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Howard said, “Oh, good, I was worried we didn’t have enough weirdness to deal with. Flying snakes. That’s excellent.”
“They squirt,” Hunter said helpfully. Then his eyes widened. “It squirted me once. Right here.” He pointed to his shoulder. To the slowly gnashing insect mouth.
“Does anyone have anything sharp?” Astrid asked.
Three knives flashed out.
“I was kind of thinking of a pin,” Astrid said. But she took a knife from Howard. “Don’t worry, Hunter,” she said. She poked very gently with the point of the knife just beside the largest mouth. “Did you feel that?”
Hunter shook his head.
Astrid poked again, farther from the first spot. And again on Hunter’s upper arm.
“I guess I don’t feel stuff much.” Hunter seemed baffled.
“Something’s anesthetizing him,” Astrid said. A spasm, a look of nausea, quickly suppressed, twisted her lips.
“It doesn’t hurt,” Hunter said.
“You can get dressed,” Edilio said kindly. “Thanks for showing us.”
Hunter obediently pulled his clothes back on.
“Back to work, huh, Hunter?” Edilio said with a wretched, forced smile.
Hunter nodded. “Yes. I have to get Albert some meat or he gets mad.”
“No I don’t,” Albert protested weakly.
Hunter started to walk away. Albert called after him. “Where did you see this flying snake of yours?”
Hunter, eager to answer Albert’s question, smiled because he knew the answer. “They’re all over on the morning side.”
“The what?”
“That’s what I call it. On the other side of the hills. There’s a cave. By the road.”
“The road to Lake Evian . . . the lake where we get water?” Albert asked in a quiet voice.
Hunter nodded. “Yes. By the dirt road that goes there.”
“Thanks,” Edilio said, dismissing Hunter, who looked relieved and walked quickly away without looking back. Edilio turned to Astrid. “Okay, Astrid. What are you thinking?”
“I think the reason Lana couldn’t heal him is that it’s not a disease.”
“It sure looks like a disease,” Howard said. “Like a disease I don’t want to get.”
“It’s a parasite,” Astrid said.
“Like when a dog gets worms?” Edilio asked.
“Yes.”
“But they’re coming out through his skin,” Edilio said.
Astrid nodded. “He should be in excruciating pain. They’re probably secreting something that deadens the pain.”
“What’s going to happen to him?” Dekka asked.
