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Show WORTHING FARM/16 be replaced. Winter would kill them unless the house was tight. There was plenty of time to repair the house-if he didn't have to hunt for food. Plenty of time to hunt for food if he didn't have to repair the house. Not time enough to do both. If they stayed, they would die. If they left, they would live but the curse would fall on Elijah. Somehow, looking at the ruin of his farm Elijah no longer feared anything the curse might bring. Death, perhaps. And he wondered why he should fear even that. He walked back into the house, where his family was through eating. They looked up, their eyes following him as he emptied the cupboards in the kitchen into the large sacks that a few months ago had held grain. John and Worin got up and began to help. Alana put her face into her hands. Elijah left the boys to load the sacks and went outside to the north shed, where a small wheeled cart was loaded with wood and bronzed farm tools. He emptied the tools out of it, flinging them far across the field, and when the cart was empty he pulled it to the door- He went inside. When he came out his arms were full of two rolled-up straw beds. The next load was a stack of blankets. Then he brought out the sacks and the bundles of clothing and soon the cart was full. He took several ropes and tied the load on the cart. Then he went in to Alana and took her by the hand. She looked at the ground as he led her out of the house. He still held her hand as he stepped into the cart harness and slowly began to pull the cart across the sea of mud. In a few minutes the cart was bogged down. The boys got |