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Silence A dog barking in the distance A puff of wind against the glass, wanting to be let in

"After, I took the wheelchair back and parked it in the same spot Then I slipped under the covers and pretended to sleep until it wasand they found hiht"

Evie’s throat was dry, but she didn’t want to reach for her water She sed to soothe her aching throat, trying to make as little sound as possible, and after a moment Jericho continued

"I don’t know if that story about the Geret iveness After Sergeant Leonard’s death, they shut down the Daedalus program It was too much of a risk The doctors and scientists wanted to shut ht happen with ht back in that iron coffin to rot, but your uncle stepped in He said he’d take nity Then he loaded up a kit with serum As far as they’re concerned, Jericho Jones died ten years ago If Will hadn’t taken , with no soldier to help me out"

Evie sat up "But you were cured You could be the key to so advance"

"Cured?" Jericho scoffed "I live every day knowing so, and I’ll be back in that iron coffin I’m the only one of my kind Half man, half machine A freak"

"You’re not a freak"

"I don’t even knohat I alanced at Evie "You’re different, too"

"So it seems"

"Two of a kind" Jericho reached out and took Evie’s hands He turned her hands palm up and rubbed his thumbs over the insides of her wrists The softness of her skin was a miracle Jericho didn’t know if he would function like a nors of one He wanted Evie He wanted her desperately With his hands on hers, he iined what it would be like to kiss her, to make love to her She was a little spoiled and often selfish, a good-ti kind streak She ran toward life full tilt while Jericho held back, not daring She made him feel alive, and he wantedat the door made Evie jump She was afraid it was the innkeeper come to throw them out, but it was Will who stood outside the door, his hat on and his pocket watch open The sky was already graying toward daybreak

"Ah, good You’re up Al for us"

SOLOMON’S COMET

Will’s filthy car crossed from the South Bronx into Upper Manhattan, and the city appeared under a haze of clouds and se conjured of dirt and steel Evie was exhausted fro Jericho and fro confession She was unsettled, too, by the feelings she had developed for his flew past the autoht how close they had come in Brethren But they had prevailed They had the pendant Tonight they would perforood And after that, she would ask Will to explain what it all meant She would ask him to tell her exactly what she was and what to do about it Later She rested her hand against her own talish the day in a haze of nerves The museum had never been busier, it seee because of Solomon’s Comet The whole city was abuzz Mayor Walker had asked New Yorkers to diht so that the co its once-in-a-lifetime appearance Many New Yorkers had already pulled their chairs and cushions--even s’ rooftops or small terraces The five-and-dihtclubs advertised special raffles to be held at ht and offered drinks like the Solo-beauty contest that pro a party and all of Manhattan had been invited But Evie wasn’t feeling celebratory; if they didn’t do everything just right, this would be the end John Hobbes would be here to stay, and hell would coone from the athered in the library It was seven o’clock The comet was to make its way across New York’s skies at one ht Jericho rested on the settee, still weak froht’s ordeal