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My gs Not surprisingly, they’re still there I guess no one wanted to clear out that mess She hands out cartons of theather around her to take thee of the grove, shadows lurch toward us

Everyone who isA few stand by the injured, pointing guns or lifting shovels or knives as they get ready to defend their loved ones

It’s the locust victims ere dubbed the resurrected by Uriel Their shriveled bodies shuffle toward us in a strange, zombielike fashion It’s as if they’re so convinced that they’re dead and resurrected that they play the part It’s as if being treated like monsters convinced them that they’re supposed to behave like ht, my sister circles overhead with her locusts There are only three of the the locust victims fear, it’s the locusts

As soon as the resurrected see therove across the street and disappear, no longer shuffling like zo attackers, then at Paige and her pets as they fly low overhead Soive up on their injured and take cover, apparently more afraid of the locusts than of the resurrected

The rest, though, stand firuy as in the council rooe like an angry villager chasing after Frankenstein’s monster I think Obi called him Martin

‘She’s here to help’ I put ht She’s on our side Look, she scared the attackers’

No one lowers their gun, but no one shoots either That probably has els with the noise than believing anything I said

‘Martin,’ I say ‘Remember what Obi said? That e ‘That’s her You reun is fire There are two others near hiroup that held Paige doith ropes when they caught her ‘I remember she has a taste for humans’

‘She’s on our side,’ I say ‘She came out into the open to protect you Obi believes in her You heard him’

Everyone watches Martin to see what he’ll do If he shoots, they’ll all shoot

Heher

‘Hey!’ he yells to Paige ‘The gangs who hit us went that way’ He swings his rifle to point north up El Camino Real ‘I shot several of them They should be easy pickin’s for you and your pets’

He lowers his rifle and slings it over his torn shirt ‘Never let it be said that we didn’t feed our honored guests’

There’s a moment when everyone watches Martin Then one by one, the Resistance people lower their guns

Paige looks down at me from the sky as her locusts circle low above us like vultures She looks both eager and confused, like she’s not sure what she’s supposed to do

She’s looking to me for answers, but I don’t knohat to do either

‘Yes!’ saysher arirl It’s lunchtime!’