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Prologue

Northwestern Montana,

Cabinet Wilderness: October

No one knew better than Walter Rice that the only safe place ay from other people Safe for them, that is The only problem was that he still needed thehter To his sharounds just to listen to the voices and pretend they were talking to him

Which was a very s belly-down in the kinnikinnick and old ta the youngwith a pencil in aa sa the resultant partially filled plastic bag in his backpack

Walter had no fear the boy would see him: Uncle Sam had ensured that Walter could hide and track, and decades of living alone in so wilderness in the States had made him into a fair imitation of those miraculously invisible Indians who had populated the favorite books and movies of his childhood If he didn't want to be seen, he wasn't-besides, the boy had all the woodcraft of a suburban housewife They shouldn't have sent hirad students to the bears wasn't a good idea, ive them ideas

Not that the bears were out today Like Walter, they kne to read the signs: so storer didn't have a big enough pack to be prepared for it It was early for a winter storust

That stor the boy The storm and what to do about it-it wasn't often anymore that he was so torn by indecision

He could let the kid go The storm would come and steal away his life, but that was the way of the mountain, of the wilderness It was a clean death If only the grad student weren't so young A lifetiotten used to it Instead, one more seemed like one too many

He could warn the boy But everything in hi since he'd spoken face-to-face with anyoneeven the thought made his breath freeze up

It was too dangerous Might cause another flashback-he hadn't had one in a while-but they crept up unexpectedly It would be too bad if he tried to warn the boy and ended up killing him instead

No He couldn't risk the little peace he had by warning the stranger-but he couldn't just let him die, either

Frustrated, he'd been following for a few hours as the boy blundered, oblivious, farther and farther from the nearest road and safety The bedroll on his backpack ht toin the woods Unfortunately, it had become clearer and clearer it was a false confidence It was like watching June Cleaver roughing it Sad Just sad

Like watching the newbies co into ' Nam all starched and ready to be men, when everyone knew that all they as cannon fodder