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"Not right now I’o now," Toto said

"Yeah, well, I don’t always do what I want," Sarumbled "We need to explore the rest of the lake, then we can head back to town and be welcomed as heroes"

He’d , but a part of hi into town to announce that they had found all the water they could ever need, and a fair ao see Astrid

And then ould happen?

Then nothing would happen They would still be right where they’d been

"Cast off," Sam called to Jack Then, with the ropes aboard, he pointed the boat toward the west and roared out of the ine beneath his feet was intoxicating

Later they would run out of fuel, and later all the Pepsi would be drunk, and all the noodles would be eaten But it wasn’t later yet

They could build a better life here at the lake Leave behind all the reeking sewage and trash and memories of Perdido Beach Leave behind the wrecked church and the burned houses Leave behind that awful ceanize before they ever started to move anyone up here Form little families that could live aboard the boats or use the boathouse or theto count in his head how many of the boats had any kind of superstructure Maybe half a dozen of the small sailboats, a dozen of the motorboats And then there were the four or five houseboats

That wasn’t enough, obviously, but they could set up tents and ot cold in the FAYZ, not like anyone needed insulation Just a roof to keep the sunlight off theround Logically there had to be one, there were always carounds at a lake It just stood to reason

Of course they could be on the other side of the barrier

Never as to drive the various Winnebagos and campers and trailers up here from Perdido Beach--there were at least a dozen parked in driveways, although a lot had burned in the big fire

He would have a boat Big enough for himself and Astrid and Little Pete Maybe he would ask Dekka to live with theot dibs on one of the houseboats And why shouldn’t he?

One of those forty-six-footers would probably sleep six Him and AstridIt occurred to hi the master’s berth Which wasn’t likely to happen

Was it?

Maybe Maybe if they got away froht occurred to hiot married?

Then they’d be like a fa how long the FAYZ would last Maybe forever Maybe they would never get out In that case, ere they all going to do? He was fifteen, Astrid was fifteen, they’d both survived the poof That was young in the outside world, but it was old in the FAYZ