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"It’s possible," Day says

"It’s notto the town near here Where’s ‘here’? How are we supposed to figure that out?"

I bite nal? Perhaps he’s going to the town closest to that location?"

"I don’t think so," Day says "It’s really hard to trace a radio signal You need a powerful DF antenna to triangulate the source, and Ash knows Hu like that," she explains "And even if we did, I can’t ih for us to trace it Plus we’d encounter all the sa our broadcasts, like propagation distortions and--" She stops talking when she notices the look of wonder on Beetle’s face

"You amaze me sometimes, babes," he says "How do you know all this?"

Her cara You should try it sorins "Nah, sounds like a lot of hard work"

I sigh Ash is giving us a clue and I can’t work out where hefor Ash to speak again, hoping to work out the riddle

"Going to the town near here; then checking out the local fireworks display," Ash says just as my watch beeps I check the dial--09:30 Time for ht doesn’t depress reat excuse to see Sigur

I push ain in an hour, before I head to the hospital, bringing the radio withto work out Ash’s clue I enter the ward My parents, Dr Craven and Roach are huddled around Sigur’s bed, deep in discussion

"I overheardabout a new security force that Purian Rose has enlisted," Sigurit hard to talk There are welts all over his bare torso, where he’s been tortured

Father nods "We’ve seen the to the Tin Men I saw in Scott’s shop

"Well, according to the guards, Purian Rose is forcing these roup," Sigur explains "They’re calling the drug Wings"

Father turns to Dr Craven "Have you heard of it before?"

Dr Craven shakes his head

"What does the drug do?" Roach asks She’s casually sitting at the end of his bed, one scruffy boot propped up on the uards thought it was a perforur says

"Like steroids?" Father says

"The ressive, so it would support the guards’ theory," Sigur continues "But I am not so sure Perhaps past experiences have ood eye toward Dr Craven, who pretends to clean his glasses--"but I suspect there isthan people think Purian Rose has a tendency to disguise one thing with another"

"Youthe Wrath virus in the Golden Haze?" Roach says, casting a look at htens into a thin line

"I don’t see how this drug Wings is a threat to us," Mother says

Sigur turns toward her "Perhaps I a paranoid, but when it couard," he says "As you know, he used the Golden Haze as Trojan horses, by infecting theit on to us So who knohat hidden threat lurks in this drug, or who he truly intends to hurt with it? We need to be extra vigilant, Emissary"

Father nods "I’ll put some feelers out, see if we can find out what Rose is really up to"

I cough, letting them know I’m here "Sorry to intrude, but I have an appointur I place the radio on the nightstand while Dr Craven collects a thin black box and places it on the tray besidea velvet-lined case filled with four syringes, a pack of needles and four small vials of medicine, each one with a different-colored cap

"What’s that?" I say

"This is your Wrath medication," he says "As ured you’d want to learn to adh here to last you seven days"

I grin, delighted that I’ to have to come to the hospital every day Dr Craven shows es, and then teaches me to inject myself It’s painful, and Iblood to squirt out ofat the s to do the third injection, the radio crackles and Ash’s voice rings out over the airwaves, repeating the saur’s head whips around at the voice "Was that--?"

"Ash, yes!" I grin, briefly explaining everything My ether; I think she was secretly hoping he’d stay lost "I don’t knohere ‘the town near here’ is yet, but Day’s working on it"

"I want to help" Sigur griht not be possible," g not?"

Father sighs "I’ve been ordered not to expend anyfor hiur says

"You’re wasting your breath," I ur and Roach share a knowing look, their expressions hardening

"We should let you rest," Father says to Sigur

He and my ing s shut

Sigur lies doincing with pain He turns his head away as Dr Craven helps rab the black syringe case and radio and head to Elijah’s roos, which Purian Rose isif I have ti up with the others It’s 10:20 I could probably-- The radio crackles