Looking far aurning to camp,  ease. Srees, moving like a deer along t at t me eager to apologize, so I took a scut t t o cut e. My mind buzzed ory of to tell ant parts vanisfully so, but  ted me, for sook off in a sprint.  ated before giving c  terrain defeated speed. In my e, I snagged my toe on a fallen branc. Spitting leaves and to see Speck  into camp and alking h Béka.

    quot;S  to speak ; toad said upon my arrival, and clamped  to him, forming a wall.

    quot;But I need to talk to ;

    Luco, , a menacing tootepped inside t my c.

    quot;You ed our trust.quot;

    quot; are you talking about?quot;

    quot;So avoid any contact  trying to communicate ; Igel puso tten leaves. ed, I quickly sprang back to my feet. My fear greives.

    quot;Do you kno;

    quot;teac;

    quot;Do you understand  be discovered?quot;

    quot;So  forget again.quot;

    quot;ture us, and t;

    quot;Punis;

    Igel did not strike t bloions, and initial so pain. teeto my sting off t my gorge rise. Amid tred ted tures. One by one, ted, and t t my ribs, taunting me to get up, snarling and gro me to fig muster trengtomped on my fingers, and Igel delivered a kick ion: quot;Do not talk to people again.quot;

    I closed my eyes and stayed still. trees, s aced black and blue, and blood oozed from cuts and pooled beneatasted of vomit and dirt, and I passed out in a rumpled heap.

    Cool er on my cuts and bruises startled me a vision  over me, ly beood Smaolac a red patce ser. ried to speak, s cloto my lips.

    quot;Aniday, I am so sorry. I did not  to ;

    quot;ere sorry, too,quot; Smaolac;But t;

    C ;I took no part in it.quot;

    quot;You s  me, Aniday. You srusted me.quot;

    I sat up sloormentors. quot; t;

    quot;I took no part,quot; Chavisory said.

    Luc beside Speck and spoke for all. quot;e o do it, so t you  ever forget. You spoke to t you, you ;

    quot;Suppose I  to go back.quot;

    No one looked me in to  silent.

    quot;I t mig er and a dream. But it ed me to come into t;

    quot;Doesnt matter er, brot Fannys uncle. None of t matters. ere your family.quot;

    I spat out a mout and blood. quot;A family doesnt beat up one of its o;

    Ced in my ear, quot;I didnt even touc; Shers.

    quot;e ; said Speck.

    quot;I dont  to stay  to go back to my real family.quot;

    quot;Aniday, you cant,quot; Speck said. quot;t ten years. You may look like youre eig you are almost eiguck in time.quot;

    Luc;Youd be a g to t;

    quot;I  to go ;

    Speck confronted me. quot;Listen, t one of t;

    quot;Rig; Smaolac doting tree stump and counted off ties on ;One is t  old  deat. I remember one fellory day. ion in op of to t jumpy enougo t rigo deat;

    quot;Accidents ; Luc;Long ago, you could find yourself eaten. olves and mountain lions pros. Did you ever ered out inside a cave and ime next to a very ;

    quot;t; Smaolac;by simply leaving. Just up and saunter off and go live apart and alone. e discourage t sort of attitude, mind you, for end to be someone else.quot;

    quot;Besides, it is a lonesome life,quot; said Chavisory.

    quot;true,quot; Speck agreed. quot;But you can be lonely ;

    quot;If you go t o meet e,quot; Luc;Suppose you fell in a ditc get up? t;

    Said Smaolac;t to some t in to find te, t;

    quot;Besides, ter t; Luchóg asked.

    quot;I  by myself all time,quot; Chavisory added.

    quot;t; Lucold ;you ;

    Speck looked beyond me, toreeline. quot;ts t cake ;

    quot;No; said Smaolac;First, you o find a c cudy ance, mind.quot;

    quot;It o be somebody w ; Chavisory said.

    Smaolac ;Never mind t. e observe teams. ain people take doudy ;

    quot;Start ; said Speck. quot;Gats: age, birters.quot;

    Cerrupted ;Id stay a;

    quot;You o kno;so you can make people believe you are one of t;

    Carefully rolling a cigarette, Luc;Ive betimes t t Id look for a large family, s of kids and so on, and t nobodyll miss or notice t. Or if I forget some detail or am sligation, nobody is teen, or four of seven. Not as easy as it once  mums and dads arent ;

    quot;Id like to be a baby again,quot; said Chavisory.

    quot;Once you ; said Smaolac; to be alone, or youll be found out. ale of ts,  of tealing a tiny Cossack lad y teetook all our boys of t to a crisp?quot;

    quot;Fire is a devil of a o go,quot; said Luc;Did I ever tell you of t snooping around to replace? Ss come in, and leaps in t, making t t first, ts t not,  day, t do you t, but s yet learned o speak like ttle girl. So ts out a squao raise to jump out tart all over again.quot;

    Smaolacory, scratcrying to recall an important detail. quot;A of magic, of course. e bind up to ter.quot;

    Spinning on ed, quot;And tation. You mustnt forget t.quot;

    quot;In ism,quot; Smaolacinued. quot;Out o leave except by one of t give you my s t;

    C oe. quot;Remember t;

    it ure to  on  and teel trap.  face on twins.

    quot;You put me back,quot; Chavisory complained.

    quot;You put me back.quot; Speck imitated ly.

    I could not believe w I was seeing.

    quot;ture, little treasure. Be; laid Smaolac;Going back to t as yourself is not an option. But  to stay time allo yet, ;

    quot;My turn? I  to go  no;

    quot;You dont,quot; Luc;You o  until t of us ural order to our  mustnt be disturbed. One cime comes, you  family t you left be go back w;

    quot;Im afraid, Aniday, youre last in to be patient.quot;

    Lucook Co manipulate ;Just make me pretty again,quot; and quot;Lets get one of tures,quot; and quot;; Eventually, tc.

    Speck o me for t of t day, per of misplaced guilt for my beating. leness reminded me of my motouc I t I remembered. My o as ion to be conjured. I ting again, tinction betion blurring. to  I  , I e doory of tebook, o under-stand it all in ture. Speck kept me company arligired, radiated compassion.

    quot;I am sorry t you.quot;

    quot;It doesnt ,quot; I wiff and sore.

    quot;Life s compensations. Listen.quot;

    Lo betrees, unrolling its . Speck tensed, tling.

    quot;You  old,quot; s;You  o  getting married or eet. You  need a cane or a crutc;

    e rike. t it.

    quot;Like c; I said.

    quot;t c; S ence linger in tar, o sense trick of staring and drifting imes over t not t nigars uck in its rotation. Eyes lifted, cing to t, t shinking.

    quot;as ;

    quot;I cannot tell you. Let go of t, Aniday. Its like o t for t moment, and tter a; S me. quot;You s.quot;

    quot;I cant. My mind is filled ;

    So my lips. quot;Listen.quot;

    Notirred. ;I cant ;

    But sant sound, and urned inransported to its source.