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I read the letter over and over until the words are carved indelibly intosinks in

Bring the hepers back Those words speak torealness I hear the hushed, urgent in-fl ections of her voice But there’s nothing I can do-- she one, and I have no idea 244 ANDREW FUKUDA where they are And I can’t rando to run into theup with a long- lost coin And when night fal s and I’m still out there, it’s over for me

They’l sniff me out, hunt me down, as surely as they will the hepers

I open lare will erase her words fro for so to vent er to thrust at the side of aI kick at rocks on the ground, throw stones as far into the Vast as I can And al the while, I have the gnawing sense that I’ the hepers back

I ignore those words, pick up more stones and rocks I’l head over to the apple tree to see if-- Bring the hepers back

"How am I supposed to do that?" I shout into the air "When I don’t even knohere they are!"

Be quick, stable

I cru it as far as possible

Be quick, stable Her voice is audible in my head

After a few moments, I walk over and pick up the bal ed paper, put out by my own histrionics

The paper is now more crinkled than a s up in it like insects caught in a spider’s web A crease runs froht between "be quick"

and "stable"

My head shoots up, suddenly seeing, understanding

Be quick, stable Be quick, stable Be stable

Be stable stable The stable is attached to the southern wing of the Institute I stand outside the chrome- reinforced stable doors and listen careful y Silence No snarling, s, indecision halting ive it a pulIt doesn’t budge

Solidly locked and fastened

Then I hear it: the sound of a horse nickering Oddly, it’s co from the outside, on the other side I walk around: there’s a parked broughae, the jet black Arabian horse still harnessed to the frauest who arrived after the stable hands had already retired and si behind the perfect gift

I know better than to startle the horse by approaching froround

Its head perks up is its muzzle in ly as possible

It snorts, agitated, a spew of spit shooting out Its large nostrils fl are wet and wide, al in surprise

A heper? it see A horse that can sniff out hepers-- exactly what I’ for

I hold out ers, prickly because they’ve been triht that I’ and sure The horse is well grooh- carried tail, arched neck, and powerful y ood stock And likely wel trained

Agitated at fi rst, it calms quickly When I sense it is ready, I un-hook the rein fro post and lead the horse away Its hooves clip- clop noisily on the gravel, not that I care Nobody’s rushing out in the daylight after ood boy, aren’t you?" It turns to look at e is also in tiptop shape Wel oiled, the wheels turn sreeably It thought I was taking it inside the stable to rest

"Not yet,to do today"

It snorts again, in protest But when I stroke itsits star and strip, it quiets I pul it forward, and it fol oith only a little urging A good horse I’ve lucked out

I clie, place the Scientist’s journal next to rab the reins in the driver’s seat The horse should get some nourishment before we take off, but its food is probably in the locked stable I can’t take that risk

Or ti the reins