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The engine of the Land Rover had been switched off Bobby probably had not left the keys in the ignition

For a quarter of an instant, Vern considered running away auys knew the layout better than he did, and any cat-and-ame wasn’t likely to turn out well for him

Instead, he sprinted west, directly into the low sun, because the glare wouldplace, but Vern was faster than he looked Maybe fifteen years younger and thirty pounds lighter than Rosewater, he was confident of being able to outrun him

If the shooter in the hut had not been wounded by the return fire, if he gave pursuit, Vern lance back because he wanted to have hope

He ran as fast as he had ever run, heart sla, and then he demanded more of himself In the still air, he created a wind of his own Without realizing what he was doing, he had raised his aret sowood had the wings, over there in Second Life, where he owned a car that could fly, too, and where he solanced back and saw a guy closing on hier and swood didn’t take crap froo down, he preferred to do it with Von’s style He stopped, swiveled, and squeezed off all of the re rounds in his revolver

The pursuer didn’t weave or dodge but cah the deadly horizontal hail, as if he were the real Von Longwood

Now Vern’s only hope was the Rapture, float straight up to Heaven without a change of underwear or breath ut, another knocked the air out of him, and he rode a third round into oblivion

Chapter 32

After cos do: i the territory, by the nose alone taking in s with all five senses

Brian was not surprised to see that Nickie, although the newest member of the pack, had already assuh the door, A?"

When he called her, he had not been entirely coherent Now he said, "Co after hiot bed hair You look like you slept in a hurricane"

"I was drawing Hours and hours, drawing I was exhausted Laid down Fell asleep Had a dream"

In the kitchen, he took her by the shoulders and met her eyes "You know me You knoho I am"

"You’re Brian McCarthy You’re an architect"

"Exactly"

"Is this a test to see if I have Alzheimer’s?"

"Okay Listen Aullible?"

"Yes Yes Yes No"

"Aht Guy Three for three"

"I’iven to wild superstition, aht No"

"I never believe in stuff like Antoine"

Clearly puzzled, she asked, "Antoine who?"

"Antoine," he said i in the Philippines"

"Antoine isn’t blind"

"You said he was blind"

"Marco is blind, not the dog"

"Whatever It doesn’t matter"

"It matters to Antoine and Marco"

"The point is, I’m a skeptic"

"Marco drives Antoine directs his can’t talk"

"It’s a psychic thing"

He took a deep breath "Are you like this with everyone?"

"Like what?"

"Crazy-"

"Not with everyone Mostly with you"

He frowned "Did you just tellimportant?"

"What do you think?"

"I think you did What was it?"

"You’re a sht, sober, rational, levelheaded, kinda cute architect You figure it out"

His head was spinning tooout of her words He just kissed her

"Too ," he said "Let’s stay focused Come here Look at these"

He led her to the kitchen table on which were stacked all of his drawings, in the order that he had executed the at the top picture, she said, "That’s Nickie"

"Is that what you see?"

"Isn’t it Nickie? It looks just like her"

"But is that all you see?"

"What more do you expect me to see?"

"I don’t know"

"Sweetie, I’ about her eyes"

"So…"

When Brian set aside the top drawing, revealing the second, Ah the stack of drawings

"When did you do these?"