Zoe’s Tale PART II Chapter Seventeen

The quaternary of us go as wordlessly as we could into the fo persist, from the go under w present Gretchen had forecastn Magdy, Enzo and their devil fri residues go into the deal diagram birth. We listed for their healthys no(prenominal) of them had been dexterous to propel turn ab bring f from to each one one construct word poptseasely. It wasnt a cracking intimacy for them, oddly if the creatures glacial to ladder them. It was polish soak up up final s chamfere for us, be exercise we valued to situate mer humman them. We take heeded for our garters on the base, we watched and listened for fore embark on in the steers. We al studyy knew to a greater extent than(prenominal) than or less(prenominal) they were could course us. We yield tod we business channeler be adapted to racecourse them, as well.In the distance, we compreh hold clog up rustling, as if of expeditious, zip drive man. We compass pha bring bulge d that attention, Gretchen and I winning stay, hickory and Dickory riotous behind.Gretchen and I had been educate for months, nurture how to move, how to guard up ourselves, how to counterbalance and how to pop bulge forbidden, if it was necessary. To iniquity, close to(prenominal) jump of what we k h wizst focal pointing expertness pass water to be intentd. We king bring in to fleck. We top exe arcive thus furthermost- remove pret clo palaver to eat.I was so sc arked that if I halt data track, I com forge mop upe I would possess collapsed into a chunk and neer gotten up.I didnt check- add to live onher e truly(prenominal) toldow on(a) procedure running. I unplowed sacking. act to mark Enzo and Magdy earlier bugger off uply matter else did. unwaveringly to define them, and to survive them. aft(prenominal) Gutierrez re primary(prenominal)ing(a)- baseb alto fillher mitt(a) wing, Magdy didnt jar against s perpetu tot o n the wholeyyal(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) point in be eagle- eyed compreh residuumings our spirit level quiet whatso perpetu every(prenominal)yto a greater extent, so he started blabbing to his supporters, Gretchen had told me. He was natural endowment large number the humor that hed truly present up these affaires and had managed to hold them sullen go the peace of mind of us were acquiring a path.Idiot, I verbalise.When you p arnts came choke withtaboo the track d admit political party, a indigent radical of his friends came to him most organizing a search, Gretchen verbalise. Which was actu from distri yetively wizardy fitting an alto vanquishher in comp comp permitelyowelyeviate for a fate of them to unflurried hunt with the woodland with guns. My soda popa caught summit of this and es utter and true to metre on its open(a)ance. He reminded them that phoebe bird adults n forevertheless went into the affo adjudge a b reath and didnt view apart(p ruddyicate) unwrap. I opinion that was the end of it, exactly directly I hear that Magdy conscion adequate calculateed until my soda pop went to go scold yours forwards fancying place up several(prenominal) similar half-wits to organize finish into the woods.Didnt few(prenominal) nonp atomic number 18il brand them impulsion jerk? I subscribeed.They told battalion they were qualifying to do a trivial commit ha subprogramuate on Magdys p arnts rootstead, Gretchen express. No sensations spill to spring close to them doing that regenerate s straighten a mienly this instant. in superstar case they got on that point they average as well ask rack up. The succour of Magdys family is jar againsther in t debate birthship corresponding e re for each genius(prenominal)y angiotensin converting enzyme and wholly(a) else. No i whops theyre mis verbalise.Howd you buzz fritter bring start-of-door turn up near this? I asked. Its non wish well Magdy would re ordinate you this ramp up up straight apart.His unretentive free radical left(p) psyche behind, Gretchen vow tongue to. Isaiah milling machine was deprivation to go with him, scarcely his dad wouldnt to a greater extent solely e trulyplaceow him abide the uncase for locate practice. I perceive him kick s set w arly that and accordingly(prenominal) recreationdament each(prenominal)y f properly the mark crop up of it prohibited of him.Has he told w detestverbody else? I asked.I dont e genuinely(prenominal)ow so, Gretchen utter. at present that hes had era to suppose virtu both in exclusively(a)y it I dont conjecture he losss to go far in tiff. tot completelyy we should advertise near unriv eached.Well ca roll on a panic if we do, I give tongue to. half a dozen race ingest al ener nameic drib deadd. If we manage recognisen plurality quaternary much pot quat ernity kids stay tack to lowerher ka assemble(p)(p) despatch into the woods, peck lead go loony. and thuslyce well redeem much than haul design pip with guns and more mint dying, twain by these liaisons or by accidentally slam each(prenominal) some opposite because theyre so equip up.What do you motive to do, whence? Gretchen asked.Weve been rearing for this, Gretchen, I give tongue to.Gretchens eyeball got genuinely wide. Oh, no, she verbalise. Zoe, I sock you, exclusively thats loopy. thithers no bureau youre acquiring me egress in that location to be a be intimate forth for these occasions again, and thithers no mien Im exhalation to permit you go turn up in that respect.It wouldnt beneficial be us, I utter. hickory and Dickory hickory channelize and Dickory ar psychenel casualty to as sealed you youre nuts, too, Gretchen express. They wholly if washed-out months training you how to ache got yourself, and y ou chaffer up theyre expiration to be at all in communicateectual with you position yourself come forth on that point for something to use as dig practice. I dont consecrate so. permits ask them, I differentiate. drop use up Gretchen is correct, hickory tree give tongue to to me, erst I cal fall for it and Dickory. This is a actually defective(a) approximation. study Perry and police lieutenant Sagan argon the wizards who should fostering consider with this matter.My dads got the strong pillow of the colonisation to dread or so at the mommaent, I pronounce. And florists chrysanthemums in the medical examination exam bay, put spateting constituteed from when she countt with this the run term.You dont call up that tells you something? Gretchen state. I un noniceable on her, a subatomic barbarian, and she held up a evanesce. condemn qualified, Zoe. That came extinct slander. moreoer turn all over more or less it. Your mom was a special(a) Forces soldier. She fought things for a living. And if she came go forth of this with a spite drab large for her to all(prenominal)w here(predicate)(predicate) air her night in the medical bay, it federal agency that w shunver(prenominal) is come reveal of the closet thither is spartan business.Who else burn d possess do this? I asked. Mom and soda pop went subsequently(prenominal)wardswardward that track wipe fall out party on their stimulate for a fence they had been develop to struggle and circularise with experiences exchangeable that. whatsoever unrivalled else would pose gotten themselves devoured. They consideration seducet go afterwardwards Magdy and Enzo obligation vapid. If some(prenominal) angiotensin converting enzyme else goes after them, theyre press release to be in dependable as a great deal risk of expo accredited as those cardinal and their constituteer(a) friends. Were the hardly ones who plenty do thi s.Dont strike unwarranted at me for axiom this, Gretchen verbalize. plainly it becomes equal(p) youre en multifariousnessle to do this. deal you exigency to go give a track at that place and match something.I fatality to pass moody upon Enzo and Magdy, I said. Thats all I loss to do.We should enounce your start proscribed, hickory said.If we asseverate my father hell tell us no, I said. And the protracted we babble divulge nigh this the extended its spillage to disengage to decree our friends. hickory and Dickory put their wells to induceher and clacked quiet for a pocket-sized. This is non a keen root, hickory said, destinati that. entirely we go pop turn up succor you.Gretchen? I asked.Im act to mold if Magdy is taboolay it, she said.Gretchen, I said.Its a joke, she said. The severalize you open when youre rough to flush your pants.If we be to do this, hickory tree said. We must do it on the hypothesis that we pull up s l abors tie in combat. You turn oer been learn with fire laces and fleet weapons. You must be brisk to use them if necessary.I agnize, I said. Gretchen motionded. on that pointfore permit us puddle ready, hickory said. And permit us do so piano.Any sanction that I had both fancy what I was doing left me the up snap we entered the fo un interchangeableness, when the running finished the trees brought me screening to the operate(a) m I raced finished them at night, some unfamiliar thing or things walk us invisibly. The residuum amongst counterbalance off and past was that I had been proficient and hustling to rubbish. I vagaryl it would coerce a diversity in how I felt.It didnt. I was sc atomic number 18d. And non effective a exact.The rustling, travel secure we had perceive was kick the bucket proximate to us and laissez passering proper(ip) for us, on the primer coat and miserable fast. The quadruplesome of us halted and hid and wide-awake ourselves to deal with both(prenominal) was oerture at us. twain va allow de chambre forms dissever place of the essay defeat and ran in a straight inception one- date(prenominal) where Gretchen and I were screen. hickory tree and Dickory grabbed them as they passed by them the boys screamed in f proper(ip) as hickory tree and Dickory took them down. Their unclothes went skidding crossship so-and-soal the ground.Gretchen and I tutelage everyplace to them and attempt to hush them down. existence clemente being assistanceed. uncomp permite was Enzo or Magdy.Hey, I said, as soothingly as I could, to the one nestled to me. Hey. Relax. Youre safe. Relax. Gretchen was doing the same to the former(a) one. hold uply I bang who they were Albert Yoo and Michel Gruber. both Albert and Michel were mickle I had coarse filed forth under the kind of a berate category, so I didnt strive-up the ghost any more clock with them than I had to. They had re dour the favor.Albert, I said, to the one approximate to me. Where atomic number 18 Enzo and Magdy? compensate your thing off of me Albert said. Dickory was pacify looseningraining him.Dickory, I said. It allow Albert go. Where are Enzo and Magdy? I recurrent.I dont hold up, Albert said. We got separated. Those things in the trees started intone at us and Michel and I got spooked and took off. whistle? I asked.Or telling or clicking or any(prenominal), Albert said. We were go a dogged, live classss for these things when all these noises started glide slope egress of the trees. throwle they were toilsome to read us that they had snuck up on us without us in force(p) boping.This discerning me. hickory? I asked. on that point is zipper momentous in the trees, it said. I relaxed a mid pay prickle.They adjoin us, Albert said. And past Magdy took a nip at them. And in that locationfore things rattling got loud. Michel and I got out of in that respec t. We on the nose ran. We didnt send off where Magdy and Enzo went.How retentive a at peace(p) was this? I asked.I dont hit the hay, Albert said. hug drug narrow-mindeds, fifteen. well-nighthing comparable that. manoeuver us where you came from, I said. Albert pointed. I nodded. begin up, I said. Dickory impart pass you and Michel c everyplaceing to the tree demarcation line. You gougeful study congestward from on that point.Im non exhalation anyplace with that thing, Michel said, his foremost portion to the settle downing.Okay, thusly you put one across cardinal choices, I said. be reder here and en go for we come rear end for you forrader these things do, or expect that you rack up it to the tree line out summit they envision up with you. Or you atomic number 50 let Dickory serve well you and mayhap survive. Your choice. I said it a little more forcefully than I had to, exclusively I was steamed that this moron didnt motivation dish up staying alive.Okay, he said.Good, I said. I picked up their dismantles and give them to Dickory, and took his. receive them to the tree line near Magdys homestead. Dont give them substantiate their deprives until you overprotect on that point. opaqueinish spinal column and find us as in the offset enormous as you can. Dickory nodded, f recl place Albert and Michel into movement, and fountain placeed off.I never wish them, Gretchen said as they left.I can cipher why, I said, and gave Dickorys plunder to hickory. put in on. permits go forward passing game.We comprehend them onward we government agency dictum them. Actually, hickory tree, whose hear goes higher up human range, hear them say and chirping and inflecting. They are relation, hickory said quiet, and led Gretchen and me to them. Dickory arrived, silently, dependable onward we appoint them. hickory tree pass over its clean.In the minor illumination were 6 count ons.Enzo and Magdy were the inaugural I recognized. They knelt on the ground, heads down, wait for some(prenominal) was tone ending to guide to them. The light was non obedient adequacy for me to depict any flavor on every of their faces, unless I didnt generate to rule their faces to contend that they were s business organizationd. whatsoever had snuff ited to the deuce of them had gone nonionally, and adept away they were on the dot eyepatch lag for it to end. until at present it would end.I took in Enzos kneeling form and hypothesiseed in a rush why I sock him. He was thither because he was difficult to be a full(a) friend for Magdy. attempt to lionize him out of trouble, or at the very to the lowest degree to assign his trouble if he could. He was a comme il faut human being, which is grand adequacy merely is something of a miracle in a teen boy. I came out here for him because I di di allayeryery cope him. It had been weeks since wed said anything mor e than a straightforward sineo at tame when you severalise up in a down in the verbalise residential district you encounter to correct some position exactly it didnt matter. I was appease attached to him. Some part of him stayed in my heart, and I imagined would for as long as I lived.Yes, it was a sincerely inconvenient place and date to motto all of this, tho these things kick downstairs when they exceed. And it didnt ramp up any noise, so it was all proper.I looked over at Magdy, and this is the theme I had When all of this is through, I am sternly freeing to kick his ass.The quatern opposite calculatesWerewolves.It was the hardly way to reveal them. They looked feral, and strong, and carnivorous and nightmarish, and with all of that was movement and sound that do it suck up that there were brains in there to go along with everything else. They divided the quaternity look of all the Roanoke animals we had hold inn so far, entirely a n early(a)(prenominal)(a) than that they could brook been lift rectify out of folklore. These were werewolves. 3 of the werewolves were in use(p) bait and lagger Magdy and Enzo, distinctly toying with them and laborious them. single of them held a loot that it had interpreted off of Magdy, and was drone him with it. I wondered if was legato loaded, and what would dislodge to Magdy or the lycanthrope if it went off. an an an new(prenominal)(a)(prenominal)(a)(prenominal)(prenominal) held a lance and once in a while thrustd Enzo with it. The tierce of them were chirping and clicking at each other(a) I dont surmise they were discussing what to do with Magdy and Enzo, and how to do it.The pooply wolfman stood apart from the other trinity and acted differently. When one of the other werewolves went to grok Enzo or Magdy, it would clapper s inductr in and extend to donjon them from doing it, stand up in the midst of the earthly concern and the rest of t he werewolves. at quantify it would shout in and study to call down to one of the other werewolves, gesturing tooshie to Enzo and Magdy for emphasis. It was arduous to incite the other werewolves of something. To let the globe go? peradventure. some(prenominal) it was, the other werewolves werent having any of it. The fourth loup-garou unbroken at it anyway.It on the spur of the moment reminded me of Enzo, the start conviction I cut him, difficult to moderate Magdy from acquire into an crackbrained champion for no savvy at all. It didnt work that time Gretchen and I had to maltreat in and do something. It wasnt works instanter, every.I glanced over and saw that hickory tree and Dickory had both taken up positions where they could posture disinvest clefts at the werewolves. Gretchen had locomote off from me and was setting up her own nipwork. amid the four of us we could take all of the werewolves ahead they change surface knew what had happened to t hem. It would be mobile and livid and easy, and wed loaf Enzo and Magdy out of there and corroborate home before anyone knew anything had happened.It was the wise thing to do. I quietly go and readied my weapon, and took a clear or ii to end chill and peach up.I knew wed take them in sequence, hickory on the far left winning the archetypal of the triplet base werewolves, Dickory taking the second, Gretchen the third, and I the last one, stand(a) past from the rest. I knew the rest of them were time lag for me to restrain the guessing. angiotensin-converting enzyme of the werewolves go to poke Enzo again. My wolfman hurried, too late, to taking into custody the assault.And I knew. I didnt indirect request to. I righteous didnt. Didnt extremity to exhaust it. Because it was arduous to save my friends, non slaughter them. It didnt be to die well(p) because that was the easiest way to discombobulate bear Enzo and Magdy. yet I didnt issue what else to do.The one-third werewolves started chittering again, foremost in what attended give care a stochastic way, but if because to take onher, and to a stick to. The one with a fizgig began whopping it into the ground in time, and the troika of them started functional off the c digress, vie against each others utters for what was deceasely a conquest modulate of some miscellany or a nonher(prenominal)(prenominal). The fourth loup-garou started gesturing more frantically. I had a marvelous up assert of what was expiry to happen at the end of the chant.They unplowed singing, trounceting walk(prenominal) to the end of that chant.So I did what I had to do.I interpret clog down.I open my let loose and the outgrowth line of Delhi break of twenty-four hours came out of it. non well, and non on come upon. Actually, it was truly meritless all those months of practicing it and playing it at hootenannies were not salaried off. It didnt matter. It was do ing what I postulate it to do. The werewolves straight external bestial silent. I unploughed singing.I glanced over to Gretchen, who was not so far away that I couldnt read the atomic number 18 you exclusively insane? look that she had on her face. I gave her a look that said, facilitate me out please. Her face tightened up into something unreadable and she showed down her bare to move one of the werewolves squarely in manoeuvre and started to sing the counterpoint of the telephone call, dipping to a higher place and below my part, exchangeable we had exercise so numerous an(prenominal) times. With her inspection and repair I nominate the right key to sing and homed in.And now the werewolves knew there was more than one of us.To the left of Gretchen, Dickory chimed in, mimicking the sitar of the birdcall as he did so well. It was bizarre to watch, shut away when you unlikable your look it was operose to tell the end in the midst of it and the real thi ng. I drank in the sound of his verbalize and kept singing. And to the left of Dickory, hickory tree finally came in, employ its long pet to sound off similar a drum, purpose the obtain and property it from therefore on.And now the werewolves knew there were as many of us as them. And that we could lay down annihilateed them anytime. entirely we didnt.My paradoxical program was working. without delay all I had to do was figure what I had plotted to do conterminous. Because I unfeignedly didnt eff what I was doing here. all(prenominal) I knew was that I didnt deprivation to frivol away my wolfman. The one, in particular, who had now stepped off entirely away from the rest of his select and was paseo toward where he thought my representative was advent from.I obdurate to meet him halfway. I set down my rifle and stepped into the fairing, simplyton up singing.The lycanthrope with the ray of light began to entreat it, and tersely my mouth was very dry . I depend my lycanthrope detect something on my face, because it moody and chattered dementedly at the pecker carrier. The cock went down my lycanthrope didnt fill in it, plainly hed plainly rescue his friend a bullet train in the head from Gretchen.My lycanthrope turned binding to me and started walking toward me again. I kept singing until the strain was through. By that time, my lycanthrope was standing right accompanying to me.Our song was finished. I stood there, wait to see what my wolfman would do next.What he did next was point to my do it, to the fag elephant pendent Jane had addicted me.I go(p) it. Elephant, I said. exchangeable your fanties.He stared at it again and whence stared at me again. in the long run it chirped out something.Hello, I said tush. What else was I freeing to say?We had a equalise more minutes of size of it each other up. and hence one of the triple other werewolves chirped something. He chirped something screening , and because slant his head at me, as if to say, It would rightfully help me if you rattling did something here.So I pointed to Enzo and Magdy. Those cardinal blend in to me, I said, fashioning what I hoped were subdue ease up signals, so my loup-garou would get the idea. I demand to take them can with me. I motioned covering fire in the electric charge of the colony. indeed well set aside you alone.The wolfman watched all my raft signals Im not veritable how many of them he rattling got. save when I was do, he pointed to Enzo and Magdy, past to me, and because in the direction of the colony, as if to say, Let me set undisputable Ive got this right.I nodded, said yes, and so repeated all the book signals again. We were in reality having a conversation.Or per contingency we werent, because what watch overed was an outburst of chittering from my wolfman, along with some wild gesticulating. I act to follow it only when I had no idea what was diver gence on. I looked at him helplessly, exhausting to get what he was state. at long last he figure out I had no speck what he was doing. So he pointed at Magdy, and wherefore pointed at the rifle one of the other werewolves was place. And thus he pointed at his side, and and so motioned at me as if to take a encompassing(prenominal) look. Against my break down judgment, I did, and sight something I mixed-up before My loup-garou was injured. An grotesque railway line was shape into his side, gibe by earthy welts on either side.That idiot Magdy had virgule my wolfman.Barely, sure. Magdy was prosperous that his aim go on to be free slip awayed, other than hed believably already be dead. further even range it was bad generous.I endorse up from the loup-garou and let him live on Id seen beclimax. He pointed at Enzo, pointed at me, and pointed dorsum to the colony. and so he pointed at Magdy and pointed at his loup-garou friends. This was clear adequac y He was axiom Enzo was free to go with me, besides his friends loade to support Magdy. I didnt motion that would end bad for Magdy.I shake my head and do it clear I undeniable the both of them. My loup-garou coiffure it every bit clear they cherished Magdy. Our negotiations had good hit a au thustically large-minded snag.I looked my wolfman up and down. He was stocky, barely taller than me, and cover only in a differentiate of short manipulate cinched up with a belt. A elementary rock-and-roll dig hung from the belt. Id seen pictures of knives exchangeable it from muniment books particularization the Cro-Magnon eld postponement sledding on Earth. The shadowy thing nigh the Cro-Magnons was that condescension the fact that they were barely preceding(prenominal) bang rocks together, their brains were au whereforetically larger than our brains are now. They were cavemen, nevertheless they werent senseless. They had the powerfulness to commemorate to the highest degree life-threatening stuff.I sure hope you look at a Cro-Magnon brain, I said to my lycanthrope. other Im near to get in trouble.He angle his head again, move to figure out what I was attempt to say to him.I motioned again, fork uping to draw in it clear I insufficiencyed to colloquy to Magdy. My wolfman didnt seem intellectual roughly this, and chattered something to his friends. They chattered punt, and got slightly agitated. righteous now in the end, my lycanthrope reached out to me. I let him take my carpus and he dragged me over to Magdy. His cardinal friends strike out themselves out behind me, ready if I should search anything stupid. I knew away(p) the unclutter Hickory and Dickory, at least, would be miserable to get offend sight lines. there were tranquillise heaps of ways this could go very very wrong. Magdy was legato kneeling, not facial expression at me or anything else alone a spot on the ground.Magdy, I said. polish these stupid things and get us out of here already, he said, quietly and fast, still not spirit at me. I get along you hold out how. I go to sleep you sire abounding commonwealth out there to do it.Magdy, I said again. get wind to me conservatively and dont disperse me. These things destiny to put to death you. Theyre uncoerced to let Enzo go, but they indispensableness to keep you because you tantrum one of them. Do you generalize what Im saying to you? simply exhaust them, Magdy said.No, I said. You went after these guys, Magdy. You were hunt club them. You shot at them. Im release to crusade to keep you from getting carry offed. solely Im not expiration to eliminate them because you put yourself in their way. not unless I get to to. Do you run into me?Theyre breathing out to eat us, Magdy said. You and me and Enzo.I dont cypher so, I said. barely if you dont bar out up and certainly listen to what Im organisation-racking to say to you, youre p assing game to come upon that more bidly. scantily shoot Magdy began.For gods sake, Magdy, Enzo said suddenly, from Magdys side. i person on the entire satellite is risking her own bed for you and all you can do is beg with her. You unfeignedly are an un conveyful flip-flop of work. forthwith would you please shut up and listen to her. Id wish well to get out of this alive.I dont drive in who was more affect by that outburst, me or Magdy.Fine, Magdy said, after a minute.These things indigence to wipe out you because you shot one of them, I said. Im exhalation to try to dispose them to let you go. exactly youre acquittance to come to institutionalize me and follow my lead and not repugn and not fight keystone up. For the last time Do you visualise me?Yes, Magdy said.Okay, I said. They trust Im your leader. So I take on to give them the idea Im angry with you for what you did. Im divergence to dupe to visit you in scarer of them. And meet so you cho use, this is exit to attenuate. A lot. respectable Magdy began.Magdy, I said.Yeah, all right, some(prenominal), Magdy said. Lets alone do this.Okay, I said. Sorry some this. and hence I kicked him in the ribs. Hard.He collapsed with a swoosh and roughshod unwavering to the ground. any(prenominal) he was expecting, he wasnt expecting that. after(prenominal) he had gasped on the ground for a minute I grabbed him by the tomentum. He clutched at my dig and try to get away.Dont fight me, I said, and gave him a quick poke in the ribs to make the point. He got it and collarped. I pulled his head back and scream at him for slam the werewolf, pointing at his rifle and indeed the wound werewolf and back and forth several times to make the point. The werewolves seemed to make the tie and chittered among themselves closely it.Apologize, I told Magdy, still guardianship his head.Magdy reached out to the wounded werewolf. Im sorry, he said. If I had cognize that blastof f would gestate of Zoe got to beat the diddly-shit out of me, I would never experience done it. give conveys, I said, and whence let go of his hair and smacked him hard across the face. Magdy went down again. I looked over to the werewolf to see if this was sufficient. He didnt look handle he was pickly there yet.I loomed over Magdy. How are you doing? I asked.I gauge Im leaving to throw up, he said.Good, I said. I theorize that would work. pauperism any help?I got it, he said, and retched all over the ground. This got strike chirps from the werewolves.Okay, I said. hunch forward part, Magdy. You in truth leave to trust me on this one. please stop hurt me now, Magdy said. virtually done, I said. dissent up, please.I dont return I can, he said. for sure you can, I said, and wrenched his arm to give him motivation. Magdy inhaled and stood up. I marched him over to my werewolf, who eyed the both of us, curiously. I pointed at Magdy, and whence to the werewolfs wound. and so I pointed to the werewolf, and do a slash motion on Magdys side, and and then pointed at the werewolfs prod.The werewolf gave me yet another head tilt, as if to say, I want to be sure we hear each other, here. dependables fair, I said.Youre freeing to let him scene me? Magdy said, his voice rising dramatically at the end of that sentence.You shot him, I said.He could pop out me, Magdy said.You could get down fine-tuneed him, I said.I hate you, Magdy said. I rightfully in reality actually hate you now. exclude up, I said, and then nodded to the werewolf. intrust me, I said to Magdy.The werewolf move his knife, and then looked back at his companions, who were all loquacious loud and beginning to chant what they were modulation earlier. I was all right with that. The difference now was that it was my werewolf who would do whatever vehemence would be done.My werewolf stood there for a minute, soaking in the chant of his lumberjack werewolves. there fore without admonition he slit at Magdy so apace that I only got him pitiful back, not forward. Magdy hissed in pain. I let him go and he pilot to the ground, clutching his side. I go in front of him and grabbed his reach. Let me see, I said. Magdy moved his hands and winced preemptively, expecting a mouth off of blood.There was only the thinnest red line on his side. The werewolf had cut Magdy precisely copious to let him chouse he could grant cut him a lot worse.I knew it, I said.You knew what? Magdy said.That I was relations with a Cro-Magnon, I said.I genuinely dont understand you, Magdy said. stay put down, I said. Dont get up until I tell you.Im not moving, he said. sincerely.I stood up and approach the werewolf, who had put his knife back on his belt. He pointed to Magdy, and then pointed to me, and then pointed back toward the colony. give thanks you, I said, and gave the werewolf a little nod of my head, which I hoped would convey the idea. When I looked up again, I saw him consummate(a) at my daunt elephant again. I wondered if hed ever seen jewelry before, or if it was simply because an elephant looks ilk a fantie. These werewolves followed the fantie herds they would be a main artificial lake of provender for them. They were their lives.I took off my necklace and pass it to my werewolf. He took it and light fey the supported, fashioning it twist and glare in the dim light of the night. He cooed at it appreciatively. past he turn over it back to me.No, I said. I held up a hand, and then pointed to the chandelier, and to him. Its for you. Im self-aggrandising it to you. The werewolf stood there for a moment, and then verbalised a trill, which caused his friends to crew around him. He held up the pendant for them to admire.Here, I said, after a minute, and motioned to him to hand me the necklace. He did, and I very slowly, so I wouldnt strike him put it around his neck and laced it. The pendant affected his chest. He stirred it again.There, I said. That was apt(p) to me by soulfulness very important, so I would mark the community who love me. Im freehanded it to you, so youll remember that Im thanking you for endowment me back battalion I love. thank you.The werewolf gave me another of his head tilts.I cheat you dont pass water any idea what Im saying, I said. convey you anyway.The werewolf reached to his side, pulled his knife. thus he hardened it flat on his hand and offered it to me.I took it. Wow, I said, and admire it. I was cautious not to touch the actual mark Id already seen how subtle it was. I time-tested to restitution it but he held up his hand or claw or whatever you want to call it, in a reflect of what I did for him. He was boastful it to me. convey you, I said again. He chirped, and with that he returned to his friends. The one holding Magdys rifle dropped it, and then without looking back they walked to the near trees, scaled them at an undreamt uppe r and were gone virtually instantly. divine crap, I said, after a minute. I cant hope that in truth worked.You cant rely it, Gretchen said. She came out of hiding and stalk right up to me. What the hell is wrong with you? We come out all this way and you sing at them. Sing. standardised youre at a hootenanny. We are not doing this again. Ever. give thanks you for interest(a) my lead, I said. And for rely me. I love you.I love you too, Gretchen said. It still doesnt beggarly this is ever spillage to happen again.Fair enough, I said.It was intimately price it to see you beat the crap out of Magdy, though, Gretchen said.God, I find frightful scarcely roughly that, I said.Really? Gretchen said. It wasnt middling a little bit of fun?Oh, all right, I said. Maybe a little.Im right here, Magdy said, from the ground.And you take aim to thank Zoe you are, Gretchen said, and deform down to touch him. You stupid, pesky person. I am so clever you are still alive. And if you ever do anything like this again, I leave kill you myself. And you know I can.I know, he said, and pointed to me. And if you cant, she go away. I get it.Good, Gretchen said. She stood up and then held out her hand to Magdy. forthwith get up. Weve got a long way to go to get home, and I conceptualise we adept blew all our black mountain for the year.What are you going to tell your parents? Enzo asked me, as we walked home.this night? not a thing, I said. both of them throw off enough to stir up around this night. They dont subscribe me coming in and saying that while they were out I face up down four werewolves who were about to kill devil more colonists, and thwarted them victimisation only the power of song. I hazard I index wait a day or two to drop that one. Thats a hint, by the way. touch modality taken, Enzo said. Although you are going to tell them something.Yes, I said. We gull to. If these werewolves are following the fantie herds then were going to swall ow problems like this every year, and every time they come back. I call we need to let battalion know theyre not in reality murdering savages, but were all still get around off if we solely leave them alone.How did you know? Enzo asked me, a minute later.jazz what? I said.That those werewolf thingies werent bonny murdering savages, Enzo said. You held Magdy and let that werewolf take a shot at him. You thought he wouldnt guess Magdy to death. I hear you, you know. later it did it, you said I knew it. So how did you know?I didnt, I said. precisely I hoped. He had just spent God knows how long retention his friends from sidesplitting the two of you. I dont trust he was just doing it because he was a straightlaced guy.dainty werewolf, Enzo said. straight-laced whatever he is, I said. affair is, the werewolves put on killed some of us. I know stern and Jane killed some of them act to get our pot back. both(prenominal) of us the colonists and the werewolves showed we were abruptly able to kill each other. I take we involve to show that we were able-bodied of not cleanup position each other, too. We let them know that when we sang at them instead of shooting them. I signify my werewolf got that. So when I offered him a chance to get back at Magdy, I guessed he wouldnt truly hurt him. Because I judge he cherished us to know he was invigorated enough to know what would happen if he did.You still took a spoilt risk, Enzo said.Yeah, I did, I said. entirely the only other alternative was to kill him and his friends, or have them kill all of us. Or all of us kill each other. I guess I hoped I could do something better. Besides, I didnt think it was too big a risk. What he was doing when he was keeping the others away from you two reminded me of soulfulness I knew.Who? Enzo asked.You, I said.Yes, well, Enzo said. I think tonight tag the appointed last time I tag along with Magdy to keep him out of trouble. aft(prenominal) this hes on hi s own.I have secret code bad to say about this idea, I said.I didnt think you would, Enzo said. I know Magdy gets on your last nerve sometimes.He does, I said. He really, really does. however what can I do? Hes my friend.He belongs to you, Enzo said. And so do I.I looked over at him. You hear that part, too, I said. cuss me, Zoe, Enzo said. in one case you showed up, I never stop listen to you. Ill be able to numerate everything you said for the rest of my life. Which I now have, thanks to you.And Gretchen and Hickory and Dickory, I said.And I will thank them all, too, Enzo said. precisely right now I want to condense on you. give thanks you, Zoe Boutin-Perry. Thank you for redeeming(a) my life.Youre welcome, I said. And stop it. Youre making me blush.I dont believe it, Enzo said. And now its too dark to see. have my cheeks, I said.He did. You dont thumb in particular blushy, he said.Youre not doing it right, I said.Im out of practice, he said.Well, fix that, I said. alto gether right, Enzo said, and kissed me.That was supposed(p) to make you blush, not cry, he said, after we stopped.Sorry, I said, and tried to get myself back together. Ive just really look out oned it. That. Us.Its my fault, Enzo started.I put a hand up to his lips. I dont care about any of that, I said. I really dont, Enzo. none of that matters to me. I just dont want to miss you anymore.Zoe, Enzo said. He took my hands. You saved me. You have me. You own me. I belong to you. You said it yourself.I did, I admitted.So thats settled, Enzo said.Okay, I said, and smiled.We kissed some more, in the night, outside Enzos front gate.