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When I open my eyes, the world looks slightly fractured,<br />

and it takes a minute to realize that the sun must be well up<br />

and the glasses fragmenting my vision. As I sit up and remove<br />

them, I hear a laugh somewhere near the lake and freeze. The<br />

laugh’s distorted, but the fact that it registered at all means I<br />

must be regaining my hearing. Yes, my right ear can hear<br />

again, although it’s still ringing. As for my left ear, well, at least<br />

the bleeding has stopped.<br />

I peer through the bushes, afraid the Careers have returned,<br />

trapping me here for an indefinite time. No, it’s Foxface,<br />

standing in the rubble of the pyramid and laughing. She’s<br />

smarter than the Careers, actually finding a few useful items<br />

in the ashes. A metal pot. A knife blade. I’m perplexed by her<br />

amusement until I realize that with the Careers’ stores eliminated,<br />

she might actually stand a chance. Just like the rest of<br />

us. It crosses my mind to reveal myself and enlist her as a<br />

second ally against that pack. But I rule it out. There’s something<br />

about that sly grin that makes me sure that befriending<br />

Foxface would ultimately get me a knife in the back. With that<br />

in mind, this might be an excellent time to shoot her. But she’s<br />

heard something, not me, because her head turns away, toward<br />

the drop-off, and she sprints for the woods. I wait. No<br />

one, nothing shows up. Still, if Foxface thought it was dangerous,<br />

maybe it’s time for me to get out of here, too. Besides, I’m<br />

eager to tell Rue about the pyramid.<br />

Since I’ve no idea where the Careers are, the route back by<br />

the stream seems as good as any. I hurry, loaded bow in one<br />

hand, a hunk of cold groosling in the other, because I’m fa-<br />

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