Ember (56 page)

“
Y
ou a
r
e
a
bea
u
t
i
f
u
l
w
o
m
a
n
,
M
i
r
a
n
da
,
”
h
e
s
a
i
d.
“
F
u
l
l
of
lif
e.
I
m
ight
h
a
v
e
lov
e
d
you
w
e
ll
,
but
I
c
a
nnot
liv
e
with
…
”
A
sco
w
l
t
w
ist
e
d
his
f
ea
tur
e
s
.
“
D
o
not
look
at
me
in
th
a
t
ma
nn
e
r
.
Y
ou
ruin
e
d
e
v
e
ryth
i
ng
…
sodding
h
e
ll!
”

M
ir
a
nd
a
flinch
e
d
as
h
e
took
a
h
a
rd
st
e
p
tow
a
rd
h
e
r
.
H
is
h
a
n
ds
b
un
c
h
ed
i
n
t
o
f
i
s
t
s
.
“
Y
o
u
’
r
e
a
l
l
I
’
v
e
e
v
er
k
n
o
w
n
,
M
ir
a
nd
a.
Ha
v
e
you
a
ny
id
ea
how
h
a
rd
this
is
for
me
?”

F
o
r
h
i
m
?
H
ot
p
r
e
ss
u
r
e
b
u
i
l
t
u
p
be
h
i
n
d
h
er
e
y
e
s
.
“
Y
ou
a
r
e
a
ll
I
’
v
e
e
v
e
r
known
as
w
e
ll
,
Ma
rtin
.
D
o
not
e
nd
it
this
w
a
y
.
”
He
r
br
ea
th
c
a
ught
.
“
D
o
not
e
nd
it
.
”

But
h
e
shook
his
h
ea
d
s
l
ow
l
y
.
“
I
t
is
you
who
h
a
s
e
nd
e
d
it
.
I
w
a
nt
a
nor
ma
l
lif
e.
A
nor
ma
l
w
if
e.
I
’d
r
a
th
e
r
liv
e
a
lon
e,
how
e
v
e
r
,
th
a
n
liv
e
a
lif
e
pr
e
t
e
nding
to
lov
e
a
m
onst
--
”

He
ground
his
t
ee
th
at
th
e
sound
of
h
e
r
sh
a
rp
hiss
,
but
th
e
n
forg
e
d
on
as
if
h
e
h
a
dn’t
just
sl
a
sh
e
d
through
h
e
r h
ea
rt
w
ith
his
w
ords
.
“
W
ith
so
me
on
e
I
c
a
nnot
trust
.
”

S
h
e
h
ea
rd
his
footst
e
ps
,
strong
a
nd
sur
e
as
h
e
p
a
ss
e
d

h
e
r
.

“
I
’
m
so
rr
y,
”
he
s
a
i
d
sho
rtl
y
as
he
got
t
o
t
he
doo
r
.

M
ir
anda
b
li
nked
away
a
ve
il
of
t
ea
r
s.
“
Wha
t
abou
t
Fa
t
he
r
?
”
she
c
r
oaked,
t
hen
li
cked
he
r
li
ps.
“
The
sh
i
p?
”

O
ut
of
th
e
corn
e
r
of
h
e
r
e
y
e,
sh
e
s
aw
hi
m
p
a
us
e,
but
h
e
did
not
turn
to
look
at
h
e
r
.
“
I
spok
e
w
ith
hi
m
ea
rli
e
r
.
He
h
a
s
a
gr
ee
d
to
k
ee
p
me
on
.
”

M
ir
anda
sucked
i
n
a
b
r
ea
t
h.
He
’
d
t
o
l
d
he
r
f
a
t
he
r
fir
s
t
?
Secu
r
ed
a
p
l
ace
w
it
h
h
i
m?
No
wonde
r
Fa
t
he
r
had
made
h
i
mse
lf
sca
r
ce
t
h
i
s
mo
r
n
i
ng.
A
r
ed
haze
swam
ove
r
he
r
v
i
s
i
on,
f
o
ll
owed
sho
rtl
y
by
t
he
sca
l
d
of
t
ea
r
s.
She
wou
l
d
no
t
l
e
t
h
i
m
see
he
r
c
r
y.

“
Ge
t
ou
t
.
”
She
g
r
ound
he
r
t
ee
t
h
as
t
he
haze
g
r
ew
da
r
ke
r
.
D
on
’
t
go
.
S
t
a
y
.
Te
ll
me
you
n
ee
d
me.
Te
ll
me
you
lov
e
me
for
me.
He
r
i
ns
i
des
heaved.
He
was
l
eav
i
ng
he
r
a
ll
a
l
one.
Fo
r
ge
t
c
r
y
i
ng.
She
was
go
i
ng
t
o
be
ill
,
a
ll
down
t
he
fr
on
t
of
he
r
p
r
ec
i
ous
p
i
nk
t
a
ff
e
t
a.