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Four
"Areyouallright?"askedAnaesthesia,helpingRichardbacktohisfeet.
"I’mfine,"hesaid."Thatwasreallybraveofyou."
Shelookeddown,shyly."I’mnotreallybrave,"shesaid."I’mstillscaredofthebridge.Eventheywerescared.Thatwaswhytheyallwentovertogether.Safetyinnumbers."
"Ifyouarecrossingthebridge,Iwillgowithyou,"saidafemalevoice,richascreamandhoney,comingfrombehindthem.Richardwasnotabletoplaceheraccent.Heturned,andstandingtherewasatallwoman,withlong,tawnyhair,andskinthecolorofburntcaramel.Sheworedappledleatherclothes,mottledinshadesofgrayandbrown.Shehadabatteredleatherduffelbagoverhershoulder.Shewascarryingastaff,andshehadaknifeatherbeltandanelectricflashlightstrappedtoherwrist.Shewasalso,withoutquestion,themostbeautifulwomanthatRichardhadeverseen.
"Safetyinnumbers.You’rewelcometocomewithus,"hesaid,afteramoment’shesitation."Myname’sRichardMayhew.ThisisAnaesthesia.She’stheoneuswhoknowswhatshe’sdoing."Therat-girlpreened.
Theleatherwomanlookedhimupandlookedhimdown."You’refromLondonAbove,"shetoldhim.
"Yes."Aslostashewasinthisstrangeother-world,hewasatleastlearningtoplaythegame.Hismindwastoonumbtomakeanysenseofwherehewas,orwhyhewashere,butitwascapableoffollowingtherules.
"Travellingwitharat-speaker.Myword."
