Ember (2 page)

S
h
e
cut
hi
m
off
w
ith
a
dr
ama
tic
y
a
wn
,
h
e
r
r
e
d
-
gold
locks
spilling
a
cross
th
e
s
a
bl
e
as
sh
e
snuggl
e
d
do
w
n
furth
e
r
.
T
h
e
b
a
ck
of
th
e
w
a
r
e
hous
e
wa
s
cold
,
d
e
spit
e
th
e
dry
August
h
ea
t
outsid
e,
but
no
on
e
wou
l
d
find
th
em
th
e
r
e,
for
it
wa
s
S
und
a
y
.
O
n
l
y
old
D
ov
e
r
r
ema
in
e
d
to
k
ee
p
w
a
tch
,
a
nd
h
e
l
e
t
th
em
h
a
v
e
th
e
ir
fun
so
long
as
th
e
y
k
e
pt
out
of
sight
.

“
Y
e
s
,
”
s
h
e
s
a
i
d,
b
l
i
n
k
i
n
g
u
p
at
h
i
m
w
i
t
h
h
er
g
r
eat
b
i
g
o
w
l
e
y
e
s
.
“
T
h
a
t
is
a
ll
v
e
ry
good,
but
you
’
v
e
told
me
this
story
s
e
v
e
r
a
l
ti
me
s
.
”
S
h
e
lift
e
d
h
e
r
h
ea
d
.
“
Se
v
e
r
a
l
ti
me
s
.
”

The
boy
sa
t
up
i
n
a
hu
ff
.
“
Ve
r
y
we
ll
.
Seems
I
am
t
oo
bo
ri
ng
t
o
p
r
ov
i
de
t
h
i
s
a
ft
e
r
noon
’
s
en
t
e
rt
a
i
nmen
t
.
”
He
l
eaned
i
n,
and
a
w
il
d
g
l
eam
lit
h
i
s
eyes,
one
l
aden
w
it
h
m
i
sch
i
e
f
.
“
You
know
it
i
s
co
l
d
i
n
he
r
e,
i
sn
’t
it
?
”

S
h
e
gl
a
r
e
d
b
a
ck
at
hi
m.
“
N
o
.
”

H
e
d
i
d
n
ot
g
i
v
e
i
n
t
h
at
ea
s
i
l
y
.
I
t
w
as
t
h
e
be
s
t
t
r
i
c
k
t
h
e
boy
had
eve
r
seen,
and
she
’
d
on
l
y
j
us
t
l
e
t
h
i
m
i
n
on
he
r
sec
r
e
t
.
“
I
bet
you
can
’t
even
do
it
aga
i
n,
”
he
s
a
i
d
w
it
h
a
sn
iff
.

She
sho
t
up
fr
om
he
r
com
f
o
rt
ab
l
e
nes
t
.
“
Can
too!”
“
Be
t
you
you
r
fli
p
kn
if
e
t
ha
t
you
can
’t
.
”

The
g
irl’
s
littl
e
fi
s
t
s
ba
ll
ed
ti
gh
t
.
The
r
e
was
no
f
o
r
ce
on
ea
rt
h
t
ha
t
wou
l
d
t
emp
t
he
r
t
o
g
i
ve
up
he
r
kn
if
e.
I
t
was
he
r
mos
t
p
r
ec
i
ous
possess
i
on.
O
l
d
Dove
r
had
g
i
ven
t
he
C
h
a
t
e
ll
e
r
a
ult
t
o
he
r
.
A
comp
l
e
t
e
l
y
i
napp
r
op
ri
a
t
e
g
ift
f
o
r
a
g
irl
,
bu
t
Dove
r
t
o
l
d
he
r
t
ha
t
g
irl
s
needed
mo
r
e
p
r
o
t
ec
ti
on
t
han
boys
so
she
ough
t
t
o
have
one.
He
even
t
augh
t
he
r
t
o
use
it
.
The
boy
had
been
j
ea
l
ous
l
y
cove
ti
ng
t
he
kn
if
e
eve
r
s
i
nce.

The
boy
scow
l
ed
now.
“
Bah,
it
wasn
’t
even
t
ha
t
good
of
a
tri
ck.
My
seven
consecu
ti
ve
ca
rt
whee
l
s
we
r
e
mo
r
e
i
mp
r
ess
i
ve–
”

He
r
sma
ll
,
wh
it
e
hand
g
r
abbed
t
he
l
amp
fr
om
t
he
fl
oo
r
.
“
I
do
it
,
and
you
’ll
be
ow
i
ng
me
f
enc
i
ng
l
essons.
”
The
boy
’
s
f
a
t
he
r
had
en
r
o
ll
ed
h
i
m
i
n
c
l
asses
t
ha
t
yea
r
,
and
sh
e
had