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en shock. I hit the ground hard. Messed me up pretty

good."

'I bet..." Roz squeezed his hands. 'Well, anyway, they kept me in

hospital for a whole day. When whatever they'd given me wore off, I

looked at my arm but there was nothing to see. Not a mark - or on my

head either."

She smiled. 'Weird, huh?"

'Very..." mused Steve.

'You're not the only one to think that. A couple of guys from the

Black Tower - one of them a woman paid me a visit, asked me a lot of

questions but -' her eyes locked onto Steve's '- there was nothing I

could tell them." She brushed the scar on his left cheek. 'I felt

this too. It happened late at night, didn't it?"

'That's right..."

Roz nodded. 'I was dreaming. I was surrounded by huge leaping flames,

and there were drums beating, the noise was frightening. I woke up

with my mouth full of blood. My face felt as if it was on fire. It

was like having shrieking toothache except the pain was in my cheeks

not my gums. My jaw muscles were clenched and trembling."

'That figures. I had to bite on the arrow to break it."

'I washed my mouth out and took a quick look in the mirror. There was

blood coming out of both sides of my face."

'Did anyone see you?"

'No, fortunately everyone was asleep. The bleeding stopped

half-an-hour later."

'What about your face?"

'You mean next morning? Nothing. Both cheeks were clean. Like it

never happened." She smiled. 'All in the mind, I guess. Except there

was blood all over my pillow. I told my room mates I'd had a

nosebleed."

Steve nodded. 'And you think someone from the Black Tower has been

keeping an eye on you ever since."

'Yes. But I don't mean I'm being followed around night and day. I

mean they've got my number. The high-wires don't like you to be,

welldifferent."

Steve smiled and ran a hand over Roz's hair. 'They'd like it even less

if they knew how different we really are."

'Yes..." Roz took hold of Steve's hand as it rested on her neck and

ran her lips over it. 'For a while I thought they were going to throw

me off the course. I really spooked the rest of the class. Kirk

Kirkorian - still hasn't got over it. I can tell by the way he looks

at me."

'Did you, uh - tell anyone you knew I was alive?"

'You mean Annie - or d'you mean Chisum?"

Steve shrugged. 'He says he's heard a lot about me."

'That's right,' said Roz. 'Your little sister is very proud of you.

But I've never told him about us. Only you and me know about us." She

bit the edge of his hand playfully. Their eyes met. 'D'you remember

how it was?"

'Sometimes, yes. Other times I try to forget."

'I'm not going to let you."

'Roz, I told you - right after Graduation - people change. Even you

aren't the same person you were when I left."

Roz shrugged. 'In some ways perhaps. But not deep down. We'll always

be part of one another. We belong together. I've known it since the

moment Annie brought me back from the Life Institute."

Steve laughed, remembering. 'Aww, c'mon - you couldn't see straight

you cross-eyed little runt!" 'And what about you? Even at two and a

half you were already a pompous little fart, marching off to primary

training with your nose in the air ' 'How could .you remember that?"

'I remember everything!" exclaimed Roz. 'And what I remember most is

you running around going "bzzbzzbzz" with that stupid little model

plane ' 'It was more fun than having to play with you, worm!" 'Well, I

hated it!" exclaimed Roz. She threw a punch at Steve's shoulder. He

blocked her fist and caught hold of her left wrist as she tried to get

through his guard. They rolled around on the couch, wrestling

playfully. Roz was strong, with quick reflexes, but she was no match

for Steve. They tumbled off the soft cushions and landed with Steve

pinning her to the floor. Roz gave up the unequal struggle. Steve