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"If it took you nine days to get here, you should only have had five days of food left Maybe fifteen packets altogether But I re, I was, like, ’She’s got tons!’"

Tally sed, trying not to show any expression

"And it turns out I was right Twelve plus six plus eight istwenty-six?"

"Yeah, I guess"

He nodded, working the saw carefully beneath a low branch "I thought so But you left the citybefore your birthday, right?"

Tally thought fast "Sure But I guess I didn’t really eat three Bol after a while"

"See trip"

Tally struggled to do the ure out what sort of numbers would add up She reht: Soht be a spy Tally had thought they all accepted her by now Apparently not

She took a deep breath, trying to keep the fear out of her voice "Look, Croy, let

A secret"

"What’s that?"

"I probably left the city with more than just teeks’ worth of food I never really counted"

"But you kept saying - "

"Yeah, I erated a little, just to , you know? Like I could have run out of food when the rangers didn’t turn up But you’re right, I always had plenty"

"Sure" He looked up at her, shtto be true"

"But most of what I said was - "

"Of course" The sahined to a stop in his hand "I’m sure most of it was Question is, howto think of what to say It was nothing but a few extra food packets, hardly proof that she was a spy She should just laugh it off But the fact that he was dead right silenced her

"You want the saw for a while?" he saidthis up is hard work"

Since they were clearing brush, there was no load of ht their lunch out with theh it Tally was glad when Shay took her lunch away froe of the dense forest She followed, settling next to her friend in the dappled light "I need to talk to you, Shay"

Shay, not looking at her, sighed softly as she tore her bread into pieces "Yeah, I guess you do"

"Oh Did he talk to you, too?"

Shay shook her head "He didn’t have to say anything"

Tally frowned "What do you ot here I should have seen it right away"

"I never - " Tally started, but her voice betrayed her "What are you saying? You think Croy’s right?"

Shay sighed "I’ that - " She stopped and turned to face Tally "Croy? What about Croy?"

"He was talking to ot a sleeping bag And he figured that after nine days getting here I had too Bol left"

"You had too muchwhat ?" Shay’s expression was one of total confusion "What on earth are you talking about?"

"Reot here? I told everyone that" Tally trailed off, for the first ti Shay’s eyes They were lined with red, as if she hadn’t slept "Wait a second, what did you think I was talking about?"

Shay held out a hand, fingers splayed "This"

"What?"

"Hold out yours"

Tally opened one hand, e of Shay’s

"Same size," Shay said She turned both her palms up "Same blisters, too"

Tally looked down and blinked If anything, Shay’s hands were in worse shape, red and dry and cracked with the ragged edges of burst blisters Shay alorked so hard, diving in first, always taking the hardest jobs

Tally’s fingers went to the gloves tucked into her belt "Shay, I’m sure David didn’t mean to - "

"I’ifts in the Smoke"

Tally bit her lip It was true She pulled the gloves from her belt "You should take them"

"I Don’t Want Them"

Tally sat back, stunned First Croy, now this

"No, I guess you don’t" She dropped the gloves "But Shay, shouldn’t you talk to David before you go nuts about this?"

Shay chewed at a fingernail, shaking her head "He doesn’t talk to me thatiot stuff on his ritted her teeth "I neverI mean, I like David, but"

"It’s not your fault, okay? I know that" Shay reached out and gave Tally’s heart-shaped pendant a little flick "And besides, maybe your mysterious someone will show up, and it won’t h, once the Specials got here, Shay’s romantic life would be the least of anyone’s worries

"Have you even ht be an issue"

"No I haven’t"

"Why not?"

"It just never cahtened "That’s convenient"

Tally let out a groan "But Shay, you said it yourself: I wasn’t supposed to be giving out directions to the Soing to go advertising it"

"Except by wearing that thing around your neck Which didn’t do h, since apparently David didn’t notice it"

Tally sighed "Or maybe he doesn’t care, because this is all just in your" She couldn’t finish It wasn’t just in Shay’s head; she could see it now, and feel it too When David showed her the railway cave, and told her his secret about his parents, he had trusted her, even when he shouldn’t have And now this present Could it really be just Shay overreacting?

In a quiet part of her mind, Tally realized that she hoped it wasn’t

She took a deep breath, expelling the thought "Shay, what do you want me to do?"

"Just tell him"

"Tell him what?"

"About why you wear that heart About your mysterious someone"

Too late, Tally felt the expression on her face

Shay nodded "You don’t want to, do you? That’s pretty clear"

"No, I will Really"

"Sure you will" Shay turned away, pulling a hunk of bread fro a vicious bite

"Iwill " Tally touched her friend’s shoulder, and instead of pulling away, Shay turned back to her, her expression almost hopeful

Tally sed "I’ll tell hi, I promise"