Everwild

"Joh

"That doesn't matter--because when I give the word, you're going to drop everything, and cram Mary like there's no tomorrow."

Nick had played it out dozens of different ways until he saw the whole thing clearly in his mind. He would be there with Mary, engaged in a polite, but guarded conversation of diplomacy. He would string her along until he felt the moment was right, then he would make his move.

I have a gift for you, he would tell her. The finest gift in the universe, and it's all for you. He would step forward, and he would kiss her. A final kiss. Then Zin would grab her, and begin to push, until Mary was thrust through to the other side, into the living world, just as Zin had done to Kudzu. Mary would be alive, with nothing but the clothes on her back, and the sweet taste of chocolate on her lips.

I will not only save Everlost from you, but I will save you from yourself. I will give you the precious gift of life, Mary. Because I love you.

"What if I can't do it, sir?" said Zin. "Crammin' Kudzu was near impossible, and a person's bigger than a dog."

He put his good hand on her shoulder. "Your whole afterlife has been leading to this," he told her. "I have every faith in you, Zin."

CHAPTER 34 Poolside Rendezvous

Several of Nick's scouts had gone down Da

Within Da

It was late August, and the school year had just started. Life was slipping into a regular routine. Allie tried to imagine growing up, and growing old as a lifelong tenant in someone else's body. Would there come a time when she could accept life as the other half of Da

And what of her own body? It was lying somewhere in any one of a dozen hospitals--and that was just if she was in Memphis. She tried calling a few, but never got very far.

"Honey, why don't you put your mama on the phone?" the receptionists would invariably say. It was hard to get respect as a seven-year-old.

--This is not who I wanted to be-- Allie thought.

--Me neither--Da

Then the pool cleaners came.

They came the same day that Mary arrived in Memphis and sent her letter to Nick, but Allie had no way of knowing that, or anything else that went on in Everlost. As long as she was stuck in a living body, all she could see was the living world.

Late that afternoon, Allie and Da

Allie scored a point.

"Aw! No fair!" Da

--Quiet--Allie thought to him--your mother will hear you talking to yourself--

But when they looked up, it wasn't his mother standing there, instead it was a man holding a blue pole with a net on the end, and a second man a few feet behind him.

--It's okay-- Da

"Hi, Curtis! Hi, Chainsaw," said Da

"Guess we'll have to see about that," said Curtis, but neither man moved. Chainsaw glanced at the house, where Da

"C'mon, I'll show you," Da

But the pool guys weren't here for a service call today.

"I wish to talk to Allie now," Curtis said.

Da

"Who is this?" she asked.

Curtis smiled, and Allie instantly knew. It was hard to see him behind the beer belly and beard stubble, but she knew.

"Milos?"

"So you are in there!" He looked down at her with a furrowed unibrow."I thought you went home. Is this ... home for you?"

"What do you think? Does it look like I'm back in my own body?" And she couldn't help but add, "This might not have happened if you would have told me that skinjackers' bodies are all still alive!"

--Who is that, Allie? That's not Curtis! I don't like this!--

--Just let me handle this, Da