Part 6 (2/2)
Astrid pursed her lips like she didn't, but her curiosity got the better of her. ”Hunter, has anything bitten you?”
”Yes. Fleas bite me. And ticks.”
”How about a wasp?” Astrid asked.
”No,” Hunter said.
”Why a wasp?” Edilio asked Astrid.
Astrid shrugged. ”I'm just trying to get information.” She was lying, Lana thought. That scary smart brain of hers was already onto something. Something she didn't want to talk about in front of Hunter.
”Anything else strange happen?” Edilio asked.
”Just the greenie,” Hunter said.
”The what?” Edilio asked.
”They're no good for hunting. I caught one and cooked it but it shriveled all up and there wasn't any meat on it.”
”What's a greenie?” Albert demanded.
Hunter frowned, looking for a way to describe it. ”It flies. It's like a snake that flies.”
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 gnas.h.i.+ng 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.
”There's a type of wasp,” Astrid said. ”That's why I asked him about wasps. It lays its eggs inside a caterpillar. The eggs hatch. The larvae then eat the living caterpillar from the inside out.”
Lana felt sick herself. She had long since learned to protect herself by affecting a certain indifference to the pains and wounds she healed. But this was awful beyond anything she had ever seen. And she had been powerless to help.
”Everyone keep this quiet till we figure out what it is,” Edilio said. ”No one talk to Taylor, that girl can't keep quiet for ...” He trailed off, noticing a stony glare from Astrid. ”Council meeting tonight,” he finished lamely.
Lana called to Patrick, who was sniffing around in the weeds beside the road, and headed toward home.
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