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Clara Morroalked slowly across the bridge, pausing to glance into the Rivière Bella Bella below It burbled past, catching the sun in silver and gold highlights She could see the rocks, rubbed smooth at the bottolided past

Should she go into Montréal? The truth was, she’d already looked up the Dysons’ address, she’d just wanted to confirlanced over at their car, sitting Waiting

Should she go into Montréal?

What was she waiting for? What was she afraid of?

That they would hate her Blao away That Mr and Mrs Dyson, who had once been second parents to Clara, would disown her

But she knew she had to do it Despite what Myrna said Despite what Beauvoir said She hadn’t asked Peter Didn’t yet trust hi this io

Don’t risk it

Clara turned away froe

"It’s true," said Suzanne, "sometimes the demon wins Sometimes we can’t face the truth It’s just too painful"

"What happens then?"

Suzanne ishing the grass with her feet, no longer looking at the pretty garden

"Have you ever heard of ‘Humpty Dumpty,’ Chief Inspector?"

"The nursery rhyme? I used to read it to my children"

Daniel, as he reain Never tired of the illustrations of the silly old egg and the noble King’s horses andto the rescue

But Annie? She’d howled The tears had gone on and on, staining his shirt where he’d held her to hi to comfort her It had taken Gamache a while to calm her down and work out what the problem was And then it was clear Little Annie, all of four, couldn’t stand the thought of Humpty Dumpty so shattered Never able to heal Hurt too badly

"It’s an allegory, of course," said Suzanne