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Pi blanket," Kate said to Caleb "We can put her in the back room, away from the children"

"Will she survive?"

"She’s a mess, Caleb There’s not a lot I can do"

Caleb retrieved one of the heavy wool blankets he used for the horses They spread it on the ground next to the wheelbarrow, then lifted Dory from the cart and lowered her onto the blanket, tied the corners together, and ran a length of two-by-four through the ends to fashion a round, she made a noise froled scream Caleb shuddered; he could barely listen to this anymore That Dory hadn’t died seemed a cruelty of immense proportions They carried her into the house, to the s, and laid her on the pallet Caleb nailed a saddle pad to the tinyas a shade

"I need to get that nightgown off" Kate gave Caleb a grave look "This will be…bad"

He sed He could barely bring himself to look at the woood with things like this," he ad else He’d waited too long; now they were stranded, waiting for the woman to die With only one horse, they couldn’t use the buckboard to take Dory to Mystic And Pim would never leave her

"I’ll need clean cloths, a bottle of alcohol, scissors," Kate commanded "Boil the scissors, and don’t touch theo look after the children Pim can help me here You’ll want to keep them away frorateful He retrieved the things she’d asked for, brought thearden, the girls were playing with their dolls,beds for them out of leaves and sticks, while Theo toddled around

"Coed Theo on his hip and took Elle by the hand She, in turn, took her sister’s, as they had learned to do,a chain They were halfway to the river when a screah Caleb like a bullet

--

Lucius, it’s started I need you now

Greer had been driving since before dawn "Just get this boat ready," he’d told Lore He swung past Rosenberg in the dark, jogged northwest, and hit Highway 10 as the sun was rising behind him

He would reach Kerrville by four o’clock, five at the latest What would the darkness bring?

A

50

Michael caered the wound on his head His hair was rigid with dried blood; he was lucky they hadn’t broken his skull But he supposed an arood blow to the h, on the whole, not entirely unwelcome