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The sky was just paling when Alicia stepped froave a loose-jawed yawn "Still here"
He nodded "Still here"
Each night without sign er their luck could hold But he never thought about this for long; it seeood fortune
Alicia said, "Turn around, I have to go"
Facing away, he heard Alicia unbuckle her trousers and lower herself to a squat Ten round with his back against a boulder Peter realized he was fast asleep
"So what do you els and all that"
"Your guess is as good as mine"
"Peter," she scolded, "I don’t believe that for a second" A moment passed, then: "Okay, you can turn around now"
He faced her again Alicia was cinching her belt "You’re the reason we’re here, after all," she said
"I thought Amy was"
Alicia turned her eyes away, toward the trees on the far side of river She let a silentas I can re to tell you is between us Understood?"
Peter nodded
"The night before we left, the two of us were in the trailer outside the lockup You asked me what I sahen I looked at Amy I don’t think I ever answered, and probably I didn’t know at the time But I’ll tell youhi an expression that was almost pained Peter fumbled for a response "I don’tunderstand"
"Yes, you do You may not know it, but you do You never talk about your father, or the Long Rides I’ve never pressed But that doesn’t mean I didn’t knohat theylike A your whole life You can call it destiny if you want, or fate Auntie would probably call it the hand of God Believe me, I’ve heard those speeches too I don’t think it ive it It is what it is So you ask me e’re here, and I’ll say, sure, we’re here because of A is, everybody knows it but you"
Peter didn’t knohat to say Ever since Aht in a strong current, and that this current was pulling hi the way had told him so But it was also true that each of thereat deal had simply come down to luck
"I don’t know, Lish It could have been anyone that day at the mall It could have been you Or Theo"
She disive your brother too much credit, but you always did And where is he now? Don’t getMaus was in no shape to travel, and I said so from the start But that’s not the only reason he stayed behind" She shrugged "I’ht need to hear it This is your Long Ride, Peter Whatever’s up that mountain, it’s yours to find Whatever else happens, I hope you get that chance"
Another silence fell So disturbed him It was as if these words were final ones As if she were saying goodbye
"You think they’re all right?" he asked "Theo and Maus"
"I couldn’t say I hope so"
"You know," he said, and cleared his throat, "I think Hollis and Sara-"
"Are together?" She gave a quiet laugh "And here I was, thinking you hadn’t noticed You should tell them you know Personally, it will be a load off everyone’s mind"
He was completely astounded "Everyone knows?"
"Peter" Shefrown "This is exactly what I’ood to save the huht want to pay a little ht in front of you"
"I thought I was"
"That’s what you thought We’re just people I don’t knohat’s up that mountain, but I do know thatthe way, if we’re lucky, we hten the load You should tell the to hear from you"
It still confounded hi with Sara and Hollis Perhaps, he thought, it was so at Alicia now, her hair shining in the ether on the roof of the power station, the two of thee and aift of stars At the ti a normal life, or what passed for one, had seemed as distant and impossible as the stars themselves Now here they were, more than a thousand kiloain-the same people they had always been, but also not the sa the hi to tell hiht on the roof of the power station, in that last easy hour before everything had happened That what they did, they did for love Not just Sara and Hollis; all of the him off Her face was suddenly flustered Behind her, Sara and Hollis were e
"Like I said, we’re all here because of you," Alicia said "Meto wake up the Circuit or a downriver, the sun had lifted over the crest of the valley, filling the branches of the trees with a vaporous light
It was almost half-day when Alicia, at the head of the line, abruptly halted She raised a hand to silence everyone
"Lish," Michael called fro?"