Under_The_Whispering_Door_by_TJ_Klune

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“I have the worst ideas,” Wallace muttered. “Everything is terrible.”“Good to know,” Hugo said to Naomi. “But no, we were just friends.”“Doesn’t matter now though, does it?” Naomi asked. “Because he’sgone.”Wallace stopped, hands pressed flat against the counter. He bowed hishead and squeezed his eyes shut.“I don’t know that he truly is,” Hugo said finally. “I think a part of himremains.”“Pretty thoughts, and nothing more. Did…” She huffed out a breath. “Didyou love him? God, I can’t believe I’m having this conversation. I don’tknow you. I don’t even care if you and he were—”“We weren’t,” Hugo said simply.“That doesn’t answer my question.”“I know,” he said, and Wallace felt hot and cold, all at the same time. “Idon’t know how to answer that question.”“Yes or no. It’s not hard. But you not saying no is all the answer I need.”She sniffled again. “You weren’t at the funeral.”“I didn’t know.”“It was … quick. For him. I’m told he didn’t suffer. There and gone as ifhe never were at all.”“But he was,” Hugo said, and he never looked away from Wallace. “Hewas.”She laughed, though it sounded like a sob. “He was, wasn’t he? For betteror worse, he was. Hugo, I don’t know who you are. I don’t know how youknew Wallace, and I don’t believe for a minute it was because of tea. I’m …sorry. For your loss. Thank you, but please don’t call me again. I’m ready tomove on. I have moved on. I don’t know what else to say.”“You don’t need to say anything else,” Hugo said. “I appreciate yourtime.”The phone beeped as she disconnected the call.Silence filled the tea shop.Wallace broke. “You can’t … Hugo.”“I know,” Hugo said, sounding strangely vulnerable. Wallace looked up tosee him fiddling with his bandana, green with white dogs imprinted on it.“But it’s mine. It’s for me. And you can’t take that away.”
“I’m not trying to,” Wallace snapped. “It’s—you’re…” His chest hitched.The hook felt molten hot. “You’re making it harder. Please don’t do this tome. I can’t stand it. I just can’t.”“Why?” Hugo asked. “What’s so bad about it?”“Because I’m dead!” Wallace shouted.He left Hugo standing in the main room of the tea shop, the shadowsstretching further.
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Begin ReadingTable of ContentsAbout
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For Eric.I hope you woke up in a st
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CHAPTER1Patricia was crying.Wallace
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“Kyle was laid off two months ago
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“Kyle won’t touch me,” she wh
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dollars, and that doesn’t even be
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He never got the chance.Instead, tw
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Mostly.She wasn’t crying. He was
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you died, you continued to wear the
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Persian rug he’d spent an exorbit
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to show some kind of emotion. He wo
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He burst out laughing. Yes, he coul
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She grinned. “Oh, man. Just you w
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made it feel like so much more. It
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He said, “I…” He didn’t kno
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She wiped her eyes, still chuckling
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“Oh. Yeah, no. I get it. Yes, thi
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He blinked slowly, becoming aware o
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They rounded a corner, and he could
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He stared at her. “We’re seeing
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CHAPTER4He expected the inside of t
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The second time you share tea, you
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was … calming? Or so close to it
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know I don’t have time for this.
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“And there’s … what?”Hugo d
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questions. I’ll do my best to ans
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“I’m dead,” Wallace said.Hugo
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learned from her mother, a heavyset
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“There aren’t.”“Which means
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Hugo looked at him. “You’re a g
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CHAPTER6The first obstacle was the
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At least he tried to.It didn’t wo
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terrible as the rest of him. All so
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“Saw one, did you?”He whirled a
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place you’ll ever be before you c
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CHAPTER7Apollo seemed to know where
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Hugo chuckled. “A little older th
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Hugo shook his head. “No, I’m n
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“Hush,” Hugo said. “Don’t l
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“But he’s here.”“He is,”
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“You don’t need to sleep.”Wal
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Wallace’s eyes bulged as he looke
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“No.”“But you’re sitting on
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Nelson nodded toward the sconces on
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Wallace hadn’t even heard him app
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“Do what?” Mei asked as she rea
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The hook—always there, and he was
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And strangely, he thought he could
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moved around from table to table, t
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him.” And then, under her breath,
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woke up. He went to work. He stayed
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CHAPTER9Charon’s Crossing stayed
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Mei gasped. “They do? Oh my god,
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“Obviously,” he said faintly.
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that’s taboo.” She looked away.
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“It’s like you, in a way,” sh
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“Nope.”Wallace groaned. “Then
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things. He had expensive clothes, a
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Nelson grinned. “Fair.” He rubb
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“It’s like that here,” Hugo s
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“It was fast,” Hugo said, stari
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Hugo seemed to let it go. “The Ma
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“You can’t ever go to them,”
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finding the truth within himself. W
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And now here they were in the fifth
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Her fault, he told himself as he sa
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They all fell into a schedule of so
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One of the other women said, “My
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“Because he doesn’t want to,”
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Wallace bit back a sharp retort whe
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stumbled around, making promises to
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Nelson laughed. “Refreshing. Frus
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Hugo, for his part, didn’t look a
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“I mean, there’s always a plea
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came here looking more alive than s
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Nothing.“All the time you—would
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Desdemona gasped, pulling her hands
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“A,” Desdemona said as the plan
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followers, and I command you to—
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CHAPTER12That night, Wallace follow
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“Then why didn’t you put a stop
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“It’s not always like this,”
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Wallace closed his eyes. Nancy was
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“A guardian of the doors,” Hugo
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“What does that mean?”“I can
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green door at the end. He walked th
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window looked out into a familiar k
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CHAPTER13At the beginning of his tw
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Hugo shrugged. It was infuriating.
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everything I’m saying right now?
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The tea shop was busy all day. Sinc
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“What will it take?” Wallace as
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Watch.”Wallace stood next to him
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some … some let it become all the
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“Obviously,” Nelson said. He re
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Wallace bit back a retort. They wer
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but my legs didn’t work. My arms
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“Yes,” Hugo said.“I was murde
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behind clouds. The tea plants looke
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people like him.” He swallowed th
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him and he waited, waited, waited f
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CHAPTER15Alan tried to leave.He did
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we’re all traveling on.”Alan sh
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we can do it after—”“Oh, hey,
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come. “Any specific reason?”“
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Wallace blinked. “Oh, uh. Practic
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“How did it go?”Hugo started to
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CHAPTER16“Are you sure about this
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down at his tea, muttering under hi
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“Yes,” Wallace said. “And whe
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The tables jumped again as Alan too
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He hated how much he focused on it,
Page 227 and 228: “He does,” Hugo said. He looked
Page 229 and 230: “Or I know my limits,” Wallace
Page 231 and 232: age. He was coldly handsome, though
Page 233 and 234: were here in February. Speaking of,
Page 235 and 236: him. He turned to see Alan stepping
Page 237 and 238: Alan rose slowly to his feet, point
Page 239 and 240: CHAPTER17It was bigger than any sta
Page 241 and 242: The boy nodded at Wallace before lo
Page 243 and 244: instead of solid. “In fact, an ar
Page 245 and 246: full well he wasn’t in his right
Page 247 and 248: dies. Death is cleansing. The pain
Page 249 and 250: Sure, the bureaucracy of it all can
Page 251 and 252: “He’s not gone,” Wallace said
Page 253 and 254: He didn’t know.He’d never felt
Page 255 and 256: “Then do it. I don’t know what
Page 257 and 258: Hugo shook his head. Muttering unde
Page 259 and 260: The sadness receded, though it didn
Page 261 and 262: On the third evening, Hugo switched
Page 263 and 264: Nancy did as asked, clutching her p
Page 265 and 266: Mei cocked her head as if confused,
Page 267 and 268: I KNOW. BUT I HOPE IN HEARING FROM
Page 269 and 270: For a moment, Wallace thought it’
Page 271 and 272: CHAPTER19Acceptance.It was easier t
Page 273 and 274: then another and then another. And
Page 275 and 276: didn’t know if anyone would answe
Page 277: “What’s that supposed to mean?
Page 281 and 282: He laughed wildly. “If not now, w
Page 283 and 284: Wallace felt the pull the moment th
Page 285 and 286: As the sun set, they stood side by
Page 287 and 288: He failed.His eyes rolled up in his
Page 289 and 290: They said, “Cameron, let’s go o
Page 291 and 292: grit his teeth together. Tears floo
Page 293 and 294: CHAPTER21The next day, Charon’s C
Page 295 and 296: He hung his head. “I’m scared,
Page 297 and 298: Nelson rose from his chair, tugging
Page 299 and 300: on forever. He wondered if there we
Page 301 and 302: Nelson standing in front of the tea
Page 303 and 304: Hugo lowered his hand back to the b
Page 305 and 306: “Hugo?”“Yeah?”“Don’t fo
Page 307 and 308: Wallace couldn’t. Everything was
Page 309 and 310: They drank tea as if it were any ot
Page 311 and 312: impressed.”“Frankly, I don’t
Page 313 and 314: “Don’t I?” the boy asked. He
Page 315 and 316: discriminate. It’s there for ever
Page 317 and 318: “You swear?” Wallace insisted.
Page 319 and 320: “Not afraid,” the Manager repea
Page 321 and 322: Someone crouched next to him. “Wa
Page 323 and 324: The Manager nodded. “The job will
Page 325 and 326: “I’m leaving now,” the Manage
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EPILOGUEOn an evening in the middle
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It wasn’t easy. Of course it wasn
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Desdemona Tripplethorne returned to
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Mei made them tea as the rest gathe
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But a river only moves in one direc
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Apollo licked his fingers.Hugo rose
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Mei began to recite the contents of
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Next, the sensitivity readers. Not
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READ ON FORMEI’SINTRODUCTION TORE
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INTRODUCTION TO REAPINGCongratulati
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For example, WHITE HUMAN WOMEN expe
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DD’s file before your arrival, yo
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We believe in you!The Managercc: Un
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ABOUT THE AUTHORTJ KLUNE is the New
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This is a work of fiction. All of t
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Chapter 22EpilogueAcknowledgmentsEx
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