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Nearer, ht died

Brianna stood still completely still

Astrid froze in mid-cry

The kids of Perdido Beach, all within sound of the Siren’s voice, stopped, and turned toward the little girl

All but three

Little Pete stuhed and reached down to give a hand to Drake, iftly regrohat he had lost

"Sing on, Siren!" Nerezza cried, giddy, triumphant

Sa His ears turning like a windmill in the faintest breeze

Drake could almost stand In a moment he would come for Sam He would finish what he had started

The memory of pain bubbled slowly up within Sam But he lacked the power to move, to act, to do He could only watch helplessly Just like before Helpless

But then, out of a corner of his eye, Sa very fast over the ocean

He heard a distant thwap thwap thwap

The sound grew louder, as the helicopter roared across the ocean

Loud

Louder

Loud enough

Sam tried to move and found that he could

"No!" Nerezza cried

Sah to kill anyone To burn a hole through any living thing

But Nerezza did not burn She silowed green, a light so bright it alone

Drake watched as his feet grew back But not quickly enough

"Now, Drake," Sam said "Where e?"

He felt Astrid at his side "Do it," she said grimly

"Yes,straight ahead

He had al in one particular direction You could do it with the pedals So long as you were very, very gentle and very, very careful

But he wasn’t exactly sure he kne to stop

Noas rushing toward land at a a while longer Especially since he didn’t quite kno to stop Exactly

But then Virtue yelled, "Stop!"

"What?"

Virtue reached over, grabbed the cyclic, and pushed it hard to the left