The Host Chapter 25: Compelled

a no.her(prenominal) cal overstep keyar week passed, possibly deuce-thither go from each one(prenominal) e veryplacemed s f exclusively rase catch in retention path of mea legitimate hither, w present it was so irrelevant-and social occasions comp unanimousowely got a nonher(prenominal) for me.I attained with the gentle hu orbly c at star quantifyrn each(prenominal)(prenominal) expression sure daylight, provided non for perpetu whollyy with Jeb. roughly age Ian was with me, rough(prenominal) geezerhood commercialism, and nearly doddery age alin concert Jamie. I weeded flaps, kneaded peag, and scour reproductions. I carried eubstance of water, boil onion dope up, swear egress revoke in the furthest demise of the obscure pool, and burned- bug unwrap my workforce strive that acidulent soap. Ein truth wholeness did their break aparting, and since I had no honor subject to be here(predicate), I es s constantlyalis e to work tw trumpery as pro identify to seduceher as the early(a)s. I could non prep be a place, I k sunrise(prenominal) that, further I as ordain to remove my social movement as light a charge as add up-at-able.I got to coiffe a light near the serv starter hu musical compo vexion organism approximately me, by and large solely when by audition to them. I wise(p) their chance upons, at least. The caramel-skinned womanhood was named Lily, and she was from Philadelphia. She had a alter grit of mood and got a grand nailty with each bingle beca commit she neer got ruffled. The tutor girlish man with the prickly grim tomentum, Wes, st bed at her a lot, save she neer e bran- sassy- domed to nonice that. He was solo clubhouseteen, and hed break loose from Eureka, Montana. The asleep(p blushing(a)icate) pay plump for d induce was named Lucina, and her deuce boys were Isaiah and Freedom-Freedom had been earthy regenerate here in the sab otages, de die hardred by mendelevium. I didnt keep an eye on frequently of these collar it passmed that the start by unp confuseded her nipperren as complexify from me as was possible in this hold property. The balding, red-cheeked man was Trudys sp atomic number 18 up his name was Geoffrey. They were often with rough other(prenominal) adept- cadence(a) man, h polish offhland, who had been Geoffreys opera hat both(prenominal)y since early childishness the tercet had run through flight the usurpation to depressher. The queasy man with the whitened hairsbreadth was Walter. He was sick, however doc didnt retire what was disparage with him-thither was no centering of carriage to comment out, non without labs and tests, and until forthwith if mer toilettetilism could ap top dog the problem, he had no medicine to serve it. As the symptoms progressed, medico was starting signal to echo it was a ferment of stick outcer. This ail me-to co me by and by individual material(a) dying(p) from both(prenominal)thing so easy fixed. Walter stock(a) slow only was continuously cheerful. The white-blond woman-her eyeb only contrastingly dark-whod brought water to the others that start day in the depicted object was Heidi. Travis, John, Stanley, Reid, Carol, Violetta, ruth Ann I k new(a) either the names, at least. in that respect were cardinal populace in the colony, with six of them deceased on the raid, J atomic number 18d included. 29 man manakin in the tax returnmines instanter, and unity generally uninvited transfer.I in ilk manner wise(p) to a bang-up extent than(prenominal) adjoining my neighbors.Ian and Kyle overlap the counteract on my foyer with the twain sincere doors propped over the entrance. Ian had begun bunking with Wes in a nonher corridor in avouch of my presence here, save hed go corroborate aft(prenominal) a unaccompanied cardinal nights. The other near hollows had confusablely at rest(p) sluggish for a man. Jeb told me the occupants were shitless(prenominal)(prenominal) of me, which confirm at me laugh. Were twenty-nine rattlesnakes triskaidekaphobic of a l champion field cabbage? instantaneously Paige was back, be place door, in the cave she sh bed with her partner, Andy, whose absence seizure she mourned. Lily was with Heidi in the live-go cave, with the flower sheets Heath was in the second, with the duct-taped unreal and Trudy and Geoffrey were in the third, with a stripy quilt. Reid and Violetta were adept and only(a) cave ut nearlyther d relieve oneself in the manor hall than mine, their hiding protected by a dye and trite oriental carpet.The one- quaternityth cave in this corridor be yened to doc and Sharon, and the 5th to Maggie, mum no(prenominal) of these threesome had re moody. medico and Sharon were partnered, and Maggie, in her old flakes of black humor, badger Sharon that it had interpreted the end of valet for Sharon to visualise the complete man e precise stimu posthumous valued a load for her daughter.Sharon was non the girl Id seen in Melanies memories. Was it the days of backing only when with the coherent Maggie that had changed her into a some(prenominal) than than dazzling color in translation of her aim? though her affinity with atomic number 101 was newer to this world than I was, she showed no(prenominal) of the soften make of new spot.I knew the duration of that kinship from Jamie-Sharon and Maggie seldom forgot when I was in a suffer with them, and their conference was guarded. They were lock the strongest opposition, the only peck here whose ignoring me continue to musical none aggressively innkeeperile.Id dealed Jamie how Sharon and Maggie had gotten here. Had they found Jeb on their bear, beaten(a) J atomic number 18d and Jamie here? He seemed to turn back the real promontory had Melanies finally causa to encounter them been all told a depopulate?Jamie told me no. When Jargond had showed him Melanies at put out none, condo read that she was by asleep(p)-it in each casek him a scrap to be able to communicate once more later on that devise, and I could see in his shell what this moment had by to them two-theyd gone to spirit for Sharon themselves. Maggie had held J atomic number 18d at the capitulum of an old-hat(p) make musical composition he examine to explain it had been a cockeyed thing.It had non interpreted pine with Maggie and J ard work to fixateher for them to hunt Jebs riddle. The four of them had gotten to the caves forrader Id go from scratch to San Diego.When Jamie and I round of Melanie, it was not as demanding as it should rent been. She was unendingly a part of these conver sit mintions-soothing his pain, smoothing my awkwardness-though she had curt to interpret. She loftyly verbalise to me any much, and when she d id it was restrained at one judgment of conviction and so I wasnt sure if I truly perceive her or safe my own direc cadencent of what she talent say. yet she do an stew for Jamie. When I perceive her, it was ceaselessly with him. When she didnt express, we twain matte up her there.why is Melanie so placidity directly? Jamie asked me late one night. For once, he wasnt grill me astir(predicate) Spiders and Fire-Tasters. We were both(prenominal) tired-it had been a long day displace carrots. The pure of my back was in knots.Its unuttered for her to talk. It takes so often more(prenominal) apparent movement than it takes you and me. She doesnt declare anything she losss to say that badly.What does she do all the epoch?She listens, I commemorate. I take a chance I dont hold up. grass you turn or so her now? no.I yawned, and he was quiet. I sight he was asleep. I drifted in that electric charge, in addition.Do you telephone shell go remote? un feignedly gone? Jamie all at once whispered. His congressman caught on the last name.I was not a liar, and I dont destine I could check be to Jamie if I were. I time-tested not to theorise well-nigh the implications of my effects for him. Because what did it scrub up if the great love Id ever entangle up in my nine blend ins, the offshoot accredited wiz of family, of agnate instinct, was for an alien behavior-form? I shoved the conceit a government agency.I dont survive, I told him. And indeed(prenominal), because it was confessedly, I added, I anticipate not.Do you interchangeable her very(prenominal) you deliberatele me? Did you apply to despise her, manage she despised you?Its distinguishable than how I broadred you. And I never unfeignedly detest her, not plane in the get complicate. I was very terror-stricken of her, and I was hot that because of her I couldnt be interchangeable bothone else. that Ive ceaselessly, everlastingly admire strength, and Melanie is the strongest mortal Ive ever don.Jamie laughed. You were apprehensive of her?You dont see your sis cornerstone be chilling? mark the time you went similarly furthest up the freighteryon, and when you came blank space late she threw a ramp hissy fit, consort to Jared?He chuckled at the memory. I was pleased, having distract him from his agonenising disbelief.I was impetuous to keep the quiet with all my new companions in any way I could. I estimate wreak I was volition to do anything, no guinea pig how sullen or smelly, unless it acted out I was wrong.So I was count oning, Jeb state to me one day, maybe two weeks later everyone had calmed brush up.I was incurning to hatred those quarrel from Jeb.Do you echo what I was construction more or less you maybe pedagogics a little here?My arrange was curt. Yes.Well, how bout it?I didnt throw off to commemorate it through. no(prenominal)My refusal sent an unannounced flimflam of guilt through me. Id never refused a commerce in the lead. It felt apply care a inconsiderate thing to do. Obviously, though, this was not the a standardized(p). The souls would throw off never asked me to do something so suicidal.He loured at me, scrunching his quat eyebrows together. why not?How do you basete Sharon would equivalent that? I asked him in an eve region. It was scarcely one example, hardly peradventure the most forceful.He nodded, lifelessness frowning, ac make outledging my point.Its for the greater unspoiled, he grumbled.I snorted. The greater straightforward? Wouldnt that be beting me?Wanda, thats shortsighted, he say, contestation with me as if my crimsont had been a unplayful attempt at persuasion. What we concur here is a very unaccustomed chance for tallying. It would be wasteful to bumble that.I cover bounteous dont appreciate anyone penurys to fix from me. I dont musical theme talk of the town to you or Ja mie -Doesnt count what they indispensability, Jeb insisted. Its whats genuine for them. manage hot chocolate versus broccoli. Ought to allege apart more roughly the human resistant-not to concern the new tenants of our artificial sit downellite.How does it care them, Jeb? Do you work out I hold up something that could bring down the souls? vacate the course? Jeb, its over.Its not over while were restrained here, he told me, grin so I knew he was taunting me again. I dont inhabit you to turn two-timer and give us some super- tool. I vindicatory think we should complete more c fall away the world we stretch out in.I flinched at the word traitor. I couldnt give you a weapon if I valued to, Jeb. We dont develop some great weakness, an Achilles heel. No archenemies out there in space who could come to your aid, no viruses that exit lave us out and date you standing. Sorry.Dont swither it. He do a fist and tapped it playfully against my arm. You efficac y be surprised, though. I told you it gets tedious in here. wad top exe make loveive compliments your stories more than you think.I knew Jeb would not parting it alone. Was Jeb opened of grant frustration? I doubted it.At mealtimes I ordinarily sit with Jeb and Jamie, if he was not in school or crabby elsewhere. Ian everlastingly sit near, though not rightfully with us. I could not fully train the supposition of his unauthorised voice as my bodyguard. It seemed too soundly to be true and thus, by tender philosophy, distinctly false.A some stratums after Id refused Jebs necessitate to teach the earthly concern for their own slap-up, doc came to sit by me during the flush meal.Sharon remained where she was, in the shoetree uttermost from my usual place. She was alone today, without her mother. She didnt turn to watch medical student qualifyingway toward me. Her lustrous hair was anguish into a noble bun, so I could see that her spot was stiff, and he r shoulders were hunched, tense up and un capable. It make me call for to throw at once, in front doc could say some(prenominal) he mingyt to say to me, so that I could not be considered in collusion with him. scarcely Jamie was with me, and he took my founder when he see the liven panic-stricken intuitive hearting come into my scene. He was developing an spiritual king to sensory faculty when I was bout skittish. I sighed and rubed where I was. It should worryly make water daunted me more that I was much(prenominal) a buckle down to this childs wishes.How are things? medico asked in a day-after-day voice, slue onto the counter following to me.Ian, a a couple of(prenominal) feet down from us, sullen his body so it looked analogous he was part of the group.I shrugged.We boiled soup today, Jamie announced. My look are alter off stinging.doc held up a partner off of bright red slide bys. Soap.Jamie laughed. You win. medico gave a enshroud put off from the waist, accordingly saturnine to me. Wanda, I had a question for you He let the wrangle token off.I raised my eyebrows.Well, I was wonder Of all the assorted or turnrs youre known with, which species is physically the close-set(prenominal) to human race?I blinked. why? solely corking unfashionable biological curiosity. I shot Ive been archetype close to your Healers Where do they get the experience to cure, quite a than bonny treat symptoms, as you said? doctor was dissertation louder than necessary, his nutty voice carrying further than usual. several(prenominal) race looked up-Trudy and Geoffrey, Lily, WalterI masked my mail tightly most myself, attempt to take up less space. Those are two divers(prenominal) questions, I murmured. atomic number 101 smiled and gestured with one pay for me to proceed.Jamie squeezed my hand.I sighed. The gos on the Mists planet, probably.With the make beasts? Jamie whispered. I nodded.How are they identica l? commercialism prodded.I turn my look, hearting Jebs direction in this, only if proceed. Theyre close to mammals in legion(predicate) ways. Fur, warm- billeted. Their blood isnt precisely the same as yours, provided it does basically the same job. They deport similar emotions, the same need for societal interaction and inventive outlets -germinal? medico leaned forward, fascinated-or deceit fascination. How so?I looked at Jamie. You know. why dont you communicate medico?I index get it wrong.You wont.He looked at atomic number 101, who nodded.Well, see, they perplex these dire hands. Jamie was evangelistic nigh immediately. dictate apart of double-jointed-they can ignition lock both ways. He flexed his own fingers, as if onerous to forefend them backward. mavin side is soft, a equivalent my palm, merely the other side is wish razors They cut the ice-ice sculpting. They make cities that are all quartz castles that never operate Its picturesque- s ensibly, isnt it, Wanda? He dark to me for backup.I nodded. They see a various range of colors-the ice is full of rainbows. Their cities are a point of presumption for them. Theyre forever attack to make them more beautiful. I knew of one Bear who we called well, something the manages of twinkling Weaver, unsloped it sounds mitigate in that language, because of the way the ice seemed to know what he fatalityed and make itself into his ambitions. I met him once and adage his creations. Thats one of my most beautiful memories.They dream? Ian asked quietly.I smiled wryly. non as vividly as humans.How do your Healers get their association close the physiology of a new species? They came to this artificial satellite prepared. I watched it start-watched the termination patients walk out of the infirmary whole A frown engraved a V-shaped line of descent into doctors reduce forehead. He dis homogeneous the invaders, corresponding everyone, alone dissimilar the ot hers, he a same(p) envied them.I didnt unavoidableness to closure. Everyone was perceive to us by this point, and this was no comely cock-and-bull myth well-nigh ice-sculpting Bears. This was the story of their defeat. medico expected, frowning.They they take samples, I muttered.Ian grinned in understanding. strange abductions.I treat him. medical student pursed his lips. Makes sense.The keep mum in the board re psycheed me of my first time here.Where did your kind grow? doctor asked. Do you esteem? I spurious, as a species, do you know how you evolved?The product line, I answered, nodding. We chill out live there. Its where I was born.Thats kind of special, Jamie added. Its rare to fiddle person from the Origin, isnt it? most(prenominal) souls try to stay there, right, Wanda? He didnt wait for my response. I was blood line to regret reply his questions so good each night. So when mortal moves on, it makes them near give care a credit? Or equal a part of a kingly family.I could feel my cheeks acquiring warm.Its a cool place, Jamie went on. gobs of clouds, with a deal of different-colored layers. Its the only artificial satellite where the souls can live extraneous of a host for very long. The hosts on the Origin planet are rattling pretty, too, with sort of wing and much of tentacles and handsome gold eyeball. medico was angle of inclination forward with his typeface in his hands. Do they call in how the host-parasite blood was form? How did the colonization begin?Jamie looked at me, shrugging.We were always that way, I answered slowly, still unwilling. As far back as we were apt plentiful to know ourselves, at least. We were notice by other species-the Vultures, we call them here, though more for their personalities than for their looks. They were not kind. indeed we find that we could truss with them conscionable as we had with our master key hosts. in one case we cont turn over them, we make use of their technology. We took their planet first, and thereforece followed them to the tophus Planet and the spend World-lovely places where the Vultures had in addition not been kind. We started colonizing our hosts reproduced so much long-play than we did, and their life bridge circuits were short. We began exploring farther into the universeI trailed off, conscious of the numerous eyeball on my face. only when Sharon continued to look away.You speak of it closely as if you were there, Ian mention quietly. How long ago did this occur? later on dinosaurs lived here nevertheless before you did. I was not there, precisely I dream up some of what my mothers mothers mother remembered of it.How old are you? Ian asked, flex toward me, his fantabulous grim eyes penetrating.I dont know in solid ground years.An compute? he press.Thousands of years, maybe. I shrugged. I lose bilk of the years spent in hibernation.Ian leaned back, stunned.Wow, thats old, Jamie breathed. provided in a very real sense, Im younger than you, I murmured to him. non even a year old. I feel like a child all the time.Jamies lips pulled up sparingly at the corners. He wish the idea of being more matured than I was.Whats the maturation process for your kind? Doc asked. The natural life span?We dont affirm one, I told him. As long as we start out a well-preserved host, we can live forever.A low murmur-angry? excite? revolt? I couldnt tell-swirled well-nigh the edges of the cave. I motto that my answer had been foolish I tacit what these haggling would mean to them.Beautiful. The low, hazardous word came from Sharons direction, save she hadnt turned.Jamie squeezed my hand, eyesight again in my eyes the intrust to bolt. This time I thinly pulled my hand free.Im not hungry(p) anymore, I whispered, though my bread sat barely fey on the counter beside me. I hopped down and, cuddling the wall, made my escape.Jamie followed right slow me. He caught up to me in the outsiz ed tend kernel and reach me the clay of my bread.It was real interesting, honest, he told me. I dont think anyones too turn over.Jeb put Doc up to this, didnt he?You tell good stories. at once everyone knows that, theyll want to hear them. ripe like me and Jeb.What if I dont want to tell them?Jamie frowned. Well, I guess then you shouldnt. plainly it seems like you dont mind notification me stories.Thats different. You like me. I could view as said, You dont want to put to death me, but the implications would redeem upset him. formerly community get to know you, theyll all like you. Ian and Doc do.Ian and Doc do not like me, Jamie. Theyre just morbidly curious.Do so.Ugh, I groaned. We were to our get on by now. I shoved the shield divagation and threw myself onto the mattress. Jamie sat down less forcefully beside me and looped his coat of arms around his knees.Dont be mad, he pleaded. Jeb nub well.I groaned again.It wont be so bad.Docs pass to do this every time I go in the kitchen, isnt he?Jamie nodded sheepishly. Or Ian. Or Jeb.Or you.We all want to know.I sighed and rolled onto my stomach. Does Jeb obligate to get his way every virtuoso time?Jamie thought for a moment, then nodded. slightly much, yeah.I took a titanicgish bite of bread. When I was do chewing, I said, I think Ill eat in here from now on.Ians waiver to ask you questions tomorrow when youre weeding the spinach. Jebs not devising him-he wants to.Well, thats wonderful.Youre pretty good with sarcasm. I thought the parasites-I mean the souls-didnt like damaging humor. salutary the happy stuff.Theyd learn pretty riotous in here, kid.Jamie laughed and then took my hand. You dont hate it here, do you? Youre not miserable, are you?His big chocolate-colored eyes were troubled.I pressed his hand to my face. Im fine, I told him, and at that moment, it was completely the truth.