Page 68 (1/2)

You was in this rooether That’s how you knew about the light His eyes go to DeMalo Then to me You owe me the truth, he says

It hen I believed you’d turned aginst us, I says You was at Darktrees You sent me back the heartstone I didn’t unnerstand why, you know that An then you took Eh warn’t there an--I was in a bad way I fell, Jack I didn’t wanna be caught, but he caught me He was the only one there He saved my life an--

I cain’t look at him

Jack’s silent You did ask how I’d feel if you’d bin with soot very … coine, he says

I’m jest about to say somethin I dunno what Maybe

I never loved hiive me fer my lies an deceit

but a horde of people come rushin up the hill Ash an Creed an Sliin An Cassie There’s Webb an Ruth an their coppernob Nell An Vain Ed the rabbed by thehter Come on, Jack! cries Molly Coone

NEW EDEN

IT FELL APART SO QUICKLY SO COMPLETELY DEMALO’S New Eden I was right He did build it on fault lines He was right The story will be told fer generations to come It jest won’t be the story he intended

New Eden it will remain in name But in spirit an body, it’s already startin to be soht an hopeful

There’s much mournin to be done Much healin that’s needed Much atoneranted froer place within us Fer many, it’s like bein wrenched fro bin held captive Such was the power of one man His vision, his passion, his belief, his will

The people of this New Eden will need courage an faith They in Healin the earth an all who share her is the work of many lives an it will take ht

At the centre of New Eden will be a council of nine omen The first council they choose includes Mercy, Auriel, Molly an Ash They’ve chosen well They try to choose me, but I won’t be chosen My warrior’s part is played out The strength of New Eden, their future lies with them, the people An the them They’re startin to discover the secrets of the seedstore That gift from the past to the future, which is now I’m hopeful fer New Eden Fer the earth an the sky The water an the trees The beasts an the people

If I’m hopeful fer myself, I hope fer no more than this That beyond the horizon, somewhere, someday, I can live with hest ofit of are dead

So I ain’t fer this land no more I’m done here I hafta move on An keep reat pyre is built All the slaves’ clothes are placed upon it an we all bear witness to the fire Black smoke billoards an fades to the blue