Base Nature (113 page)

T
h
e
y
r
an
past
the place
o
f
the kill.
T
he sm
e
ll
o
f
b
l
o
o
d
was
st
i
ll
thick
and m
e
tallic
in the
ai
r
.
I
t
h
u
n
g,
an
invisi
b
le
o
r
ange and
br
o
wn
stain
o
f
sc
e
nt
i
n
the
c
r
isp
fall
ai
r
.
A
.J. st
o
pp
ed
,
sniff
ed
, th
re
w
his h
e
ad
b
ack and
h
o
wl
ed
.

A
ss
h
o
le
l
e
tting
G
a
rre
t
t
k
n
o
w h
e’
s
g
u
n
ning
f
o
r
him…

She
p
u
t
h
e
r
h
e
ad
d
o
wn
and
h
urr
i
e
d
past
him.
I
f
she
had
h
e
r
way,
sh
e’
d
be
at
A
.J. and
e
v
e
n
Ch
e
s
to
the
n
e
w
mat
e
s.
She
had a
mat
er
nal
st
re
ak
a
mile
wi
d
e f
o
r
G
a
rre
tt
G
u
stafs
o
n.

Sh
e’
d
al
s
o
have to
make a
p
o
i
nt
o
f
re
p
r
iman
d
ing
A
.J.
o
p
e
nly
f
o
r an
n
o
u
ncing
th
e
ir p
re
s
e
n
c
e
with his alpha,
b
alls-
o
u
t
h
o
wl. J
er
k.

Ch
e
st
e
r
gave h
e
r
a
s
h
o
r
t
g
r
o
wl,
k
n
o
wing
she was
w
o
o
lgath
er
ing
and kn
o
w
i
ng
she was
s
ee
thing.
S
he
s
n
o
r
t
e
d
at
h
im,
p
u
tting
o
n
sp
ee
d
and
d
o
d
ging
a
fall
e
n
t
ree
.
S
he
was small
e
r
than
h
e
, so
she
c
o
u
ld
g
o
f
a
st
e
r
and
g
e
t
i
nto
tight
e
r
s
p
o
ts.
She
g
r
i
nn
ed
,
h
e
r
thin
b
lack
l
ips
p
u
lling
b
ack.
Wh
e
n
all
was
s
aid
and
d
o
ne sh
e’
d
pay
f
o
r
that
m
o
v
e
.
Ch
e
st
e
r w
o
u
ld
take
it
o
u
t
o
n h
e
r
hi
de
.
S
he
h
o
p
ed
.

*
*
*
*
*

G
a
rre
t
t
h
e
a
r
d
A
.J.
and
w
o
k
e
.
He
was
c
ur
l
e
d
a
r
o
u
nd
L
iv.
H
e’
d
shift
e
d
b
ack
aga
i
n and
the
w
o
u
nd
i
n
h
i
s
ch
e
st
be
at
r
a
g
g
ed
ly
with
his
h
e
a
r
t.
His
p
u
lse
j
u
mp
e
d
s
o
ha
r
d
he f
e
lt
d
izzy.
Sh
e’
d
s
h
ift
e
d
b
ack
to
h
e
r
h
u
man
f
o
r
m
in
h
e
r
s
l
ee
p,
a
c
o
mm
o
n
o
cc
ur
r
e
nce with
cha
n
g
e
lings.
H
e’
d
d
o
ne
s
o
t
o
acc
o
m
m
o
d
ate
h
er
,
he
c
o
u
ld
o
nly
ass
u
m
e
.
He
was a livi
n
g
e
cho
o
f
h
e
r
n
o
w.
What she
d
i
d
,
he
e
m
br
ac
e
d
a
nd
the
o
pp
o
site
w
o
u
ld
stand
t
rue
.
T
h
e
y c
o
mpl
e
m
e
nt
e
d
e
ach
o
t
h
e
r
n
o
w, as it
s
h
o
u
ld
be
.

G
a
rre
t
t
r
an his hand
d
o
wn the
small
o
f h
e
r
b
ack,
f
ee
ling
h
e
r
s
u
pple
s
k
in,
wa
t
ching the
small am
o
u
nt
o
f
l
ight
f
r
o
m the
bedr
oo
m
win
d
o
w play
ac
r
o
ss h
e
r
jaw,
h
e
r ch
ee
k
b
o
n
e
s.
She
s
hiv
ere
d
ma
d
e
a
small n
o
is
e
,
p
re
ss
e
d
h
e
r
b
o
d
y
b
ack
to
m
ee
t
the wa
r
mth
o
f his
t
o
u
ch.