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Show 82 where, finding a spot near the spring where the grass was cropped short, he stopped and kicked aside a few spongy branches and cleared a space where they could kneel down in a circle. This was the only time he was going to do this, he explained, so it would be just as well if they paid attention. Oliver found a dry place where the ground formed a little depression and knelt first before someone else got it. David and Martin knelt close to him, but David got up again immediately and went to the other side of Oliver, where the ground looked softer. Lorin waited patiently while they jostled against each other and re-positioned their knees and insteps. Martin noticed that one of his knees was wet and dragged a handful of dead leaves over to kneel on. Finally they seemed to be settled, and Lorin knelt in front of them. The three of them bowed their heads and clasped their hands in front of them. Oliver's eyes, grey and serious, focused on a tuft of weeds in front of him that was bound together like a tepee by a sheet of spider web and apparently had a spider inside it. David's eyes were closed and the veins stood out in his forehead. Martin pretended to close his eyes but it was obvious he was squinting. He glanced back and forth at the other two, and then tried to see what Oliver was looking at. He ventured to glance up and saw that Lorin was looking at him and quickly closed his eyes and dropped his head. David cleared his throat. Lorin closed his eyes and concentrated very hard, but he could tell it was not going to work. He opened his eyes, brushed a spot of dirt from his pantleg, took a deep breath, let it out. He looked at the other three, kneeling with their eyes closed. David brushed away a fly but didn't open his eyes. Lorin wished he liked them better. They never gave him a moment's peace. They followed him like ducklings everywhere he went, asking if it was time to show them the plates yet, wishing he would talk to them, offering |