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Cra, which had been so hard at first, had beco coulda lock, it was like breaking into Fort Knox

And to an to whine and resist the second the portal began to open "Help re pushed along with her, both of theh, then his head, then his front legs Kudzu let loose a mournful howl, the portal stretched around his haunches, and with a final push he was through, the portal healed closed, and Zin and the Ogre fell back, knocked down by the shock wave of the sealing portal

Kudzu darted back and forth on the grass in front of thee

"Look!" the Ogre said "He has no afterglow! Do you see? Do you see?" Kudzu was back in the living world! The browns of his fur were paler and out of focus, and his body was true flesh and bone He leaped this way and that, searching for Zin, barking frantically Some faint sense must have told him she was still there, but he couldn't find her and never would

"He's alive!" the Ogre said, like some mad scientist "He's alive!"

"I'm sorry, boy," Zin whimpered, "I'm so, so sorry " But she knew Kudzu couldn't hear her

The fa, cah it took a few minutes, it was the kids on Kudzu over They put their arhtened neck

"What's your nairl asked

"It's Kudzu!" shouted Zin, but no one heard

Thunder rolled, a little closer than before The parents looked up at the threatening sky, and the boy said, "Let's call him Storm!"

And that finally closed the circle--because Zin suddenly remembered that Stor's barks beca It wasn't long until Kudzu/Stor for a belly rub, which his new family was re "I hate you," she said, and she

"You can hate me all you want," he told her "But you've just shown your loyalty by putting your orders ahead of your personal feelings That kind of loyalty is rewardedlieutenant" Then he reached forith his chocolate-covered hand, and painted a fresh brown chevron on the sleeve of her unifor that put it all into focus for Zin,her admire him almost as much as she hated him

"I want you to re world," the Chocolate Ogre told her, "because very soon, that's exactly what you'll be doing to Mary Hightower"

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PART FIVE The Skinjacker Revelations In Tips for Taps, chapter 5, entitled "What You Don't Rehtorites:

"Meht mind is like a toy box in a toddler's room If a precious memory is taken out of the box to be pawed and fondled, chances are it won't get back into the box Consequently the only way to hold on to a memory in Everlost is never to think about it"

Chapter 25 Lair of the Cat Woman

When it came to memory, Mary's observations didn't hold true for skinjackers Unlike Nick, Allie never forgot her last name It was Johnson