........,« «,........
........., ,.........
........,« «,........
.......,«^ ^«,.......
......,«^† †^«,......
.....,«^†$ . . . $†^«,.....
....,«^†$& . . . . . . &$†^«,....
...,«^†$&# , , , , , , , , #&$†^«,...
..,«^†$&## « « « « « « « « « « « ##&$†^«,..
.,«^†$&### ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ###&$†^«,.
..,«^†$&## ##&$†^«,..
...,«^†$&# JUST OFF THE COAST TO THE BALTIC SEA #&$†^«,...
....,«^†$& THERE'S A FRESHWATER POND, SECLUDED &$†^«,....
.....,«^†$ AMONG ASHEN AND JUNIPER. A CLEFT IN THE $†^«,.....
......,«^† LIMESTONE BEDROCK, SHARP-CUT FROM THE †^«,......
.......,«^ SURROUNDING PLAINS, A NINETY DEGREE ^«,.......
........,« DROP DOWN, DOWN, TO THE MIDNIGHT-BLACK «,........
........., WATER. ,.........
........,« «,........
.......,«^ ««««††††††††«««« ^«,.......
......,«^† ««†† ††«« †^«,......
.....,«^†$ «««««†† FAIRIES LIVE HERE. ††««««« $†^«,.....
....,«^†$& ««†† ††«« &$†^«,....
...,«^†$&# ««««††††††††«««« #&$†^«,...
..,«^†$&## ##&$†^«,..
.,«^†$&### THEY SPEAK TO THE SLOANE, CARESS IT, ###&$†^«,.
..,«^†$&## URGE IT TO GROW THICKER, TANGLED, WITH ##&$†^«,..
...,«^†$&# LONGER AND SHARPER THORNS. THEY TELL IT #&$†^«,...
....,«^†$& TO STAY JUST BELOW THE GRASS, SO THAT &$†^«,....
.....,«^†$ THE ANIMALS WHAT COME TO DRINK THE $†^«,.....
......,«^† WATER CANNOT SEE IT BEFORE IT DRAWS †^«,......
.......,«^ THEIR BLOOD. CLOSER TO THE POND, THE ^«,.......
........,« SLOANE CAN GROW TALLER, BEING ABLE TO «,........
........., HIDE ALSO IN THE JUNIPER. ,.........
........,« «,........
.......,«^ THE FAIRIES WILL BECKON THE ANIMALS TO ^«,.......
......,«^† PUSH FORWARD, TELL THEM THAT THEY'RE †^«,......
.....,«^†$ ALMOST AT THE WATER, THAT THEY MAY $†^«,.....
....,«^†$& DRINK SOON. AND THEY WILL TUG ON THE &$†^«,....
...,«^†$&# SLOANE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE THORNS CUT #&$†^«,...
..,«^†$&## DEEP. WHEN THEY FINALLY FIND THE PATH ##&$†^«,..
.,«^†$&### DOWN BETWEEN THE ROCKS, AWAY FROM THE ###&$†^«,.
..,«^†$&## BUSHWORK AND INTO THE CLEFT, THEY ARE ##&$†^«,..
...,«^†$&# BLEEDING FROM A THOUSAND WOUNDS. AS #&$†^«,...
....,«^†$& THEY DRINK FROM THE DARK WATER, IT IS &$†^«,....
.....,«^†$ IN TURN DRINKING THE ANIMALS BLOOD. $†^«,.....
......,«^† †^«,......
.......,«^ THE CIRCLE IS COMPLETE, THE CONTRACT ^«,.......
........,« CARRIED OUT; THE ANIMAL IS ABANDONED TO «,........
........., FIND ITS OWN WAY BACK. THE BUSHES ROOTS ,.........
........,« DRINK THE NUTRUTIOUS WATER. THE FAIRIES «,........
.......,«^ DANCE IN THE SUNBEAMS. ^«,.......
......,«^† †^«,......
.....,«^†$ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ $†^«,.....
....,«^†$& « « « « « « « « « « « &$†^«,....
...,«^†$&# , , , , , , , , #&$†^«,...
..,«^†$&## . . . . . . ##&$†^«,..
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...,«^†$&# #&$†^«,...
....,«^†$& &$†^«,....
.....,«^†$ $†^«,.....
......,«^† †^«,......