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"Speak for yourself," Zin said "Everybody's gots their own reasons for the things they do Alls that "

"We don't have a flag," Nick pointed out

"I couldas it's not Confederate"

Zin thought about it "Whacha say I rip some fabric into Everlost, and come up with sumpin' brand spankin' new?"

"Great--you could be our own Betsy Ross"

To which she replied, "Betsy Ross was a Yankee" It was a strange thing to build an army when they had no idea where to find the eneone west," Johnnie-O told Nick "Maybe even across the Mississippi--but I also hear there's no way to cross the Mississippi, so who knows?"

"D'ya think she's afraid to come this far south?" Charlie asked

"Mary's not afraid," Nick told him "But she is cautious--which means she'll only come after us when she feels she can't lose" He wondered if she knehere he was right now, and what he was doing

"What d'ya think's gonna happen when you finally come face-to-face with her?" Charlie asked It wasn't the first time Nick had been asked that question, and his ansas always the sas that haven't happened yet"

But that was a lie Nick couldn't deny that he had fantasies about their destinedIn one fantasy, he would defeat her--but he would show such mercy that Mary would break down in his ar--and that ad every last ounce of chocolate into remission Then, hand in hand, they would hold their coins and step into the light

In another version, Mary would win the battle, but be sothe souls she had trapped, that she would finally listen to reason, and allow Afterlights to choose their destinies for thee

All his fantasies ended with hi he couldn't share with anyone, for how could they trust a leader as in love with the enemy?

The hundreds of kids ere now under Nick's leadership certainly didn't love Mary While sos had dribbled down to the South, fear and awe of the Sky Witch and herthan the written word It was their fear of her that re, who, in their eyes, was certainly frightening, but not terrifying It was a case of thebetter than the monster you don't know The problem was, their fear of Mary was quick to turn soldiers into ar were possible, there was no way to htower had no such powers

"I only know of two ecto-rippers," Nick tried to point out to a fearful group of enlistees "There's one called 'the Haunter,' who's inside a barrel at the center of the earth, and then there's Zin, who's one of us As for skinjackers, I've only ever met one Her name is Allie, and she's on our side too"

It was the first time Nick had said Allie's na to see her--to knohat had beco, one of the kids they had picked up in North Carolina said, "Yeah--Allie the Outcast hates the Sky Witch--she told us so herself"

Nick turned so fast, chocolate flung into the kid's eye "What do you mean she told you? You saw her? Where?"

"A couple of o, in Greensboro," he said "She came with this other kid who didn't talk much I liked her, but the other kid scared us a little"

Nick couldn't contain his excite!" he said "Hoas she--how did she look? What was she even doing there?"

Nick sent for the dozen or so kids they picked up in Greensboro, and, pleased to be on the Chocolate Ogre's good side, they were thrilled to give all the information they could They told Nick all about Allie--how she had become a finder; how she and a boy that Nick could only assume was Mikey McGill rode into town on a horse covered with saddlebags that were packed with crossed iteood stuff," the Greensboro kids told him, "not junk like most other finders have--and they traded fair We asked her to show us so, but she wouldn't do it"

Then everyone flinched at a loud popping sound, followed by another, then another Nick already knew that sound It was Johnnie-O cracking his knuckles It was always a sign that he was either very anxious, or very excited

"Y' know " said Johnnie-O, "if we find Allie, we'll have a ripper and a skinjacker With a cos we could do"

But Nick was already miles ahead of him

"Where was she headed?" Nick asked the Greensboro kids He didn't expect ave away their trade routes But the boy said quite simply:

"Memphis"

"Hoell do you know the rail systeht Charlie would balk at the question, but Choo-choo Charlie was a tried and true conductor, and seeotten hi into the engine bulkhead, andthe Everwild rails had become a personal mission for him