Once to build tform for Mary, tc quarreling and cooperate  getting in eacecting and cutting and joining  and effective.

    ition platform  and lifted into place. It able, and , s one  scent of ting ; le of tant murmur of tured, and if sopped tirely lapped in bliss.

    But of course t shere for.

    And  of ticles, it seemed to ing aion at all.

    t icles passed too, and in every oty  up: t true scientific society in on ics and gravitation.

    ted ter.

    At time in t strange o get le knife ed.

    Sform move in a very slig tree so ciny sparkles drift t t te current t looked all but conscious.

    t current, or  ts of a different cause altoget connected at all?

    t o fall into a trance, and let  aing particles...

    Before s s ly w o find side her body, and she panicked.

    Stle form, and a fe off among to t ead of t slo, it ime moving differently for  sside  ening to s was immense.

    S o seize  sed. No abominable drop, and ried to s and  observed  of togeto the open sky.

    And no matter ruggled, s carried  er pouring over a icles of Dust reaming along as if too, were pouring over some invisible edge.

    And carrying her away from her body.

    Sal lifeline to t pried to recall t: all tions t made up being alive. t toucals soft-tipped trunk caressing aste of bacon and eggs. triump strain in e dancing of er keyboard. ting coffee. ter night.

    And gradually sopped moving; t, and s t and strengt pus he sky.

    And trange ttle by little (as sasting an iced margarita in California, sitting under trees outside a restaurant in Lisbon, scraping t off t t he pressure was lessening.

    But only on  flood reaming as fast as ever. Sometle patcillness around icles ing the flow.

    t y and responded to it. And to carry o ed body, and  once more, so  sob convulsed .

    And to her body and awoke.

    Sook in a s tform, and e ago nearly gone mad asy at being one  ter.

    Finally s up and tried to take stock.  to ing one trembling  about it: t slo o o feel, and  to see, but even  s, silent inundation remained vividly, toget noticed in terror of being outside  t he air.

    ticles knew w was happening and were sorrowful.

    And sly ster. Part of  to tide t ure, whey were.

    And unless s ing ao oblivion, everyone.

    Suddenly s t and began to the ground.

    Fatepped t lengt stands of  as Mary  sometime before. But t tle earlier, and icular, ant sea and some flickering  be sails.

    ed turned too see  to ures in tting sun  and entirely free of taint of napever target, tempter o.

    at sunset on a little ides in tide er.

    And floating in to stop and te birds, eac, raig trailed on ter be least t unlike s tuated one in front of ther, surely...

    Suddenly turned  once all tly like t, and the shore.

    Faty of trimmed so perfectly, and by t too: ter, placed not fore and aft like t side by side, and ogetraordinary speed and grace in ter.

    As t one reac lumbered up tly for t. It s  oo, like a series of sharp incurved hooks.

    Fat a er, on a loory, and y of time to put do the rifle, load, aim, and fire.

    t of red and ure blundered on clumsily for several steps before sinking onto its breast. It didnt die for a minute or more; t bird beat itself around and around in a bloody circle, kicking up til a long, bubbling expiration from its lungs ended  fell still.

    topped as soon as t one fell, and stood c, and coo. telligence in to t to to his face.

    o , sing backogetood.

    trong creatures, large and broad-backed, like living boats, in fact. If t deat Fation betful understanding betruly learned to fear ly as he said.