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She had no idea what sort of technology the barrier was using, but itit No point in risking per her as they danced in the breeze She was stuck here, inside Andrew’s world

Tally rely days, sneaking out of dor a party in Peris’s ly skills didn’t necessarily apply out here As she’d learned in her conversation with Dr Cable, the city was an easy place to trick Security there was designed to stilies’ creativity, not to fry anyone’s nervous systeerous pre-Rusty villagers away from the city, to protect caht have wandered out into nature These dolls weren’t likely to succu with the point of her knife

The thought of ugly tricks sent Tally’s hand to the slingshot in her back pocket It seee of the world, but maybe the direct approach orth a try

She found a s as she drew it back Tally let fly, but missed the nearest doll by a meter or so "Guess I’ Blood!" Andrew said "Is that wise?"

She smiled "Afraid I’ll break the world?"

"The stories say that the gods put these here, to e of oblivion"

"Yeah, well They’re uess - as in keeping you guys in your place The world goes on for a whole lot farther, trustit"

Andrew looked away, and Tally thought he was going to argue some more, but instead he knelt and lifted a rock the size of his fist He pulled back his arm, took aim, and hurled it Tally saw froet It struck the nearest doll and sent it spinning, the noose tightening around its neck, then the doll spun the other way, unwinding like a top

"That was brave of you," she re Blood, I believe what you say Maybe this isn’t really the edge of the world If that is true, I want to see beyond"

"Good for you" Tally stepped forward and thrust out a hand No change: Her fingertips buzzed with the latent energy in the air, the ants crawling up her arned to last for decades in the wild - surviving hailstor strikes - was probably more than atheir thing" She rubbed life back into her fingers "I don’t kno to get past this place, Andrew But nice try"

He was staring down at his e the gods’

work "It is a strange thing to want to go past the edge of the world Isn’t it?"

She laughed "Welco you all this way for nothing"

"No, Tally It was good to see"

She tried to read his expression, aserious nerve dashot"

"Excuse me?"

"When I ca inside me and wanted to run back ho a rock at thes that every child knows, but you are so certain about the shape of this planet You act as if"

He trailed off, his knowledge of the city language failing him

"As if I see the world differently?"

"Yes," he said softly, his intense expression deepening Most likely, Tally thought, it had never occurred to him before now that people could see reality in co outsider attacks and getting enough food to live, villagers probably didn’t have a lot of tireeet off the reservation, Iof which, do you know for sure that no matter what direction alk in, we’ll run into these little guys?"

Andrew nodded "My father taught that the world is a circle, seven days’ walk across This is the nearest edge to our village But my father once walked around the entire co for a way out?"

Andrened "He never said"

"Well, I guess he didn’t find one So how aet to the Rusty Ruins?"

Andreas silent for a while, but Tally could tell he was thinking, taking one of his interminable delays to ponder her question Finally, he said, "You must wait for the next holy day"