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Allie was speechless She didn't knohether to be horrified or amused "Have you lost your mind?" she told him "I won't be your slave! The answer is no!"

"Do notthe pool net in a pointless figure eight "I have a higher purpose now, and I a you this opportunity to be a part of it You should not throw it away so lightly"

Allie looked toward Squirrel, who nervously brushed his hand over his bad mohawk "C'mon, Milos," he whined "We can't stay here--she won't like it! She won't like it!"

"Quiet!" growled Milos

"What do youabout?"

Milos fumed at Squirrel, and Squirrel seemed to shrivel Even the skull tattoos on his fleshie appeared to cringe

Milos sighed, then gave her the full story She almost wished he hadn't "There is only one force in Everlost worth aligning with," Milos told her "You knohom I speak She has ideasshe has visionand so do I"

Allie was shocked, but not entirely surprised Milos was all about jockeying for higher position It hts on Mary

"You once told e the world," Milos said "Well, Mary Hightower has envisioned a way to do that, and I am a part of her plan You should be too"

"I won't have anything to do with Mary Hightower," she told him

"How can you be so naive?" Milos said, a little too loudly "Who do you think can help you? Your friend the Ogre? I can assure you that Mary will defeat him, if she has not done so already"

"Yeah, yeah!" said Squirrel, chuckling as he iood there at Graceland"

Allie snapped her eyes to Squirrel Nick was here in Mery at Squirrel than before "Go clean the pool!" he snapped

Squirrel grabbed the equipment cluuilty

So Nick was here in Memphis, and Mary had planned some sort of ambush Allie had to warn hi as she was stuck in the boy--how could she warn Nick if she couldn't even see him?

"Danny?" called his mother "Danny, are you okay out there?" She peered out of the screen door, the phone still to her ear

"S'all right, Mo Curtis about all the bugs in the drain"

"You let them work, Danny Don't be a pest!" Then she retreated back into the house, satisfied that everything was under control

"One year," said Milos "One year with us, and then you will be free to go That is my offer"

Allie was about to tell hiet hiht about Danny Even noas hiding behind her, listening to everything, but not understanding any of it

--There's an ogre? What kind of ogre? Is he bad?--

It had only taken teeks for her to know this boy better than any other hu, and she couldn't help but care about hiive in to Milos's derity and self-respect, but here it wouldMilos, she'd be conde Danny to share his life with an uninvited spirit The only way to free Danny was to accept Milos' offer

"C'ed Squirrel "Jill and Moose are waiting at the bridge!"

Milos ignored him "This is the last time I ask you Do you wish to be free or not?"

Allie took a deep breath and closed her eyes But they weren't her eyes to close, were they? As ive "Yes," she told hiet me out of here, then the answer is yes I'll do whatever you want"

Milos sood Now tell the boy to come out"

Danny retreated even further behind Allie's thoughts

It's all right, Danny, Allie told him He won't hurt you I pro control of hinized the transition, because his own expression changed--no longer the sharp, piercing gaze he had shown Allie, but the inviting, disaraze meant for a child

"What do you want?" Danny asked, his voice shaky

"I just want to help" Milos looked at the pool, then back to Danny, kneeling down to his level "Tell me, do you kno to swim?"

Danny shook his head "No My daddy tried to teach ood Next suood," said Milos "Then this will be easy"

And without warning he reached out, grabbed Danny with both hands, and threw hihtower's warnings against skinjackers were all sobut empty worries--that is, until she had skinjackers in her own eerous skinjackers could be Such power in the wrong hands could be devastating--which was the reason why she desperately needed Allie the Outcast either reformed or neutralized

Milos had offered to find Allie in Memphis, and take care of it personally