Part 56 (2/2)
”Yeah, but she's still implicating David. I wouldn't think he'd put up with that,” Jenny said.
”If he killed her, then maybe he thinks that would make people a.s.sume Sheila was right,” Joey said. ”He can't afford to have the townspeople suspect that he's a bad guy. But if he brushes Sheila off as a nut, then no one will ever believe her.”
”Except us,” Annja said.
”Exactly,” Jenny said.
Joey led them down a slope that looked mostly overgrown. He picked his way down the trail as if he'd walked it a thousand times. He probably has, Annja thought.
”This isn't one of the trails used by hikers, is it?” she said.
Joey shook his head. ”Nope. This is used by some of the larger animals in the area. It's not really a trail, just a large run of sorts.”
”It leads toward town?”
”In the general direction.” He glanced back over his shoulder. ”I haven't led you guys wrong yet, have I?”
”Not yet,” Annja said. ”Just don't start, okay?”
”Sure.”
Jenny walked along next to Annja. ”Is this going to be good for you?”
”What?”
”The walking? You should be resting. That explosion really took a toll on you.”
Annja smiled and called out to Joey. ”Hey, Joey?”
”Yeah?”
”You feel like carrying me all the way back to town on your shoulders?”
He laughed. ”h.e.l.l, no.”
Annja looked at Jenny. ”That's me walking, then.” ”Everything we've been through could be doing physical damage to you,” Jenny said.
Annja nodded. ”You're not telling me anything I haven't thought of, Jenny. I appreciate it, but I don't have a choice right now. We need to get back to town and find Sheila. We can't sit around and wait for my batteries to recharge.”
”So tell me what happens. Have you ever not been able to summon the sword?”
”Well, yeah, a few times. It seems not to operate in certain environments like small rooms and stuff. But I've also found it gives me a lot of strength, agility, reflexes, that kind of thing.”
”So, like anything else, this...power, if you want to call it that, isn't limitless. There have got to be some parameters for usage. Even if you haven't discovered them all yet.”
Annja sighed. ”That's about right. I learn as I go.”
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