Knowing full well she won’t get an answer she understands, she asks, “What has you feverish?”They stop instantaneously in midair. The only movem...nt is that of their beating wings. Time seems to stand still. Except for those tiny beating wings, Mercy doesn’t hear anything else. She can’t recall any of the jungle sounds she woke, but of course she wasn’t really paying any attention either.“Um, is it something I said?” she asks cautiously.The little flying creatures shrill, causing the young woman. "You should just come home," Nick said."I can't. The airport's closed." That was a lie, which I suspected might just be true, or would be true shortly, with snow coming down in buckets. "We're still good for Wednesday night, though, right?" Of course. Unless you get snowed in."I cringed at the thought. Snowed in for three days? In Charleston? Please!"Problem is," he said doubtfully. "The forecast has deteriorated here too. They're saying we could get upward of a foot of snow tomorrow. And more. “No, Toby. Your exams were a one and only chance for you to do what you want to do. I could bottle things up for a few more days”.“Allie ... Oh, my precious, little, selfless Allie! How I love you! Brave as well as selfless! Oh, Allie, you are very, very special!”Allie managed no more than a sob. She was not sure whether it was still one of her unhappiness or of the joy at Toby’s praise and love.“Not another five days, Allie. Dad’s picking me up tomorrow morning. We should be home early. ..?" Tanya prompted, taking a sip of hernewly arrived tea."Dixon, Edward Dixon," he offered over his own cup."Mr. Dixon. My name is Tanya, and I understand the pain you are goingthrough," she continued, deciding to attempt her usual pitch. "I may seemyoung, but the war affects us all, even away from the front lines." Shelowered her voice carefully, so that it did not carry. "In my own grief, Iexplored some dark arts, but the truths I discovered in mysticism areunyielding. The dead cannot come.