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That explained nothing "That’s it?"

"That’s it On this world, under this set of circu whom you lived are ile We exist to er needed, we’ll die out like many other subspecies before us"

The s, the ather the crumbs of information and hope all would make sense sooner or later

Lucas walked on, down the wide path of smooth stones Karina scra the path and over a bridge The gardens burrowed into nooks in the buildings here and there, for areas To the left to They looked so normal Both wore jeans; the older of the pair had on a flowered top, white on blue; the younger woman wore a familiar yellow blouse--Karina had looked at it in J C Penney last week

Last week A lifetio

The wohtness, as if they were straining to keep calaze and saw pity in their eyes Suddenly it ht now, they wouldn’t lift a finger to help her They would just sit there and watch him choke her to death and feel sorry for her She raised her chin and stared at Lucas’s back No, thank you She didn’t need anyone’s pity

Henry’s words came back to her Lucas is the most feared "They’re afraid of you," she said

"I’ment," he said "I can kill anyone on base at any point without any retribution"

"You protect the this?"

Lucas kept walking "Because everyoneis right and est it’s er I would do it for you"

He would She believed him "Lucas"

"Yes?"

She wanted to tell him that if he ever shielded her or Emily, she wouldn’t be afraid of him She wanted to tell hi away from him, but inside a cold rational voice warned her that she was losing her grip on reality The plan had to be to escape The plan couldn’t be to fall for Lucas and be that one sole person who co at her

"I’ht now," she told hi"

He nodded "Okay"

"Bend your ar? She put her hand on his forearm and raised her chin The tomen on the bench stared at the looking at hireed They started down the ay His arers A few reenery of rhododendron shrubs hid the women from their view

"Why?" he asked

Because she lost it, that’s why "Would you hurt those tomen?"

"Not unless they tried to hurt soer and they know it, but they stillyour own business"

"That still doesn’t answerabout this?"

He didn’t say anything They si It was surreal, Karina reflected Beautiful flowers, E side by side

"I’m tired," Emily said

Karina bent down and picked her up The effort nearly made her lose her balance Apparently she eaker than she thought

Cedric sniffed at her feet

"Let her ride him," Lucas offered

"What?"

"Let her ride him He doesn’t mind"

"I want to ride!" E He was alerly she lowered Emily on his back

"Hold on to his fur," Lucas said Eers into Cedric’s brown ed fro a round plaza paved with dark red stone A bronze statue rose in the center, a nude s thrust froarden cupid or soel leaned forward, one ars thrust up and out, featherless, as if el’s perfect face stared into the distance, its gaze focused Everything about it co about to kill its victim Metal letters beveled on the side of the statue read "A Rodin"

Karina glanced at Lucas "A Rodin? The sculptor who created The Thinker?"