[親暫]凡麼-及135准
梓囚徒貧圭�鮗� ○ 賜 ★ 辛酔堀貧和鍬匈��梓囚徒貧議 Enter 囚辛指欺云慕朕村匈��梓囚徒貧圭�鮗� ● 辛指欺云匈競何��
!!!!隆堋響頼��紗秘慕禰厮宴和肝写偬堋響��
gave us a real kick when we thought Melanie had won。 I guess that didn¨t happen�察�though。 I guess you
did。 So why did you e here�拭�Why are you helping the rebels�拭�
I explained�察�unwillingly�察�that Melanie and I were friends。 She didn¨t like that。
^Why�拭院�she demanded。
^She¨s a good person。 ̄
^But why does she likeyou�拭 �
Same reason。
^She says�察�for the same reason。 ̄
Lacey snorted。 ^Got her brainwashed�察�huh�拭�
Wow�察�she¨s worse than the first one。
Yes��I agreed。I can see why the Seeker was so obnoxious。 Can you imagine having that in your
head all the time��
I wasn¨t the only thing Lacey objected to。
^Do you have anywhere better to live than these caves�拭�It¨s sodirty here。 Isn¨t there a house
somewhere�察�maybe�拭�What do you mean we have to share rooms�拭�Chore schedule�拭�I don¨t understand。 I
Jeb had given her the usual tour the next day�察�trying to explain�察�through clenched teeth�察�the way we all
lived here。 When they¨d passed me!eating in the kitchen with Ian and Jamie!he threw me a look that
clearly asked why I hadn¨t let Aaron shoot her while that was still an option。
The tour was more crowded than mine。 Everyone wanted to see the miracle for themselves。 It didn¨t
even seem to matter to most of them that she was´ difficult。 She was wele。 More than wele。
Again�察�I felt a little of that bitter jealousy。 But that was silly。 She was human。 She represented hope。 She
belonged here。 She would be here long after I was gone。
Lucky you��Mel whispered sarcastically。
Talking to Ian and Jamie about what had happened was not as difficult and painful as I¨d imagined。
This was because they were�察�for different reasons�察�entirely clueless。 Neither grasped that this new
knowledge meant I would be leaving。
With Jamie�察�I understood why。 More than anyone else�察�he had accepted me and Mel as the package
deal we were。 He was able�察�with his young�察�open mind�察�to grasp the reality of our dual personalities。 He
treated us like two people rather than one。 Mel was so real�察�so present to him。 The same way she was to
me。 He didn¨t miss her�察�because he had her。 He didn¨t see the necessity of our separation。
I wasn¨t sure why Ian didn¨t understand。 Was he too caught up in the potential�拭�The changes this would
mean for the human society here�拭�They were all boggled by the idea that getting caught!the end!was
no longer a finality。 There was a way to e back。 It seemed natural to him that I had acted to save the
Seeker�察�it was consistent with his idea of my personality。 Maybe that was as far as he¨d considered it。
Or maybe Ian just didn¨t have a chance to think it all through�察�to see the glaring eventuality�察�before he
was distracted。 Distracted and enraged。
^I should have killed him years ago�察院�Ian ranted as we packed what we needed for our raid。 My final
raid�察�I tried not to dwell on that。 ^No�察�our mother should have drowned him at birth� �
^He¨s your brother。 ̄
^I don¨t know why you keep saying that。 Are you trying to make me feel worse�拭�
Everyone was furious with Kyle。 Jared¨s lips were welded into a tight line of rage�察�and Jeb stroked his
gun more than usual。
Jeb had been excited�察�planning to join us on this landmark raid�察�his first since I¨d e to live here。 He
was particularly keen to see the shuttle field up close。 But now�察�with Kyle putting us all in danger�察�he felt
he had to stay behind just in case。 Not getting his way put Jeb in a foul mood。
^Stuck behind with that creature�察院�he muttered to himself�察�rubbing the rifle barrel again!he wasn¨t
getting any happier about the new member of his munity。 ^Missin¨ all the fun。 ̄ He spit on the floor。
We all knew where Kyle was。 As soon as he¨d grasped how the Seeker´worm had magically
transformed into the Lacey´human in the night�察�he¨d slipped out the back。 I¨d been expecting him to lead
the party demanding the Seeker¨s death ��I kept the cryotank always cradled in my arms�察�I slept lightly�察�
Jared was the one to realize the jeep was gone。 And Ian had been the one to link the two absences。
^He¨s gone after Jodi�察院�Ian had groaned。 ^What else�拭�
Hope and despair。 I had given them one�察�Kyle the other。 Would he betray them all before they could
even make use of the hope��
Jared and Jeb wanted to put off the raid until we knew if Kyle was successful!it would take him three
days under the best circumstances��if his Jodi still lived in Oregon。 If he could find her there。
There was another place�察�another cave we could evacuate to。 A much smaller place�察�with no water�察�so
we couldn¨t hide there long。 They¨d debated whether they should move everyone now or wait。
But I was in a hurry。 I¨d seen the way the others eyed the silver tank in my arms。 I¨d heard the whispers。
The longer I kept the Seeker here�察�the better chance that someone would kill her。 Having met Lacey�察�I¨d
begun to pity the Seeker。 She deserved a mild�察�pleasant new life with the Flowers。
Ironically enough�察�Ian was the one who took my side and helped hurry the raid along。 He still didn¨t see
where this would lead。
But I was grateful that he helped me convince Jared there was time to make the raid and get back
before a decision was made about Kyle。 Grateful also that he was back to playing bodyguard。 I knew I
could trust Ian with the shiny cryotank more than anyone else。 He was the only one I would let hold it
when I needed my arms。 He was the only one who could see�察�in the shape of that small container�察�a life
to be protected。 He could think of that shape as a friend�察�something that could be loved。 He was the best
ally of all。 I was so grateful for Ian�察�and so grateful for the obliviousness that saved him�察�for the moment�察�
from pain。
We had to be fast�察�in case Kyle ruined everything。 We went to Phoenix again�察�to one of the many
munities that spun out from the hub。 There was a big shuttle field to the southeast�察�in a town called
Mesa�察�with several Healing facilities nearby。 That was what I wanted!I would give them as much as I
could before I left。 If we took a Healer�察�then we might be able to preserve the Healer¨s memory in the
host body。 Someone who understood all the medicines and their uses。 Someone who knew the best
ways to get to unattended stashes。 Doc would love that。 I could imagine all the questions he¨d be dying
to ask。
First the shuttle field。
I was sad that Jeb was missing this�察�but he¨d have so many other chances in the future。 Though it was
dark�察�a long line of small snub´nosed shuttles drifted in to land while others took flight in an endless
stream。
I drove the old van while the others rode in the back!Ian in charge of the tank�察�of course。 I circled the
field�察�staying clear of the busy local terminal。 It was easy to spot the vast�察�sleek white vessels that left the
planet。 They did not depart with the frequency of the smaller ships。 All I saw were docked�察�none
preparing to leave immediately。
^Everything¨s labeled�察院�I reported to the others�察�invisible in the dark back。 ^Now�察�this is important。
I drove slowly�察�close to the crafts。
^This will be easy。 They¨ve got all kinds of delivery vehicles out here�察�and we blend in。 Oh� �I can see a
tank truck!it¨s just like the one we saw them unloading at the hospital�察�Jared。 There¨s a man looking
over the stacks´ He¨s putting them onto a hover cart。 He¨s going to load them´ ̄ I drove even slower�察�
trying to get a good look。 ^Yes�察�ontothis ship。 Right into the open hatch。 I¨ll circle back and make my
move when he¨s in the ship。 ̄ I pulled past�察�examining the scene in my mirrors。 There was a lit sign beside
the tube that connected the head of the ship to the terminal。 I smiled as I read the words backward。 This
ship was going to the Flowers。 It was meant to be。
I made a slow turn as the man disappeared into the hull of the ship。
^Get ready�察院�I whispered as I pulled into the shadow made by the cylindrical wing of the next enormous
ship over。 I was only three or four yards from the tank truck。 There were a few technicians working near
the front of the Flower´bound vessel and others�察�farther away�察�out on the old runway。 I would be just
another figure in the night。
I cut the engine and hopped down from the driver¨s seat�察�trying to look casual�察�like I was only doing my
job。 I went around to the back of the van and opened the door a crack。 The tank was right at the edge�察�
the light on top glowing dull red�察�signifying that it was occupied。 I lifted it carefully and closed the door。
I kept up an easy rolling pace as I walked to the open end of the truck。 But my breathing sped up。 This
felt more dangerous than the hospital�察�and that worried me。 Could I expect my humans to risk their lives
this way��
I¨ll be there。 I¨ll do it myself�察�just like you would。 On the off chance you get your way�察�that is。
Thanks�察�Mel。
I had to force myself not to keep glancing over my shoulder at the open hatch where the man had
disappeared。 I placed the tank gently atop the closest column in the truck。 The addition�察�one among
hundreds�察�was not noticeable。
^Goodbye�察