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"No, it isn’t," Astrid said dryly

"I guess Nurse Teone, Edilio is busy, so it was you, Astrid"

"Third choice?"

Dahra shrugged, but the motion made her wince "She’ll ht it would be earlier, sorry, slightly delayed" She was talking through gasps of pain "To You know, to coht about it "Thanks, Dahra And thank you, Orc"

"It wasn’t er upward "Maybe he has a use for me You know? Like a plan"

Astrid suys, Orc If there was ever an example of redemption, it’s you"

She hesitated only aHow strange he felt How alien

Orc seeht as she drew back, but her thoughts ah to survive a war: you had to plan for the after out to her Getting ready for the after left to do It was soht

Gaia was singing She wasn’t singing well--her voice was thin and reedy and she had no experience of ing "Mainlining Murder" by Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards

"Great playlist you’ve got there, Mr Alex," Diana said

They were just beyond a low hill, very near the lake They had a s, lit easily by Gaia Diana had suggested it, hoping the light would be seen fro a surprise attack that would end this

Gaia was staring into that fire and singing: "Mainlining Murder" followed incongruously by "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" If she was at all concerned by the proxin of it

"Is that the Miley Cyrus version or the original Cyndi Lauper?" Diana asked Alex He didn’t seem to know He was not in a talkativeto her He , "Melted, man Melted" Whatever that meant in crazy tohere Alex had apparently taken up residence

Diana was hoping he would pass out or fall asleep She didn’t trust him: he could easily rat her out to curry favor with Gaia