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Alicia sank back on her cot with a groan "I don’t think I can keep this up that long"

"What’s the problem?" Peter asked

"Jude is the proble here, but I’ to have to take this"

Herwas plain "Do you think you canI don’t know, hold him off?"

"Don’t worry aboutto like it" She paused, suddenly uncertain "There’s so to do with Jude I’ this up Does anybody remember Liza Chou?"

Peter did, at least by name Liza was Old Chou’s niece She and her faht-killed or taken up, he couldn’t recall Peter reether in the Sanctuary She was one of the older children, practically an adult in his eyes

"What about her?" Hollis asked

Alicia hesitated "I think I saw her today"

"That’s impossible," Sara scoffed

"I know it’s i about this place is impossible But Liza had a scar on her cheek, I do reet what it was And there it was, the sa about this new bit of infor pattern his mind couldn’t quite discern "Where was this?"

"In the dairy barns I’m pretty certain she saw me, too Jude ith ain she was gone"

It was conceivable, Peter supposed, that she had escaped, and soirl, as Liza was at the time, travel such a distance?

"I don’t know, Lish Are you sure?"

"No, I’m not sure I didn’t have the chance to be sure I’ she looked a lot like Liza Chou"

"Was she pregnant?" Sara asked

Alicia thought for a moment "Conant," Hollis offered "It makes sense, doesn’t it? A Little’s a Little"

"But why no boys?" Sara went on "And if so nant, wouldn’t there be more children?"

"Aren’t there?" asked Alicia

"Well, I thought so too But I didn’t count ht And the children I see all seem to be the same ones"

Peter said, "Hollis, you said there were so on that pile of tires"

"Hightop, check it out"

Caleb rose fro it a crack

"Let uess," Sara said "The one with the crooked teeth and her friend, the little blond girl"

Caleb turned froht That’s who’s out there"

"That’s what I mean," Sara insisted "It’s always the same ones It’s like they’re always out there so we think there’shere?" This was Alicia "Okay, I agree it’s strange about the boys But thisI don’t know, Sara"

Sara turned to face Alicia, squaring her shoulders coirl who died fifteen years ago She’d be, what, in her midtwenties noould you knoas Liza Chou?"

"I told you The scar And I think I know a Chou when I see one"

"And that means we’re supposed to take your word for it?"

Sara’s sharp tone seeh Alicia "I don’t care if you do or not I sahat I saw"

Peter had heard all he wanted to "Both of you, enough" The to to solve anything What’s the matter with you?"

Neither woman answered; the tension in the roohed and flopped back on the cot again

"Forget it I’ I can’t sleep at all in this place It’s so godda"

For a moment no one spoke

"The fat woman?" Hollis said

Alicia sat up quickly "What did you say?"

"In the kitchen" His voice was grave "From the Time Before"

Caleb stepped toward them from the door "I tell you, the boy isn’t just dumb"

Sara finished for him: "he’s been struck du about her, too"

Everyone was looking at Peter now What were his friends talking about? What fat lady?

He shook his head "Sorry"

"But the rest of us are having the sa "It would appear so"

Michael had been drifting in and out of a forirl stepped around the screen Younger than Billie, but with the sa a tray before her

"I thought you ry"

As she advanced into the room, the smell of warm food hit Michael’s senses like an electric current He was suddenly ravenous The girl placed the tray on his lap: soreens, and, most wondrous of all, a fat slice of buttered bread Metal utensils lay beside it, wrapped in a rough cloth

"I’ Why was everybody always s, he saw What little hair she possessed was so fair it was practically white, like a Little’s "I was the one who took care of you"