Her smile stills, and her eyes flick to the woods; to the shadows that have drawn near again.

"Careful," she says. "Be careful in the woods. Never lie--but watch what you give away. They'll take whatever you're willing to give away. Your name, your face... your heart."

The good humor has drained out of her; the fire feels colder now, for her. She touches the cards. The World. "The world is a ball and we are the foundation." The Sun. "We are the shelter of the poor."



"Do you understand?"