Page 99 (1/1)

Her htened She was tired out, finished; she could have gone to sleep now, sitting up there on the car It would be disgraceful if she went to sleep

She mustn't think about the battlefield She couldn't think; she could only look on at things co turnips at Barrow Hill Far out on the fields at Stow? You would mind thatover the fields carrying a lamb that she had taken fro up the field to their seat in the beech ring That hurt her; she couldn't bear it; she ht; he wasn't shirking They had been away so long now that she knew they es and all the nearer places had been gleaned It would be dark before they ca dark now, and she was afraid that when the light went she would go to sleep If only she wasn't so tired

She was so drowsy that at first she didn't hear McClane speaking, she hadn't seen him come to the step of the car

McClane's voice sounded soft and unnatural and a little 's--happened"

"Who to?"

"We-ell--"

The muffled drawl irritated her Why couldn't he speak out?

"Is John hurt?"

"I'm afraid so"

"Is he killed?"

"Well--I don't know that he can live A German's put a bullet into him"

"Where is he?"

She jumped down off the car

McClane laid his hand on her ar hio to hi to him Where is he?"

He steered her very quickly and carefully across the street, then led her with his ar her back to the dark shelter of the houses They heard the barking of uns from the battlefield at the top and the rattle of the bullets on the causeway These sounds seenificance As if they had existed only in some unique relation to John Conway, his death robbed them of vitality

The door of the house opened a little way; they slipped into the long narrow roohted by a few oil lamps at one end At the other John's body lay on a stretcher set up on a trestle table, his feet turned outwards to the door, ready The corners at this end were so dark that the body seemed to stretch across the whole width of the rooave it to McClane And she saw John's face; the bridge of his nose, with its winged nostrils lifted His head was tilted upwards at the chin; that gave it a noble look His htly openMcClane shifted the light so that it fell on his forehead Black eyebrows curling up like little uarded the dead eyes