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"Don’t that beat all?" he said, tugging his hat back on "Never thunk him to be a runner"

"Yeah" Molly didn’t knohat to say, figuring it didn’t do any good to replace a misconception with a lie "Do I pay now, or at the end of the day?" She clenched her fists, waiting for the reply

"Each night up front, usually" He turned his cap the correct way and pressed the bill up with a single, blackened finger "But we’ll settle up when you get ready to go, how’s that?"

"Thank you soShe smiled at him and relaxed her fist Pretend Pete pulled out a slip of paper and shoved it across the counter, leaving a trail of purplish slime behind

"The codes for the heads are on the back TP’s for sale in the ship store If you need power for any reason, we have one thousand and two thousand amp hook-ups No partyin’ after three, and welcome to Pete’s" He smiled at Molly "I’m Pete, by the way Pete the fourth And that’sprint of filister "That’s the newest Pete Pete the fifth"

He bea another Pete or being able to count that high--or ood looking kid"

He rubbed one hand on his coveralls, the direction of the grease transfer questionable, and held it out to Molly "Nice to meet you too, Molly Fyde"

She ently as possible Penultirip fir around inside his palht fish

Pete’s lips pulled back in a sht trace of purple gunk ran along the edges of his teeth

"Molly Fyde," he said again, pu her trapped hand

ѻѻѻѻ

"Walter?" Molly poked her head into his rooo bay toward the cockpit

"He left alh the intercolanced at the caun to feel as natural as looking solad you didn’t" Molly went to the sink and started washing her hands "I guess this is what being a parent is like, right?" She shook her hands over the basin and reached for a towel

"I wouldn’t know," herto--"

"No, I’ out loud And I want to re for Cat today If she’s still politically active, there’s no telling what she’s getting herself into"

"I’ll be fine" Molly folded the towel, left it on the counter, and walked toward the cockpit "I’ her doithout Walter, anyway Oh, by the way, the guy who runs the stables knew Dad Pete the fourth"

"H the years I was out of action--after led a copy of me off"

"Do you think I could ask hih Like, literally"

"Maybe Could be dangerous If Cat doesn’t turn up, we’ll give it a shot Check in withelse you want to tell me about her--?"

"Head’s up," hersilent as Parsona killed the connection

Molly heard footsteps on the boarding ramp and turned to lecture Walter on what "stay put"up the ras

7

Cole ca whiteness--ht--invaded his retina like an infection just waiting for an open wound Between the blows to the back of his helmet and the lance of photons, it felt as if his skull had been split wide open He kept his eyes squeezed tight and tried to concentrate on his surroundings with his other senses

Whatever he lay on seeroup ofin the distance Over that, he heard the sound of runners plowing through snow, coupled with the rhythht on wet pack

The temptation to crack an eye and look around was fierce Even stronger, though, was his desire to avoid pain, which he kneould coht He tried to move his arms, but he could feel that they were tied in front of him His elboere also seized to his body and his wrists had been bound tight They’d left him on his side, on a loves

Cole wiggled his elbows back as far as they would go and brought his hands up Soed between his hands and his feet He bent over, curling into a ball, and was able to reach his h to probe the knot with his teeth He relaxed his body, giving up They’d tied hiood Almost as if they’d had plenty of practice

Cole patted his chest and felt the one If he re of his old friend--and not knohat they’d done with him--very nearly caused him to open his eyes and look around Cole cursed to hiers around each other to war hard across his chest

The other welding plate

The voices were coht fetal position and slipped the plate out of his pocket Holding it by the edge, vertically, he brought his hand up to his chin and adjusted the plate until the other side pressed tight against one eye socket His head was still woozy from the crash and the blows to his back, so he concentrated hard on which eye he was about to open before cracking it

Light reflected around the edge of the plate, creating a halo of the brightest white that rimmed Cole’s vision, but he could still squint and see To either side of hiear--sacks and crates--all tied to afiber Beyond, he could see half a dozen figures, all covered in fur They looked like wild ga out of their hed A few of the men worked handles on a tallhad no sail It was just a flat, vertical bar with slits running up and down the length of it Theat its base They would look up the pole, glance ahead, and then repeat the procedure

Cole shut his eye to rest his retina froainst a pile of goods One entire side of his body was almost completely numb from the coldup He worked the edge of the plate tight to his face again and cracked his eye to look for Riggs