Misplaced (143 page)

“
Y
o
u
ca
n
hardl
y
se
e
th
e
sk
y
fo
r
al
l
th
e
tree
s
here
.
I
ne
v
e
r
told
you
,
bu
t
a
t
first
,
ther
e
w
a
s
s
o
muc
h
gree
n
e
v
erywher
e
tha
t
I
had
difficulty
thinking clearly. It
w
as almost as if they cluttered
my
mind.”

“M
m
hmm,
”
V
ictori
a
ackno
w
ledge
d
i
n
he
r
all-knowing
tone. “I think Oli
v
er had something to do with that.”

“W
icke
d
creature!
”
Khar
a
laughed
an
d
mo
v
ed
ahead
.
I
t
fel
t
goo
d
t
o
wor
k
th
e
stiffnes
s
fro
m
he
r
limb
s
an
d
keep
th
e
turmoi
l
i
n
he
r
hear
t
a
t
bay
.
“
An
d
s
o
muc
h
o
f
th
e
time
,
it
rained.
But
driving!”
she
exclaimed.
“I
shall
miss
that
a
great
deal.
And popcorn.”

“I thought for sure your favorite modern pastime would be
television.”

“A
fair
conclusion.
As
a
source
of
entertainment,
ho
w
e
v
er,
it
pales
when
compared
to
the
glossy
wood
of
a
steering
wheel.
T
ell
me
again,
V
ictoria,”
she
pressed,
“how
it
feels
to
fly
abo
v
e
the clouds in a sky ship.”

Just
then,
Khara
reached
the
top
of
the
mesa. A
gust
of
wind
threatened
to
push
her
back until she
braced
herself
against
it
and hurried to the totem.
The
e
y
es
glo
w
ed
green—the
green
of
moss,
the
green
of
the
trees
below,
a
green
like
the
inner
ring
of
Menefra’s
e
y
es—all
th
e
shade
s
o
f
gree
n
flashe
d
i
n
th
e
twi
n
o
v
als
.
“
V
ictoria
!
Y
ou
must see this!”

A
t
30,00
0
feet
,
you
’
r
e
i
n
th
e
stratosphere,
”
V
ictoria
explained
,
a
s
thoug
h
sh
e
hadn’
t
hear
d
a
wor
d
Khar
a
said
.
“
And
there’
s
virtuall
y
n
o
turbulenc
e
o
r
pollution
;
n
o
crowds—the
world
is
so
orderly
from
up
there.
I
al
w
ays
wished
I
could
just
step outside.”

“V
ictoria.”

A
rus
h
o
f
evi
l
emanate
d
fro
m
tha
t
voice
,
rootin
g
Khar
a
to
th
e
ground
.
He
r
gaz
e
shifte
d
brie
f
l
y
fro
m
th
e
stone
s
t
o
the
cloud
s
gatherin
g
i
n a
foamy
,
e
v
er-tightenin
g
ring
.
Sh
e
willed hersel
f
t
o
turn
,
i
n
tim
e
t
o
se
e
Arla
n
Miele
y
swin
g
th
e
tre
e
limb
h
e
hel
d
high
,
catchin
g
V
ictori
a
squarel
y
o
n
th
e
sid
e
o
f
the
head.

Khar
a
screame
d
a
s
V
ictoria’
s
knee
s
buckle
d
an
d
sh
e
fell
,
her
e
y
es
following
the
flecks
of
moss
and
bits
of
bark
that
scattered
besid
e
her
.
Clumsily
,
sh
e
touche
d
he
r
forehea
d
an
d
stare
d
at
the blood dripping from her fingers.

“Lea
v
e
he
r
alone!
”
Khar
a
screamed
,
searchin
g
for
something, anything to use as a
w
eapon.

But
Mieley’s
attention
w
as
still
on
V
ictoria. He
kicked her midsection until she curled into a fetal position. Then, looming o
v
er
her,
he
smiled
insidiously
and
spoke,
though
Khara
could not
hear
anything
he
said.
V
ictoria
tried
to
do as she
w
as
told, but when she leaned on her elbow, it ga
v
e
w
ay. Mieley kicked
he
r
onc
e
m
ore
,
thi
s
ti
m
e
i
n
th
e
hea
d
an
d
the
n
sh
e
w
a
s
still.
H
e
smile
d
ruthlessl
y
befor
e
shovin
g
he
r
ont
o
he
r
bac
k
with
his white
shoe. He picked up
the
club
and looked at
Khara
as though he hadn’t known she
w
as there.

Th
e
sigh
t
o
f
Mieley’
s
bulgin
g
e
y
e
s
an
d
twiste
d
mouth
chargin
g
a
t
he
r
stol
e
he
r
breath
.
W
it
h a
sinkin
g
feeling
,
she
realize
d
tha
t
th
e
bowi
e
knif
e
w
a
s
tucke
d
neatl
y
int
o
th
e
pack
the
y
ha
d
lef
t
below
.
“Wher
e
i
s
it?
”
h
e
shrieked
,
hi
s
voic
e cracking like a young boy’s.