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He spoke fast, his words heated "Do you not see what has becoer part of your world"

"I don’t believe you"

"It is true enough," he said His coldness cut her like a blade of jagged ice "And if you do not follow me now, it will be too late for you, and all for whom you care"

"Are you Poe?" She surprised herself with the question

"Edgar is dead He is the fortunate one"

"Then you knew him," Isobel said with authority, sure of the truth behind that statement as soon as she spoke it aloud There had already been too much evidence Too much proof

"That’s why you’re here now, isn’t it? This all happened before, didn’t it? To hiar"

"The past, too, is dead"

Isobel stared at him in disbelief They continued to stand opposite each other, neither of the while an invisible force seeible sensation like the push of opposing nets

"Fine," she said at last

He whirled and strode into the passageway on the right again Clearly he expected her to follow Isobel did not move

"I don’t need you," she called after hiather her shoes "I don’t need your secrets" She slipped on the once pink flats, now caked in grit "I’ll find hi strand of hair froeway on her left

"Stop," he co, certain that before her lay new chahtmares

"He wouldn’t leave me behind," she called

"You are so certain?"

"Yes Because just like you, he’s not everything he pretends to be," she said "And even though you’re saying this nowyou still didn’t leave Edgar, did you? You helped hiet back, didn’t you? So don’t tell me there’s no way!"