In to gat in a stand of bare oaks. Bird by bird, to t t. My kidnapping, still fres me timid and battered, not trusting a soul in t days and ine appearance of ture provided reas-suring tinuity. By time trees lost tretco tened me. I came to look for-o tted against try sky, a natural part of my new life.

        taugion to Speck, Igel, Béka and On-ions, t and assured, and tagalong, Cterb of pearls, and cruly funny or exg, sook off like a skittering bat, dang in circles and figure eighe clearing.

        Apart from talian grocers in toger and quicker tive. t, Smaolac be more dissimilar. to Béka, Smaolacrated on task at    as a robin tugging up a of us all, o ried to feign nonchalance.

        Igel, t and leader of took pains to explain t. o gig fs and fiso find er collected o distinguisoadstools, and dozens of otricks. But even t guide is no maty early time, I    me under stant c least to stay around camp, o    any    of other people.

        "If tc; Igel told me. "And lock you aest to see if t by t;

        "And you ; said Ragno.

        "A; said Zanzara, and Crated by dang around to the edge of darkness.

        , a small party    as, and sayed beh deerskins.

        "Since you are t," Igel told me, "you    cs."

        Smaolacood over ticed t    ment of coed brogues, vas tennis sed boot, c last a pair of brand neips t seemed to be my size.

        "t your ankles off."

        " t; I asked, ennis s;I migo squeeze into t; My feet felt damp and che cold ground.

        Smaolaced around and picked out t broipped eel plate. "trust me, toasty all er long, and a long time in t;

        "But too small."

        "Dont you knoo rousers pocket and pulled out a pair of t;And I found t;

        tion. t ser and an oilskin jacket, test days.

        As ts lengts and solitary beds for a olen blas. t togetangled clump. I rat of tu-ation, alt of my friends id odors about t of t be t, from ty of summer to te fall and tion of er. Several of tures    ty. Indeed, a    all, so taking a bateets ers, but some of tiest beasts.

        t first er, I yearo gat ve dusk and da.    beo suffer babysitters like t toad Béka and so ture.

        On a gray m, Igel o stay beo c, my friend Smaolac    of tea from dried bark and peppermint, and as ched a cold rain fall, I pressed my case.

        " you let me go ;

        "My great fear is t youll run ary to return , Aniday. You are one of us no; Igel sipped ea and stared at a point far off. After a det interval, letting o my mind, inued. "On true obediend deference. I t of our ;

        Smaolacared into t lan-guage, all vo sentes before spitting t. ternally puzzled over    process tation el resumed udy of the horizon.

        "Youre to e ernoon," Smaolacorial ;ell ss as soon as t of t back."

        "You better dress ; Igel advised. "t;

        O snoarted mixing es, a o fall. e ill sitting in our places o ter sometimes came early to our part of try, but usually    get a snoil after Cmas. As t time    least t certainly    of my family, still looking for me every day in t me dead,    ing my welfare.

        At ions, putting out table and tair rail. t C-mas, my fatook me out to cree for t me to    one. I even missed my little sisters. ere talking and dreaming of Santa Claus, w w had bee of me?

        " day is it?" I asked Luco hes.

        into t;tuesday?"

        "No, I mean    day of t;

        "I e November, early December. But memory is a tricky t es to time or ;

        Cmas    passed after all. I resolved to co celebrate te fas of t care about hings.

        "Do you kno;

        ruggled into s. "No t;

        "I    to make a dar."

        "A dar? ore of paper and any number of pencils to keep a dar out eaco cake notice of time enoug;

        "But    to draure or e someone a note?"

        Luc. "rite? to eirely, and t , didnt learn in t place. It is better to    be putting do    tle trea-sure."

        "But I do like to draures."

        e started across tood like tall trees, ferring. Because Luc of us all, rouble keeping up    my side, inued a-tion.

        "So, youre an artist, are ye? No pencil and paper? Do you kno tists of old made t of animal skin and bird feat and spit. till, tes. Ill teaco leave your mark, a you t paper if you , but iime."

        ;Youve earned my trust, Aniday. Listen and ;

        Luc off into to    toget t t toics.

        I    being out of t camp, but my panions did t to trol my curiosity. t me stumble about on trails for a time before my clumsiness flus. to t a fio ook t. Copying ts, I became nearly as graceful, and ly t I could steps. Silence s oand instantly Smaola of tify its cause. t ing its o spy on us from a t, a pletely faded, ramped t grounds to ters edge ice crystals greening closely, ers surface. t faded like a whisper and vanished.

        "Listen"—Smaolac;to t;

        At oo sleet,    ture sympural ook cover in a grove of evergreens. Icased eac. Luc a leat produg a tiny paper and t pinc looked like tobacco. it fingers and a quick lick, te. From anotion of tracted several ced turned all but oo terproof partment. ruck tc to burst into flame, te. Smaolaco reag tcips,    it in t order oast our palms and fiips. Lucte to Smaolacook a deep drag and ime.    last, t o a joke.

        "Give t; Smaolaced.

        "I dont kno;

        "Do ; said Luceet;But    tell Igel about t tell a all."

        I took a drag on tte and began cougter-ing from t on lauger t scrap range perfume, ent, simultaneously alert and peaceful. t began to taper off, and sileurned like a lost friend.

        "Did you ?"

        " is it?" I asked.

        Luc;First, listen to see if you ." A moment later, to me, and ts substand in mysti-fied me.

        Luco    and rousted ;Its a car, little treasure. omobile?"

        I s ook , running faster tcrees oood. Mud and snotling our trousers as    an insanely giddy pace.    go of my rail one beumbled and fell into to my feet, cold and    and dirty, I realized I    time in montook o te to find my friends. Fierce pains of tration s ay fore I bore do a oo far a of sigrees and branc acle. I , fold-ing up its    t moment, gliding through.

        up, I found tanding be of t edge. Before us lay a road and on t road a car opped, its s streaking ty darkness, broken pieces of tal grille glistening on t. t sy cab. to, but trong arms of my friends epped into t, a t red coat. So    ouche road.

        "S a deer," Luce of sadness in s prostrate form, pulling    her lips.

        "Is it dead?" I asked.

        "trick," said Smaolac voice, "is to breato its mouts not dead at all, but in s;

        Lue. "ell    until s."

        "Me?"

        "Dont you kno;

        tion overo knorue; I ed to test my o lonesome road, sing in botions for anot notice me until I s s pulse rag alongside my oo its    mout immediately, t lifted its    of tself up into a stand-ing position. For an instant, it stared at me; te ensign, its tail s up a o t. to say t urn of events    severe uatement. S    t moment, my rades started calling to me in loud whispers.

        "; Sig red coat. Or at least I t t er. I stared at t I did not knorue ahe pale bluegreen of her irises behind her glasses. her eyes were splendid.

        "e must go." From to to    angle    s in    kno at time, but s o enter for more tail-ligrees until to see.

        e retreated bap in a cross silence. ;You mustnt tell anyone about ent ; On ted a necessary fi to explain our long absence, ied a narrative of ters and told, our story endured. But I never fot t secret of ted er,    t briging reminded me t it h.
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