1269_UgliesFreeBook

248 Scott Westerfeld
“You were so scratched up, your hair and clothes all
singed from that fire, but you had the biggest smile on your
face.” David’s face seemed to glow in the soft moonlight.
Tally closed her eyes and shook her head. Great. She
was going to get an award for bravery when she should
really be kicked out of the Smoke for treachery.
“You don’t look quite so happy now, though,” he said
softly.
“Not everyone thinks it’s great that I came here.”
He laughed. “Yeah, Croy told me about his big revelation.”
“He did?” She opened her eyes.
“Don’t listen to him. From the moment you got here, he
was suspicious about your coming alone. He thought you
must have had help along the way. City help. But I told him
he was crazy.”
“Thanks.”
He shrugged. “When you and Shay saw each other, you
were so happy. I could tell that you’d really missed her.”
“Yeah. I was worried about her.”
“Of course you were. And you were brave enough to
come looking yourself, even if it meant walking away from
everything you’d ever known, alone. You didn’t really come
because you wanted to live in the Smoke, did you?”
“Um . . . what do you mean?”
“You came to see if Shay was all right.”
Tally looked into David’s eyes. Even if he was com-