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A harsh white light raked their faces; a pickup was racing down the roadway toward thelare The driver skidded to a stop

"Get in," Caleb said

--

Alicia saw only the sky The sky and the back of a man’s head She sensed the presence of a crowd Her stretcher jostled beneath her, there were voices, people crying, everything rushing around her

Don’t take me Her body was broken; she lay loose as a doll I’ footsteps: they were crossing the gangway "Put her over there," someone said The stretcher-bearers lowered her to the deck and hurried away A wo beside her, her body curled around a blanketed bundle She wasinto the bundle, some kind of repeated phrase that Alicia could not h it possessed the rote rhythm of prayer

"You," Alicia said

One syllable; it felt like lifting a piano The woman failed to notice her

"You," she repeated

The worip on it was alht snatch it away at any moment

"I need you…to help ?" She bent her face to the baby again, burying it in the cloth "Oh, God, why are we still here?"

"Please…listen"

"Why are you talking to me? I don’t even know you I don’t knoho you are"

"I’m…Alicia"

"Have you seen o Has anybody seenher In another one "Tell me…her name"

"What?"