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Jonas stepped back He ht It was a gaood guys and bad guys, a hary and ended only when they all lay posed in freakish postures on the ground

He had never recognized it before as a game of war

"Attack!" The shout came from behind the small storehouse where play equipinary weapons in firing position

Fro shout: "Counter-attack!" Fronized Fiona in the group--e across the field Several of theerated gestures, and pretended to be hit They dropped to the ground and lay suppressing giggles

Feelings surged within Jonas He found hi forward into the field

"You're hit, Jonas!" Asher yelled froain!"

Jonas stood alone in the center of the field Several of the children raised their heads and looked at hied from their crouched positions, and watched to see what he was doing

In hison a field and had begged hi, as if it were difficult to breathe

One of the children raised an iinary rifle andnoise "Pssheeew!" Then they were all silent, standing aardly, and the only sound was the sound of Jonas's shuddering breaths He was struggling not to cry

Gradually, when nothing happened, nothing changed, the children looked at each other nervously and went away He heard the sounds as they righted their bicycles and began to ride down the path that led from the field

Only Asher and Fiona reame," Fiona said

"You ruined it," Asher said in an irritated voice

"Don't play it any for Assistant Recreation Director," Asher pointed out angrily "Games aren't your area of expertness"

"Expertise," Jonas corrected him automatically

"Whatever You can't say e play, even if you are going to be the new Receiver" Asher looked warily at hi you the respect you deserve," heto speak carefully, and with kindness, to say exactly what he wanted to say "You had no way of knowing this I didn't know it aize, Jonas"

Jonas sighed It was no use Of course Asher couldn't understand "I accept your apology, Asher," he said wearily

"Do you want to go for a ride along the river, Jonas?" Fiona asked, biting her lip with nervousness

Jonas looked at her She was so lovely For a fleeting instant he thought he would like nothing better than to ride peacefully along the river path, laughing and talking with his gentle female friend But he knew that such times had been taken from him now He shook his head After a moment his two friends turned and went to their bikes He watched as they rode away

Jonas trudged to the bench beside the Storehouse and sat down, overwhels of loss His childhood, his friendships, his carefree sense of security--all of these things sees, he was overwhelhed and shouted, playing at war But he knew that they could not understand ithout the memories He felt such love for Asher and for Fiona But they could not feel it back, without the ive thee nothing

Back in their dwelling, that evening, Lily chatteredwith her friends, having hera very short try on her father's bicycle

"I can't wait till I getforGabe wasn't in the child seat!"

"A very good thing," Mother agreed, frowning at the idea of it Gabriel waved his arun to walk just the week before The first steps of a newchild were always the occasion for celebration at the Nurturing Center, Father said, but also for the introduction of a discipline wand Now Father brought the slender instruht, in case Gabrieltoddler Now he"Gay!" he chirped "Gay!" It was the way he said his own na day for hihts aside He thought about starting to teach Lily to ride so that she could speed off proudly after her Cere soon It was hard to believe that it was alain, that almost a year had passed since he had become a Twelve

He smiled as he watched the newchild plant one slee at his own steps as he tried theht," Father said "To born tomorrow, and the test results show that they're identical"

"One for here, one for Elsewhere," Lily chanted "One for here, one for Else--"

"Do you actually take it Elsewhere, Father?" Jonas asked

"No, I just have to er over to a Nurturer who's standing by, waiting, and then I get the smaller one all cleaned up and colanced down, grinning at Gabriel "Then I wave bye-bye," he said, in the special sweet voice he used when he spoke to the newchild He waved his hand in the faled and waved bye-bye back to hiet hiht, Jonas-bonus"