Dancing Tides (104 page)

B
y
the
time
it
wa
s Co
r
d
’
s tu
r
n, he
fe
lt a
lot b
e
tt
e
r
a
bout his situ
a
tion.

“U
m.”
Cord
s
cra
t
c
h
e
d his
c
hin.
“
I
g
u
e
ss
I
w
o
n
’
t
g
o
i
nto
m
y
histo
r
y
b
e
c
a
use
most of
y
ou
a
l
rea
d
y
know
it.
I
h
a
ve
to
s
a
y
this
f
a
st.
I
’
ve
re
c
e
ntly
dis
c
ov
e
re
d
I
’
m a
di
f
f
e
r
e
nt p
er
son
w
h
e
n
I d
r
ink.
I
t
s
ee
ms
I
’
v
e
b
ee
n
using
w
hisk
e
y
f
o
r
the
p
a
s
t
y
e
a
r
a
nd
a
h
a
lf
a
s a
c
r
ut
c
h.
F
r
id
a
y
ni
g
ht
I
g
ot d
r
unk
a
t M
c
C
r
e
a
d
y
’
s.
I
s
t
ar
t
e
d
f
e
e
ling
s
o
r
r
y
f
or
m
y
s
e
l
f
.
B
i
g
tim
e
.
I
w
a
s missing
C
a
ssi
e
. R
ea
l b
a
d.
I
wa
s in p
a
in.
A
ll
I
wa
nt
e
d to do
a
t the
time
wa
s m
a
ke
it
g
o
a
w
a
y
.
I
d
ec
id
e
d to
e
nd it the on
l
y
w
a
y I
kn
e
w
h
o
w
—
w
ith a
g
un.
I
t
wa
sn
’
t the
f
i
r
st tim
e
.
I
t
r
i
e
d
b
ac
k in
J
a
nu
a
r
y
, too.
T
he
g
un j
a
mm
e
d.
T
h
a
t
’
s
w
h
y
F
r
i
d
a
y
n
i
g
ht
I
g
ot t
h
is id
e
a
t
h
a
t if
I
just
wa
lk
e
d out into the
wa
t
er
, l
e
t it t
a
ke me
und
er
,
I
’
d
be
g
on
e
.
E
nd of
p
a
in.
E
nd of
m
e
.
But…”

Cord took the time to
s
wa
llo
w
h
ar
d, n
e
r
v
ous
l
y
ra
n
a
h
a
nd th
r
o
u
g
h
his h
a
ir
a
nd shi
f
t
e
d his
f
e
e
t.

“
I
h
a
ve
a
p
r
obl
e
m.
I
kn
o
w
th
a
t no
w
.
I
don
’
t
wa
nt
to di
e
.
I
n
fac
t, it
’
s
r
e
m
ar
k
a
ble
w
h
a
t
c
a
n
c
h
a
n
g
e
in t
w
o sho
r
t d
a
y
s.
I
m
e
t som
e
o
n
e
I
lik
e
…a
lot. Sh
e’
s in
cre
dibl
e
.”
H
e
look
e
d
a
t the
f
ive p
a
i
r
s of
e
y
e
s s
t
ar
i
n
g
b
ac
k
a
t him.
“
I
g
u
e
ss th
a
t
’
s it.”

P
e
te
A
ld
e
n stood up, shook Co
r
d
’
s h
a
nd.
“
Son, th
a
t
’
s a
mi
g
h
t
y
f
i
n
e
f
i
r
st st
e
p.
A
s
y
our sponso
r
,
y
ou
ca
ll me
a
n
ytime
y
ou
’
r
e
h
a
vi
n
g
a
p
r
o
bl
e
m,
a
n
ytime
y
ou
n
ee
d
to t
a
lk.”

W
ith his h
a
nd st
i
ll
g
ra
sp
i
ng
Co
r
d
’
s, P
e
te
l
ea
n
e
d in
a
nd
w
hisp
ere
d,
“
B
ut
y
ou
hu
r
t
Ke
e
g
a
n
F
a
nni
n
g
in
a
n
y
w
a
y
—
’
ca
use
I
know
th
a
t
’
s the
s
o
m
e
one
y
ou
’
r
e
t
a
lking
a
b
out
—
I
’
ll p
e
r
son
a
l
l
y st
r
ing
y
ou up
b
y
y
our
b
a
lls
r
i
g
ht on M
a
in St
ree
t
f
o
r
the
w
hole
to
w
n to s
ee
.
Y
ou und
er
st
a
nd
?
”

Co
r
d look
e
d do
w
n
a
t the
old
e
r
m
a
n he
h
a
d
b
y
a
g
o
od six
in
c
h
e
s in h
e
i
g
ht
a
nd s
a
id,
“U
h,
y
e
s,
y
e
s
I
do.”