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She returned to Miss Clay’s side and gazed hard at the vehicles

Theodora said, "They’ve got a little ar like the antiaircraft cannons on our engine"

"They look fast, though Maybe they think that if they can catch up fast enough, on’t have much time to fire at theht for us!"

But Mercy said, "No, not right for us" The for up "Look what they’re doing They’re going for the engine and the caboose"

"Whatever for?"

"Well, they knoe’ve got passengers aboard," Mercy pointed out "And they don’t give a shit about the passengers They want so at the front, or the rear" She felt like she was stating the obvious, and the longer she watched, theto ignore the middle cars

"You say that like they’re reasonable hus," Miss Clay spit

"They’re every bit as reasonable as the boys aboard this train," she said stubbornly "Thinking less of theet you killed"

Theodora looked like she would’ve loved to argue, but she heard her aunt bullying and bossing out in the aisle and changed herrooers holed up in the ht"

The forward door burst open and Cyrus Berry cah it, followed by Inspector Galeano and Pierce Tankersly, then Claghorn Myer and Fenwick Durborao other enlistedthe train

Mercy said, "But not yet--we’ve got to let the soldiers sort themselves out" She cried, "Mr Tankersly!" and suuess and Miss Clay’s idea He nodded "That’s a good plan I’e of it"

"What?"

"We’ve been split into squadrons fore and aft, and we’rethat way now Do you have a watch?"

"Not on me," she confessed

"Does anybody have a watch?" he asked the rooreeted only withfortresses out of luggage, Mercy stopped hiet into place?"

"Five uess that pretty good?"

"Yes," she said, then turned hi!"

The whole clot of officials went struggling through the narrow aisle to the back door Once they were through it, Mercy and Theodora considered the plan

"There are seven passenger cars," Mercy counted out "If everyone from the first and seventh can squeeze into the middle five, that’ll leave the first and last as buffers and won’t crush everyone too badly in the rest"

Miss Clay said, "Yes And we’ll probably even be able to keep the aisles clear, once everyone’s settled Do you want to go up to the first car, or back to the last one?"

"UmI don’t know It doesn’t matter"

Theodora Clay made a sound of sublime exasperation and held out a coin as if to flip it She said, "Last car’s closest to where we are, so that’ll be easiest On the count of three, heads or tails"

"Tails," Mercy said, and when heads flashed up, she added, "That’s fine I’ll work my way up front You work your way to the rear, and we’ll meet back in the middle"

Miss Clay nodded as crisply as any soldier ever clicked to attention