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Niko kept his light on the ground A few feet in front of us Steady and measured

It’s hard to walk in the dark, but it was sort of okay, because it was like we had blinders on We couldn’t see to the left or the right, just where the flashlight was

We didn’t walk on the road Niko felt we ht be attacked

Instead alked on the side about 20 feet off, parallel to the road

On the road were lots of cars and lots of bodies Things werein drifts over cars and bodies

It made me think of Mr Culleton, in Earth Studies, and our block on cos returned to their most dense, nutritive form

If the sun ever comes back, maybe this will be the best farmland ever

I know that’s a stretch, but that’s the only nice thing I can think of to say about all the slime and mold

Anyalked

And Batiste got blisters, which he told ry, which he told me

And I said, "I’m sorry about that, Batiste," every tiive his hand a squeeze and that also seemed to help him

It was a hard, hard walk

Finally, Niko led us back up to the road He started flashing the light into cars

I nudged Batiste "I bet we’re going to stop for a water break!"

He sht in a few cars, but there were bodies in them He made us stand back fro back I didn’t need to see any more bodies and none of the little kids did either

On soet them open

Then, suddenly, he ducked down and ht

A

It darted and veered between the cars The light seeht and it made me realize that my eyes had become somewhat adjusted to the darkness

It cales--he had a long beard and a leather jacket and everything And riding on the back was a little oldfor hiht by and didn’t see us at all

"Maybe it’s his father," said Batiste

"Most likely," I agreed "Or just someone the biker found and wanted to save"

He ht, like our bus

I wondered how long the tires on our bus had lasted I hoped that they had rotted to shreds

Niko found a car It was a silver Nissan Murano

He waved us over and we hurried and got into the car Max and Ulysses flopped down in the way back I sat in the backseat with Sahalia Batiste and Niko and Josie were up front Like a faot out the cigarettes and started puffing away

Do you knoful cigarettes are? The set a nice feeling in your brain A kind of openness But that’s it

I was blowing smoke toward the back and Sahalia toward the front

"Is s a sin?" Batiste asked Niko

"No," Niko answered "It’s unhealthy, but it’s not a sin"

"Then I guess I’ll sed

"No fair!" Max and Ulysses protested

Sahalia lit a cigarette for Batiste and passed it to him

"Don’t inhale too arette between er and ers--like a V He looked like a little Frenchman

Sahalia watched hihter

Batiste pricked up one eyebrow and said, "What?"

So God kno many layers, but with a clean, round face and his hat perched on his head and the cigarette

We all started laughing

The laughing was that boiling-over kind The kind that brings you to tears andI saw that Max had taken hishis head off

Niko took off his mask and then Josie

"It does see cancer," Josie said grihing again

Josie rolled her eyes and gulped down some water

Niko handed out the protein bars

"Thank you, God, for this food, a in to his bar

"Niko, is it true what that cadet guy said?" Max asked

"About what?"

"About the people at the airport," heor paranoid"

"What’s this?" Josie asked, concerned

Niko explained what Payton had told us