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Vorhees looked Nothing at all, just trees and the dry brown hills beyond "What do you think you saw?"

"I don’t know So shiny"

"Like metal?"

"Yeah"

After a moment, Vorhees drew the binoculars away "Well, it’s not there now Maybe it was just the sun flaring in the lenses"

"Probably that’s it" Cruk took a sip of water fro down there?"

"They’ll all be asleep soon enough A lot of the kids are down already I don’t think anybody expected it to be this hot"

"July in Texas, brother"

"Gunnar wanted to know if he could help That boy is all heart and no sense"

Cruk took up his rifle "What did you tell him?"

"Just you wait Sohed "And yet ere the saet out into the world"

"Maybe you couldn’t"

Cruk fell silent, gazing out over the rail Vorhees sensed that soan, "I made a decision, and I wanted you to hear it froetting back together"

Vorhees had heard these ru new; rumors circulated all the tio?-the subject had never really died co that"

"This ti volunteers fro to build a unit of two hundred men"

Vorhees searched his friend’s face What was he telling hi about it That was all kid stuff"

Cruk shrugged "Maybe it was, back then And I kno you feel about it, after what happened to Boz But look at my life, Vor I never married I don’t have a fa sank in all at once "Jesus You already signed on, didn’t you?"

Cruk nodded "I turned in nation from the DS yesterday It won’t be official until I take the oath, though"

Vorhees felt stunned

"Look, don’t tell Dee," Cruk pressed "I want to do it"

"She’ll take it hard"

"I know That’s why I’ you first"

The conversation was broken by the sound of a pickup co area and pulled up to the shelter; Tifty climbed out He stepped to the rear of the truck and dren the tailgate

"Nohat’s he got?"

They ateran to carve thees to the children Watermelons! What a treat, on a day like this!

"For Christ’s sake," Vorhees groaned, watching the perforet those?"

"Where does Tifty get anything? You got to hand it to the guy, though He’s not going to die friendless"

"Did I say that?"

Cruk looked at him "You don’t have to like hi You’ve got to give him that"

The door to the stairs opened Dee stepped out, carrying two plates, each bearing a pink wedge of ht-"

"Thanks We saw"

Her face fell with an expression Vorhees knew too well Let it go Please, just for today They’re only watermelons

Cruk took the plates from her "Thanks, Dee That’ll really hit the spot Tell Tifty thanks"

She glanced at Vorhees, then returned her eyes to her brother "I’ll do that"

Vorhees knew he looked like a resentful fool, just as he knew that if he didn’t say so inside hied "Siri’s out like a light Nit’s gone off with Ali and so wildflowers" She paused to wipe her broith the back of her wrist "Are you really going back out there? I don’t kno you stand it Maybe you should wait until the sun’s a little lower"

"There’s too arded hi else I can bring you, Cruk?"

"Not a thing, thanks"

"I’ll leave you to it then"

When Dee was gone, Cruk held out one of the plates But Vorhees shook his head

"I’ll pass, thanks"

The bigdown his slice, rivers of juice running down his chin When all that reestured toward the second plate, resting on the parapet "You ed in reply Cruk finished off the second slice, wiped his face on his sleeve, and tossed the rinds over the side

"You should tell Dee soon," Vorhees said

Three o’clock, the day draining away A faint breeze had picked up late in the ain Under the tarp, Dee was playing a halfhearted ga at their feet in his basket A pluers and fat toes and a soft, pursed mouth: despite the heat, he had barely fussed all day and noas sound asleep