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  ,AF ! GLIMPSE ,I _H _H (! ,M>TIANS
EM]G+ F ! CYL9D] 9 : !Y _H -E 6! E>? F
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/>+ AT ! M.D T HID !M4 ,I 0 A BATTLEGR.D
( FE> & CURIOS;Y4
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FELT A PAS.NATE L;G+ 6PE] 96X4 ,I 2GAN
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H1PS T HID ^! NEW-COM]S 6\R E>?4 ,ONCE A
L1% ( ?9 BLACK :IPS1 L ! >MS ( AN
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)DRAWN1 & AFWS A ?9 ROD ROSE UP1 JO9T
0JO9T1 BE>+ AT XS APEX A CIRCUL> DISK T
SPUN )A WO2L+ MO;N4 ,:AT CD 2 GO+ ON "!8
  ,MO/ (! SPECTATORS _H GA!R$ 9 "O OR
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O!R A KNOT ( P 9 ! DIREC;N ( ,*OBHAM4
,EVID5TLY !Y %>$ MY M5TAL 3FLICT4 ,"! 7
FEW NE> ME4 ,"O MAN ,I APPROA*$--HE WAS1
,I P]CVD1 A NEI<B\R ( M9E1 ?\< ,I DID N
"K 8 "N--& A3O/$4 ,B X 0 SC>CELY A "T =
>TICULATE 3V]S,N4
  8,:AT UGLY BRUTES60 HE SD4 8,GD ,GOD6
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OV] AG4
  8,DID Y SEE A MAN 9 ! PIT80 ,I SD2 B
HE MADE NO ANSW] 6T4 ,WE 2CAME SIL5T1 &
/OOD WAT*+ =A "T SIDE 0SIDE1 DERIV+1 ,I
FANCY1 A C]TA9 -=T 9 "O ANO!R'S -PANY4
,!N ,I %IFT$ MY POSI;N 6A LL KNOLL T
GAVE ME ! ADVANTAGE (A Y>D OR M ( ELEV,N
& :5 ,I LOOK$ = HM PRES5TLY HE 0 WALK+
T[>DS ,WOK+4
  ,! SUNSET FAD$ 6TWILI<T 2F ANY?+ FUR!R
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,WOK+1 SEEM$ 6GR[1 & ,I HE>D N[ A FA9T
MURMUR F X4 ,! LL KNOT ( P T[>DS ,*OBHAM
4P]S$4 ,"! 0 SC>CELY AN 9TIM,N ( MOVE;T
F ! PIT4
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& ,I SUPPOSE ! NEW >RIVALS F ,WOK+ AL
HELP$ 6RE/ORE 3FID;E4 ,AT ANY RATE1 Z !
DUSK CAME ON A SL[1 9T]MITT5T MOVE;T ^U
! S& PITS 2GAN1 A MOVE;T T SEEM$ 6GA!R
=CE Z ! /ILL;S (! EV5+ AB ! CYL9D]
REMA9$ UNBROK54 ,V]TICAL BLACK FIGURES 9
TWOS & ?REES WD ADV.E1 /OP1 WAT*1 &
ADV.E AG1 SPR1D+ \ Z !Y DID S 9 A ?9
IRREGUL> CRESC5T T PROMIS$ 65CLOSE ! PIT
9 XS ATT5UAT$ HORNS4 ,I1 TOO1 ON MY SIDE
2GAN 6MOVE T[>DS ! PIT4
  ,!N ,I SAW "S CABM5 & O!RS _H WALK$
BOLDLY 96! S& PITS1 & HE>D ! CLATT] (
HO(S &! GRIDE ( :EELS4 ,I SAW A LAD
TRUNDL+ (F ! B>R[ ( APPLES4 ,& !N1 )9
?IRTY Y>DS (! PIT1 ADVANC+ F ! DIREC;N (
,HORSELL1 ,I NOT$ A LL BLACK KNOT ( M51
! =EMO/ ( :OM 0 WAV+ A :ITE FLAG4
  ,? 0 ! ,DEPUT,N4 ,"! _H BE5 A HA/Y
3SULT,N & S9CE ! ,M>TIANS 7 EVID5TLY1 9
SPITE ( _! REPULSIVE =MS1 9TELLIG5T
CR1TURES1 X _H BE5 RESOLV$ 6%[ !M1
0APPROA*+ !M ) SIGNALS1 T WE TOO 7
9TELLIG5T4
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!N 6! LEFT4 ,X 0 TOO F> = ME 6RECOGNISE
ANY"O "!1 B AFWS ,I LE>N$ T ,OGILVY1
,/5T1 & ,H5D]SON 7 ) O!RS 9 ? ATTEMPT AT
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9W>D1 S 6SP1K1 ! CIRCUMF];E (! N[ ALM
-PLETE CIRCLE ( P1 &A NUMB] ( DIM BLACK
FIGURES FOLL[$ X AT 4CREET 4T.ES4
  ,SU45LY "! 0 A FLA% ( LI<T1 &A QUANT;Y
( LUM9\S GRE5I% SMOKE CAME \ (! PIT 9
?REE 4T9CT PU6S1 : DROVE UP1 "O AF !
O!R1 /RAI<T 96! / AIR4
  ,? SMOKE 7OR FLAME1 P]H1 WD 2 ! BETT]
^W = X7 0 S B"R T ! DEEP BLUE SKY OV]H1D
&! HAZY /RET*ES ( BR[N -MON T[>DS
,*]TSEY1 SET ) BLACK P9E TREES1 SEEM$
6D>K5 ABRUPTLY Z ^! PU6S >OSE1 & 6REMA9
! D>K] AF _! 4P]SAL4 ,AT ! SAME "T A
FA9T HISS+ S.D 2CAME AUDI#4
  ,2Y ! PIT /OOD ! LL W$GE ( P )! :ITE
FLAG AT XS APEX1 >RE/$ 0^! PH5OM5A1 A LL
KNOT ( SMALL V]TICAL BLACK %APES ^U !
BLACK GR.D4 ,Z ! GRE5 SMOKE >OSE1 _!
FACES FLA%$ \ PALLID GRE51 & FAD$ AG Z X
VANI%$4 ,!N SL[LY ! HISS+ PASS$ 96A
HUMM+1 96A L;G1 L\D1 DRON+ NOISE4 ,SL[LY
A HUMP$ %APE ROSE \ (! PIT1 &! <O/ (A
B1M ( LI<T SEEM$ 6FLICK] \ F X4
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L1P+ F "O 6ANO!R1 SPRANG F ! SCATT]$
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^U !M & FLA%$ 96:ITE FLAME4 ,X 0 Z IF
EA* MAN 7 SU45LY & MO;T>ILY TURN$ 6FIRE4
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!M /A7]+ & FALL+1 & _! SUPPORT]S TURN+
6RUN4
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L1P+ F MAN 6MAN 9 T LL 4TANT CR[D4 ,ALL
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NOISE.S & BL9D+ FLA% ( LI<T1 &A MAN FELL
H1DL;G & LAY /2 & Z ! UNSE5 %AFT ( H1T
PASS$ OV] !M1 P9E TREES BUR/ 96FIRE1 & E
DRY FURZE BU% 2CAME ) "O DULL ?UD A MASS
( FLAMES4 ,& F> AWAY T[>DS ,KNAPHILL ,I
SAW ! FLA%ES ( TREES & H$GES & WOOD5
BUILD+S SU45LY SET ALI<T4
  ,X 0 SWEEP+ R.D SWIFTLY & /1DILY1 ?
FLAM+ D1?1 ? 9VISI#1 9EVITA# SWORD (
H1T4 ,I P]CVD X -+ T[>DS ME 0! FLA%+
BU%ES X T\*$1 & 0 TOO A/.D$ & /UPEFI$
6/IR4 ,I HE>D ! CRACKLE ( FIRE 9 ! S&
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/ILL$4 ,!N X 0 Z IF AN 9VISI# YET
9T5SELY H1T$ F+] 7 DRAWN "? ! H1!R 2T ME
&! ,M>TIANS1 & ALL AL;G A CURV+ L9E 2Y !
S& PITS ! D>K GR.D SMOK$ & CRACKL$4
,"S?+ FELL )A CRA% F> AWAY 6! LEFT ": !
ROAD F ,WOK+ /,N OP5S \ ON ! -MON4 ,=?)
! HISS+ & HUMM+ C1S$1 &! BLACK1 DOMELIKE
OBJECT SANK SL[LY \ ( SI<T 96! PIT4
  ,ALL ? _H HAPP5$ ) S* SWIFT;S T ,I _H
/OOD MO;N.S1 DUMBF.D$ & DAZZL$ 0! FLA%ES
( LI<T4 ,_H T D1? SWEPT "? A FULL
CIRCLE1 X M/ 9EVITABLY H SLA9 ME 9 MY
SURPRISE4 ,B X PASS$ & SP>$ ME1 & LEFT !
NI<T AB ME SU45LY D>K & UNFAMILI>4
  ,! UNDULAT+ -MON SEEM$ N[ D>K ALM
6BLACK;S1 EXCEPT ": XS ROADWAYS LAY GREY
& PALE "U ! DEEP BLUE SKY (! E>LY NI<T4
,X 0 D>K1 & SU45LY VOID ( M54 ,OV]H1D !
/>S 7 MU/]+1 & 9 ! WE/ ! SKY 0 / A PALE1
B"R1 ALM GRE5I% BLUE4 ,! TOPS (! P9E
TREES &! RO(S ( ,HORSELL CAME \ %>P &
BLACK AG/ ! WE/]N AFGL[4 ,! ,M>TIANS &
_! APPLI.ES 7 ALT 9VISI#1 SAVE = T ?9
MA/ ^U : _! RE/.S MIRROR WOB#D4 ,PAT*ES
( BU% & ISOLAT$ TREES "H & "! SMOK$ &
GL[$ /1 &! H\SES T[>DS ,WOK+ /,N 7 S5D+
UP SPIRES ( FLAME 96! /ILL;S (! EV5+
AIR4
  ,NO?+ 0 *ANG$ SAVE = T &A T]RI#
A/ONI%;T4 ,! LL GR\P ( BLACK SPECKS )!
FLAG ( :ITE _H BE5 SWEPT \ ( EXI/;E1 &!
/ILL;S (! EV5+1 S X SEEM$ 6ME1 _H
SC>CELY BE5 BROK54
  ,X CAME 6ME T ,I 0 ^U ? D>K -MON1
HELP.S1 UNPROTECT$1 & AL"O4 ,SU45LY1 L A
?+ FALL+ ^U ME F )\T1 CAME--FE>4
  ,) AN EF=T ,I TURN$ & 2GAN A /UMBL+
RUN "? ! H1!R4
  ,! FE> ,I FELT 0 NO R,NAL FE>1 B A
PANIC T]ROR N ONLY (! ,M>TIANS1 B (!
DUSK & /ILL;S ALL AB ME4 ,S* AN
EXTRAORD9>Y E6ECT 9 UNMANN+ ME X _H T ,I
RAN WEEP+ SIL5TLY Z A * MI<T D4 ,ONCE ,I
_H TURN$1 ,I DID N D>E 6LOOK BACK4
  ,I REMEMB] ,I FELT AN EXTRAORD9>Y
P]SUA.N T ,I 0 2+ PLAY$ )1 T PRES5TLY1
:5 ,I 0 ^U ! V V]GE ( SAFETY1 ? MY/]I\S
D1?--Z SWIFT Z ! PASSAGE ( LI<T--WD L1P
AF ME F ! PIT AB ! CYL9D] & /RIKE ME
D[N4


