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There were more screams and shouts, male and feun

"Sounds like a full-out war," said Benny

"You still want to go back?" asked Nix

Benny said nothing

"Look," Nix said, "Chong knohich direction Lilah took He’ll head that way, and if those machines chase him, then Lilah will hear it She’ll knohat to do"

When Benny still said nothing, Nix touched his arm

"Benny, let’s find the others and see what they want to do, okay?"

He sighed and nodded, and kept to his that needed to be said

Before Nix turned away, they shared a s, and he was sure Nix did too It was just thathe was afraid to hear what those things were Her thoughts, and his

He turned away first, and the ground seeer properlyway

I want to go hoht

Deep inside his oing to lose Nix forever Everything’s hanging by a thread

They began walking, angling through a dry wash that was thick with tushot," observed Benny, half because it was true and half because he felt a peevish desire to score a point on Nix "Quiet and nasty We should get one Chong used to be pretty good with one; shots are stupid," irl was pretty tough," Benny said

"You thought that cow looked pretty?"

"I said ‘pretty tough,’ Nix Don’t start, okay? She was tough and dangerous with that slingshot and the firecrackers and all Saved us from the lions"

"Oh, please," sneered Nix "And what kind of name is ‘Riot’ anyway?"

Suddenly there was movement behind them, deeper inside the forest They spun around and saw another er was tall, with dark eyes set so deep that they made his pale face look skeletal His head was shaved, and his entire scalp was tattooed with a pattern of thorny vines He wore black trousers and a billowy black shirt, and his legs and arms rapped with bloodred ribbons On his shirtfront was a beautifully rendered chalk drawing of angel wings

A reaper

In Benny’s mind, Tom’s voice whispered, Bennyrun

31

CHONG DID NOT MOVE

The reaper cut the air with the scythe again and again With each pass he called out in a gravelly voice "Hiding only makes it worse The darkness wants to take you Give in to it and there is only beauty A touch is all, and then you are free Free!"

Chong held his breath

The reaper listened to the silence and shook his head "Struggle against it and you beg for pain"

It was clear that the reaper did not know exactly where he was; he kept turning, shouting to different parts of the surrounding woods It was a trick, and not a very good one, Chong h to fall for it

Then a second

It was Carter His clothes were torn and splashed with blood, and his hair and eyes ild

He looks like he’s just been through hell, Chong thought And he wondered where Sarah and Eve were And that girl, Riot

When the reaper saw Carter, he nodded approval "Sift of darkness to end your suffering and--"

"Skip the sales pitch, ‘Brother’ Andrew" Carter pointed his shotgun at the reaper’s chest "I’ive you one chance, because you used to be my friend Drop the cutter and walk away Leave me and mine in peace"

"Peace?" The reaper, Brother Andrew, shook his head, and Chong thought there was real regret in his face "There is no peace left on earth, Carter You of all people should know that How ray wanderers? Your first wife? Your son? Your sister? How many more do you have to see consus to mankind?"

"I don’t want to hear it"

"We’ve been called home, brother," insisted Andrew "Saint John and Mother Rose have shown us the way"

"They’re murderers, and they’ve brainwashed the whole bunch of you into believing in so They’ve blinded you with this darkness nonsense"

"No," said Andrew, "they’ve opened our eyes and our hearts to the truth"