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‘I adolden croque- the ether Around hi children

‘Every wild aniht,’ said Ruth, sloirling the ice cubes in her Scotch ‘Eating Easter eggs Foxes, raccoons, squirrels’

‘Bears,’ said Myrna, joining their table ‘Jesus, that’s pretty scary All those starving bears, rising fro all winter’

‘Is and bunnies,’ said Clara, between mouthfuls of creamy seafood choith chunks of saluette and twisted off a piece, spreading it with Olivier’s special sweet butter ‘The bears must have wondered what miracle had happened while they slept’

‘Not everything that rises up is aher eyes fro out thethat coe ti’s certain It’s unpredictable’

‘Every season’s unpredictable,’ said Peter ‘Hurricanes in fall, snowstorms in winter’

‘But you’ve just proved my point,’ said Ruth ‘You can name the threat We all knohat to expect in other seasons But not spring The worst flooding happens in spring Forest fires, killing frosts, snowstor can happen’

‘Thetoo,’ said Clara

‘True, the ions are based on the concept But soot up and downed her Scotch ‘It’s not over yet The bears will be back’

‘I would be too,’ said Myrna, ‘if I’d suddenly found a village made of chocolate’

Clara smiled, but her eyes were on Ruth, who for once didn’t radiate anger or annoyance Instead Clara caught so

Fear