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"What? Why’d you stop?" he asked breathlessly, pullinghis forehead onone another My hands and hips and breasts wanted to pull hi I loved Bodo, and until I kneas gone from this earth, I had to stay true to that If he were out there so true to me

"I can’t, Paci I want to, in a way, but I can’t It’s …"

"Bodo I know You don’t have to say it" Paci stood up straight, licking his lips and running his hand over his braided hair "Co us both" He turned around quickly,the branch like he did it every day, practically running down the natural steps that led to the swafrouilt

Paci held his hand out to helpit as soon as round

"I’ the silence that made me want to run away from him as fast as I could "I just needed you to kno I felt before you left … to see if maybe there was a chance you’d stay"

"I can’t stay I was hoping you’d understand that" I forgot my plan to avoid the crunchy leaves and stepped wherever I needed to in order to get back as quickly as I could without running like a scared little girl

"No I do I co, to be honest"

"Because it’s your ho why that h, when it’s run by people who’d send kids like you and those other guys out into a world full of cannibals"

"They’re doing what they think is right I happen to think they’re wrong, but I’er pace "What would you do if you were?" he asked

My feet slowed and I ca at his face He seeh it was a wasted question "Why does it ht of it before, even though Fohi’d said that stupid thing aboutthe chief of any group "I’m no leader"

"Just say that you were What would you do in this situation?"

"I’d let them stay, of course"

"And what about the next hundred people that came by? What about the it I’d let anyone come and stay Anyone who didn’t mean us harm"

"But hoould you support them?"

I threwpeople now! Hunt and grow food, grow crops to , build huts for theh for thousands of people"

"But what if you had a ton of kids show up, all at once, and didn’t have the crops or food or whatever?"

"I’d find a way, Paci I’d plan ahead and assuht not be corew or anih for e a few thousand around here"

"Youhis head

"It is simple People need to be with people There’s safety in nu deserve to be here Add it all up You want to stay safe against a canner invasion? You’d better start inviting some friends in here Your tribe is about to lose severalthe to hang around here and get slaughtered with the rest of you"

"That’s kind of harsh, don’t you think?" he asked, no censure in his voice It was al me with his questions

"Harsh? Only if you consider reality harsh I guess it is, these days Read George’s journal, which has never been wrong, so far There’s safety in nus of those aniether at some point when they realize they can take down an entire couys and feed the when you put it that way"

"Whatever It sucks, but it’s our reality And I’ hiht," he said

I barely heard him as I intentionally put distance between us as fast as I could I didn’t need to waste ot it or he didn’t But regardless, I was leaving and he was staying and I’d probably never seeain after tomorrow And maybe I wouldn’t even see him then

I wipeduys were sitting on the uys?" I asked, co Buster into y therapy to coolto see if they were judging ht suspect I’d been up to, but all I saas concern

"We’re just talking logistics," said Peter "I’ve got backpacks for everyone, a pair of uys, so we’re all set there And the food we brought that hasn’t been eaten is all in I guess e don’t have is our trailer and bikes I’et our bikes and our trailer back," I said

"Do you think they’ll let us have the straight: I’ voluntarily And I’that, they’ll soon learn they’re wrong"