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"Co the junkyard heard me "Come, darkness damn you! I have a feast even you should like the taste of!"

And she appeared, crouching in front of led around her shoulders, her madness-flecked eyes sharp and wary

"Where?" Lil asked "What feast?"

I s my own sharp teeth "Inradual amazement "Yes," she said at last "Oh, yes Lovely" Her eyes fluttered shut, and she lifted her head, opening herin you, for so s Delicious" She opened her eyes and frowned in puzzlement "You were not so tasty before What has happened?"

"Many things, Lady Lil Terrible things, which is why I called you Will you help me?"

She smiled "No one has prayed to irl?"

She was like a bauble-beetle, scuttling after any shiny thing "Will you help irl behind aze settled on her, suddenly avid "I’ll help you," she said to ht back disgust "I’ll give you anything that is hed "Never liked him No one wants his junk, but he doesn’t share" Sulky, she flicked a fingertip at soripped her hand,your siblings, Lady Lil They’re hunting me now, and they may catch me soon"

She stared at my hand on hers in surprise, then at me "I don’t care about any of that," she said

Das? Were the sane ones avoiding me? "There are others who do," I said "Neives ot what I’d meant to say for a aive you hts by the time this business was done, I hoped

"Maybe," she said, suddenly calculating, "but ill you give o to her?"

Startled, I tried to think I had no food on hand, nothing else of value But I could not escape the feeling that Lil knehat she wanted of me; she just wanted me to say it first

Huoddess in a way It was her right to deround and bowed my head "Tell me what you want of me"

"Your arm," she said, too quickly "It’s useless noorse than useless It ht Letat my side There was a swollen, hot-to-the-touch knot in the upper arh fortunately it hadn’t co fros, their blood poisoned by bits of bone, or infection and fever setting in

It wasn’t the arm I preferred to use; I was left-handed And I had already decided that I would not need it for er

I took a deep breath "I can’t be incapacitated," I said softly "I need to… to still be able to run"

"I can do it so quickly that you’ll feel no pain," Lil said, leaning forward in her eagerness I sain, that fetid whiff of breath fro to coax me Carrion But she preferred fresh meat "Burn the end so it won’t bleed You’ll hardly miss it"

I openedus both Leaning on one arm, I nearly fell as I tried to whirl around I could see hiirl yelped and scuttled away from us "You was dead! What the deain with!" Lil said, her fists clenching in thwarted anger "You have no right to forbid reeable, Lil" I heard wood rattle and dust grit as he climbed out of the alcove "Or do you mean to kill another of my children, Oree?"