Base Nature (17 page)

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He th
o
u
ght
a
b
o
u
t
clim
b
ing
u
p
the way
he had
e
a
r
li
e
r
bu
t
g
i
ving
h
e
r
a
h
e
a
r
t
attack wasn
’
t
his int
e
nt.
So
G
a
rre
tt
k
n
o
ck
e
d
like
a n
o
r
mal, sane
man,
o
r
the
c
l
o
s
e
st
he
c
o
u
ld mimic.
T
he
fi
r
st
r
o
u
nd
o
f
k
n
o
cks
br
o
u
ght
h
e
r
to
the
st
e
ps.
He
h
e
a
r
d
the
f
o
ur
th
st
e
p
d
o
wn
the
f
light
sq
ue
ak
as
s
he
s
t
oo
d
,
t
r
ying
to
de
ci
d
e
what
to
d
o
.
He call
e
d
o
u
t
to
h
er
, “
L
iv!
I
t
’
s
m
e
,
G
a
rre
t
t,
f
r
o
m
ac
r
o
ss
the st
ree
t.
I th
o
u
ght
I h
e
a
r
d
s
o
m
e
thing,
I th
o
ug
ht
I’
d ch
e
ck
o
n y
o
u
.”

He
k
n
o
ck
e
d
s
o
me
m
o
re
,
light
e
r
n
o
w, so
as n
o
t to
sta
r
tl
e
.
He
c
o
u
ld
f
ee
l
h
e
r
in th
er
e w
e
ighing
h
e
r
o
pti
o
ns.
Tr
ying
t
o
de
ci
d
e
wh
e
th
e
r
o
r
n
o
t
to
t
ru
st
h
im.
A
nd
j
ud
ging
b
y what
he
had s
ee
n
o
f
h
er
,
he c
o
u
l
d
n
’
t
b
lame
h
e
r m
u
ch.
L
iv
M
cC
o
y
s
ee
m
e
d
n
e
a
r
ly
as
d
amag
e
d
as
he was.
She
w
a
s
r
ight
o
n
the
o
th
e
r
si
d
e
o
f
the
d
oo
r
.
G
a
rre
tt
p
u
t
his
palm
t
o the
white w
o
o
d
and said
m
o
r
e
s
o
ft
l
y,
“
I
t
’
s
m
e
,
L
iv,
G
a
rre
tt
G
u
staf
s
o
n.
Can
y
o
u
at
l
e
ast t
e
ll
me
y
o
u’r
e
o
k
ay?”

He h
e
a
r
d
h
e
r
bre
ath
e
,
h
e
r
h
e
a
r
t
sp
ee
d
u
p,
h
e
r
e
y
e
s
b
li
n
k.
I
t
was
as
if
G
a
rre
tt
c
o
u
ld h
e
ar
h
e
r
be
ing.
I
f
he
h
e
ld
h
is
bre
ath
and
f
o
c
u
s
e
d
w
o
u
ld
he
h
e
ar
h
e
r
b
l
oo
d
f
l
o
w?
H
e
r

fing
er
s
m
o
v
e
?
H
e
r
hair
whisp
er
?

G
a
rre
t
t
s
h
o
o
k his
h
e
ad
t
o
cl
e
ar
it
and
s
he
said
to
the
c
r
ack
wh
er
e
do
o
r
m
e
t
jam
b
, “H
o
ld
o
n a s
e
c
o
n
d
,
I’
ll
u
n
d
o
the
cha
i
n.”

She was
g
o
ing
t
o
t
ru
st
him.
G
a
rre
tt
wasn
’
t
s
ur
e
w
h
y
bu
t
his
b
o
d
y
f
e
lt
a
h
u
n
dre
d p
o
u
n
d
s
l
i
ght
er
,
h
i
s
mind
br
ight
y
e
ll
o
w.
He f
e
lt,
in
fact,
h
appy.
I
t
had
bee
n
a
l
o
ng,
l
o
ng tim
e
.

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E
nt
r
y

“What a
r
e
y
o
u
d
o
i
ng
h
ere
?”
L
iv p
re
ss
e
d
h
e
r
face
t
o
the
small c
r
ack
and
st
ud
i
e
d
h
i
s fac
e
.
C
o
nc
er
n.
T
hat was
what she
saw.
C
o
nc
er
n
and
a
h
an
d
s
o
me
l
e
an
face
lit milk-white
b
y
m
oo
nl
i
ght.
S
o
m
e
thing
i
n
his face
l
o
o
k
e
d
mil
d
ly
h
a
u
nt
ed
.
She
re
c
o
gniz
e
d
it
be
ca
u
se she
had
s
ee
n that pa
r
tic
u
l
a
r
l
o
o
k
i
n the
mi
rr
o
r
m
any tim
e
s.

“I
th
o
u
ght
I
h
e
a
r
d
s
o
m
e
thing.
I
want
e
d
to
c
o
me
ch
e
ck
and
s
e
e
if
y
o
u
w
er
e
o
k
a
y.
T
hat
y
o
u w
ere
n
’
t
h
a
ving…”
He
wa
rre
d
with
hi
m
s
e
lf
h
ere
,
L
iv
t
h
o
u
ght.
T
r
ying
to
b
e vigil
a
nt
bu
t
n
o
t
sca
r
e
h
er
.
“I want
e
d
to
m
a
ke
s
ur
e
the
t
r
ash
stay
e
d
o
u
t,”
he
s
a
id
and g
r
inn
ed
.

T
hat
s
i
mple
g
r
i
n
that
br
o
ke
h
is
s
er
i
o
u
s
face in
t
o
bo
yish
l
in
e
s
ma
d
e h
e
r
s
t
o
mach fl
u
tt
e
r
with
i
n
visi
b
le
bu
tt
e
r
fly
w
i
ngs. She
c
o
u
l
d
n
’
t
h
e
lp
bu
t
s
m
ile
b
ack.
“H
o
w
’
s y
o
u
r a
r
m?”
She
o
p
e
n
e
d
the
d
oo
r
wi
de
r
bu
t still
d
i
d
n
’
t
l
e
t
h
im in.

G
a
rre
t
t
d
i
d
n
’
t
s
ee
m
t
o
take
o
ff
e
ns
e
.
“
Ar
m?”
A car
whizz
e
d
past
and he t
e
ns
e
d slight
l
y at
the
s
o
u
n
d
. J
u
st
e
n
o
u
gh
f
o
r
h
e
r
t
o
take
n
o
t
e
.

“Wh
er
e
I sta
bb
e
d
y
o
u
.
Y
o
u
k
n
o
w?
T
he
b
l
oo
d
,
the
c
u
t,
the
pain.
M
o
st
p
e
o
ple
w
o
u
ld
re
m
e
m
b
e
r
a
fl
e
sh w
o
u
n
d
.”
She
c
o
ck
e
d
h
e
r
h
e
a
d
,
st
ud
ying
the
l
i
ght
that
b
o
u
nc
e
d
o
ff his sha
r
p
ch
ee
k
b
o
n
e
s,
the
c
o
mma
o
f
white
l
ight
o
n his
d
a
r
k,
d
a
r
k
hai
r
.
A
nd
the
silv
e
r shimm
e
r
o
f his
e
y
e
s wh
e
n
he
t
ur
n
e
d
j
u
st
sl
i
ghtly to
the
l
e
ft.
She
gasp
e
d
be
f
o
r
e
she
c
o
u
ld stifle
it and
t
o
o
k a sm
a
ll st
e
p
b
ack.