Ember (53 page)

“
M
ir
a
nd
a.
”
S
h
e
tuck
e
d
in
a
loos
e
e
nd
of
his
b
a
nd
a
g
e
a
nd
h
a
nd
e
d
hi
m
a
cup
of
hot
t
ea,
m
ildly
l
a
c
e
d
w
ith
l
a
ud
a
nu
m.

“
Hea
r
d
t
ha
t
b
l
oke
who
was
v
i
s
iti
ng
you
i
n
t
he
ga
r
den
ca
ll
you
Pan.
”

M
i
r
a
n
da
g
l
a
n
c
ed
at
h
i
m
.
“
Y
ou
w
e
r
e
s
p
y
i
n
g
on
m
e?”
Ma
rti
n
had
ca
ll
ed
on
he
r
t
ha
t
mo
r
n
i
ng,
and
t
hey
’
d
spen
t
a
f
ew
qu
i
ck
momen
t
s
t
oge
t
he
r
i
n
t
he
ga
r
den.
The
memo
r
y
made
he
r
cheeks
sca
l
d.
I
f
B
ill
y
F
i
nge
r
had
been
wa
t
ch
i
ng,
she
wou
l
d
d
i
e
of
mo
rtifi
ca
ti
on.

But
Billy
only
sco
w
l
e
d
.
“
H
ow
c
a
n
I
be
spying
wh
e
n
I
c
a
n’t
get
out
of
this
bloody
doss?”
He
ma
d
e
a
sound
of
disgust
b
e
for
e
looking
at
h
e
r
a
g
a
in
.
“
But
I
h
ea
rd
w
e
ll
e
nough
through
th
e
open
window
,
e
h?
”

She
p
r
essed
he
r
li
ps
t
oge
t
he
r
.
“
Pan
i
s
a
n
i
ckname.
”
“
Name
fit
s.
”
He
t
ook
a
si
p
of
t
ea,
and
h
i
s
nose
w
ri
nk
l
ed.

“
Haven
’t
you
got
any
b
l
ue
r
u
i
n
i
n
t
h
i
s
p
l
ace?
”
“
No.
No
r
wou
l
d
I
g
i
ve
you
any
if
I
had.
”

T
h
e
y
w
e
r
e
sil
e
nt
whil
e
M
ir
a
nd
a
tidied
th
e
bed.
“
H
ow
long
h
a
v
e
you
been
a
dipper?”
h
e
a
sk
e
d
.

“
A
whil
e.
M
y
f
a
th
e
r
t
a
ught
me.
”
And
h
a
dn’t
th
a
t
been
quit
e
th
e
e
duc
a
tion
.

“
D
o
n
’
t
un
de
r
s
t
a
n
d
i
t
.
”
H
e
s
h
i
ft
ed,
t
h
en
g
r
i
m
a
c
ed.
“
Y
o
u
’
v
e
this
fin
e
hous
e.
W
hy
pick
pock
e
ts?”

S
h
e
sigh
e
d
.
“
Fa
th
e
r
owns
th
e
hous
e
but
h
e
n
ee
ds
to
k
ee
p
it
.
T
u
r
ns
out I
’
m
good
at
dipping
,
as
you
c
a
ll
it
.
S
o
I
do
wh
a
t
I
c
a
n
to
h
e
lp
hi
m.
”

S
h
e
m
o
v
ed
t
o
go
w
h
en
B
i
ll
y
s
t
opped
h
e
r
.
“
Y
o
u
’
r
e
a
c
u
t
above,
Pan.
”
H
i
s
mou
t
h
t
w
i
s
t
ed.
“
Even
if
I
’
m
cu
r
s
i
ng
t
he
day
I
me
t
you.
”

She
’
d
sm
il
ed
b
itt
e
rl
y.
“
Thank
you.
”

And
now
,
sh
e
wa
s
l
a
t
e
b
e
c
a
us
e
of
hi
m.

T
h
e
skirts
of
h
e
r
n
e
w
t
a
ff
e
t
a
day
dr
e
ss
rustl
e
d
in
th
e
lofty
sil
e
nc
e
of
h
e
r
childhood
church
,
a
cold
,
ston
e
building
th
a
t
ma
d
e
h
e
r
footst
e
ps
e
cho
.
T
h
e
sound
bounc
e
d
a
round
a
nd
h
e
r
br
ea
th
quick
e
n
e
d
un
e
xp
e
ct
e
d
l
y
.
W
hy
wa
s
it
so
v
e
ry
qui
e
t?
W
h
e
r
e
wa
s
h
e
r
f
a
th
e
r?
He
r
sist
e
rs?
T
h
e
y
w
e
r
e
to
mee
t
h
e
r
at
th
e
church
.
Ha
d
sh
e
gott
e
n
th
e
ti
me
wrong?