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How many? says Tommo

A hunnerd twenny three, says Ash That’s accordin to Auriel An she should know

I feel instantly sick Seein ’eether, it hits me They’re my responsibility now

Over the Yann Gap, says Toe

There’s a new one, says Ash The Pathfinder’s bin busy An not jest the bridge They also cleared the Wraithway of yer pals, them skull collectors How’s about this, Saba? Struck dumb, huh?

Dumb Shocked But I take in what she says DeMalo’s built his bridgehead to the west Of course he has The maps in the seedstore roll out in my mind The land an the waters, to the west, east, north, south All of it DeMalo’s to control

Take me to Auriel, I says

By this tiabblin an leapin with excitement as they help with the horses an cart Then they’re all upon us We’re swept along in a tide of warm bodies towards the camp These people who’ve trekked from the Snake River What a difference from the first time we met them there With fear-filled faces an weapons in their hands, they would of done us mortal harm had Auriel not stopped ’em They’d fled fer their lives froel of Death who’d razed Hopetown to the ground Hiers of misery an death

Now they’re wantin to shake our hands There’s nods an smiles an the chatter of hopefulness surrounds me I reckanise quite a few They’re dry folk, these people, parched in body an spirit Stand ’ereen Stewards, they’d look poor specimens indeed

Who are the best stewards of the earth? The old and weak? The sick? Or the young and the strong? There isn’t enough clean water or good land to go around You know that

DeMalo’s words hiss in hts, not h the crowd, belly-first Molly follows in his wake His gappy grin stretches ear to ear Whaddya say, Angel? Does all this put yer ot here ourselfs when they pitched up, says Molly They caught us on the hop But they jest set to without no fuss, diggin latrines an all else

A wiry little ot a woed sharply by a lifetitime years but wintertime faces I don’t s’pose you re, I says How are you, Ruth? An--

Webb, he says Webb Reno, ivin up, jest like you told her to You did us a great service that tilad to see you both, I says What about food? I says to Sliue off, says Slim Moses don’t mind playin water carrier

We didn’t have time to collect much in the way of provisions, says Molly With what they brought, there’s enough fer a few days I tell you somethin She leans in close an lowers her voice Some of these folk ain’t in the best shape, but every last one of ’e pardon, ma’am, says Webb Reno But d’you think there’s any chance we can find our girl they took? Our Nell? It’s all Ruth lives fer, er inside e as Emmi If she’s still alive, she’ll be at Edenhome We need a way in there Maybe this man is it I says, I cain’t promise nuthin But let’s talk about it later

When yer starved of hope, even lean words can make a meal A spark leaps in their flat, faded eyes

Oh, thank you! Thank you! Ruth seizes my hand an kisses it before I can stop her