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Nix, Benny, and Lilah all began yelling at once, telling To why they should all go, and growling at hi them like they were helpless Tom took about five seconds of it before his face darkened

"Okay--enough!"

Silence dropped over them like a net

"This isn’t a debate The three of you will damn well stay here and do as you’re told That lared raw heat at hied their looks from hostility to fear

"If I’m not back in twenty-four hours, Lilah … I want you to take Benny and Nix back home"

"What?" demanded Nix

"Hold on a frickin’ minute," snapped Benny

"Okay," said Lilah

Benny and Nix whipped their heads around and looked at her liked she’d just betrayed them Lilah’s face was a mask of stone

Into the silence, Tom said, "Good" He patted his pockets to reassure hi he needed, then fished out two of his three bottles of cadaverine and handed theh to need this an, but Tom cupped him around the back of the neck and pulled hih, little brother You’ve learned a lot in the last seven months Use it Be warrior sed Nix and patted Lilah’s cheek "All of you," he said, "warrior s the line of glacial rocks He race that was deceptively fast Within seconds he was nearly to the tree line; withinforest as the sun tue of the world

PART THREE

HARD LUCK AND TROUBLE

It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love

This is how the whole sches are difficult to achieve;

and bad things are very easy to get

--RENÉ DESCARTES FRENCH MATHEMATICIAN

PHILOSOPHER, AND SCIENTIST, 1596–1650

32

AFTER TOM LEFT, LILAH TURNED TO BENNY AND NIX "IF WE’RE GOING to spend the night here, let’s make this place secure"

"Tell us what to do," said Nix

The first thing they did was find string and lengths of rope and construct a network of lines around the gas station Lilah set Benny to work gathering cans from the rubbish heap out back and buckets full of small stones Nix used a hah the cans Then Lilah strung the cans on the taut lines and filled each one with a few stones She strung the lines at various heights so that any zoht into the in the cans would be clear and loud The strings of cans would also hopefully trip up a huht but no moon, and the tripwires were virtually invisible once the sun was down

They hung towels and sheets over theto block out any light Lilah gathered wood for the stove

There wasn’t much else they could do, and so they settled down to wait

At first it wasand worried about Toan to feel irritable and jumpy

"I wish To her pistol again, shot hi had not been stupid"

"Okay," Benny snapped, "so Chongoff him?"

"Why? He has caused every proble to tell me you neverseemed to move behind Lilah’s eyes, but her voice was cold and steady "Yes, I er"

"That’s because you never had anyone else," Benny said savagely, and iister in Lilah’s eyes "Oh, crap Look, Lilah, I didn’topen the door, and went outside The sun was a fiery dragon’s eye peering through the trees

Benny stared at the stiffness of her retreating back until Nix ca the view The disapproval on her face was eloquent Benny closed his eyes

"What was that all about?" she asked

"I can’t believe I said that to her"

Nix punched hih to make her point She turned and walked away

Benny’s inner voice said, Smooth

"Shut up," he muttered

It was nearly full dark before Lilah canored Benny completely and went to the table and continued with the process of cleaning her gun as if nothing had happened Nix locked the door and pulled the curtains over the

They built a small fire in the stove They made and ate some food They drank water fro

Lilah and Nix barely spoke to Benny At first he felt bad about that, but as the evening wore on he began to resent therass, and a dry wind began to disturb the treetops

They listened to it as they ate more of the beans and rice Nix was the cook, and she added soer stores Lilah could cook, but no one alive wanted to eat what she prepared; Benny could cook too, but he had no sense for seasoning To hian and ended with salt and hot sauce

Another half hour liathered up every knife in the way station and began cleaning the to sit here?" Benny griped as he glared across the table at Lilah

Nix gave him a cold look and flapped her hand "There’s the door No one’s forcing you to stay here"

"Very funny"

Lilah kicked the table very hard "Nix is right You are welco useful"

"Maybe I should"

"Maybe you should," Lilah agreed, getting in his face

"Maybe you should," Benny fired back "We probably wouldn’t be in this mess if it wasn’t for you"

Lilah looked totally perplexed "What?"

"Oh, co’s fault, andon this du trip if it wasn’t for how he felt"

Lilah blinked in surprise "What?"

"You heardwould have co He’d be home safe"

"Benny!" warned Nix, but Lilah cut in

"Me? Why? What do I have to do hat he does?"

"Because he’s head-over-freaking-heels in love with you, Lilah How can you be so freaking observant and not know--"

"Benny!" Nix jumped to her feet "Cut it out"

Shut up! snarled his inner voice Benny ignored both warnings "It’s the truth"

Lilah stared at hier "You should shut up"