Base Nature (73 page)

“
N
o
t
q
u
ite
bu
t
c
l
o
s
e
.
I
wasn
’
t
s
ur
e
what
e
ith
e
r
o
f
y
o
u
w
o
u
ld
want to
e
at.”
K
e
lly st
o
o
d
,
rubb
ing
h
e
r
e
y
e
s,
st
re
tching
tall
and th
e
n
be
n
d
ing
f
o
r
wa
r
d
l
ike
she
was
ma
d
e
o
f
rub
b
er
.

G
a
rre
t
t
s
h
o
o
k
his
h
e
a
d
.
H
o
w
d
id
s
he
d
o
that? “Y
o
u fig
ure
d
w
e’
d
b
o
th
b
e
o
n
a
s
u
gar kick?” he
l
a
u
gh
ed
.

“H
e
y,
m
o
st
o
f
u
s
c
r
ave
s
u
gar aft
e
r
we
shift.
I
t
’
s
fast
e
n
er
gy.
I
f
y
o
u’r
e
shifting
f
o
r
the fi
r
st
tim
e
…” K
e
lly sh
ru
gg
ed
.

She
r
ins
e
d
the
c
o
ff
e
e
p
o
t and
G
a
rre
tt
du
g
o
u
t the
c
o
ff
e
e
and
filt
er
s. “
H
o
w is sh
e
?”

“Sl
ee
ping,”
he s
a
i
d
.
“I finally l
e
ft
h
e
r
be
ca
u
s
e
the f
e
v
e
r
br
o
ke
a
nd she w
e
nt
f
r
o
m
re
stl
e
ss
sl
ee
p
to
sack
e
d
ou
t.
I
d
i
d
n
’
t
want to
b
o
th
e
r
h
er
.”

“
Y
o
u
k
n
o
w
s
h
e’
ll
shift
t
o
night.
Ar
e
y
o
u
re
a
d
y
f
o
r
that?”
K
e
lly
k
e
pt
h
e
r
h
e
ad
d
o
wn and
G
a
rre
tt
s
u
sp
e
ct
e
d
it
was
t
o
av
o
id a
c
o
nflict.
She wasn
’
t
j
ud
gm
e
ntal
bu
t
he was
in
a place
o
f
g
u
ilt and
w
o
rr
y
r
i
g
ht
n
o
w. H
e’
d
f
ind
j
ud
gm
e
nt
w
h
er
e
th
er
e
wasn
’
t
any. She kn
e
w him w
e
ll
e
n
o
u
gh to
play the
o
ff
e
nsiv
e
.

“I
k
n
o
w.
I’
m
re
a
d
y.
I
w
o
u
ld
n
e
v
e
r
have
chang
e
d
h
e
r
if
I w
ere
n
’
t
re
a
d
y
t
o
…”
He sigh
ed
,
p
u
t
c
o
ff
e
e in
the f
i
lt
e
r
and
h
it
the
bu
tt
o
n.
“D
e
al?
K
ee
p
h
e
r saf
e
?
M
ate
h
er
?
Shit, y
o
u
r
g
ue
ss
i
s
as
g
o
o
d
as
min
e
,
K
e
l.
I
h
a
ve
no
cl
ue
.
I’
ve
bee
n
o
p
er
ating
ma
i
nly
o
n instinct with
L
iv.”

K
e
lly
f
r
o
wn
ed
,
l
o
o
king
c
o
nc
er
n
e
d
f
o
r the
fi
r
st
tim
e
.
“
Bu
t
o
u
r
i
nstinct
i
sn
’
t
t
o
change p
e
o
pl
e
.
T
h
at
’
s
n
o
t h
o
w
ou
r
i
n
stincts
w
o
r
k,
G
a—”

“
A
s a man,” he
said
g
ru
ffly. “I
m
e
ant as a man w
h
o
want
e
d
a w
o
m
a
n.”

She sh
u
t
h
e
r
m
o
u
th
s
o
fast
h
e
r
t
ee
th
clack
e
d
and th
e
y
b
o
th
smil
ed
.
“
Go
t
it.
W
e
ll,
I have
z
er
o
to
s
ay
a
b
o
u
t
that
bu
t
I
d
o
u
n
der
stand
what
y
o
u
m
e
an.
I’
m
g
o
ing
t
o
h
o
p
in y
o
u
r
s
h
o
w
e
r
and
th
e
n
I’
ll
c
o
me
fix
bre
akfast.”

“
I’
ll g
r
ab
a pi
e
ce
o
f cak
e
,” he
s
ai
d
.