e ion, s in a roing for some decision from Béka bre resting places. Ragno and Zanzara ed t basiing; tangled in vinelike riots, and t. Cimes not speaking for days on end. Desperate    ras, Luiest provocation and    for le disposition. I en find Smaolacer ts, staring at tant, o ion, and    aloogethers.

        In t Indian summer, tayed e t, and a sed spring broug only a rene anoted bounty, ts exte of ss. t off tion. Even trees slourated o paler shades of green.

        "Aniday," s;listen. ;

        e ting at ted o gating t tails as to to a tangle of ss te tter. S ed    me. t danced in patterns on the breeze.

        "Look at t one." Sly, pointing    a lone blackbird, struggling to reac t persisted, pio talk s s, ttacked tes. After its meal, to sing, t, and took off and folloo tober afternoon.

        " came ; I fessed to ;I    returo trees around our ;

        "You used to cry like a baby." ened and slo;I    is like to ead of sticks and bones. I remember my mot in ued places— rounder, fuller, deeper. Stro by looking."

        "tell me    o me?"

        "; s;I estle you on o you old Irisales and called you tle man. But you ly ing more and desperate over any attention so your little sisters."

        "Sisters?" I asked, not remembering.

        "t;

        I eful t swo.

        "You resented    your time    yours to do    you pleased. O. Your motaking care of to    by it all, and t made you aill. An un; railed off for a moment, and she laid her hand on my arm;

        "ed for you like a fox at ts of miscs torn from ted your life, and turn it is brooks nument. Every eye icipating a moment of petula;

        Speck drew me closer, ran he crook of her nape.

        "So , so t s    you left t. Noay ub, and Ill be rigside, I so dont make any trouble. And out you stepped to toss a ball into t yellocter across t. I ed to e play    someone o coddlers. I slipped inside, crouccertop,    notice me or do t tage and could oying ure polis poison, or opening cutlery drao juggle ting into they were in danger, while she was ing herself in her robe and singing as she dried her hair.

        "Meano uncover a surprise. Sometirred among t of leaves and s ran t. A rabbit? Peraircase, calmly calling, and discovered tabletop quite alone. You stood blinking into trails. From berong ood t, her face a mask of anger.

        "? soddling across t, srouble a ttom so    in ;

        Speck igill.

        "But you tom , and youd so touc stony silence. As suffed it in your pocket, and slipped out of t a sound. I folloernoon."

        "as I scared to be alone?"

        "Curious, Id say. A dry creek paralleled to t, and you follos patening for tter of tctering tter. I could o Béka, o our leader. As you sat on ting one of ts and t of to e take you."

        "Every time t; I told ;a moo get me."

        "East of tnut, cracked and dying from ttom up. An animal    a large o climb inside ay and t    yo sleep. I stood outside time,    stumbled upon you. Skittering flass led ts to tand to silence.

        "Not long after tions and stopped before me, ti tree. ted.    I ed to cry. o t;

        Sop of my head.

        "If I c; I asked ;;

        Despite my questions, s tell me more t I ser a o pig berries. Altraits of midsummer, topping tilt of t came like a sudden clap. e s and stars, ted our return, and I ers    t croupe ate from s of raspberries from our stails, ambrosia esg from t, and to taining their lips red as kisses.

        t day, Béka announced ;a plaaccessible to all but t intrepid er e e and ss loose, deg face, as inable a o find. No sign of life, no trees or plants of any kind ot even for a moments rest, nor any flying i of any sort, t about ts. No footprints except our leaders. St purc o scout out t alone proclaim it aken one look at sucation and passed by    see, until , ts squeezed tone. Moving from t    of Indian summer into trance as sudden as a dive into a cold pool. A. my pupils dilated in t even realize to ;;

        "Its a mine," Speck said. "An old abandoned mines w;

        A pale glo torcural so us all, "ele ;
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