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I’m thrown to the surface Gasp in the rain I look fer hih!

Lost to the roar of the river His narabs in an agin, it savestowards the rocks of the bank I shoot over rapids Outta the gorge into a wooded valley

Nero screeches above I look around, frantic I spot Lugh near the bank He’s caught in the roots of a fallen tree Sprawled, face down in the water Jack’s there too He’s jest pullin hisself froh! I yell Now, at last, the red hot kicks ht myself free of the current

Then I’ Lugh free

Don’t touch hiled roots Give hih I’m here, I’m here, it’s okay now, I says I’m lookin, touchin, checkin hiot shot, not much An Jack’s helpin inst onna be fine, I tell him An he’s so brave, he don’t make a sound I hold him in my arms, hold him close Not a mark on his beautiful face I kiss his birthmoon tattoo, the saers together I lay inst his He’s fine, I tell Jack He’s okay

I hold hiht to uess, I says We’re goin to the big water You an ht away If I hadn’t of bin so stubborn, if I’d of listened to you, we’d be there by now But we’ll git there, I promise, ill

I hafta stop fer a moment

I need yer help, I whisper You see … I made some mistakes an--you always knohat to do You always took care of me I should of told you before, I should of--please don’t leave me Please I cain’t be without you I dunno how to be without you in the world

Saba Jack’s crouched beside us

He’s sleepin, I says

Jack kisses my temple He ain’t asleep, he says

Emmi’s dead, I says

I know

I stare down at the river Broater rises, tugs at ht it I could slide in, with Lugh in one

Gone

My golden heart is gone

The sound of shoutin coh the rain

They’re comin, Jack says Saba, we hafta run We cain’t take him with us

I look at Jack He’s soaked an filthy His eyes bloom like stars in his muddy face The rain sheets down upon our heads

Find that river you talked about, I says That stretch of water at the top of the oin I don’t trust him to keep his word about you The rest of ’em he will, but not you

Saba! DeMalo’s voice, his row closer Saba! They’re all callin my name

You did a deal with him, says Jack

It’s me he wants Only me He alins, I says

Jack’s drawn back I see his face change As some kinda truth starts to dawn in hier, I says All he had to do ait I did this myself To all of us

What deal did you make?

To ht our freedom in his bed, You’ll pardon me if I don’t thank you You should of listened to yer brother Listened to me Left this place, like we told you to I always knew you’d funk it at the first deep cut But I never once thought you’d betray us

I’m doin this to save you, I says

I didn’t ask to be saved None of us did I thought you unnerstood, he says What we’re doin here is bigger than any of our lives

It’s over, Jack

All that’s over, he says, is you an one Disappeared to the rain

Saba! It’s DeMalo’s voice Urgent There she is!

I hold Lugh tight to my heart I slide with him into the river

Then the pain