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moment。 Just long enough to listen*
〃We'd need quite a show of witnesses；〃 Rosalie said harshly； her voice brittle as glass。
Esme nodded in agreement； as if she hadn't heard the sarcasm in Rosalie's tone。 〃We can ask that much
of our friends。 Just to witness。〃
〃We'd do it for them；〃 Emmett said。
〃We'll have to ask them just right；〃 Alice murmured。 I looked to see her eyes were a dark void again。
〃They'll have to be shown very carefully。〃
〃Shown？〃Jasper asked。
Alice and Edward both looked down at Renesmee。 Then Alice's eyes glazed over。
〃Tanya's family；〃 she said。 〃Siobhan's coven。 Amun's。 Some of the nomads—Garrett and Mary for
certain。 Maybe Alistair。〃
〃What about Peter and Charlotte？〃 Jasper asked half fearfully； as if he hoped the answer was no； and his
old brother could be spared from the ing carnage。
〃Maybe。〃
〃The Amazons？〃 Carlisle asked。 〃Kachiri； Zafrina； and Senna？〃
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Alice seemed too deep into her vision to answer at first； finally she shuddered； and her eyes flickered
back to
the present。 She met Carlisle's gaze for the tiniest part of a second； and then looked down。
〃I can't see。〃
〃What was that？〃 Edward asked； his whisper a demand。 〃That part in the jungle。 Are we going to look
for them？〃
〃I can't see；〃 Alice repeated； not meeting his eyes。 A flash of confusion crossed Edward's face。 〃We'll
have to split up and hurry—before the snow sticks to the ground。 We have to round up whomever we
can and get them here to show them。〃 She zoned again。 〃Ask Eleazar。 There is more to this than just an
immortal child。〃
The silence was ominous for another long moment while Alice was in her trance。 She blinked slowly
when it was over； her eyes peculiarly opaque despite the fact that she was clearly in the present。
〃There is so much。 We have to hurry；〃 she whispered。
〃Alice？〃 Edward asked。 〃That was too fast—I didn't understand。 What was—？〃
〃I can't see！〃 she exploded back at him。 〃Jacob's almost here！〃
Rosalie took a step toward the front door。 〃I'll deal with—〃
〃No； let him e；〃 Alice said quickly； her voice straining higher with each word。 She grabbed Jasper's
hand and began pulling him toward the back door。 〃I'll see better away from Nessie； too。 I need to go。 I
need to really concentrate。 I need to see everything I can。 I have to go。 e on； Jasper； there's no time
to waste！〃
We all could hear Jacob on the stairs。 Alice yanked； impatient； on Jasper's hand。 He followed quickly；
confusion in his eyes just like Edward's。 They darted out the door into the silver night。
〃Hurry！〃 she called back to us。 〃You have to find them all！〃
〃Find what？〃 Jacob asked； shutting the front door behind himself。 〃Where'd Alice go？〃
No one answered； we all just stared。
Jacob shook the wet from his hair and pulled his arms through the sleeves of his tshirt； his eyes on
Renesmee。 〃Hey； Bells！ I thought you guys would've gone home by now___〃
He looked up to me finally； blinked； and then stared。 I watched his expression as the room's atmosphere
finally touched him。 He glanced down； eyes wide； at the wet spot on the floor； the scattered roses； the
fragments of crystal。 His fingers quivered。
〃What？〃 he asked flatly。 〃What happened？〃
I couldn't think where to begin。 No one else found the words； either。
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Jacob crossed the room in three long strides and dropped to his knees beside Renesmee and me。 I
could feel the heat shaking off his body as tremors rolled down his arms to his shaking hands。
〃Is she okay？〃 he demanded； touching her forehead； tilting his head as he listened to her heart。 〃Don't
mess with me； Bella； please！〃
〃Nothing's wrong with Renesmee；〃 I choked out； the words breaking in strange places。
〃Then who？〃
〃All of us； Jacob；〃 I whispered。 And it was there in my voice； too—the sound of the inside of a grave。
〃It's over。 We've all been sentenced to die。〃
29。 DEFECTION
We sat there all night long； statues of horror and grief； and Alice never came back。
We were all at our limits—frenzied into absolute stillness。 Carlisle had barely been able to move his lips
to explain it all to Jacob。 The retelling seemed to make it worse； even Emmett stood silent and still from
then on。
It wasn't until the sun rose and I knew that Renesmee would soon be stirring under my hands that I
wondered for the first time what could possibly be taking Alice so long。 I'd hoped to know more before I
was faced with my daughter's curiosity。 To have some answers。 Some tiny； tiny portion of hope so that I
could smile and keep the truth from terrifying her； too。
My face felt permanently set into the fixed mask it had worn all night。 I wasn't sure I had the ability to
smile anymore。
Jacob was snoring in the corner； a mountain of fur on the floor； twitching anxiously in his sleep。 Sam
knew everything—the wolves were readying themselves for what was ing。 Not that this preparation
would do anything but get them killed with the rest of my family。
Thesunlight broke through the back windows； sparkling on Edward's skin。 My eyes had not moved from
his since Alice's departure。 We'd stared at each other all night； staring at what neither of us could live
through losing： the other。 I saw my reflection glimmer in his agonized eyes as the sun touched my own
skin。
His eyebrows moved an infinitesimal bit； then his lips。
〃Alice；〃 he said。
Thesound of hisvoice was like ice cracking as it melted。 All of us fractured a little； softened a little。
Moved again。
〃She's been gone a long time；〃Rosalie murmured； surprised。
〃Where could she be？〃 Emmett wondered； taking a step toward the door。
Esme put a hand on her arm。 〃We don't want to disturb 。。。〃
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〃She's never taken so long before；〃 Edward said。 New worry splintered the mask his face had bee。
His features were alive again； hi