?Is it a secret?? Jamie asked, guarded but... 843
?Is it a secret?? Jamie asked, guarded but clearly curious
I shook my head againThey all stared at me in confusionDoc shook his head, too, slowly,
baffled
I took a deep breath, then whispered, ?I'm not a HealerI don't know how they?the
medications?workOnly that theydo work? they heal, rather than merely treating symptomsOf course the human medicines were discarded
All four of them stared with blank expressionsFirst they were surprised when I didn't answer,
and now they were surprised when I didHumans were impossible to please
?Your kind didn't change too much of what we left behind,? Jeb said thoughtfully after a
moment?Just the medical stuff, chanel big and the spaceships instead of planesOther than that, life
seems to go on just the same as ever? on the surface
?We come to experience, not to change,? I whispered?Health takes priority over that
philosophy, though
I shut my mouth with an audible snapI had to be more carefulThe humans hardly wanted a
lecture on soul philosophyWho knew what would anger them? Or what would snap their
fragile patience?
Jeb nodded, still thoughtful, and then ushered us onwardHe wasn't as enthusiastic as he
continued my tour through the few connecting caves here in the medical wing, not as involved
in the presentationWhen we turned around and headed back into the vintage hermes black corridor, he lapsed
into silenceIt was a long, quiet walkI thought through what I'd said, looking for something
that might have offendedJeb was too strange for me to guess if that was the caseThe other
humans, hostile and suspicious as they were, at least made senseHow could I hope to make
sense of Jeb?
The tour ended abruptly when we reentered the huge garden cavern where the carrot sprouts
made a bright green carpet across the dark floor
?Show's over,? Jeb said gruffly, looking at Ian and the doctor?Go do something useful
Ian rolled his eyes at the doctor, but they both turned good-naturedly enough and made their
way toward the biggest hermes wallet exit?the one that led to the kitchen, I rememberedJamie hesitated,
looking after them but not moving
?You come with me,? Jeb told him, slightly less gruff this time?I've got a job for youI could see that he was pleased to have been chosen
Jamie walked beside me again as we headed back toward the sleeping-quarters section of the
cavesI was surprised, as we chose the third passageway from the left, that Jamie seemed to
know exactly where we were goingJeb was slightly behind us, but Jamie stopped at once when
we reached the green screen that covered the seventh apartmentHe moved the screen aside for
me but stayed in the hall
?You okay to sit tight rolex chain for a while?? Jeb asked me
I nodded, grateful at the thought of hiding againI ducked through the opening and then stood
a few feet in, not sure what to do with myselfMelanie remembered that there were books here,
but I reminded her of my vow to not touch anything
?I got things to do, kid,? Jeb said to Jamie?Food ain't gonna fix itself, you knowYou up to
guard duty??
?Sure,? Jamie said with a bright smileHis thin chest swelled with a deep breath
My eyes widened in disbelief as I watched Jeb place the rifle in Jamie's eager hands
?Are youcrazy? ? I shoutedMy voice was so loud that I didn't recognize it at firstIt felt like
I'd been whispering balenciaga blue forever
