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“I did it with Strand”

“You were tough with” The silence stretches and stretches as slowly Jenou realizes what she means

The confession see in the air between them It takes Jenou a solid minute before she can ask, “You mean, just now, after he crashed?” When Rio doesn’t answer she says, “Tunis? Tunis? And you didn’t tell me?”

“I kne you’d react Like it was this terribly i”

“It’s not?” Jenou is flabbergasted

Rio shakes her head and wipes furtively at a tear “Look around us here, Jen” Rio waves a hand to encompass the beach and the whole island and indeed the whole war “Look at all of this What’s important compared to this? What

does anythingthis?” Each “this” sounds like a curse word

“But, honey, Rio, we’re going ho home to Gedwell Falls, and so is Strand, and it’s not like either of you can just forget what happened My God, this et married”

“Really?” Rio’s laugh is a sneer “Suddenly you, Jenou Castain, are the voice of morality?”

“Well, no, but I’ve never—”

“You lie!”

“Don’t you call me a liar!”

“You’ve toldher what she wants She’s searching and not finding any inity

Jenou shakes her head and looks at Rio sideways, as if tilting her head will show her a new picture of her friend “Everything but that,” Jenou says She makes a cross over her heart “Hope to die”

Rio closes her eyes and stands swaying, tired, so tired And more than tired, disturbed, twisted around inside There’s a rage boiling inside her again, a rage with no target, a rage she can’t put into words