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Caleb atching his face closely "How old were you?"

"Twenty, twenty-one? Just a kid"

"But he didn’t come back He’d been taken to the Haven"

"Yes, but I didn’t know that Seven nights, Caleb That’s a lot of ti a person, especially my own brother At the start, I wondered if I actually could Our parents had died, Theo was the only person I had left in the world But as the nights passed, I ca worse than killing hi somebody else do it If the situation were reversed, if I had been the one taken up, I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way I didn’t want to do it, believe me, but I owed him that ave his words a moment to sink in "That’s what this is like, son I don’t knohy it has to be me That’s a question I can’t answer But it doesn’t matter Pim and the kids--those are your responsibilities You were put on earth to protect them till your last breath That’s your job This is mine You need to letinstructions to the creould assist in launching her The hull had been wrapped in thick rope webbing; a steel boom and a system of blocks would be used to lift her from her cradle and lower her over the side Once she was in the water, they would cut her free, raise the mast, and set sail for New York

"He’ll kill you," Caleb said

Peter said nothing

"And if you succeed? Amy can’t leave You said so yourself"

"No, she can’t"

"So what then?"

"Then I liveto live yours"

Peter waited for his son to say more; when he didn’t, he put his hand on Caleb’s shoulder "You have to accept this, son"