and then Stefan was lying back in her arms, while she said, “Easy, easy.”
Matt stared. Damon was right behind them, almost as if he
belonged there. “I’ll watch the diamond,” he said flatly. “You watch
your girl.”
“Excuse me—I’m sorry, but…could somebody please lift me
out?” And that was Bonnie! Bonnie, sounding plaintive but not afraid or
unhappy. Bonnie giggling! “Have we got all the sacks of star balls?”
“We’ve got all the ones from that house we found.” And that was
Meredith. Thank God. They’d all made it out. But despite his thoughts,
his eyes were drawn again to one figure—the one who seemed to be
supervising things—the one with golden hair.
“We need the star balls because any one of them might be—” she
was beginning, when Bonnie cried out “Oh, look! Look! It’s Mrs.
Flowers and Matt!”
“Now, Bonnie, they’d hardly be waiting for us,” Meredith put in.
“Where? Bonnie, where?” Elena demanded.
“If it’s Shinichi and Misao in disguise I’m going to—hey, Matt!”
“Will someone please tell me where?”
“Right there, Meredith!”
“Oh! Mrs. Flowers! Um…I hope we didn’t wake you.”
“I have never had a happier awakening,” Mrs. Flowers said
solemnly. “I can see what you have been through in the Dark Place.
Your—er—lack of sufficient clothing…”