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Sausage was better for cats than salted fish She was very partial to sausage herself Asa and Monster loved cheese

Finally Evvy retreated to a bridge that crossed to the far side of the street Working her way cautiously along the roofs, she reached the closest house to the boy’s Fro two-foot drop to her destination

No one was in sight arew here So of plants One vine even trailed through the open door to the house Evvy shook her head, thinking that green things around the jade-eyed boy were much too lively Then she crouched beside the tray She opened the folded cloth that lay beside it and began to load it with food to take hoplant was the queen of vegetables She stuffed a slice into her rabbed another slice and took a huge bite while she continued to put food onto her cloth

She didn’t hear the boy coh: he raised his hands in the air, holding them palgplant She dropped the rest of the slice and scrabbled for the corners of the cloth, bundling her food

"I won’t come a step closer," he said in calm Chammuri "I just want to talk" He knelt beside the entrance to the house and lowered his hands The plants around hireen roof over his head

She eyed him for a moment more He seemed to be settled No e forward and grab her, she would be gone

She opened the cloth and dumped the rest of the tray’s contents onto it One eye on the boy, she retrieved her dropped slice of eggplant, wiped off the rooftop dirt, and stuffed it into her ic," he went on "Maybe you can’t see it -- , when you handle stones"

Evvy hesitated So the stones that ht, every day at Nahim’s -- felt warm in her hands, nice-warhts, with all the stones she liked pressed into the rock of the entrance way, had never been invaded, unlike every other squat she knew of What of it?

He’s a s!

He’s a boy, not a e, her street-self replied Students irl self

So are students, the street girl snapped Right before they mess up

Quickly Evvy tied up her bundle She wasn’t about to leave all this food behind If the boy wanted it for hio on as you have," the ic, or you’ll get into trouble Once people know you’re a e --"

Evvy tucked her bundle into the front of her tunic Gripping the edge of the next door roof, she swung herself up and over