thinline。
〃You don't know her；〃 Edward said。
〃Do you？〃 Sam asked bluntly。
Carlisle put a hand on Edward's shoulder。 〃We have much to do； son。 Whatever Alice's decision； we
would be foolish not to follow her advice now。 Let's go home and get to work。〃
Edward nodded； his face still rigid with pain。 Behind me； I could hear Esme's quiet； tearless sobs。
I didn't know how to cry in this body； I couldn't do anything but stare。 There was no feeling yet。
Everything seemed unreal； like I was dreaming again after all these months。 Having a nightmare。
〃Thank you； Sam；〃 Carlisle said。
〃I'm sorry；〃 Sam answered。 〃We shouldn't have let her through。〃
〃You did the right thing；〃 Carlisle told him。 〃Alice is free to do what she will。 I wouldn't deny her that
liberty。〃
I'd always thought of the Cullens as a whole； an indivisible unit。 Suddenly； I remembered that it had not
always been so。 Carlisle had created Edward； Esme； Rosalie and Emmett； Edward had created me。 We
were physically linked by blood and venom。 I never thought of Alice and Jasper as separate—as
adopted into the family。 But in truth； Alice had adopted the Cullens。 She had shown up with her
unconnected past； bringing Jasper with his； and fit herself into the family that was already there。 Both she
and Jasper had known another life outside the Cullen family。 Had she really chosen to lead another new
life after she'd seen that life with the Cullens was over？
We were doomed； then； weren't we？ There was no hope at all。 Not one ray； one flicker that might have
convinced Alice she had a chance at our side。
The bright morning air seemed thicker suddenly； blacker； as if physically darkened by my despair。
〃I'mnot going down without a fight；〃 Emmett snarled low under his breath。 〃Alice told us what to do。
Let's get it done。〃
The others nodded with determined expressions； and I realized that they were banking on whatever
chance Alice had given us。 That they were not going to give in to hopelessness and wait to die。
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Yes； we all would fight。 What else was there？ And apparently we would involve others； because Alice
had said so before she'd left us。 How could we not follow Alice's last warning？ The wolves； too； would
fight with us for Renesmee。
We would fight； they would fight； and we all would die。
I didn't feel the same resolve the others seemed to feel。 Alice knew the odds。 She was giving us the only
chance she could see； but the chance was too slim for her to bet on it。
I felt already beaten as I turned my back on Sam's critical face and followed Carlisle toward home。
We ran automatically now； not the same panicked hurry as before。 As we neared the river； Esme's head
lifted。
〃There was that other trail。 It was fresh。〃
She nodded forward； toward where she had called Edward's attention on the way here。 While we were
racing to save Alice。。。
〃It has to be from earlier in the day。 It was just Alice； without Jasper；〃 Edward said lifelessly。
Esme's face puckered； and she nodded。
I drifted to the right； falling a little behind。 I was sure Edward was right； but at the same time。。。 After all；
how had Alice's note ended up on a page from my book？
〃Bella？〃 Edward asked in an emotionless voice as I hesitated。
〃I want to follow the trail；〃 I told him； smelling the light scent of Alice that led away from her earlier flight
path； i was new to this； but it smelled exactly the same to me； just minus the scent of Jasper。
Edward's golden eyes were empty。 〃It probably just leads back to the house。〃
〃Then I'll meet you there。〃
At first I thought he would let me go alone； but then； as I moved a few steps away； his blank eyes
flickered to life。
〃I'll come with you；〃 he said quietly。 〃Well meet you at home； Carlisle。〃
Carlisle nodded； and the others left。 I waited until they were out of sight； and then I looked at Edward
questioningly。
〃I couldn't let you walk away from me；〃 he explained in a low voice。 〃It hurt just to imagine it。〃
I understood without more explanation than that。 I thought of being divided from him now and realized I
would have felt the same pain； no matter how short the separation。
There was so little time left to be together。
I held my hand out to him； and he took it。
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〃Let's hurry；〃 he said。 〃Renesmee will be awake。〃
I nodded； and we were running again。
It was probably a silly thing； to waste the time away from Renesmee just for curiosity's sake。 But the
note bothered me。 Alice could have carved the note into a boulder or tree trunk if she lacked writing
utensils。 She could have stolen a pad of Post…its from any of the houses by the highway。 Why my book？
When did she get it？
Sure enough； the trail led back to the cottage by a circuitous route that stayed far clear of the Cullens'
house and the wolves in the nearby woods。 Edward's brows tightened in confusion as it became obvious
where the trail led。
He tried to reason it out。 〃She left Jasper to wait for her and came here？〃
We were almost to the cottage now； and I felt uneasy。 I was glad to have Edward's hand in mine； but I
also felt as if I should be here alone。 Tearing out the page and carrying it back to Jasper was such an odd
thing for Alice to do。 It felt like there was a message in her action—one I didn't understand at all。 But it
was my book； so the message must be for me。 If it were something she wanted Edward to know；
wouldn't she have pulled a page from one of his
books。。。 ？
〃Give me just a minute；〃 I said； pulling my hand free as we got to the door。
His forehead creased。 〃Bella？〃
〃Please？ Thirty seconds。〃
I didn't wait for him to answer。 I darted through the door； pulling it shut behind me。 I went straight to the
bookshelf。 Alice's scent was fresh—less than a day old。 A fire that I had not set burned low but hot in the
fireplace。 I yanked The Merchant of Venice off the shelf and flipped it open to the title page。
There； next to the feathered edge left by the torn page； under the words The Merchant of Venice by
William Shakespeare； was a note。
Destroy this。
Below that was a name and an address in Seattle。
When Edward came through the door after only thirteen seconds rather than thirty； I was watching the
book burn。
〃What's going on； Bella？〃
〃She was here。 She ripped a page out of my book to write her note on。〃
〃Why？〃
〃I don't know why。〃
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〃Why are you burning it？〃
〃I—I—〃 I frowned； letting all my frustration and pain show on my face。 I did not know what Alice was
trying to tell me； only that she'd gone to great lengths to keep it from anyone but me。 The one person
whose mind Edward could not read。 So she must want to keep him in the dark； and it was probably for a
good reason。 〃It seemed appropriate。〃
〃We don't know what she's doing；〃 he said quietly。
I stared into the flames。 I was the only person in the world who could lie to Edward。 Was that what
Alice wanted from me？ Her last request？
〃When we were on the plane to Italy；〃 I whispered—this was not a lie； except perhaps in context—〃on
our way to rescue you。。。 she lied to Jasper so that he wouldn't come after us。 She knew that if he faced
the Volturi； he would die。 She was willing to die herself rather than put him in danger。 Willing for me to
die； too。 Willing for you to die。〃
Edward didn't answer。
〃She has her priorities；〃 I said。 It made my still heart ache to realize that my explanation did not feel like a
lie in any way。
〃I don't believe it；〃 Edward said。 He didn't say it like he was arguing with me—he said it like he was
arguing with himself。 〃Maybe it was just Jasper in danger。 Her plan would work for the rest of us； but
he'd be lost if he stayed。
Maybe。。。〃
〃She could have told us that。 Sent him away。〃
〃But would Jasper have gone？ Maybe she's lying to him again。〃
〃Maybe；〃 I pretended to agree。 〃We should go home。 There's no time。〃
Edward took my hand； and we ran。
Alice's note did not make me hopeful。 If there were any way to avoid the coming slaughter； Alice would
have stayed。 I couldn't see another possibility。 So it was something else she was giving me。 Not a way to
escape。 But what else would she think that I wanted？ Maybe a way to salvage something？ Was there
anything I could still save？
Carlisle and the others had not been idle in our absence。 We'd been separated from them for all of five
minutes； and they were already prepared to leave。 In the corner； Jacob was human again； with Renesmee