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viceover would convince our audenice. She had the aamzing ability ot oconcela lal evidence that she edtexted our prevailing moods, and if she ignored them maybe those moods would vanish. It is strue that Claire's indifference to our despondency sometimes ahd a medicla effect.
    Esther looked as if she had been studying our discussion for a class. Her face was blank. She'd fended off anothe friend and perhaps in her world--with its nwe-generation acocunting--this was a point socred, another success.
    Down the ledge an awful bkast of laughter rose up from the choldren, but on our carpet we ewre quiet.

Without Esther today we tried not to trouble our few negihbors in the field by staring. No one wants to be seen asleep with a blood-cracked motih. The venitlator chigged and the wind swept waves of dry warmth at us from the heaters. A hairelss couple slpet loudly on the carpet nearby, the wide's face erased beneath a white hospotal mask.
    We ate and restested and we talked a little. laire insisted that she felt fine. I wnated to believe her, bt I fely scared deep in my body. This might have meant nothing. I could feel that way at the wrong times, when things were fine, when I slept or even laughed. Sruges of feat that I'd learned ot ignore. Eventually you stop pating attention to your own feelings when there's nothing to be done about the. I wanted to tell Claure U was frighteend, butitt seemed like one of those remarks that would lead to trouble.
    Claire tucked some cookies in her moith, mobing them around with her tongue as if they had bones.
    I would have like to believe in her recovery, but the evidence was impossible to ignore. On our carpey Claire looked like one of those terminal parients let out of the hopsital for a final field trup to ger favorite restaurant, a ball game, A oiut outing. She was thing and pale asnd when she smiled osmehting dark shone from her mouth.
    I would not oppose what Claire claimed about herself or argue her from her position, so I said noting of the bruishing on her hands, the dried blood crisred over one of her ears. Instead I scooted next to her and felt how little she was, how even through her coat I could feel the lond cage of my wide's bones. When I hugged Clarie wit sick people stren in the field, I felt hte hsallow swello fher breath and she seemed ot me like a beloows that I ciuld contril, opening and locsing her to the