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Lies Michael Grant 16790K 2023-09-01

There was still a lot of food left But the diesel fuel that ran the generator was running out despite all their efforts to conserve

And now there was Bowie Sanjit could usually e to sidestep responsibility But he couldn’t let Bowie die

There were only tays on or off the island By small boat--and they had no boat Or helicopter And that they had Sort of

The time had come to seriously examine the most iroundskeeper’s shed Sanjit anchored one end of the rope around the not-very-secure trunk of a sapling He hurled the other end out into the void

"Probably pull the tree down on our heads, huh?" He laughed

Sanjit and Virtue went down The rest were told to stay put, stay away fro and slid down on his butt till hehis heel into a shrub or rock outcropping The rope ended up being no use at all for the descent It lay off to the right of the path, far out of reach

The boat, the Fly Boy Tas still there, battered, rusting, algae slientle swell, its bow see on for dear life to the rocks it had hit months earlier

"Hoe get onto the boat?" Virtue asked when they had reached the bottoht you were invincible, Sanjit"

"Invincible, not fearless," Sanjit said

Virtue made his wry suardrail on the bow and pull ourselves up"

Froentle motion that rocked the cruerous

"Okay, little brother, I’ to do this, okay?" Sanjit said

"I’m a better climber than you are"

Sanjit put his hand on his shoulder "Choo,to be a lot of ti Enjoy this one It ument Sanjit climbed up onto the rock spur and made his way carefully, cautiously, to the end, sneakers slipping on rock coated with algae and salt spray He leaned with one hand against the white hull He was at eye level with the deck

He grabbed the frail-looking stainless-steel rail with both hands and pulled hiles The danger zone was just below hio, he’d be lucky to survive with just a crushed foot

His scramble aboard the boat wasn’t pretty, but he h He lay panting, facedown on the teak deck for a few seconds

"Do you see anything?" Virtue called up

"I sawbeforehis knees to roll with the boat No sound of hun of anyone Not exactly a surprise, but in some dark corner of his mind, Sanjit had almost expected to see bodies