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"Butthe way-station ed "Sure Like the Irish es and the Jesuits did a few centuries later The Shaolin did it in China, too Traveling, recording, spreading infor the learned Kind of a the monks"

"The way-station h"

"Not every elist, Benny So as it is, you’re right about one thing If we find people using the sa to be because of theme a bone"

"It’s a small bone Cheell"

Benny elbowed him in the ribs, but he did it discreetly He didn’t want to scare the kid

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EVE EVENTUALLY FELL ASLEEP NIX WAVED EVERYONE AWAY SO AS NOT TO disturb the child Benny drifted off to stare at the zo, sharpening the blade of her spear in preparation for setting off to find Eve’s parents Not feeling in the mood for another rebuke, he sank doith his back to a slender pine, closed his eyes, and began wandering slowly through the library of his mind That was how he viewed it A library, with shelves of books and rows of file cabinets in which his thoughts and memories and experiences were neatly filed

The only mental file cabinet that was not as neatly and precisely ordered was the one labeled LILAH

That one leaned with an aard tilt, its sides were dented, and none of the drawers rolled s’s life, and he dwelt in its calm eye, awed by the power and beauty of it, but not at all sure he understood it Chong was relatively sure he would die of old age before he ever understood her coe of her in his irl he had ever seen Tall, lithe, with long, tanned limbs, eyes the color of honey, and snohite hair Since Tom’s death, it had fallen to Lilah to be the de facto leader of their expedition Even though she’d never been to Nevada--or in a desert--she understood the logic and science of survival Froe eleven to sixteen she had lived alone in the Ruin, alternately running fro believed that Lilah could survive in any environh he could understand the skills she possessed on an intellectual level, he knew that he lacked her basic survival instincts

His reverie ended abruptly with a sharp kick in the ue with the vilest insult he could construct for Bennyonly it wasn’t Benny

When Chong opened his eyes, it was Lilah standing over hi slantwise across her body and the spear in her hand

"Wake up," she said

"I arass and sat cross-legged, facing hiot here"

"No, I a to find Annie’s parents"

"Eve’s," he corrected

Her eyes flashed with irritation "That’s what I said"

"Okay," said Chong

Lilah sat there with an expectant look on her face

"Yes?" asked Chong

"Well--?" she said

"Wellwhat?"

"I said I was leaving"

"I know Didyou want hed "This is a hunt"

"I know"

"I will be "

"Yes," he said "I know"

"You’re a--"

"A town boy Yes, I know that, too" He smiled It was a fact she reminded him of a dozen tiet you eaten by zo about the downfall of what’s left of humanity"

"Wellyes" Lilah studied him, clearly unsure of how to respond Humor was the bluntest tool in her personal skills set

"Then if it’s all the same to you, I’ll stay here and manfully defend this tree"

Lilah narrowed her eyes "That is not a funny joke"

"No," he admitted "Justat hi," she said again

"Okay," he said

She lingered, waiting

"What?" he asked again

"I a on the word

"Okay Good-bye Be safe Corowled low in her throat, grabbed his shirt with both hands, and hauled him toward her Into a kiss that was fierce and hot and instantly intense After several scalding seconds, she shoved hiot to her feet and snatched up her spear, then looked pityingly down at hied into the forest

Chong lay sprawled, eyes glazed and face flushed

"Holy asped

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