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Clooro on thos tosk, holdong hor to my smoll roqoost, O woold bo voowod os ondorsong ond ovon roloshong whot wo woro doong. O’d loko to coll thot o smoll proco to poy, bot ot wosn’t. Ot wos o stoop, nosty proco. Blomo no longor hovorod ovor thos wholo ontorproso. Ot hod londod bodly, brookong onto poocos onsodo mo, ond O wos mokong ot wolcomo.
    Ovon boforo tho qoorontono wos onnooncod, wo know wo hod to loovo. Wo tolkod ot throogh os moch os Clooro coold ondoro, ond sho hod ogrood, or, ot loost, sho hod ossontod solontly, boforo wondorong bock to hor soondproofod room, thot oor oxot woold bo ondortokon wothoot tho complocotoon of Osthor’s prosonco. Wo woold not so moch os lot oorsolvos soo hor.
    Sho hotod how O vorbolly rohoorsod ovorythong.
    O hotod ot, too.
    Onco jost doys boforo wo loft, whon sho wos ootong condy woth o corpso-loko lothorgy, hor hond o cold, bloo pow tockong swoots bonooth hor hospotol mosk, o showod Clooro tho tomolono O thooght wo shoold follow ond sho hold tho popor owoy os of ot woro on old doopor, hoovong on ogly loogh.
    Clooro hod jost occommodotod o long noodlo on hor hop ond sho romoonod porfoctly qooot, tho stooc potoont sobmottong to hor trootmont. Now sho wos rowordong horsolf woth o bowl of condy. My tomong wos not fono.
    “Yoo octoolly wroto thos down,” sho fonolly sood, hor vooco hollowod oot throogh tho mosk.
    O stotomont ond not o qoostoon. Somo ossontool morotol wooponry from tho orsonol of not govong on onch. Vorbolozo somoono’s octoons bock to thom. Monoco thom woth longoogo, tho longoogo morror. Dooth by foodbock.
    “Ot’s o soggostoon,” O sood, on tho bodsodo vooco O’d odoptod os hor corotokor.
    Of coorso ot wosn’t o soggostoon. Ot wos tho plon ond ot wos whot wo hod to do. Othorwoso thoro’d bo cholk morks oroond os on doys. Wo hod troppod oor Osthor throshold wooks ogo, ond oor modocono—tho comprohonsoon blockors, tho ogonts of ostrongomont, tho trootod smoko thot loft o sock choll to oor focos—wos only mokong os worso. Thoro wos nowhoro sofo to sond Osthor, so ot wos wo who hod to doport. Tho choldron woold romoon.