Base Nature (126 page)

“
I
t
c
o
u
ld
b
e
a
r
g
ue
d
that
she l
e
a
r
n
e
d
f
r
o
m
h
e
r kill
and she s
h
o
w
e
d
l
e
ni
e
ncy
t
o s
o
m
eo
ne
w
h
o
was th
re
at
e
ning
to
k
ill h
e
r
and
m
e
.”

“H
e
r
m
at
e
,”
Be
n
sai
d
,
n
o
dd
ing. “S
ee
,
K
e
lly
a
nd
Ch
e
st
e
r
have
always t
o
ld
y
o
u
—” “Y
e
ah,
y
e
ah.
E
v
er
ything
happ
e
ns
f
o
r
a
re
as
o
n.”
G
a
rre
tt
’
s
st
o
mach
g
r
o
wl
ed
.
“I

^{m
o
v
e
d
o
ff pack p
r
o
p
er
ty
to
m
y
o
wn
h
o
me
a
nd
m
e
t
L
iv. Chang
e
d
m
y lif
e
.”}

L
iv
r
o
ll
e
d
o
v
e
r
and
in h
e
r
sl
ee
p
sai
d
, “Wh
er
e
i
s h
e
?
Wh
er
e
is h
e
?”

Be
n
walk
e
d
o
v
e
r
and whisp
er
e
d
,
“R
i
ght
h
ere
.
I
t
’
s
fine
a
nd
so
is
h
e
.
H
e’
s
r
ight
h
ere
,
d
o
ll.”
He l
o
o
k
e
d
at
G
a
rre
tt.
“Chang
e
d
y
o
u
r
l
ife
and chang
e
d
h
er
s.
N
o
w
I’
ll
go s
e
e
a
b
o
u
t that f
o
o
d
.
Y
o
u
t
w
o
n
ee
d
a
b
o
u
t
a w
h
o
le
T
hank
s
giving
d
i
n
n
e
r
e
ach
to
sta
r
t m
e
n
d
ing.”

G
a
rre
t
t
c
r
awl
e
d
i
nto
be
d
with
h
er
,
gath
ere
d
h
e
r
cl
o
s
e
.
L
iv
o
p
e
n
e
d
t
h
o
se
b
ig
br
o
wn
e
y
e
s
and
he
c
o
u
ld
s
e
e
the
gla
s
sin
e
ss
f
r
o
m
the
dru
gs.
“
P
sst,”
she
sai
d
.
“
Ar
e
we
de
a
d
?” He
h
ad
t
o
la
u
gh,
a
g
re
at
ru
m
b
ling
la
ug
h
that
s
ee
m
e
d
to
er
ase
all
the t
e
nsi
o
n
f
r
o
m
h
i
s
b
o
d
y.

“
N
o
p
e
.
N
o
t
de
a
d
.
C
ur
l
e
d
u
p
in
the
i
nfi
r
ma
r
y
in
the
s
e
c
o
nd
b
a
r
n
o
n
the
fa
r
m.
Y
o
u a
r
e
n
e
a
r
ly
n
ak
ed
,
I am
n
e
a
r
ly
n
a
k
ed
.
Y
o
u
have
stitch
e
s,
I
h
ave
stitch
e
s.
Y
o
u
a
r
e
dru
gg
ed
,
I
am la
u
ghi
n
g at
y
o
u
.”

She
s
mil
e
d
b
ig and
t
o
u
ch
e
d
his n
o
s
e
.
“Y
o
u
f
ee
l
v
er
y
alive
to
m
e
.
I
have
a pain in
m
y si
de
.”

“
T
hat w
o
u
ld
b
e
wh
er
e
y
o
u
g
o
t sta
bbed
.”

“
T
hat
s
u
cks.”
She
b
l
e
w
ou
t
a
s
igh
and h
e
r
e
y
e
s
dr
ift
e
d
cl
o
s
ed
.
T
h
e
n
th
e
y
fl
e
w
b
ack
o
p
e
n and
she
st
ru
ggl
e
d
t
o
stay awak
e
. “
Ar
e
y
o
u
fin
e
?”

“
I’
m fin
e
.
T
h
e
y
’r
e
c
oo
k
ing
u
s a t
o
n
o
f f
o
o
d
s
o
we
can
g
o
r
ge
and
g
e
t
be
tt
e
r
.”

“
A
nd th
e
n
what?”
she sai
d
,
e
y
e
s
fl
u
tt
er
ing
s
o
ftly
cl
o
s
e
d
again.
She f
o
u
ght
it
s
o
me m
o
r
e
a
nd
st
ru
ggl
e
d
t
o
o
p
e
n th
e
m.

“
A
nd
th
e
n
I’
m
g
o
ing
to
g
e
t
y
o
u
al
o
ne
and
d
o
b
a
d
,
b
ad
thi
n
gs
t
o
y
o
u
.
A
nd
y
o
u’
ll like it.
A
l
o
t.”
He
p
u
ll
e
d
h
e
r
e
v
e
n
cl
o
s
er
,
f
ee
ling
the
wa
r
m
c
ur
v
e
s
o
f
h
e
r
b
o
d
y
p
re
ss
e
d
to him.
I
t
c
o
mf
o
r
t
e
d
h
im,
ma
d
e
him f
ee
l
l
e
ss ang
er
,
l
e
ss
w
o
rr
y
o
v
e
r
what
c
o
u
ld
h
ave happ
e
n
ed
.

“
A
nd
th
e
n?”
she
s
aid
and
this time
he
pick
e
d
it
u
p.
T
he
w
o
rr
y
in h
e
r
v
o
ic
e
.
T
he t
e
nsi
o
n that s
ee
m
e
d
t
o
glimm
e
r
u
n
de
r
h
e
r
s
kin wh
er
e
o
n
l
y
b
o
n
e
s
a
nd
b
l
o
o
d
sh
o
u
ld
be
.

“
A
nd
th
e
n
we
s
e
t
u
p
h
o
u
s
e
.
I
have
a
nice
little
c
o
ttage
o
n
the
b
ack
p
r
o
p
er
ty.
I
d
o
n
’
t sha
r
e
my
h
o
me
with an
y
o
n
e
.
Bu
t
n
o
w I
d
o
.
O
kay?”

“W
h
o
i
s
it?”
She
sta
re
d
at
him
and
u
n
de
r
the
s
hiny
film
o
f
h
e
r
dru
g
d
aze
a
nd

^{G
a
rre
tt
s
aw that
s
he
n
eede
d
h
i
m to
say it. She
n
eed
e
d
to
h
e
ar
it.}

“
I
t
’
s
y
o
u
,
L
iv.
Y
o
u’r
e
my
mate
n
o
w.
We
stay
h
er
e
t
o
g
e
th
e
r
o
r we
l
e
ave
t
o
g
e
th
er
. What
e
v
e
r
we
d
o
, we
d
o
t
o
g
e
th
er
.
O
kay?”

“R
e
ally?”
h
e
r
e
y
e
s
w
er
e
filli
n
g
u
p
and his
h
e
a
r
t
w
a
s
bre
aking.
Why
w
o
u
ld
s
he
e
v
e
n
d
o
ub
t
that?
Bu
t
he
k
n
e
w.
P
a
r
t
o
f
O
livia was af
r
aid
to
be
li
e
v
e
.