e ion, s in a roing for some decision from Béka bre resting places. Ragno and Zanzara neglected t basic grooming; tangled in vinelike riots, and t. Cimes not speaking for days on end. Desperate ractions, Luciniest provocation and for le disposition. I en find Smaolacer ts, staring at tant, o ion, and alone togethers.
In t Indian summer, tayed e t, and a second spring broug only a rene anoted bounty, ts extended t of ss. t off tion. Even trees slourated o paler shades of green.
quot;Aniday,quot; s;listen. ;
e ting at ted o gating t tails as to to a tangle of ss to gorge tter. S ed me. t danced in patterns on the breeze.
quot;Look at t one.quot; Sly, pointing a lone blackbird, struggling to reac t persisted, pinned to talk s s, ttacked tes. After its meal, to sing, t, and took off and folloo tober afternoon.
quot; came ; I confessed to ;I returned eac to trees around our ;
quot;You used to cry like a baby.quot; ened and slo;I is like to ead of sticks and bones. I remember my mot in unexpected places— rounder, fuller, deeper. Stronger t by looking.quot;
quot;tell me o me?quot;
quot;; s;I co nestle you on o you old Irisales and called you tle man. But you ly ing more and desperate over any attention so your little sisters.quot;
quot;Sisters?quot; I asked, not remembering.
quot;t;
I eful t swo.
quot;You resented your time yours to do you pleased. O. Your motaking care of to by it all, and t made you angrier still. An un; railed off for a moment, and she laid her hand on my arm;
quot;ed for you like a fox at ts of miscs torn from ted your life, and turn it is brooks no argument. Every eye icipating a moment of petulance. t;
Speck drew me closer, ran he crook of her nape.
quot;So , so t s you left t. Noay ub, and Ill be rigside, I so dont make any trouble. And out you stepped to toss a ball into t yellocter across t. I ed to come play someone o coddlers. I slipped inside, crouccertop, notice me or do t tage and could oying ure polis poison, or opening cutlery drao juggle ting into they were in danger, while she was wrapping herself in her robe and singing as she dried her hair.
quot;Meano uncover a surprise. Sometirred among t of leaves and s ran t. A rabbit? Peraircase, calmly calling, and discovered tabletop quite alone. You stood blinking into trails. From berong ood t, her face a mask of anger.
quot;? soddling across t, srouble a ttom so in ;
Speck igill.
quot;But you tom , and youd so touc stony silence. As suffed it in your pocket, and slipped out of t a sound. I folloernoon.quot;
quot;as I scared to be alone?quot;
quot;Curious, Id say. A dry creek paralleled to t, and you follos patening for tter of tctering tter. I could o Béka, o our leader. As you sat on ting one of ts and t of to come take you.quot;
quot;Every time t; I told ;a monster to get me.quot;
quot;East of tnut, cracked and dying from ttom up. An animal a large o climb inside and see. ty and t you rigo sleep. I stood outside time, stumbled upon you. Skittering flass led ts to tance and to silence.
quot;Not long after tions and stopped before me, tinel at tree. ted. I ed to cry. o t;
Sop of my head.
quot;If I c; I asked ;;
Despite my questions, s tell me more t I ser a o picking berries. Altraits of midsummer, topping tilt of t came like a sudden clap. e s and stars, ted our return, and I ers t croupe ate from s of raspberries from our stails, ambrosia escaping from t, and to taining their lips red as kisses.
t day, Béka announced ;a place inaccessible to all but t intrepid er e e and ss loose, decaying face, as inable a o find. No sign of life, no trees or plants of any kind ot even for a moments rest, nor any flying insect of any sort, t about ts. No footprints except our leaders. Scant purc o scout out t alone proclaim it aken one look at sucation and passed by see, until , ts squeezed tone. Moving from t of Indian summer into trance as sudden as a dive into a cold pool. A. my pupils dilated in t even realize to ;;
quot;Its a mine,quot; Speck said. quot;An old abandoned mines w;
A pale glo torcural so us all, quot;elcome ;