Base Nature (39 page)

She
o
p
e
n
e
d
h
e
r
e
y
e
s
f
o
r a
split
s
e
c
o
nd and
G
a
rre
tt
sm
i
l
e
d
d
o
wn
at
h
er
.
He
d
i
d
n
’
t sp
e
ak
be
ca
u
se
he
wasn
’
t
q
u
ite
s
ur
e
that
L
iv was
awak
e
.
“
H
e
lp
m
e
,” she
said
bu
t s
o
m
e
wh
er
e
in h
e
r
e
y
e
s she
was
l
o
o
king past him.
O
r
so
it s
ee
m
ed
.

“
L
iv? Do y
o
u s
e
e
m
e
?”
he whisp
ere
d
in
s
u
ch
a
s
o
ft
v
o
ice
e
v
e
n
he had t
r
o
ub
le h
e
a
r
ing
it.

“H
e
lp m
e
,”
s
he
re
p
e
a
t
ed
.

H
e
r
t
o
e
s
p
u
sh
e
d
at
h
is
calf,
h
e
r
f
i
ng
er
s
p
u
ll
e
d
at
h
i
s
s
h
o
u
l
der
s.
H
e
r
br
o
wn
e
y
e
s wi
d
e
and
d
a
r
k
e
r
than
d
a
r
k in the
sha
d
o
w
e
d
ro
o
m.

“What
can
I
d
o
?”
he
a
s
k
ed
,
playi
n
g
al
o
n
g.
She
d
i
d
n
’
t
s
e
e
h
im.
She
w
a
sn
’
t
h
ere
.
He smil
ed
,
s
m
oo
thi
n
g
the
wild
ta
n
gl
e
s
o
f
br
o
wn
and
b
l
o
n
d
e
that clim
be
d
a
r
o
u
nd
h
e
r
n
e
ck and
ch
ee
ks
like
vin
e
s.

“
M
ake
me
st
r
o
n
g.
M
ake
me
st
ro
ng,” she
said
in a panick
e
d
v
o
ic
e
.

“
Y
o
u
a
r
e
st
r
o
ng,
y
o
u
j
u
st
d
o
n
’
t
k
n
o
w
it.”
He
be
nt
t
o
k
i
ss
h
e
r
f
o
re
h
e
a
d
.
S
he
w
o
u
ld

cl
o
se
h
e
r
e
y
e
s
a
nd
re
t
ur
n
to
what
e
v
e
r
h
o
rr
o
r
await
e
d
h
e
r
be
hind
cl
o
s
e
d
e
y
e
li
d
s.
A
nd
he w
o
u
ld
h
o
ld
h
e
r
and
wa
t
ch
o
v
e
r
h
e
r
u
ntil
d
awn
o
r
u
ntil sl
ee
p
cam
e
.

“
M
ake
me
st
r
o
n
g,
G
a
rre
tt.
M
ake
me
d
ang
er
o
u
s.”

He
f
r
o
z
e
.
S
he
had
said
h
is
n
a
m
e
.
S
o
me
pa
r
t
o
f h
e
r
kn
e
w
that
he
w
a
s
h
er
e
with h
er
.
T
hat
he was
wa
t
ching
o
v
e
r
h
er
.
H
e
r
w
o
rd
s
s
e
t
o
ff
an
ala
r
m
in
h
im,
alm
o
st
a
kin
to anxi
e
ty.
“
O
h
y
o
u’r
e
d
ang
er
o
u
s
to
m
e
,
L
iv.
Y
o
u
make
me
c
r
azy.”
He
smil
e
d
at
h
e
r
bu
t she
still
l
o
o
k
e
d
past
him
e
v
e
n
th
o
u
gh
h
e
r
fing
er
s
p
u
ll
e
d
and
pl
u
ck
e
d
and
w
o
rr
i
e
d
at him like
she
was slipping aw
a
y.

G
a
rre
t
t
t
o
o
k
h
e
r
h
a
n
d
s
i
n
his
and h
e
ld
th
e
m
u
ntil
she still
ed
.
“
M
ake
me
u
naf
r
ai
d
,” she said
a
nd
he c
o
u
ld sm
e
ll
h
e
r
t
e
a
r
s
be
f
o
r
e
he
saw
th
e
m.
T
he salty,
u
ntam
e
d
s
m
e
ll
o
f
o
c
e
an
and
s
ky.
G
a
rre
tt
ki
s
s
e
d
h
e
r
again, his lips p
re
ssing
to
the
w
e
t
st
re
aks
that t
r
ail
e
d
d
o
wn h
e
r
ch
ee
ks.

“
D
o
n
’
t
b
e
af
r
ai
d
.”

“
O
nly
y
o
u
can
save
m
e
.”
She
p
u
t
h
e
r
h
e
ad
d
o
wn
and
was
asl
ee
p
again.
Bu
t
this time
s
he
was still.

He
p
u
ll
e
d
h
e
r
f
l
u
sh,
w
r
apping
h
i
s
a
r
m
ac
r
o
ss h
e
r
b
ack,
the
o
th
e
r
l
o
o
p
e
d
be
hind
h
e
r
b
o
tt
o
m.
G
a
rre
tt
h
e
ld
h
e
r
th
er
e
like
she
was
a
child and
she
f
i
nally
s
l
e
pt
wit
h
o
u
t
t
o
s
sing and th
r
ashing.
H
e
r
bre
ath
wa
r
m
e
d
his
th
r
o
at
and h
e
r
h
e
a
r
t
be
at
tick
e
d
o
ff
e
ach
d
a
r
k min
u
te
u
ntil
the
s
u
n
ro
s
e
.
Wh
e
n
it
d
i
d
,
he
h
ad
n
o
t sl
e
pt
and
he
was half s
ur
e
that
if she
re
ally,
re
ally
want
e
d
him
t
o
,
he
w
o
u
ld
give in
and change h
er
.
H
e’
d
capit
u
late
to
h
e
r n
eed
s
a
b
o
ve
h
is
be
tt
e
r
j
ud
gm
e
nt.

*
*
*
*
*

G
a
rre
t
t
w
a
s
c
o
o
ki
n
g
e
ggs wh
e
n
L
iv
came
f
l
ying
into
the
r
oo
m. “
I’
m
lat
e!
”
s
he
sai
d
,
e
y
e
s
wi
de
.
Sh
e’
d
th
r
o
wn
o
n
his
sw
e
atshi
r
t
and
it
h
u
ng
d
amn
n
e
ar
to
h
e
r
kn
ee
s.
A
pair
o
f s
o
c
k
s
b
y
the
be
d
had
f
o
u
nd
th
e
ir
way
o
n
t
o
h
e
r
f
ee
t
a
nd
she
l
oo
k
e
d
g
oo
d
e
n
o
u
gh
t
o
e
at,
he
th
o
u
ght.