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One hand went up The kid it belonged to said, "Just a little It’s no big deal"

Turning back to Bodo, I s down at the kittens with a slight frown before turning to go He didn’t say a word all the way back to the group of kids he’d been eating with - the undertaker crew I couldn’t tell if he was angry or just jealous

"You like the the babies who’d both decided they needed attention and were crawling all over each other to get to ers When one of the, ht my face would break "Yeah I like the into the alcove to be with his tribesht about following his eird between us and now especially so I didn’t know for sure that the kittens were soift for me from Paci, but it felt that way And if it felt that way to me, it must seem that way to the others

Out of respect for Bodo, I had to tell Bodo what had happened between Paci and one from Kahayatle, and I needed to tell hi on beneath the surface that he wasn’t aware of It

I resolved then to tell hi I would be risking everything by doing it and also knowing I risked everything by not doing it

All of the able-bodied Miccosukee and Creek kids joined the undertaker group and helped dig the rave where we planned to put the ree We worked for five hours straight, using shovels we found in a big roo tools Apparently, the prisoners had done the landscaping at the prison, or they’d had the rateful for that particular punisharden

"So what’s next?" Ja down his face

"We have to onna be pretty either"

"Do we have ti at the sky Dark clouds were gathering in the distance, and a ru

"It’s going to rain," said Yokci, following aze "Maybe we’d better do it to out of the hole we’d dug It had several feet of water in it and smelled very swampy Flick was covered in muck and didn’t smell much better than I did

Derek walked over and stood next to ive up for today?"

"I say we give up for the day" I was riper than ripe now and wanted to take advantage of whatever downpour we et to shower "Let’s set up some water collection before the rain comes"

"I think Peter’s already on that," said Jaroup of kids off in the distance They were crouched over soe tarp had been positioned near a downspout co from the roof

I sging crew "Okay, everyone Let’s call it a day"

Sighs of happiness caers laid down on their backs I walked over to the nearest one and nudged hi that could be used as a shower thing?"

"Nah," he replied, staring up at the sky "We didn’t have tiot our asses beat any worse"

I sat down next to him "So what exactly happened, anyway? I probably should have asked before now, but I’ve been so busy worrying about these da else and not lose my mind"

"Well, they juht, but the rest just scattered into the swa up to defend the cattle and stuff I don’t think the canners had enough h I think our people will be okay at the ranch At least for a while Soo back to the swamp after the canners have cleared out, but it’s hard to say"

"But can they stay there indefinitely? At the ranch I mean?" I had never been to the ranch and had no idea what it even looked like

"Maybe There are three of them, and they’re all basically out in the open We’d set up some small towers so we can look out and try and keep an eye on any people approaching, but if the canners cos are a little help arnings and stuff, but it’s not like here"

"So what are they going to do?" I was stressing now about the idea ofturned into barbecue dinners The idiot canners didn’t seem to realize that food could be renewable if they just left so machines

"I have no idea We told them to come here I think that’s what they’ll eventually do if they can" He sighed heavily, looking over at o back … to see what happened and do e can to get people over here"

I felt sick "You’re right We need to do that And sooner rather than later"

Rob sat up "You mean that?"

"Of course I mean it What kind of an asshole do you think I am"