Base Nature (55 page)

“
A
gain?” she
la
u
gh
ed
.
She
w
r
app
e
d
u
p
h
e
r
san
d
wich
to
take
h
o
m
e
.
I
n
the
time
she had
e
at
e
n
a thi
r
d
o
f h
e
r
h
u
g
e
,
o
v
er
st
u
ff
e
d
san
d
wich he
h
ad
p
o
lish
e
d
o
ff two
f
u
ll san
d
wich
e
s,
m
o
st
o
f
the
o
n
i
o
n
r
ings,
m
o
st
o
f
the
f
r
i
e
s
a
nd
all
o
f
the
pickl
e
s.
P
l
u
s
two cans
o
f
s
o
d
a.
I
t
m
u
st
bur
n
a
l
o
t
o
f
cal
o
r
i
e
s
be
ing
pa
r
t
w
o
lf
and f
u
ll
-
time s
e
x
g
o
d
.
She
b
l
u
sh
ed
.

“I
m
e
ant
y
o
u
have
to
make
me
s
o
me
pi
e
s.
Bu
t
the
way,
y
o
u
j
u
st
b
l
u
sh
e
d
like
that and
what
I
sm
e
ll
c
o
m
i
ng
o
ff
y
o
u
.
Y
e
s,
a
gain.”
He
g
r
a
bb
e
d
h
e
r
hand
a
nd
p
u
ll
e
d
h
e
r
to h
e
r
f
ee
t.
“H
urr
y,
w
o
man,
o
r
we
m
i
ght j
u
st
g
e
t
bu
sy
at the
o
r
cha
r
d
aga
i
n.”

L
iv st
ud
i
e
d
him as
he
l
e
d
h
e
r
th
r
o
u
gh the
n
o
w-
tee
ming
pa
r
king
l
o
t to
the
ca
r
.
She th
o
u
ght
sh
e’
d
g
e
t
bu
sy
with
him
j
u
st
a
b
o
u
t
any
w
h
ere
.
A
ny
tim
e
.
A
ny
way.
T
he cl
o
s
e
r she
g
o
t, the
m
o
r
e
s
he
want
ed
.

*
*
*
*
*

“
I
s
it
d
o
ne
y
e
t?”
G
a
rre
tt
re
st
e
d
his
ch
i
n
o
n
h
e
r
sh
o
u
l
der
,
his
a
r
ms
l
oo
p
e
d
a
r
o
u
nd h
e
r
wa
i
st.
L
iv
t
r
i
e
d
to
f
o
c
u
s
o
n mix
i
ng
the
apple
slic
e
s
i
n
the
cinna
m
o
n and
s
u
gar
and spic
e
s
as
he p
re
ss
e
d
h
is
ch
e
st
t
o
h
e
r
b
ack,
his
p
e
lvis
t
o
h
e
r
b
o
tt
o
m,
his
bre
ath
f
e
ath
er
ing
d
o
wn
o
v
e
r
h
e
r
s
h
o
u
l
der
.

I
t was an al
m
o
st imp
o
ssi
b
le
task.

“
N
o
.
I
t
’
s
n
o
t
e
v
e
n
in the
o
v
e
n y
e
t.”
L
iv
p
re
ss
e
d
b
ack
to
him, liki
n
g
the
wa
r
m,
ha
r
d f
ee
l
o
f
h
is
b
o
d
y
r
ight
u
p
aga
i
nst
h
er
s.
H
o
w
in
the
w
o
r
ld
c
o
u
ld she p
o
ssi
b
ly
want
h
i
m
all
o
v
e
r
a
gain? She
d
i
d
n
’
t
k
n
o
w
h
o
w
bu
t
she
s
ur
e
as h
e
ll
d
i
d
.

“
Bu
t
that
sm
e
lls
re
ally
g
o
o
d like it
is.”
G
a
rre
tt
pl
u
ck
e
d
an
apple f
r
o
m
the
b
o
wl
a
nd p
o
pp
e
d
it in his
m
o
u
th.

“H
e
y,
b
ack
o
ff,
m
i
st
er
!
Le
t
me act
u
ally
a
ss
e
m
b
le
a
nd
b
ake the
pi
e
s
be
f
o
r
e
y
o
u
e
at th
e
m.
P
l
e
as
e
?
I
p
r
o
m
i
se
y
o
u
th
e
y
’
ll
b
e
w
o
r
th
the
wait.”

“
F
in
e
,
fin
e
,” he
sigh
ed
.
“
Bu
t what
d
o
I
d
o
i
n the
m
e
antim
e
?”
L
iv la
u
gh
ed
.
“
W
hat
w
o
u
ld
y
o
u
b
e
d
o
ing
i
f I
w
ere
n
’
t
h
ere
?”

“
I’
d
b
e
o
u
t
in
the
y
a
r
d
w
o
r
king
o
r
u
pstai
r
s
w
o
r
king
o
n
that
h
o
rr
i
b
le
wa
l
lpap
e
r
in the
b
ath
r
oo
m.”

“
T
h
er
e
y
o
u g
o
.”
She
t
r
i
e
d
to
f
o
c
u
s
o
n
the c
r
isp
appl
e
s
a
nd
past
r
y
and
bu
tt
e
r
bu
t
h
e
r mind k
e
pt
zigz
a
gging
t
o
his
m
o
u
th
o
n
h
er
,
h
im
p
re
ssing
h
e
r into
the
d
i
r
t
and hay
at
the fa
r
m,
the c
o
o
l
sli
d
e
o
f
the
spat
u
la
han
d
le
i
n
h
e
r
p
u
ssy.
A
ll
the
th
i
ngs
h
e’
d
d
o
ne to
h
e
r
i
n so
l
ittle
tim
e
.

“W
e
ll, it
’
s
r
aining,” he
p
u
sh
e
d
b
ack
the
c
ur
tains.
“Ha
rd
.” “Wallpap
er
?”

“
N
o
ma
’
am.” He
s
h
o
o
k his h
e
ad
and
b
l
e
w
o
u
t a
bre
ath. “W
h
y n
o
t?”

“
Be
ca
u
se
y
o
u’r
e
b
l
u
shing
again
and
I k
n
o
w
why.
I
can
s
m
e
ll
y
o
u
.
A
nd
th
e
n,
o
f c
o
ur
s
e
,
I’
ll
s
m
e
ll
the
pi
e
.”

“
Y
o
u
can
s
m
e
ll
me
wh
e
n
I’
m…”
She
du
ck
e
d
h
e
r
h
e
ad
and
p
o
ure
d
the
pie
fill
i
ng into
the c
ru
st.
T
he
o
v
e
n
tick
e
d
a
nd
p
o
pp
e
d
a
s
it
h
e
at
e
d
and
r
ain
snick
ere
d
a
gainst
the small win
d
o
w
o
v
e
r
the
sink.