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I stared at her "We’re tapeworms," I said "We’re parasites"

"Yes You don’t kill your hosts on purpose, although you’re more than happy to rewire the tradition of killing our hosts It’s alinal personality," I protested

"Biology doesn’t care The genes are still there; the body is still alive," said Dr Cale "I’ his people to increase the amount of human DNA in the implants--if it was Sherman; I’ll be able to tell whether he asked them to use any of my research techniques once I’ve had the chance to cross-check this data against the recent speci I understand how he could have talked other people into going along with hi the sleepwalkers?" asked Nathan "What ?"

"I don’t know yet," said Dr Cale "But I will Trustone hand against ile now, like I was carrying around shell, one that could smash open and spill o home"

Dr Cale actually looked alarmed "I’m sorry, but I can’t let you do that"

"What?" I loweredat her "What do you o home Why is that so difficult?"

"Because Sy for you by now, and Tansy still isn’t back," said Dr Cale "It’s not safe for you to go out without someone to keep an eye on you The sleepwalker activity in San Francisco is rather extreful look to Nathan, who frowned and looked away

I scowled at the both of them "You didn’tfor ested for Joyce didn’t work, and did I o ho to destroy the apartment"

"Beverly and Minnie?" asked Dr Cale blankly

"Our dogs," said Nathan "Sal’s right, Mom Even if it’s not safe for us to stay in the aparts alone there They’ll run out of food and water, and I’ to do that to them"

Beverly and Minnie were rescues, casualties of the same epidemic that had claimed so many human lives Beverly’s oas last seen in the hospital, sunk deep in the coes of their illness He’d been hospitalized when he lost consciousness, and he’d still been there when vital services began to collapse I didn’t knohether he had died or woken up and sha back his dog Minnie’s situation was sihtly worse by the fact that Nathan and I had known her owners Katherine had become sick and had killed her wife, Devi, who used to ith Nathan at San Francisco City Hospital

Whether she was still trapped in the hospital or loose on the streets of San Francisco, I hoped that Katherine didn’t re about the wo worinal identity cleanly away No one should have to live re that they orously "I didn’t co to stay if I’o when I want I’ve already been through that with the Mitchells If you’re not willing to letto leave anyway, and I’ in her chair "Do you understand that this is all about your well-being?" she asked "It’s not safe out there, and from what I’ve been able to determine so far froet safer anytiet better"

"How much worse?" asked Nathan

"Ten percent hurimly "That’s an apocalypse number"

"How soon?" asked Nathan

Dr Cale hesitated before she said, "I don’t know"

"Then why don’t we comproo and get the dogs We’ll be careful, and on’t let ourselves get arrested or eaten or anything, but we’ll go, because we have to go And then we’ll come back here You won’t keep us prisoner, and we’ll be here willingly for as long as it takes to find an answer that doesn’t end up in the extinction of the huo before we’re going to agree to do that You have to show that you’re playing fair"

"I don’t see--" began Dr Cale

"Mom," said Nathan His voice was soft, but it stopped her dead She looked at hi her chin up to cohed

"I don’t like this," she said "You’re hter, in more ways than one, and I don’t like this at all I’m supposed to keep you safe It’s ood mother to you if you won’t let me do my job?"