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Well spoke, says Mercy I’ht, Mercy, I says

Only if I won’t be a hindrance, she says No guilt on your side, no blas in his pocket Think I got a coin in here so to rest on a coin flip I want everybody with me If this works an we roll it out, we all hafta do it, believe in it, stick with it Not jest one or two of us an the others go off with guns I ain’t crazy, I promise you An this ain’t some desperate idea I ca that onna take more nerve an more sht, we could ithout nobody gittin hurt Please One chance, that’s all I ask Tonight One action No weapons Lemme crack open that fault line an see what happens Whaddya say?

Slim slaps his knees I say, help yer Uncle Slirabs inst his bulk an I’m fixed with his hard one-eyed stare He says, We played a cool game of chicken with the Tonton that day, you anwith yer nerve, Miss Death Go on, then You showFar as I’o That makes it five to three, he says

Six to two, says Tommo I believe in you, Saba

A smile breaks over my face fer him Thanks, Tommo, I says My breath starts to come more easy

Ash stares at me With a little frown that says I’m a problem she cain’t work out

Yer the one planted this idea in ht of Resurrection That huge fortress risin up in front of us A garrison of Tonton inside with their arsenal of weapons All of them Only five of us It seemed so is can cause big trouble, that’s what you said We did An we can do it agin

She starts to nod Skeeter bite brings fever, she says Little thorn sticks in you, yer blood goes bad All right Let’s see you do this thing That makes you the only holdout, Creed

Slim says, Jump off the cliff with the rest of us, son You never knoe round, arms crossed over his chest, shakin his head from time to time I don’t believe this, he says All of yuz It’s a complete waste of time Go on, do what you like He starts to walk away He raises his voice, not lookin back as he says, When you crash, coht That’s if I’m still around

Creed! I call after him One chance! C’e of the hill

I got it! cries Peg

We all turn She’s grabbed hold of the windcrank on the nose of her airbuggy She hangs her weight to shove it around It turns Once Very slowly Then, very slowly, the whole thing collapses

I’m headin down the hill to find a quiet place to think when Ash comes chasin after me Wait up! she calls

There bein only rooy path, she has to stick behind me As we pick our rocky way down, she says, Pretty wild idea You changed yer tune some

Whatever it takes, Ash Mythat makes sense

There’s the scrabble of feet behind us We look back to find Emmi an Tracker in pursuit He flies past, leapin the rocks like a h! As Emmi squeezes an elbows past Ash, her feet slide out frorabs her collar to save her from a tuht, hangin on my arm She looks at me With her clear as a suin, not ever, she says I’onna step up, I swear You’ll see