,,*APT] ,,XXIV

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  ,I _H N CLOS$ MY EYES ! NI<T 2F ON !
,TW5TIE? ,C5TURY1 & :AT ( T &( MY
EXHAUS;N ,I SLEPT S.DLY4 ,:5 ,I F/
AWOKE1 X 0 NI<T4 ,G>?WAITE _H N RETURN$4
,I _H LO/ MY WAT* & _H NO IDEA (! "T4 ,Z
,I LAY ) MY EYES CLOS$1 ,I HE>D ! SAME
DULL S.D ( 4TANT EXPLO.NS4 ,! 9F]NO 0 /
RAG+4 ,I CREPT "? ! /ORE 6! FRONT4 ,!
REFLEC;N F ! SKY ( VA/ 3FLAGR,NS MADE !
/REET ALM Z LI<T Z "D4 ,"O CD H R1D !
F9E/ PR9T ) EASE4 ,F S"EAL BLOCKS AWAY
CAME ! CRACKLE ( SMALL H&-BOMBS &! *URN+
( MA*9E-GUNS1 & F A L;G WAY (F CAME A
L;G S]IES ( H1VY EXPLO.NS4 ,I CREPT BACK
6MY HORSE BLANKETS & SLEPT AG4
  ,:5 NEXT ,I AWOKE1 A SICKLY YELL[ LI<T
0 FILT]+ 9 ON ME4 ,X 0 DAWN (! SECOND
"D4 ,I CREPT 6! FRONT (! /ORE4 ,A SMOKE
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,D[N ! OPPOSITE SIDE (! /REET TOTT]$ A
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APPREH5.N & DR1D4 ,ONCE HE LOOK$ /RAI<T
ACR AT ME1 & 9 8 FACE 0 ALL ! DUMB PA?OS
(! W.D$ & HUNT$ ANIMAL4 ,HE SAW ME1 B "!
0 NO K9%IP 2T U1 &) HM1 AT L1/1 NO
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HELOTS T ! MA/]S 7 MAK+4 ,ALL HE CD HOPE
=1 ALL HE S"\1 0 "S HOLE 6CRAWL AWAY 9 &
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HE ?REW HMF 96A DOORWAY4 ,A M9UTE LAT]
HE 0 \ AG & DESP]ATELY HO2L+ ON4
  ,I W5T BACK 6MY HORSE BLANKETS & WAIT$
AN H\R = ,G>?WAITE4 ,MY H1DA*E _H N G"O
AWAY4 ,ON ! 3TR>Y1 X 0 9CR1S+4 ,X 0 0AN
EF=T ( W ONLY T ,I 0 A# 6OP5 MY EYES &
LOOK AT OBJECTS4 ,&)! OP5+ ( MY EYES &!
LOOK+ CAME 9TOL]A# TOR;T4 ,AL1 A GRT
PULSE 0 B1T+ 9 MY BRA94 ,W1K & REEL+1 ,I
W5T \ "? ! BROK5 W9D[ & D[N ! /REET1
SEEK+ 6ESCAPE1 9/9CTIVELY & GROP+LY1 F !
AW;L %AM#S4 ,& "!AF ,I LIV$ NI<TM>E4 ,MY
MEMORY ( :AT HAPP5$ 9 ! SU3E$+ H\RS IS !
MEMORY "O WD H ( NI<TM>E4 ,_M EV5TS >E
FOCUSS$ %>PLY ON MY BRA91 B 2T ^! 9DELI#
PICTURES ,I RETA9 >E 9T]VALS (
UNCONSCI\S;S4 ,:AT O3URR$ 9 ^? 9T]VALS
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LEGS (A MAN4 ,X 0 ! POOR HUNT$ WRET* T
_H DRA7$ HMF PA/ MY HID+-PLACE4 ,H[
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7 M HO( & CLAW ?AN H&S1 ALL TWI/$ &
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Z ,I PICK$ MYF UP & />T$ ON1 ,I LOOK$
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EYES1 DIMLY 9TELLIG5T1 7 LOOK+ AT ME &
SEE+ ME4
  ,AF T CAME A K9DLY BLANK4 ,I KNEW
NO?+1 SAW NO?+1 M]ELY TOTT]$ ON 9 MY
QUE/ = SAFETY4 ,MY NEXT NI<TM>E VI.N 0 A
QUIET /REET (! D1D4 ,I CAME ^U X
ABRUPTLY1 Z A W&]] 9 ! C.TRY WD -E ^U A
FL[+ /R1M4 ,ONLY ? /R1M ,I GAZ$ ^U DID N
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OR M.D ( BODIES 6BR1K ! SURFACE4 ,POOR
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PREP>$ 5CLOSURE1 ": !Y 7 CLU2$ 6D1? 0M5
& BOYS4
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HID+ 9 "S %OP 6ESCAPE A /REET MOB T 0
PURSU$ 0SOLDI]S4 ,AL1 A BOMB BUR/ NE>
ME1 ONCE1 9 "S / /REET1 ":1 LOOK Z ,I
WD1 UP & D[N1 ,I CD SEE NO HUMAN 2+4 ,B
MY NEXT %>P RECOLLEC;N 2G9S )! CRACK (A
RIFLE & AN ABRUPT 2COM+ AW>E T ,I AM 2+
FIR$ AT 0A SOLDI] 9 AN AUTOMOBILE4 ,!
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MO;N+ ! SIGNALS4 ,MY MEMORY ( RID+ 9 !
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TURN1 IS BROK5 0"O VIVID PICTURE4 ,!
CRACK (! RIFLE (! SOLDI] SITT+ 2S ME
MADE ME OP5 MY EYES1 & ,I SAW ,GEORGE
,MIL=D1 :OM ,I _H "KN 9 ! ,PELL ,/REET
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HE SANK ! SOLDI] FIR$ AG1 & ,MIL=D D\#D
IN1 !N FLUNG 8 BODY \1 & FELL SPRAWL+4
,! SOLDI] *UCKL$1 &! AUTOMOBILE SP$ ON4
  ,! NEXT ,I KNEW AF T ,I 0 AWAK5$ \ (A
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BOMBS4 ,I 0 9 "S BUILD+ T 0 LOCK$ 9 -BAT
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F 8 "W L;G 5 6GIVE ME A P[];L DRUG T WD
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AG1 &! NEXT ,I KNEW ,I 0 ON TOP (!
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WAT*+ ! BALLOON ATTACK ON ! =TRESSES4
,"S "O _H AN >M >.D ME & ,I 0 L1N+ CLOSE
AG/ HM4 ,X CAME 6ME Q Z A MATT] ( C\RSE
T ? 0 ,]NE/1 & ,I F.D MYF WOND]+ H[ HE
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T T]RI# C;Y4 ,HE _H _H NO IDEA T ,I _H
LEFT ,NEW ,YORK1 &1 -+ "? ! ROOM ": ,I
LAY ASLEEP1 CD N AT F/ 2LIEVE T X 0 ,I4
,LL M ,I SAW (! ,*ICAGO ,-MUNE4 ,AF
WAT*+ ! BALLOON ATTACK1 ,]NE/ TOOK ME
D[N 96! HE>T (! BUILD+1 ": ,I SLEPT !
AFN \ &! NI<T4 ,! ?IRD "D WE SP5T 9 !
BUILD+1 & ON ! F\R?1 ,]NE/ HAV+ GOT
P]MIS.N & AN AUTOMOBILE F ! AU?ORITIES1
WE LEFT ,*ICAGO4
  ,MY H1DA*E 0 G"O1 B1 BODY & S\L1 ,I 0
V TIR$4 ,I LAY BACK AG/ ,]NE/ 9 !
AUTOMOBILE1 &) APA!TIC EYES WAT*$ !
SOLDI]S TRY+ 6GET ! MA*9E \ (! C;Y4
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POSSES.N (! -RADES1 B S* 4TRICTS 7
SURR.D$ & GU>D$ 0H1VY BODIES ( TROOPS4
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?US HELD :ILE ! "W ( SUBJUGAT+ !M W5T
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  99 ,NUMB]S (! BUILD+S HELD \ OV] A
WEEK1 :ILE "O HELD \ ELEV5 "DS4 ,EA*
BUILD+ _H 6BE /ORM$ L A =T1 &! ,M]C5>IES
F"\ _! WAY UPW>D FLOOR 0FLOOR4 ,X 0
D1DLY FI<T+4 ,QU>T] 0 NEI GIV5 NOR TAK51
& 9 ! FI<T+ ! REVOLU;NI/S _H ! ADVANTAGE
( 2+ ABV4 ,:ILE ! REVOLU;NI/S 7 WIP$ \1
! LOSS 0 N "O-SID$4 ,! PR\D ,*ICAGO
PROLET>IAT LIV$ UP 6XS ANCI5T BOA/4 ,= Z
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GU>DS TURN$ U BACK & S5T U >.D4 ,ONCE1 !
ONLY WAY PA/ TWO /R;G POSI;NS (! -RADES
0 "? A BURNT SEC;N T LAY 2T4 ,F EI SIDE
WE CD HE> ! RATTLE & RO> ( W>1 :ILE !
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TOTT]+ WALLS4 ,(T5 ! /REETS 7 BLOCK$
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SOLDI] *AU6EUR TOLD U1 OR :AT _H BE5 !
T[N ( ,PULLMAN1 = X 0 UTT]LY DE/ROY$4
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HAPP5$4 ,Z ! MOB *>G$ PA/ ! CORN]1 X _H
BE5 SWEPT1 AT "R ANGLES & PO9T-BLANK
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/REET4 ,B 4A/] _H -E 6! SOLDI]S4 ,A *.E
BOMB M/ H EXPLOD$ AM;G !M1 =! MOB1 *ECK$
UNTIL XS D1D & DY+ =M$ ! WAVE1 _H
:ITE-CAPP$ & FLUNG =W>D XS FOAM ( LIV+1
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AUTOMOBILES & GUNS4
  ,]NE/ SPRANG \4 ,A FAMILI> PAIR (
%\LD]S 9 A COTTON %IRT &A FAMILI> FR+E (
:ITE HAIR _H CAU<T 8 EYE4 ,I DID N WAT*
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SPE$+ ON T HE SD3
  8,X 0 ,BI%OP ,MOREH\SE40
  ,SOON WE 7 9 ! GRE5 C.TRY1 & ,I TOOK
"O LA/ GL.E BACK AT ! SMOKE-FILL$ SKY4
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,!N ,I TURN$ MY FACE AG/ ,]NE/'S BR1/ &
WEPT S(TLY =! ,CAUSE T 0 LO/4 ,]NE/'S >M
AB ME 0 ELOQU5T ) LOVE4
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="E4 ,WE H LE>N$4 ,TM ! ,CAUSE W RISE
AG1 /R;G ) WISDOM & 4CIPL9E40
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PA/1 B.D WE/ 6,*ICAGO4 ,!Y 7 CR[D$ )
RA7$1 UNSKILL$ LABOR]S1 P (! ABYSS4
  8,SLAVE-LEVIES =! REBUILD+ ( ,*ICAGO10
,]NE/ SD4 8,Y SEE1 ! ,*ICAGO SLAVES >E
ALL KILL$40