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"He’s a punk creep, and until you coreat system, someone needs to keep an eye on hirily to his tone, he said, "Sorry I didn’t mean to take it out on you"

Astrid came back into the room He hoped it was because she was just too attracted to him to leave, but that wasn’t it He could barely see her but could hear and feel that she was very close

"Sam Listen It’s not all on your shoulders anymore"

"You know, I see on the responsibility," Sam said He pulled a T-shirt over his head It was stiff with salt and smelled like low tide That’s what happened when you washed clothes in salt water

"That’s right," Astrid said "You’re a hero You are without a doubt the biggest hero we have But, Sa run We need laws and we need people to enforce laws We don’t need…" She stopped herself just in time

Sam made a wry face "A boss? Well, it’s just kind of hard to adjust that quickly One day I’ my business Then the FAYZ co me to step up And now you all want me to back off"

Orsay’s words came back to him, up from the fuzzy, sleepy recesses of his memory The true hero knohen to walk away It could have just as easily been Astrid saying that

"I want you to go back to bed is all," Astrid said

"I kno you can get o back to bed," he teased

Astrid pushed him playfully, palo back to sleep now, anyway," Saht as well take another walk"

"Well, try not to kill anyone," Astrid said

It was ht of him? No, no, it was just a joke

"Love you," he said as he headed for the steps

"Me too," she said

Dekka never remembered dreams She was sure she had them because sometimes she woke up with a shadow on her hts--but all Dekka retained was a sense of foreboding