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"Soul, can you do another ical scan for Misha? Or maybe a scan for a full witch circle?"

"I have tried questing," she said softly, "and found nothing because of the interference All I could detect was the ies in Natchez and Under the Hill"

"Okay Bobby and I are going for a ride," I told them

"You think he can dowse for you while he’s awake?" Eli asked

"Only one way to find out"

"I’ll co"

"Whatever," I said "Soul, will you look after Charly?"

"Certainly"

"The rest of you eat, hydrate, and gear up like you’re going to war"

Rick and Bruiser looked each other over and didn’t low that weird shade they did when his cat was scratching on his spirit He was looking at Bruiser when he growled, "Why?"

I wanted to say, Because I said so, but that et hairy"

"Are you going to tell us your plans?" Soul asked

"Sure Right now, I’ht be prisoner As soon as we get back, we’re going to rattle soes until a pretty flower falls out"

"Lotus," Soul said, sounding pleased

"Bingo And I’ PsyLED’s pardon," I added I stood and checked my pocket watches Each was in a separate pocket, so they couldn’t touch Just in case

The sun was setting, a red blaze on the western horizon, a from where Bobby and I stood dead center of Under the Hill The Mississippi was a , carrying debris beneath the surface to reappear farther on The river air was heavy with escall of the barges sounded and were answered, like thecalls of water birds A riverboat casino docked near shore advertised in neon, a startling purple scene of palm trees and three round circles above thea chips, or ed color, tinted bloody by the falling sun Behind us, to the east, clouds stillas the river, blackened by the coht were out, brilliant in the icy air A police car rolled by, its engine noise ht lights of the city of Natchez burned bright On the streets around us, a few tourists andering, taking in the sights--not nearly asthe news Eli was patrolling the streets and yards, unseen soht of January’s full moon--the full moon known by many American Indian tribes as the Full Wolf Moon The silvered orb was still below the horizon, but soon it would rise slowly behind a final thin layer of clouds, like a virgin bride dressed in lace veils

Which was pure poetic crap It was an icy ball of rock trapped by the gravity of the Earth I knew that But every ancient culture on Earth had revered the moon, had planted by its cycle, married and buried by its cycle, traveled by it, harvested by it, sailed by it Animals ht it was beautiful For that matter, so did I Just not poetic No way

It wasuseful Yeah To ancient peoples And to Beast when she hunted antlered bucks in harvest tiender in snow tihed, the sound fa somehow He put his cold hand intoaway froloves"

"But I need to feel the watch Bare skin is best for that," he said, sounding like the grownsure and certain and in control This was a new Bobby, not the child of hter

"Are you sure of this?" I asked for the u is the only way And Misha is dying"

I blinked back tears at the misery in his voice Misha was his family Misha had taken him in when his own family failed him or died out Would I have done the same? I wanted to think that I would have taken Bobby in, but I had to doubt it

"You always doubt yourself," Bobby said

I started "You a mind reader now too?" I asked harshly