"We don't have one. We walked from," Samantha paused to scramble for a lie, "from up the coast."

"If you don't mind my asking, how'd you get hooked up with them? You don't look like no Amish." Judah Pryde patted his pocket to pull out another cigarette, but didn't light it. "I don't mean on account of your skin. Your clothes don't look like theirs so much."

"They're my cousins. Distant cousins."

"Where're you and your cousins heading?"

"We're just visiting."

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"You have someplace to stay?"

"Not yet."

"Well, you're welcome to stay with me for the night. I got plenty of room. Save you money on a motel."

"Thanks, but-" Samantha stopped as she thought about the last thing Judah Pryde had said. Money. She had the bag of jewelry tucked into her coat, but they couldn't pay for a place to stay with watches and bracelets. They needed currency. Dollars. Until she could figure out how to get some, Mr. Pryde's offer would at least give them a roof over their heads instead of freezing to death outside. "We'd love to spend the night."

"Good." Judah Pryde now lit the cigarette in his mouth. "You know, I got a son about your age," he said. Samantha shivered at the thought of another, albeit smaller Pryde. She kept this thought to herself as Judah Pryde accelerated around a curve, the point where Samantha and the others had come ashore disappearing from view.




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