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           "Andhowlonghaveyoubeenseventeen?"

           Hislipstwitchedashestaredattheroad."Awhile,"headmittedatlast.

           "Okay."Ismiled,pleasedthathewasstillbeinghonestwithme.Hestareddownatmewithwatchfuleyes,muchashehadbefore,whenhewasworriedIwouldgointoshock.Ismiledwiderinencouragement,andhefrowned.

           "Don’tlaugh-buthowcanyoucomeoutduringthedaytime?"

           Helaughedanyway."Myth."

           "Burnedbythesun?"

           "Myth."

           "Sleepingincoffins?"

           "Myth."Hehesitatedforamoment,andapeculiartoneenteredhisvoice."Ican’tsleep."

           Ittookmeaminutetoabsorbthat."Atall?"

           "Never,"hesaid,hisvoicenearlyinaudible.Heturnedtolookatmewithawistfulexpression.Thegoldeneyesheldmine,andIlostmytrainofthought.Istaredathimuntilhelookedaway.

           "Youhaven’taskedmethemostimportantquestionyet."Hisvoicewas

           hardnow,andwhenhelookedatmeagainhiseyeswerecold.

           Iblinked,stilldazed."Whichoneisthat?"

           "Youaren’tconcernedaboutmydiet?"heaskedsarcastically.

           "Oh,"Imurmured,"that."

           "Yes,that."Hisvoicewasbleak."Don’tyouwanttoknowifIdrinkblood?"

           Iflinched."Well,Jacobsaidsomethingaboutthat."

           "WhatdidJacobsay?"heaskedflatly.

           "Hesaidyoudidn’t...huntpeople.Hesaidyourfamilywasn’tsupposedtobedangerousbecauseyouonlyhuntedanimals."

           "Hesaidweweren’tdangerous?"Hisvoicewasdeeplyskeptical.

           "Notexactly.Hesaidyouweren’tsupposedtobedangerous.ButtheQuileutesstilldidn’twantyouontheirland,justincase."