Base Nature (53 page)

“
E
xactly. Y
o
u
find
a ta
b
l
e
,
I’
ll
g
e
t the
f
oo
d
.
Y
o
u
want
o
ne
o
r
t
w
o
?”

She
ch
u
ckl
e
d
bu
t
re
aliz
e
d
he
wasn
’
t j
o
k
i
ng. “
U
m…
o
n
e
.
T
h
e
y
’r
e
h
u
g
e!
”

G
a
rre
t
t
b
o
u
n
de
d
o
ff,
l
o
o
ki
n
g
v
er
y
m
u
ch
in
that
i
nstant
like
a
n
o
v
er
g
r
o
wn
b
o
y.
L
iv l
e
t
the
happin
e
ss
in
h
e
r
fla
r
e
br
ight
and h
o
t
f
o
r
j
u
st
an
instant
and
th
e
n
she
w
r
angl
e
d
it. She
was
be
ing
silly.
T
h
i
s
was
h
o
o
ki
n
g
u
p
at
the
l
e
ast,
d
ating
at
the
be
st.
No
re
as
o
n
to f
ee
l
all wa
r
m
and
f
u
zzy. She
sn
a
gg
e
d
th
e
m a
small plastic
ta
b
le
s
e
t
with
two
g
ree
n chai
r
s,
a ch
ro
me
napk
i
n h
o
l
de
r
and
salt and
p
e
pp
e
r
shak
er
s.

She
wa
t
ch
e
d
him c
o
me
t
o
wa
r
d
h
er
,
his
b
oo
ts kicking
u
p
du
st,
his g
r
in
sw
ee
t
e
n
o
u
gh to
m
a
ke
a
n
y w
o
man all
g
oo
e
y
i
nsi
de
.
She
ca
u
ght
a f
e
w w
o
m
e
n wa
t
ching
G
a
rre
tt
wa
l
k
past.
T
he int
ere
st
was
palpa
b
le
be
ca
u
se
G
a
rre
tt
was
a
p
re
s
e
nc
e
.
He s
t
oo
d
o
u
t as
d
iff
ere
nt
e
v
e
n in a c
r
o
wd
o
f p
e
o
pl
e
.
L
iv
d
i
d
n
’
t
b
lame
th
e
m at all. She
h
ad
a ha
r
d time
n
o
t sta
r
ing at him t
o
o
. “W
o
w.
T
hat is—”

“A snack,”
he sai
d
,
winki
n
g.
He
h
an
de
d
h
e
r
o
ne
o
f
the san
d
wich
e
s
and
a
s
mall plastic
c
o
ntain
e
r
o
f
h
o
r
s
er
a
d
ish
sa
u
c
e
,
th
e
n
p
u
sh
e
d
the
t
r
ay
la
de
n
with
F
re
nch
f
r
i
e
s, f
r
i
e
d
pickl
e
s
and
o
ni
o
n
r
i
n
gs to
the
c
e
nt
e
r
.
“H
e
lp
y
o
ur
s
e
lf.”

L
iv sta
red
.
“I
have
n
o
i
de
a
h
o
w
o
ne
p
er
s
o
n
can
e
at
a
ll
that.”
S
he
acc
e
p
t
e
d
the
c
o
ld can
o
f
s
o
d
a
f
r
o
m him and
swal
l
o
w
e
d
th
re
e
c
r
isp g
u
lps and
s
igh
e
d
c
o
nt
e
nt
ed
ly.

“
E
asy. J
u
st wa
t
ch.”

“
S
o
,
n
o
t
that
y
o
u
h
ave
t
o
answ
e
r
me
bu
t
d
id
K
e
lly
c
o
me
to
ask
y
o
u
to
c
o
me
b
ack?
T
o
y
o
u
r
family?” She
t
o
o
k a
b
ig
b
it
e
,
to
give
h
e
r
b
ig
n
o
sy
m
o
u
th
s
o
m
e
thing
t
o
d
o
.

G
a
rre
t
t
’
s
face
w
e
nt
f
r
o
m f
o
o
d
-
dru
nk gl
e
e
to
cl
e
nching
jaw in a
b
link.
S
he
want
e
d
t
o s
u
ck
the
w
o
rd
s
b
ack
i
n
bu
t
what
g
o
o
d w
o
u
ld
a
ll
h
e
r
g
o
o
d f
ee
lings
b
e
if
she c
o
u
l
d
n
’
t
ask him
a
simple q
ue
sti
o
n?
He gave a
br
isk
n
o
d
,
swal
l
o
w
e
d
and sigh
ed
.
“Y
e
p.
Pre
t
ty
m
u
ch. She
wants
me to
re
t
ur
n
to
the pack.
I
d
o
n
’
t
want
t
o
.
She thinks
that
a
m
o
th
er
ly
v
i
sit
and may
b
e
s
o
me
w
e
ll-plac
e
d
g
u
ilt can
d
o
the
t
r
ick.
I
t
can
’
t.”