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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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- Page 147 and 148: Hugo, for his part, didn’t look a
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- Page 153 and 154: Nothing.“All the time you—would
- Page 155 and 156: Desdemona gasped, pulling her hands
- Page 157 and 158: “A,” Desdemona said as the plan
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- Page 161 and 162: CHAPTER12That night, Wallace follow
- Page 163 and 164: “Then why didn’t you put a stop
- Page 165 and 166: “It’s not always like this,”
- Page 167 and 168: Wallace closed his eyes. Nancy was
- Page 169 and 170: “A guardian of the doors,” Hugo
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- Page 177 and 178: CHAPTER13At the beginning of his tw
- Page 179 and 180: Hugo shrugged. It was infuriating.
- Page 181 and 182: everything I’m saying right now?
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- Page 185 and 186: “What will it take?” Wallace as
- Page 187 and 188: Watch.”Wallace stood next to him
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- Page 195: but my legs didn’t work. My arms
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- Page 217 and 218: CHAPTER16“Are you sure about this
- Page 219 and 220: down at his tea, muttering under hi
- Page 221 and 222: “Yes,” Wallace said. “And whe
- Page 223 and 224: The tables jumped again as Alan too
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- Page 227 and 228: “He does,” Hugo said. He looked
- Page 229 and 230: “Or I know my limits,” Wallace
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- Page 233 and 234: were here in February. Speaking of,
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- Page 239 and 240: CHAPTER17It was bigger than any sta
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dies. Death is cleansing. The pain
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Sure, the bureaucracy of it all can
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“He’s not gone,” Wallace said
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He didn’t know.He’d never felt
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“Then do it. I don’t know what
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Hugo shook his head. Muttering unde
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The sadness receded, though it didn
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On the third evening, Hugo switched
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Nancy did as asked, clutching her p
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Mei cocked her head as if confused,
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I KNOW. BUT I HOPE IN HEARING FROM
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For a moment, Wallace thought it’
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CHAPTER19Acceptance.It was easier t
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then another and then another. And
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didn’t know if anyone would answe
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“What’s that supposed to mean?
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“I’m not trying to,” Wallace
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He laughed wildly. “If not now, w
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Wallace felt the pull the moment th
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As the sun set, they stood side by
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He failed.His eyes rolled up in his
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They said, “Cameron, let’s go o
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grit his teeth together. Tears floo
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CHAPTER21The next day, Charon’s C
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He hung his head. “I’m scared,
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Nelson rose from his chair, tugging
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on forever. He wondered if there we
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Nelson standing in front of the tea
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Hugo lowered his hand back to the b
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“Hugo?”“Yeah?”“Don’t fo
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Wallace couldn’t. Everything was
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They drank tea as if it were any ot
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impressed.”“Frankly, I don’t
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“Don’t I?” the boy asked. He
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discriminate. It’s there for ever
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“You swear?” Wallace insisted.
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“Not afraid,” the Manager repea
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Someone crouched next to him. “Wa
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The Manager nodded. “The job will
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“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