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“Can’t you just open my head up and see for yourself?” I snapped “If I can do it, you can You have, obviously You’re the one keeping itated, sickened by the terrible violation I had co the e, not monsters, just kids who had made a very bad mistake

And yetand yet did I not want to see stilltheir intensity of feeling? There was a hunger inon borrowed emotion

Messenger said, “I can doof your hts and e?”

I threw up ly at Liam and Emma—my God, I knew them each better than I knew uilt But, of course, neither of them understood that I had just dined on their most intimate experiences

“I guess,” I said, “they shouldpay so Be made toThey should”

I could go no further Messenger relented then and turned away fro deao free, unbothered by me or by my apprentice”

“A game?” Liam echoed in obvious confusion

“A gao free If you lose, then you will face the thing you fear most”

“Whatwhat gaame?”

“We will consider,” Messenger said

“Wait,” Liam protested “We’re just supposed to sit here and wait, not knowing? I mean, what the hell, man?”

Emma was ready to jump in and also demand some kind of resolution, but whatever she had to say, I didn’t hear it then, for ere no longer with Eain with Samantha Early

9

IT WAS A SCHOOL LUNCHROOM NOISY, CHAOTIC, srease and overcooked brussels sprouts On the walls were posters exhorting the team to beat the Redwood Giants There was a nutrition poster on the wall next to the food line The tables were round six-tops withsound with each movement and laid a sort of uneven rhythm track beneath the babble of voices

Sairls None of the if not handsorown into his hands and feet, sat down across froreen, and so red