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She was soination; soain, the blood without fragrance and without killing I wanted to go to her and lift my hand and touch the skin which seemed absolutely iile crust

"All the men on the island are dead, aren't they?" I asked I shocked myself

"All but ten There were seven hundred people on this island Seven have been chosen to live "

"And the other three?"

"They are for you "

I stared at her For me? The desire for blood shifted a little, revised itself, included her and hurant kind, the kind that- But there was no physical need I could still call it thirst, technically, but it was actually worse

"You don't want theod, who shrinks from his duty? You know all those years, when I listened to you, long before you s tomen I loved it that you hunted thieves and killers; that you liked to s their evil whole Where's your courage now? Your ie, as it were?"

"Are they evil?" I said "These victi for me?"

She narrowed her eyes for a randeur of the plan frighten? For surely the killing means little "

"Oh, but you're wrong," I said "The killing always randeur of the plan terrifies me The chaos, the total loss of allBut that's not cowardice, is it?" How calm I sounded How sure of myself It wasn't the truth, but she knew it,

"Let ation to resist," she said "You cannot stop me I love you, as I told you I love to look at you It fills me with happiness But you can't influence me Such an idea is absurd "

We stared at each other in silence I was trying to find words to tell s of princesses with shining tresses whose na to understand whyat her; and yet I didn't care that she was beautiful; I cared about e said to each other

"Why have you chosen this way?" I asked "You knohy," she said with a patient smile "It is the best way It is the only way; it is the clear vision after centuries of searching for a solution "

"But that can't be the truth, I can't believe it " "Of course it can Do you think this is impulse with me? I don't make my decisions as you do,I treasure, but such sone for me, You think in terms of lifetimes; in terht out for thousands of years ns for the world that is nowthat I arden, I cannot create the Eden of huination-unless I eliminate the males almost completely "

"And by this you mean kill forty percent of the population of the earth? Ninety percent of all males?"