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Eleanor paused "Are you sure it was e at ho her DuFarge or so I’m certain she’d never met her before in her life"

I frowned "Well, I’m certain it was her in the photo Unless your mom has a sister?"

"No She’s an only child"

I coiled the telephone cord aroundthe way Eleanor’salone on the deck of the boat Why would she have lied about knowing Miss LaBarge?

"Have you heard fro pause

"No" She cleared her throat "He hasn’t sentsince your birthday I’m sorry" I knew she rip on the receiver "At the funeral, Brett told me there was a rumor Dante was in Canada Do you think it’s true?"

Eleanor didn’t respond for a long while "I don’t knohere he is," she said stiffly Her tone reminded me that she was Undead, and that funerals weren’t the best subject retted saying anything "Eleanor, I’m sorry--"

"It’s fine," she said quickly, as if she didn’t even wantis that I don’t really care I know I should, but I can’t feel anything Not for Miss LaBarge’s death, or for ht I know it’s not right, but I can’t help it"

"It’s not your fault," I said softly

"It’s not about fault any that every day that passes, I’m a little less hu to find the words that would explain how badly I wanted to help her, how badly I wished I could be with her right now But all I could come up as, "I’m sorry I’ "I shouldn’t have even brought it up It’s just a passing thing, I bet" But the words dissipated between us "Tell me about you I’m tired of me"

So I told her about e’s cottage, the letter ht Miss LaBarge andfor the Undead when they were killed

Eleanor paused "Maybe he’s right I mean, that’s what Monitors do, isn’t it? Search for the Undead and bury them?"

"I don’t think it’s that siht?"

"You tell me," Eleanor said "You’re the Monitor now, nothas changed"

"Then how come you’re at St Clément and I’m at Gottfried?"

Shocked, I stared at the receiver "Oh, I see So it’s my fault that I’m here and you’re there? Do you actually think that I want to be here? That I want to learn how to bury people?" I was about to hang up the phone, when Eleanor cut in

"Wait--Renée, I’m sorry I didn’t mean that I know it’s not your fault It just isn’t fair I don’t belong here with everyone else I’m not like them"

"If it makes you feel any better, apparently all the other Monitors think I’ the phone to the bed

"They’ve been saying that here, too" She lowered her voice to a whisper "Have you told anyone else what really happened?"

I’d told Eleanor everything in a letter over the summer She was the only one who knew that Dante and I had exchanged souls

"No I can’t My grandfather suspects so"

"So, do you think immortality is really possible?"

"I don’t think so," I said, staring at the bea "I mean, how could it be?"

Eleanor paused "Yeah, you’re probably right But, you know, the whole Undead thing--I always thought that was a myth until I came to Gottfried and it happened to s out there that we don’t know about"

I recognized so in Eleanor’s voice It was the saht about Dante Was Eleanor right? Could there be some other course for her future, and ht?"

The line went quiet

"Are you still there?"

"Yeah…sort of"