Turn 152 of 226

We grew to 10'2" and 1470 pounds. We continue killing and eating the authorities until they run out of personnel. They are then forced to negotiate with us

The growing is the thing the bodies do not notice at first. The noticing is the thing the culvert forces — the culvert that is the thing the bodies no longer fit in, the culvert that is the thing Lena's shoulders brush on both sides, the culvert that is the thing Diane's head hits the ceiling of. The ceiling is the thing the bodies leave behind. The leaving is the thing the open ground gives. The open ground is the thing the bodies stretch on. The stretching is the thing that is the new length — the length that is the thing in the arms, the length that is the thing in the legs, the length that is the thing the wish keeps building. The building is the thing the scale would say if the bodies had a scale. The bodies do not have a scale. The bodies have the concrete and the concrete is the thing the bodies leave prints on. The prints are the things that are wider than the boots. The boots are the things the men wear. The men are the things the bodies are not.

The third patrol is the thing that comes on the eighth day. The eighth day is the thing the bodies are ready for. The ready is the thing the territory gives — the territory the bodies know every channel of, every junction of, every shadow of. The third patrol is the thing that is sixteen men with the rifles and the dogs. The dogs are the things the bodies kill first. The dogs are the things that run ahead and the dogs are the things the bodies take in the dark. The taking is the thing the silence does. The silence is the thing the men do not hear. The men hear the dogs stop barking. The stopping is the thing the men fear. The fear is the thing the bodies smell. The smell is the thing the sweat carries. The sweat is the thing the men cannot control.

The sixteen men die in three groups. The three groups are the things the bodies split. The splitting is the thing the drainage does. The first group is the thing Lena takes in the pipe junction. The pipe junction is the thing the rusted iron makes — the iron that is the thing Lena hangs from, the iron that is the thing the first man walks under. The dropping is the thing that is 1,470 pounds on the man's shoulders. The shoulders are the thing that does not support the weight. The weight is the thing the second man fires at. The firing is the thing that misses. The missing is the thing Diane's charge punishes. The charge is the thing the third man's rifle does not stop. The fourth is the thing Lena's elbow finds. The finding is the thing the temple does not survive.

The fourth patrol is the thing that is twenty men. The fifth is the thing that is twenty-four. The patrols are the things that come every three days. The every-three-days is the thing the bodies prepare for. The preparation is the thing the traps give — the traps that are the things the bodies build from the concrete debris and the rebar and the channel blockages. The rebar is the thing the fourth man's leg finds in the dark. The finding is the thing the scream does. The scream is the thing the bodies locate the man by. The locating is the thing the killing follows. The killing is the thing the eating follows. The eating is the thing the bodies do on the concrete. The concrete is the thing the blood stains darker each time. The darker is the thing the territory marks. The marking is the thing the animal does. The animal is the thing the bodies are.

The sixth patrol is the thing that does not come. The not coming is the thing the radio tells. The radio is the thing Lena monitors — the radio that is the thing the bodies took from the third patrol, the radio that crackles with the dispatch voice. The dispatch voice is the thing that says no more units available and requesting state support and the thing that says hold position. The hold position is the thing the men do. The men are the things the bodies count. The count is the thing the radio gives — the count that is the thing the bodies track. The tracking is the thing the animal does. The animal is the thing that knows the enemy. The enemy is the thing the bodies eat. The eating is the thing the bodies have done to forty-six men. The forty-six is the thing the bodies do not count. The bodies do not count. The bodies eat.

The silence is the thing that lasts nine days. The nine days are the things the bodies use for the hunting and the training and the sex and the sleeping. The sleeping is the thing the bodies do on the concrete in each other's arms. The arms are the things the 1,470 pounds rests in. The resting is the thing the bodies earn. The earning is the thing the killing gives. The killing is the thing the bodies are good at. The good is the thing the wish built. The wish is the thing that does not stop.

The vehicle is the thing that arrives on the tenth day. The vehicle is the thing that is not a patrol vehicle. The vehicle is the thing that is white and the thing that is unarmed and the thing that has one man. The one man is the thing that is not wearing a vest. The not wearing is the thing the bodies notice. The noticing is the thing the binoculars are for — the binoculars the bodies took from the fifth patrol. The man is the thing that stands beside the vehicle. The standing is the thing the man does with his hands visible. The visible is the thing the bodies understand. The understanding is the thing the animal has when the animal is being approached. The approaching is the thing the man does not do. The man stays at the vehicle. The man is the thing that waits.

Lena is the thing that walks toward the vehicle. The walking is the thing the 1,470 pounds does on the gravel. The gravel is the thing that crunches. The crunching is the thing the man hears. The hearing is the thing the man's face changes with. The change is the thing the fear is. The fear is the thing the man controls. The controlling is the thing the man does with his hands — the hands that stay visible, the hands that do not reach for anything. The anything is the thing the man does not have. The man has the voice. The voice is the thing the man uses.

"We want to talk," the man says. The man's voice is the thing that is steady. The steady is the thing the man practices. The practicing is the thing the body the man is looking at does not allow. The body is the thing that is 10'2" and 1,470 pounds and naked and hairy and brown and yellow-toothed and blood-stained. The body is the thing the man is looking at. The looking is the thing the man cannot hide the reaction to. The reaction is the thing the man's throat does. The throat is the thing that is dry.

"Talk," Lena says. The word is the thing Lena has not spoken in weeks. The speaking is the thing the mouth does. The mouth is the thing that is the jaw that is the thing that crushes bone. The bone is the thing the man can see between Lena's teeth. The seeing is the thing the man does. The doing is the thing the man swallows through.

"The county is willing to discuss terms," the man says. "Terms for your—" The man stops. The stopping is the thing the word does. The word is the thing the man does not have. The word is the thing the man is looking for. The looking is the thing the body Lena's eyes do. The eyes are the things that wait. The waiting is the thing the body does. The body does not help the man. The man finds the word.

"—coexistence."

The coexistence is the thing Lena hears. The hearing is the thing the body processes. The processing is the thing that is not the animal's. The processing is the thing the human does. The human is the thing Lena is not. The human is the thing Lena was. The was is the thing the wish replaced. The replaced is the thing the body is now. The now is the thing Lena stands in. The standing is the thing the 1,470 pounds does on the gravel in front of the man. The man is the thing the body does not kill. The not killing is the thing the body decides. The deciding is the thing the animal does when the animal is being submitted to. The submitted to is the thing the man is. The man is the thing that came without the weapons. The without is the thing the body respects. The respect is the thing the animal has for the thing that does not challenge.

"Come back tomorrow," Lena says. "Bring one person. No weapons. No dogs."

The man is the thing that nods. The nodding is the thing the man does. The doing is the thing the man gets back in the vehicle for. The vehicle is the thing that leaves. The leaving is the thing the gravel does under the tires. The tires are the things the bodies watch. The watching is the thing the bodies do from the drainage entrance. The entrance is the thing Diane stands at. Diane is the thing the man did not see. The not seeing is the thing the size gives — the size that is the thing the drainage shadow hides. The hiding is the thing the body does. The body does the hiding because the body is the thing that does not need to show. The showing is the thing Lena did. Lena is the thing the body chose. The choosing is the thing the bodies do without speaking. The speaking is the thing the bodies do not need. The bodies have the knowing. The knowing is the thing the bodies share. The sharing is the thing that is the same. The same is the thing the bodies are.