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Leadem, Christopher

"The Mantooth"

It was not
anger she felt now, but fear.
Because she could not yet face the prospect of finding other men and
women like herself. Through all their preparations she had only half
believed it, deep down. Yet now the most terrible question of her life
rose in unshrouded hugeness before her:
HAD OTHERS OF HER KIND SURVIVED THE DESTRUCTION? Or was she truly alone
with Kalus, who she seemed to know less and less each day? And why did
a part of her WANT to be alone with him? She could not face it. If
after all her hopes and fears it came to nothing.....
'All right,' she said, trying to calm herself. 'All right.
What do we do now?'
'Build a fire, eat and drink, then move inland carefully. We
don't know yet what we'll find. I think I can trace the source of
the beams well enough. The Island is large, but not infinite. Only its
uneven surface makes it appear so. If we miss on the first try, or even
the second, we will be closer to the source; and we can trace the beams
by night, if need be.'
But for all her need of nourishment, Sylviana's knotting stomach
would not think of food. 'We've got to go now! I'm sorry,
Kalus, but I can't possibly wait another minute.'
He started to overrule her, then checked himself, secretly bitter at her
eagerness.


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