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"At least a little If they’ve been watching the Sleep, I’one in by now" The truth was that Michael been worried about this Kaine was even ain, so were Michael and Sarah They were doing the right thing "Let’s just hope Bryson’s okay I bet they’ve been watching hirin She alwaysold-man clichés "I’m sure his new identity is even better than ours"

"Yeah You get enough?" He nodded at the cereal It hat passed for goura, around His heart ached at the thought of her He missed that crazy old German woman so much Evenhis best not to let hio down that road--it was possible they still existed It was

"I think three bowls oughta do it," Sarah confirmed

"Then let’s Sink"

They left the dishes on the table

It eird for Michael to get into the Coffin Not that it felt any different from the countless times he’d done it before It was just that this was the first ti it as a flesh-and-blood human It scared hione froain Inhome

Sarah had closed her bedroo into a NerveBox Keeping his boxers on just in case, he stepped into his brand-new Coffin, the latest and greatest es, relishing the feel of the tiny NerveWires snaking across his skin and burrowing inside, the sound and feel of the AirPuffs and LiquiGels surrounding hi to make sure he’d have a true VirtNet experience

Of course, part of his were so different no could he knohat ht happen? And there was Kaine Always Kaine But then …

There was also Helga His parents His old life Maybe, just maybe, they were out there somewhere Somehow

He closed his eyes and the Sleep took him away

Most people ended up at a Portal in a public place when they Sank into the VirtNet, anything from a city street to a mall Then you walked or rode to the destination you were in the e parlor, dance hall Or, of course, the ga depots Michael had an itch to do just that but kneas the last thing on the list This was not a ga tour

When he Sank into the Sleep this tie in an e around hiamer wouldn’t kno to find them Or care to, really--Michael and Sarah wanted to be sure to stay out of sight

Michael floated a in a blur of speed He could easily sense Sarah’s presence, and he reached out with virtual fingers to manipulate the code around him He was relieved to discover that he hadn’t lost his touch Swiping and typing, he moved code around al the sa appeared, a black square--a silhouette against the code It was like the Portals that flashed open around the stone disc of the Path Michael catapulted hi to a place that only three people in the world knew about

His feet landed on a soft forest floor, ht with a squish Mist curled around his legs, and giant trees surrounded hi The forest was a work of art; it looked ancient, and Michael and his friends had spent countless hours designing it out of code But the true rammed, one of his proudest achievements On the outskirts of the outskirts of Lifeblood, in a place no one would ever go And if anyone did go there, they wouldn’t be able to see the tree house anyway It was a brilliant example of elusive code