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Mother s about, do you?"

Peter resented the conte over it, that's supposed tobetter?"

"You really are a piece of work, Peter," she said, pushing past him

He followed her into the kitchen "I bet they hang up stockings for them up in Battle School and fill the noises"

"I' Christs," said Mother

"Whatever they do for Christ us"

"Just because you wouldn't miss us doesn't mean he doesn't"

He rolled his eyes "Of course I'd miss you"

Mother said nothing

"I'etting along fine He's adapting People adapt To anything"

She turned slowly, reached across and touched his chest, then hooked a finger through the neckline of his shirt and drew hi a child"

"It's not like he's dead," said Peter

"It's exactly like he's dead," said Mother "I will never again see the boy who left here I'll never see hie seven or nine or eleven I'll have no ine That's what the parents of dead children have So until you actually know sos, for instance--why don't you just shut up?"

"Merry Christmas to you too," said Peter He left the room

His own bedrooe to hi there that expressed a personality That had been a conscious decision on his part--anything individual that he put on display would give Valentine an advantage in their endless dueling But at this ing in his ears, his bedroom looked so sterile that he hated the person ould choose to live in it