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Hunter obediently pulled his clothes back on

"Back to work, huh, Hunter?" Edilio said with a wretched, forced set Albert soets mad"

"No I don’t," Albert protested weakly

Hunter started to walk away Albert called after hi snake of yours?"

Hunter, eager to answer Albert’s question, smiled because he knew the answer "They’re all over on theside"

"The what?"

"That’s what I call it On the other side of the hills There’s a cave By the road"

"The road to Lake Evianthe lake where we get water?" Albert asked in a quiet voice

Hunter nodded "Yes By the dirt road that goes there"

"Thanks," Edilio said, dis Hunter, who looked relieved and walked quickly aithout looking back Edilio turned to Astrid "Okay, Astrid What are you thinking?"

"I think the reason Lana couldn’t heal him is that it’s not a disease"

"It sure looks like a disease," Howard said "Like a disease I don’t want to get"

"It’s a parasite," Astrid said

"Like when a dog gets worh his skin," Edilio said

Astrid nodded "He should be in excruciating pain They’re probably secreting so to happen to him?" Dekka asked

"There’s a type of wasp," Astrid said "That’s why I asked his hatch The larvae then eat the living caterpillar fro since learned to protect herself by affecting a certain indifference to the pains and wounds she healed But this ful beyond anything she had ever seen And she had been powerless to help

"Everyone keep this quiet till we figure out what it is," Edilio said "No one talk to Taylor, that girl can’t keep quiet for" He trailed off, noticing a stony glare froht," he finished la around in the weeds beside the road, and headed toward hoht up to her

"Lana"

"Yeah?" Lana had never been Astrid’s biggest fan She admired Astrid’s smarts and looks But they were very different people

"It’s Little Pete He"