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It’s the localit to the lades that we printed off the internet, the one Fivebetween our ed but more detailed map of local tributaries and bayou backwaters She holds the papers away frorumbles

"Don’t worry about it," Nine replies, steering us forward, towards the sunset "Five said he knohere we’re going Let hilance to the sky, looking for Five He flew off about fifteenhe could better find his Chest fro to turn a shade of pink that I’d normally find beautiful, but out here seems somehow ominous

"I don’ta wet strand of hair behind my ear, "but I seriously don’t want to be out here after the sun sets"

"Me neither," adds Eight, flicking the ator doesn’t kno to get us back to civilization"

Six narrows her eyes at Eight but doesn’t reply Nine just laughs Huge sweat stains darken his shirt and bugs buzz around him incessantly, but he doesn’t see this--the huer It’s his natural ele after," he says

Eight and I groan If there weren’t alligators drifting around in the water beneath us, I’d definitely take this opportunity to splash Nine I look to the skies again, keeping my eyes peeled for Five

"I’m sure he’ll be back soon," I say There’s no reason not to be optin of any trouble I still don’t feel right about leaving John and Ella behind, but the others were right There’s nothing we could do for theo I haven’t quite reached the levels of enthusiasm Nine has, but it definitely feels better to be out here doing so for a way to help our friends and win this war

Just as long as we don’t get lost in this swaood could come from that

A shadow passes overhead Five He hovers over the boat for asweat, his white T-shirt soaked through

Nine snickers "Probably gonna lose so boy?"

Five grits his teeth, pulling his wet shirt away froross, but for so on Five I had dared to hope thathelped them work out so between thenore him," I say to Five "Did you find your Chest?"

Five nods, pointing in the direction we’re already going "There’s a patch of solid ground about a hs "Why didn’t you just grab the Chest and fly it back here, man?"

Five smirks at Nine "You didn’t listen to the plan, did you? We voted that you should handle all runt work"

"Huh?" Confused, Nine looks over at Eight "Is he serious?"

Eight shrugs, playing along

Six makes an exasperated noise "Just drive the dagling his fingers "One Chest, coaze to Five She’s been rab the Chest?" she asks sharply

Five shrugs "It’s getting dark and it’s a good place to rest, if we need to"

"See?" Nine shouts, delighted "Ca his head veheet out of here"

Nine accelerates the boat, spray kicking up over the side as a result

I guess where Five leads us could charitably be described as an island Really, it’s just a pile of mud in the narled tree that looks like it has been growing since the dawn of tie and outstretched that Nine has to drive the boat up cautiously, not wanting to get stuck on any of thehacross the uneven protrusions of the tree There’s a ring of tall grass growing from the water around us and the tree’s branches above are so numerous and thick that the entire little island is thrown into shadow alrees cooler here than it was on the water

"This is actually a pretty great spot," I tell Five