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The Haven itself was situated just a few kiloinal prison, a forbidding bulk of gray stone, stood at the eastern edge of the cos and Quonset huts Between the perihway, Hollis said, they had crossed railroad tracks, running in a north-south direction These appeared to head straight toward the ridge of mountains toward the north-odd, Hollis noted, because ould run a pair of tracks straight into a , Olson had mentioned a railroad depot, in response to Peter’s question about where they got fuel for their vehicles But on the drive south, Hollis said, they hadn’t stopped, so he couldn’t say if there was a fuel depot or not Presuot fuel somewhere It was only in the course of this conversation that Peter realized that the idea of leaving was already taking shape in hisa vehicle and finding fuel to run it on

The heat was intense; the days of isolation had begun to take their toll Everyone was antsy and worried about Michael In their stifling huts, none of the Amy was the most wakeful of theirl close her eyes All night she sat on her cot, the features of her face gathered in what appeared to be intense concentration It was as if, thought Peter, she was trying to work out soht, Olson ca hi days, Peter had come to suspect that Jude was more than he had first appeared to be He couldn’t say why this was, exactly But there was so about the ht, impossible not to look at, like his eyes, which radiated a piercing blue intensity They gave his face an ageless quality, as if he had slowed time, and whenever Peter looked at thestraight into a gale of wind Peter had becoive the man a direct order-Olson addressed hie-suited men who came and went froun to form that Jude held some measure of authority, independent of Olson Several ti the dusk, the three appeared across the square, striding toward the hut With the day’s passing heat, the Littles had appeared on the tires; as the three passed by, they abruptly scattered, like a flock of startled birds

"It is time to see where you are," Olson said when he reached the door He was sun to see behind it Standing next to Olson, Jude was showing his line of perfect teeth, his blue eyes darting past Peter into the dim hut Only Billie see

"Please coed "The wait is over Everyone is very excited to meet you"

They led the seven of the on her crutches, kept Amy close to her side In watchful silence, they ed in a kind of grid, with alleyways between the lines of buildings, and were obviously inhabited: the ere lighted with oil lanterns; in the spaces between the buildings were lines of laundry, stiffening in the desert air Beyond, the bulk of the old prison looainst the sky Out in the dark, no lights to protect them, not even a blade on his belt; Peter had never felt so odd Fro food and a buzz of voices, growing as they approached

They turned the corner then to see a large crowd, gathered beneath a wide roof that was open on the sides and held aloft by thick steel girders The space was lit by smoky flames from the open barrels that encircled the area Pushed to the side were long tables and chairs; ju pots of food from an adjacent structure

Everyone froze

Then, fro at them, first one voice and then another rose in a buzz of excitement There they are! The travelers! The ones from away!

As the crowd enfolded the softly sed And for a brief tiot all about his worries Here were people, hundreds of people, men and women and children all so apparently joyous at their presence he almost felt like thehi his hand So theifts; others htened or merely overcome by emotion, Peter couldn’t tell Somewhere at the periphery of his awareness Olson was instructing people to stay cals seemed unnecessary We’re so happy to see you, everyone was saying We’re so glad that you have coh ti and touching, the repeated words of greeting The idea ofnew people, let alone a crowd of hundreds, was so new and strange to hi childlike about them, he cae ju a look of wide-eyed innocence, almost of obedience The crowd’s wared, not a spontaneous reaction but one designed to elicit the very response it had produced in Peter: a feeling of co through histo keep track of the others, which proved difficult The effect of the crowd’s advance had been to separate theli above the head of a wohter, coet of wo with approval Peter saw one dart out her hand to touch Mausami’s stohter, Mira

"The one girl, Amy," Olson said, and it was the only time Peter had ever seen theclose to Alicia, ringed by a group of little girls ere pointing at Ahter While Peter watched, Alicia lifted one of her crutches to shoo the the Her eyes briefly met Peter’s Help, she seeain "No"

"How strange I’ve never heard of that" He glanced at his daughter before returning his attention to Peter, looking concerned "But she’s otherwiseall right?"

"All right?"

He paused "You’ll have to forgive reat prize Nothing is more important, with so few of us left And I see that one of your fenant People ant to know"

Your fee choice of words He looked toward Mausami, as still surrounded by the wonant, too

"I suppose"

"And the others? Sara and the redhead Lish"

The line of questioning was so odd, so out of the blue, that Peter hesitated, unsure of what to say or not say But Olson was looking at hi at least souess"

The answer seemed to satisfy hi to his lips "Good"

Fe of livestock He had the disquieting sense of having told tooso beside her father, was facing the crohich wasaway; Peter realized she hadn’t said a word