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"All downhill after that," he said to no one

That was the first burial in the town plaza Sairl, and when he had failed, it was Edilio who had finally dug the grave and placed theup after Saed

Battles avoided and battles joined He had seen the rise of Caine and his fall He had seen the threat frorow and nearly destroy theood, sweet, decent Mary who looked after the littles, lose her mind under the influence of demons both internal and external

He’d seen the zekes consus out He’d seen the bugs explode froirl from the fire, she had been just the first His first failure to save a life

Duck Good old Duck

Thuan

Francis

How many of them? More than he could reth What a cliché that phrase was, but how else to describe Edilio? When the barrier came down he would probably be deported to Honduras

Thanks for your heroiset out of the country, kid

He had seen the weak becoirl been through?

Dekka, fearless, passionate Dekka, his right hand, his coh it all there had been Astrid Difficult as always Cohtful, manipulative, beautiful, and passionate Astrid The love of his life

All worth it, just to have loved and been loved by her

Co down the road toward hi slowly but steadily He could see that its wheels were not touching the road It trailed s trees and tires and debris It was an inferno that would have roasted any driver

Gaia walked beside it, a hand raised to focus Caine’s power and lift thetruck stopped as well Gaia smiled

"So," she said "You’re ready to die"

"Well, it was a short life But it was a pretty good one," he said

"I don’t really want to kill you," Gaia said

"I know And I knohy But I’ht me, Sam?" She had to shout to be heard above a sudden roar of the fire as a log collapsed on the others Sparks exploded, fireflies to co down on parched fields or continue to draft upward andZil’s work