No one had reported seeing them in years, and he couldn't even remember their names, so we decided I should stick with my own. I could claim to be run...ing away from home, heading to Redcliffe, and that would explain my presence in Lothering. I fixed the details in my mind, and then Tomas escorted me to within a couple of miles of town.Nervous, I headed toward Lothering alone. After a few minutes I came around a bend on the Imperial Highway and stopped, startled. There were no bandits on the. I knew whatever was happening was bigger than anyone had discussed yet, mostly because I could feel something happening. The biggest tip-offs were my planning and concerns. I had always been aware of my own intellect, but ideas, thoughts and understandings were coming much faster than I had ever experienced before. I could literally feel the difference in my mental abilities, and it was scaring me a little. There was no good reason I could imagine for getting suddenly smarter overnight. But. "His mother picked up another carrot and scraped it into the pan where she collected scraps for the rabbits. 'Did he?" She made a noise in her throat that Seth knew meant she was not pleased about something. "I saw that he used the privy. Didn't look like he was wearing much of a uniform to me. What were you two talking about all that time?" Nothing much, Momma. He wanted some oats or some such for his horse; he calls his horse 'Mac," but I don't think it means McClellan." The boy licked his. I had gotten into the habit of calling once or twice a week to check up on him. Abby told me that the experimental drug seemed be helping a bit and he told her that he had more good days than bad ones. She was worried because he wasn't putting on the weight that he had lost with the chemo.After football practice I jogged home with my knapsack slung over my arm. As I walked into the apartment I smelled some good cooking. Peggy was in the kitchen and yelled to me to stay out of the kitchen. I.