were rows of pink and yellow daisies, and beyond, he could make out misty San Francisco Bay—a spectacular view.
Inside their new house, however, especially in his bedroom, the view was not so spectacular—crowded with mountains and mazes of cardboard U-Haul boxes, each one filled with a hundred pounds of books. If there was the slightest shudder from the San Andreas Fault, Eliot knew he’d be buried under an avalanche of Chaucer, Twain, and Shakespeare.
Fiona looked up from his essay and brushed her long, dark hair from her face. “You don’t have all the facts,” she said. “You should have added something about your girlfriend.”
“She wasn’t my girlfriend,” Eliot replied.
Fiona meant Julie Marks, the girl he had met this summer, the girl he had liked an awful lot. She’d even kissed him . . . but then ended up leaving. Every time he thought about her, he felt that he had done something to drive her away. Fiona had never liked Julie, for some reason.
He glared at his sister, suddenly irritated.
Then he understood: Fiona wasn’t trying to be mean on purpose. She couldn’t help it. Anyone would be a little nasty if they looked the way she did this morning.
Normally, he and his sister had to wear their great-grandmother’s handmade clothing—bad enough because it looked like something out of the “wrong clothes that didn’t fit” catalog.
Today was worse. They had on their new Paxington school uniforms.
The new clothes looked fine when Eliot and Fiona had first gotten them: khaki slacks for him, pleated tartan skirt for his sister, white button-down linen shirts and navy blue blazers for them both. No ties, thank goodness—they probably would have strangled themselves. Fiona had stockings and flats. He had leather loafers with no heels that made him look (if possible) shorter than usual.
All well and good, Eliot supposed . . . if you actually knew how to wear such things.
But Fiona had never owned, let alone worn, a pair of stockings. Her skinny legs looked like crumpled caterpillars that had cocooned themselves and died there. Add to this that no one in the Post family knew how to use an iron (or at least, no one was willing to let the doddering 104-year-old Cecilia near an iron), and they both ended up looking like they had slept in their new uniforms.
Eliot shifted underneath his blazer—one size too big for him—and felt just as uncomfortable and annoyed as his sister must. He exhaled a great sigh, smelling something off. Maybe his clothes should have been washed first.
This was just what they needed today. He ran a hand through his hair, whose cowlicks, as usual, resisted any attempts at grooming. Not only would they have to deal with dozens of strange new students on their first day at school, but they also looked like dorks.
Eliot tapped Fiona’s essay and told her, “I see you didn’t mention Robert, either.”
“What’s to mention?” Fiona said. “We haven’t seen him in two months.”
Robert Farmington was the boy Fiona had met this summer. They weren’t exactly boyfriend and girlfriend, but there had been something between them. He had been a Driver for their uncle Henry in the League of Immortals . . . before Robert got fired.
Fiona had a far-off look in her eyes—which sharpened to a glare that she aimed directly at Eliot. “Cupulate temporal cranium?” she asked.
This was the game they played to get back at each other: vocabulary insult.
Eliot ran over the line in his head, trying to figure out what she had meant. Brain . . . cranium . . . something about his head.
Temporal? Did that mean “time”? No, the bone on the side of the head was the “temporal” part of the skull.
But cupulate? He didn’t have a clue . . . unless she was making it simple in order to throw him. Cupulate could just mean “cup shaped.”
She meant his ears.
They stuck out, and she knew how sensitive Eliot was about them.
“At least I need a cup, handles or not,” Eliot replied, “to hold my brain.”
That was a weak comeback, so he added: “Countenance of verruciform,” and then with a sweeping gesture down to her toes, “vermiform locomotion borne.”1, 2
Fiona puzzled over that a moment, and then her face reddened.
Good. It was pretty easy to figure out. Eliot had wanted her to get it.
“No fair,” she said. “That’s two vocabulary words at once.”
She said this, despite having just used two herself.
“Breakfast!” Cee called from the kitchen.
Eliot sniffed the air and realized that the “off” smell
All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 1 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 2 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 3 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 4 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 5 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 6 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 7 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 8 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 9 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 10 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 11 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 12 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 13 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 14 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 15 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 16 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 17 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 18 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 19 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 20 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 21 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 22 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 23 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 24 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 25 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 26 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 27 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 28 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 29 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 30 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 31 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 32 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 33 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 34 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 35 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 36 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 37 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 38 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 39 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 40 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 41 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 42 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 43 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 44 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 45 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 46 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 47 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 48 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 49 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 50 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 51 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 52 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 53 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 54 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 55 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 56 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 57 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 58 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 59 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 60 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 61 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 62 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 63 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 64 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 65 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 66 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 67 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 68 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 69 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 70 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 71 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 72 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 73 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 74 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 75 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 76 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 77 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 78 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 79 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 80 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 81 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 82 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 83 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 84 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 85 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 86 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 87 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 88 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 89 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 90 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 91 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 92 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 93 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 94 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 95 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 96 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 97 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 98 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 99 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 100 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 101 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 102 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 103 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 104 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 105 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 106 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 107 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 108 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 109 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 110 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 111 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 112 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 113 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 114 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 115 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 116 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 117 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 118 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 119 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 120 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 121 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 122 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 123 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 124 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 125 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 126 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 127 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 128 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 129 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 130 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 131 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 132 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 133 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 134 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 135 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 136 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 137 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 138 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 139 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 140 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 141 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 142 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 143 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 144 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 145 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 146 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 147 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 148 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 149 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 150 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 151 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 152 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 153 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 154 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 155 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 156 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 157 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 158 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 159 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 160 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 161 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 162 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 163 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 164 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 165 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 166 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 167 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 168 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 169 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 170 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 171 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 172 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 173 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 174 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 175 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 176 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 177 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 178 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 179 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 180 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 181 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 182 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 183 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 184 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 185 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 186 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 187 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 188 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 189 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 190 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 191 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 192 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 193 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 194 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 195 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 196 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 197 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 198 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 199 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 200 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 201 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 202 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 203 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 204 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 205 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 206 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 207 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 208 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 209 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 210 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 211 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 212 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 213 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 214 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 215 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 216 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 217 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 218 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 219 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 220 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 221 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 222 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 223 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 224 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 225 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 226 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 227 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 228 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 229 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 230 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 231 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 232 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 233 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 234 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 235 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 236 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 237 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 238 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 239 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 240 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 241 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 242 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 243 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 244 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 245 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 246 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 247 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 248 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 249 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 250 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 251 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 252 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 253 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 254 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 255 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 256 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 257 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 258 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 259 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 260 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 261 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 262 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 263 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 264 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 265 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 266 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 267 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 268 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 269 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 270 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 271 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 272 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 273 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 274 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 275 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 276 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 277 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 278 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 279 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 280 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 281 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 282 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 283 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 284 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 285 All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund - Page 286