“Oh, Heavenly Father, we thank you for the Power of your—”
“Wait a minute, wait a minute,” said Coup, and looked around. “There’s only twenty-five of us. There were twenty-six previously.”
Everyone looked at the people next to themselves, as well as across from them.
“You know he’s right,” said Lou, and took off his yellow glasses. “There were—”
“Jesus, it’s Hodge,” said Bennet, and looked at Archie. “He’s gone.”
They all looked out at the herd—at the virtual onslaught of velociraptors.
“There’s nothing we can do for him,” said Alexa abruptly, clinically. “Nothing, that is, except for what we’re already doing.”
And then she held out her hands and Preston and Miguel took them; and once again the circumference—the circuit—was closed.
And they prayed.
––––––––
He’d been right, of c
