ling and began to climb.

    Sime ticipated. traig ed to t tting on top of t branc to get a solid purc, only fifteen minutes after s tanding on t brance to t.

    S tending to make a o serve in place of tons and anc;friendsquot; and otying took es more, and once s looked like t promising branc off.

    After ten minutes careful climbing s in t part of ter flole coin-sized t er become one of t iron-hard seedpods.

    Sable spot ed ed.

    tion over  she black highways.

    t breeze,  scent out of tled tiff leaves, and Mary imagined a   branc a kind of bliss s once before; and t  when she made her vows as a nun.

    Eventually s back to ate of mind by a cramp in  ankle,  aurned tention to task, still dizzy from t surrounded her.

    So to es a  in order to see t once t tube of bamboo, fixing tes at eacelescope. tucked in  pocket, and sook it out no, like a vast cloud of tiny beings floating t part ted randomly like dust motes in a s of sunliger.

    For t part.

    But to see anotion. Underlying ting , out from tohe sea.

    ell, t ly so see ill sly sure, and trenuous process of climbing down.

    Mary found tate, ies for the ground.

    Atal oucrunk, uttering gentle o ttlement along hers.

    A soon as t out among time t Mary guessed tors from elseer nehem.

    ttamax mounted tform and welcomed esy sings were over, so speak.

    ingly and  phrasings, she said:

    My good friends, I o trees and looked closely at the seedpods.