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"Yes" Mellie’s eyes were as testy as her voice "And?"

"Do I need to spell this out? For God’s sake, Mellie, napalht, and they certainly shouldn’t o to Rule"

"Oh? I know you said to leave Alex out of this, but tell e of heart if Alex hadn’t been in the h to know this would coh his heart "Of course, I’d go to Rule Nothing would stop ain"

"I said I would go Getting Alex out would be o with you, and Weller"

To word But she was right

"Uh-huh" Mellie nodded when he remained silent "Don’t pretend you’re more noble or any better Think about how you used Luke, risked his life for your gain--and then tell me I’m so much worse There is only one person you truly care about, Toet out"

"Mellie!" Weller said "Let’s all just calht?"

"Oh, shut up, Weller" She rounded on hi his side Look at hierous He’s not fit to be around these children"

"II know I’ve had a few" To to say?

"Yes, a fe w Go" Shemotion "Get out of here Take your little ride to the church, escort Chad and Cindi, go play soldier, do soht Oh, and Tom? I’ll thank you to return er twitched and he i her skull--red mist, pink brain-- and for hih," he heard himself say "Take it all I never want to see or ot out of there, fast, afraid that he ht" Toave Weller a weary look "Who a?" "You’re huot into her" Weller shook his head "Stressed out like the rest of us, I guess So what’d you have in et about Rule" To his left, the Lutheran church’s bell tower rose froaps in the trees, Toht he saw Chad and Cindi’s horses tethered to a bicycle rack But were they lying down? He wished he hadn’t left his binos back at caain He looked at Weller "This isn’t a novel or e Eventually, everything will run out Take Jasper: he’s sot no idea how to farm, hunt, keep himself warm, build a house that won’t fall down We have to help these kids create a life"

Wouldn’t that alsoup on Alex? If he o of the idea of searching for her He didn’t want to Caring for these kids didn’t co the ache But Luke had come to him Cindi had skied out to this church every day to be with him He couldn’t let the to Rule Of what he ht do if he ever ue that," Weller said "You have an idea where?" "Yes" Jed’s cabin, a stone’s throw fro Alex Thirty kids et an island’s li thee island, though "We go west or north, and stay far away from Rule"

"Notstraight ahead

"There’s Oren and an Aht? Arable land is exactly e need"

"Finding seed will be tough," Weller said "Trying to grow enough to feed all those kids, figuring out how to preserve it for winter--"

"Will be hard," Tom said "I understand that But we have to do it so season up here is short The longer ait, the more difficult this will becoain For all we know, there’s still livestock to be found, and horses We have to get to those aniet so e’ll never chase theesture To what to say next "Maybe," Weller said "But Amishif there are any left alive, they tend to keep to the, the old htened in his saddle and craned "Toood look at that horse? Up there by the church?"