<meta name="LineWrap" content="true"><TITLE>SR_Bk1 0097</TITLE><A HREF="SR_Bk1-0098.txt">Next (Page 98)</A><BR> <P><P>"We can't fight it," Am said.<P><P>Emily turned to Dolthethmen.<P><P>"What should we do?"<P><P>"I don't know," Dolthethmen said, thinking of rushing forward to help his friends, but hesitating. "Hasnafter! What's wrong? Who is it that's trying to get rid of you?"<P><P>"It's no use, Dole," Hasnafter said, a horrible expression of despair on his face. "We have no place in this strange, exciting new world."<P><P>"I don't know about you," Ledrant Hate said to the group, "but I think we should just let them go. Just look around--everyone else has disappeared--these two may have just had a little extra time. And everyone's existence may hinge upon us finding Injure and finding a way to set things right."<P><P>Emily stared at Hate, incredulous.<P><P>"We can't just let them disappear!"<P><P>"Wait a minute," Dolthethmen said, holding up his hand. "Am--Ambivale--listen to me! Who is it? Who is trying to get rid of you?"<P><P>Am looked up at Dolthethmen with the look of a child pouting after a temper tantrum, and with a distant and apathetic voice, she said "Someone."<P><P>Am and Hasnafter were silent and dazed now, more than half sunk into the brick wall. Emily looked around at the others.<P><P>"Why doesn't someone try and pull them out?" she yelled.<P><P>Hate looked at the girl, and in an accusing tone, said "Why don't you?"<P><P>Emily paused, jumped once in frustration and said, "Because, I don't want to get sucked in too!"<P><P>"Exactly," Ferrajalt said, with a slight snicker and smile.<P><P>"Just look everybody," Dolthethmen said. "They say that someone is trying to get rid of them. We have to find out who that is!"<P><P>"Maybe it's Daptin Gone," Ferrajalt said, looking over at Hate.<P><P>"I have no idea," Hate said. "But look around, people. Please. We're in a real bad situation here. Any moment could be our last. I know they're your friends and not ours--but we need to get going if we have any chance of solving this crisis."<P><P>"Who is this 'Daptengon'?" Dolthethmen asked.<P><P>"An old associate of ours who may be involved in this," Hate said. "But we can talk about this on the way back up to Derolbam."<P><P>Dolthethmen sighed.<P><P>"Fine. Let's get going," he said.<P><P>Emily looked at Dolthethmen, then back at the hapless two, now more in the wall than not.<P><P>"No!" Emily yelled. "We can't just leave them. There has to be something we can do! It has to be something like a test! Maybe whoever's doing it is testing our love for our friends!"<P><P>There was a pregnant pause as the three not-in-the wall fellows looked at Emily.<P><P>After a few more moments, Emily said, in a terse and inquiring manner, "What?" while flipping her hands up.<P><P>"Do you really love your friends there?" Ferrajalt asked.<P><P>"Huh?" Emily said, looking over at Am and Hasnafter, sinking quicker and quicker. "Well, yeah. I do. I mean, I guess I..."<P><P>"That's it," Dolthethmen said. "It is a test and we fail. I don't have any love for either of those two. Hasnafter is annoying and Am is a freak. I don't give a crap about them. Let them fucking go!"<P><P>Emily stood there, looking back and forth, tears beginning to form in her eyes. And almost immediately, Ambivale and Hasnafter were gone.<P><P>Ledrant Hate waited until he felt it was right to speak. "I know it's a shock to lose your friends, but like I said--look around you. Reality is shot. And just think of all the other people you've probably lost."<P><P>"You said you guys had cars," Ferrajalt said. "If they're still here, we really have to get going to Derolbam."<P><P>"Okay, let's go," Dolthethmen said, turning and starting down the street. "They're at the parking lot down here."<P><P>Emily, openly crying now, followed along as the group began down the cold, scarily-lit street. Soon they came to the parking lot, and found that most of the cars were upside-down.<P><P>"Uh," Ferrajalt said. "Upside-down cars.<BR><A HREF="SR_Bk1-0098.txt">Next (Page 98)</A>