every line is accurate"

"It would be interesting to knohether you could take a photo with your cell phone and send et could make the transition intact? There has always been a certain disconnect between ick and tech--"

"Well, if it didn’t, then you wouldn’t have an ie to examine, and I would have no cell phone" Sometimes I had to rein him in

"Yes, of course I didn’t , but perhaps it wouldtest another time?"

"Sure," I said "I’ll buy a throay phone and we can try it later"

Like, after the dust settled, and I’d taken care of Montoya Once, I would’ve shied fro that claim--I would’ve been paralyzed by fear and indecision For ht soht, and I liked fighting my own battles

"Then I suppose we need to replicate e did before Can you create the ca earlier, I was also capturing details in h to allow for translocation I built each tree, each leaf, everything I re quietly beside our supplies The library shifted slowly to the jungle, and Booke watched with pleasure shading his features I didn’t know if he had succeeded in contacting anyone else this way, and I’d never inquire, because that would sound proprietary You just can’t ask: Do you share your drea

"I’m here," he breathed--and joy threaded his voice like silver ribbons

From his own account, he had seen so little of the world I didn’t knohy he was trapped in Stoke, only that he was Booke carried all manner of mysteries, but he did not invite confidence I wasn’t even sure I could call him a friend Such relationshipswithour virtual chats, he spoke only of books he’d read or prograful To him, I was a voice to fill the silence, and someone who occasionally needed a bit of research done

I let hith, before I bent and retrieved the paper upon which I had drawn the et us a translation, Booke could If he didn’t knoas sure one of his online cronies could put hiht person For a fewin a jungle When he faced loonder

"Anywhere you’d like o for you And we’ll share it"

He froze, like a child afraid of reaching for a treat "Egypt?"

"Certainly"

"That would be so brilliant" His sht they’d crack with the strain

Yes, he was my friend, after all I’d hardly make such an offer if I didn’t care What the hell--I’d alanted to travel I could see a lot of sights on Escobar’s money, as well as rebuild my shop--which would take time

"I promise"

He reached for the paper We took care not to brush fingers as weell, it would disappear from the camp in the real world I wondered what Kel wouldthe risk of what he o to ht now I know the place well enough to re-create it, including every book and scrap of paper" Bitterness colored his voice

He hated his captivity with a ferocity I could only i else, since I hitchhiked out of Kilhteen, I had at least been free Frequently, I had been alone, frightened, hunted, and desperate--or some combination thereof--but I’d never been trapped the way he seeht then I had problems of my own

But research within the drea to find hi it had taken this ti watch, I couldn’t sleep the days away Escobar had made it clear we had a deadline