Base Nature (59 page)

“
I’
ll
b
e
f
u
ck
e
d
b
l
u
e
be
f
o
r
e
I
t
e
ll
h
e
r
that,”
G
a
rre
t
t
said
to
n
o
o
n
e
.

*
*
*
*
*

He walk
e
d
i
n
to
find two
f
r
ag
r
ant
pi
e
s
c
o
o
ling
o
n
the c
o
u
nt
er
.
T
he h
o
u
se sm
e
ll
e
d like a
h
o
me and the
k
itch
e
n
was
a
w
e
lc
o
me
wa
r
mth
f
r
o
m
the
b
itt
er
,
d
amp
chill
o
u
tsi
de
. He
h
e
a
r
d
the hiss
o
f
the
s
h
o
w
e
r
and g
r
inn
ed
.
M
ay
b
e
h
e’
d
p
o
p
i
n
and say
hi
t
o
L
iv.
T
e
ll h
e
r
h
o
w
g
o
o
d
h
e
r pi
e
s
s
m
e
ll
ed
.
G
a
rre
tt
kick
e
d his
bo
o
ts
o
ff
o
n
the
mat
and snapp
e
d
h
i
s
be
lt
o
u
t
o
f
the
l
o
o
ps.
He
h
u
n
g
that
o
n
the
h
o
o
k
and
sh
u
ck
e
d
h
i
s
s
o
a
k
ing
w
e
t
j
e
ans.
A h
o
t
s
h
o
w
e
r
with a
h
o
t w
o
man
s
o
u
n
de
d
like
j
u
st what the
d
o
ct
o
r
o
rdered
.

He
t
o
o
k
the
st
e
ps
two
at
a
tim
e
.
T
he
d
oo
r
b
a
re
ly
ma
d
e
a
s
o
u
n
d
.
H
e’
d
j
u
st
o
i
l
e
d
it this
w
ee
k.
G
a
rre
t
t
st
o
o
d
and
wa
t
ch
e
d
the
st
e
amy,
b
l
ur
r
e
d
o
u
tl
i
ne
o
f
h
e
r
th
r
o
u
gh
the cl
e
ar
plastic
c
ur
tain
wh
er
e
it gap
ed
.
H
e
r
h
e
ad
was
tipp
e
d
b
ack,
e
y
e
s
cl
o
s
ed
.
H
e
r
l
o
n
g lash
e
s
bru
shing
the
fl
u
sh
e
d
apple
o
f
h
e
r
ch
ee
ks.
She
was,
t
o
him,
d
amn
n
e
ar
p
er
f
e
ct. H
e
r
l
o
ng
u
n
ru
ly
b
l
o
n
d
e
hair
was
d
a
r
k
br
o
wn
f
r
o
m
be
ing
s
o
a
k
e
d
with
wa
te
r
and
the tips
o
f
it
bru
sh
e
d
h
e
r
hips
j
u
st
a
b
o
ve
h
e
r
ass.
He
saw
the
fawn
sp
r
ay
o
f
f
re
ckl
e
s
a
b
o
ve

h
e
r
bre
asts
and
o
n
the
br
i
d
ge
o
f
h
e
r
n
o
s
e
.
T
he
small
d
a
r
k
t
r
iangle
o
f h
e
r
p
ub
ic
hai
r
.
T
he h
e
a
d
y
sc
e
nt
o
f h
e
r
a
nd
s
hamp
o
o
and
h
e
at.

He
d
i
d
n
’
t
re
alize
h
o
w
q
u
i
e
t
he
was
be
ing, it
j
u
st
came
nat
ur
ally
to
him.
I
t
d
i
d
n
’
t
d
awn
o
n him at all
u
ntil he
p
u
ll
e
d
the
c
ur
tain
b
ack to
s
a
y s
o
m
e
thing
s
ma
r
t
l
i
ke
s
ur
p
r
is
e
!
o
r
t
r
ick
-
o
r
-t
re
at,
la
d
y!

Be
f
o
r
e
he c
o
u
l
d
,
she
cl
u
tch
e
d
at
h
er
s
e
lf,
d
a
r
k
e
y
e
s
flyi
n
g
wi
de
,
face
t
err
if
i
ed
.
She sc
re
am
e
d
s
o
l
o
u
d
his
e
a
r
s
r
ang
f
r
o
m
the
s
h
o
ck
and she
dr
o
pp
e
d
in
t
o
a
f
e
tal
p
o
siti
o
n
at the
f
o
o
t
o
f
his s
h
o
w
er
.
H
e
r
b
o
d
y
p
r
o
mptly
r
ack
e
d
with s
o
b
s, h
e
r
h
e
a
r
t
be
at
s
udde
nly a
ud
i
b
le
t
o
him and
the
f
ee
l
o
f h
e
r
f
e
ar
s
o
thick he
c
o
u
ld
h
a
ve
br
o
k
e
n
o
ff a ch
u
nk
o
f ai
r
.

G
a
rre
t
t
w
e
nt
f
ro
m h
o
r
ny and
happy and
playf
u
l to
e
n
r
ag
e
d
in the
space
o
f a
bre
ath. He
t
oo
k
L
iv
b
y
h
e
r
u
pp
e
r
a
r
ms
and
lift
e
d
h
e
r
a
s
g
e
ntly
as
he
c
o
u
ld
manag
e
.
She

^{was
so
w
e
t
and
so
sca
red
.
She
sh
o
o
k
in
h
is
a
r
ms
as
he
l
e
d
h
e
r
to
the
wick
e
r
ch
e
st
he}

u
s
e
d
as
t
o
w
e
l
s
t
o
r
ag
e
.
He
g
o
t
h
e
r
to
s
it,
m
ur
m
ur
ing
s
o
ftly.
N
o
ns
e
nse
w
o
rd
s.
N
ic
e
ti
e
s and
s
oo
thi
n
g
s
o
u
n
d
s
j
u
st
l
i
ke
K
e
lly
had
d
o
ne
f
o
r
all the
y
o
u
n
g
e
r
o
n
e
s
as th
e
y
g
re
w
u
p. His
o
wn
m
o
th
e
r
had
d
i
e
d
a
f
e
w
y
e
a
r
s
aft
e
r
h
aving
him
and
K
e
lly
had
o
ft
e
n
bee
n
a stan
d
-in
m
o
m
w
h
e
n
a
g
ru
ff
bu
t
l
o
ving fath
e
r
wasn
’
t
e
n
o
u
gh
f
o
r
a
y
o
u
ng man.
I
t
had
bee
n
f
r
o
m h
e
r
that he
l
e
a
r
n
e
d
the
imp
o
r
tance
o
f a
l
u
lli
n
g
b
ackg
r
o
u
nd
o
f
s
o
u
nd
dur
ing illn
e
ss
o
r
t
r
a
u
ma.

“
I
t
’
s
o
k
ay,
it
’
s
o
k
a
y.
I
h
a
ve
y
o
u n
o
w.
I’
m
s
o
rr
y.
I
was
j
o
k
i
ng
a
r
o
u
nd
a
nd
I’
m
an
a
s
s.
Bre
at
h
e
dee
ply,
L
iv.
T
ake
a
bre
ath,
b
a
b
y,”
he
r
am
b
l
e
d
bu
t
s
he
o
be
y
ed
.
He
w
r
app
e
d
a
re
d
t
o
w
e
l
a
r
o
u
nd
h
e
r
and
s
he
g
r
asp
e
d
the
t
o
p
with
s
haki
n
g
han
d
s to
h
o
ld
it cl
o
s
ed
.
G
a
rre
tt
st
o
o
d
,
flipping
the
switch
f
o
r
the
small
o
v
er
h
e
ad
h
e
at
er
.
T
he
b
ath
r
oo
m
g
re
w
a
b
it
wa
r
m
e
r
bu
t
she
was still sh
a
king.