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Dawn's face lit up with an idea "You could say soreener because he who lives closer to nature acts closer to nature?"

"Are you any good at writing poems?" Jasmine asked "You could try toon any real responsibilities, Luce felt the need to be a the only thing she orse at than poetry and"Sure I can do that"

"Okay, phew!" Daiped her forehead "Then here's e where she'd been sitting and started ers

Luce knew she should be paying attention to Dawn's requests ("Wouldn't it be l'awesome if we lined up shortest to tallest?"), especially since, in a very short ti--about the environment in front of a hundred of her classmates But her mind was still clouded by that bizarre conversation with Francesca and Steven

Leave the Announcers to the experts If Steven was right, and there really was an Announcer out there for everyher to leave the entire past to the experts Luce wasn't trying to claim expertise on Sodom and Gomorrah; it was just her own past --hers and Daniel's--she was interested in And if anyone was going to be an expert on that, Luce gured it should be her

But Steven had said it himself: There were a trillion shadows out there It would be close to i to do with her and Daniel, let alone knohat to do with thelanced up at the second-story deck She could see only the tops of Francesca's and Steven's heads If Luce let her iination run freely, she could make up a sharp conversation between the not to bring theain

She was pretty sure that when it ca to be on her own

Wait athe icebreaker Shelby had said--

Luce rose to her feet, forgetting co, and was already crossing the deck when a piercing screa out behind her

As she whipped around toward the sound, Luce saw a ash of so black dip o the bow of the boat

A second later, it was gone

Then a splash

"Ohhalfway over the prow, looking down into the water They were screa into the cabin

Luce hopped up on the ledge beside Jasulped at what she san had tu in the water At rst, her dark head of hair and ailing arlanced up and Luce saw the terror on her white face

A horrible second later, a big wave overtook Dawn's tiny body The boat was still irls tre for her to resurface

"What happened?" Steven de a foaed life preserver from its ties under the bow

Jaset everyone's attention for the speech She b-b-barely leaned out--I don't kno she lost her balance"

Luce took another painful glance over the ship's bow The drop into the icy water was probably thirty feet There was still no sign of Dawn "Where is she?" Luce cried "Can she swirabbed the life preserver out of Francesca's hands, looped one arh it, and climbed to the top of the bow

"Luce--stop!"

She heard the cry behind her, but it was already too late She dove into the water, holding her breath, thinking on her way down of Daniel, and their last pe at the lake

She felt the cold in her rib cage rst, a harsh tightening around her lungs from the shock of the temperature She waited until her descent slowed, then kicked for the surface The waves poured over her head, spewing salt into her ht It was cumbersome to sith, but if she found Dahen she found Dawn--they would both need it to stay a oat while they waited for the lifeboat

She could vaguely sense a cla around the deck, calling down to her But if Luce was going to be any help to Dawn, she had to tune all of theht she saw the dark dot of Dawn's head in the freezing water She tore forward, against the waves, toward it Her foot connected with soone and she wasn't sure whether it had been Dawn at all

Luce couldn't go underwater while holding on to the life preserver, and she had a bad feeling that Daas deeper down She knew she shouldn't let go of the life preserver But she couldn't save Dawn unless she did

Tossing it aside, Luce lled her lungs with air, then plunged down deep, swi hard until the surface warmth disappeared and the water becarasped everywhere she could, hoping to reach Dawn before it was too late

It was Dawn's hair that Luce felt rst, the thin shock of short, dark waves Probing loith her hand, she felt her friend's cheek, then her neck, then her shoulder Dawn had sunk pretty far in such a short time Luce slipped her arth to pull her up, kicking powerfully toward the surface

They were far underwater, the daylight a distant shimmer

And Dawn felt heavier than she could possibly be, like a great weight was attached to her, dragging both of them down

At last Luce broke the surface Dawn sputtered, speater out of herHer eyes were red and her hair was matted on her forehead With one arently paddled them both toward the life preserver