How to use "she" in a sentence

Now that winter is over, she's going to another town in Colorado to work as a gardener for the summer

'Why don't you come with us?' she asks

You won't get back before dark,' she says.

Again, she was wrong

Mrs Ralston's hand was shaking as she put down the phone

None of the answers she gave worked but she kept trying

In the end, she guessed the correct answer and sent the information to Brion.

When she read it to Officer Crider, she didn't realise it was wrong

How could she find the correct license-plate number?

She wanted to check the license-plate number she had given Brion

Elliot checked as she read out the number.

Then she remembered that Aron was living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, when he bought the truck

'Wait for us, Aron,' Mrs Ralston said as she went to bed

'Wait!' I say as she goes to put it into my skin

'Why is she reading a book without pictures or conversations?' she thought

I know! I'll look for some Bowers.' Then she thought, 'No, it's too hot for that and I feel sleepy.'

But she fell very slowly and didn't feel afraid

'What's going to happen next?' she wondered.

Sometimes she saw pictures

She looked down, but she couldn't see any light.

'When will the hole end?' she wondered

'That didn't hurt,' she said and sat up quickly

She could see the White Rabbit and she ran after him again

Now she was in a very long room

She looked round for the White Rabbit, but she couldn't see him anywhere.

Also, she couldn't see the hole anywhere

'How am I going to get out?' she wondered.

Then she saw a little table

'Perhaps it will open one of the doors,' she thought

'This key has to open something,' she thought.

Then she saw a very small door about 40 centimeters high

She tried to walk through it, but she was too big

Sadly, she shut the door again and put the key back on the table.

'Is it all right to drink?' she wondered.

'I'll drink a little,' she thought

So she had some more.

'I'm getting smaller and smaller!' After a short time, she was only 25 centimetres high.

'Now I can go through that door,' she thought

But Alice was too short and she couldn't get the key

'Alice! Alice!' she said after some minutes

Then she saw a little box under the table

On it, she saw the words, 'EAT ME'.

'Will I go up or down?' she wondered

But nothing happened - she stayed the same size

So she finished the cake.

'I want to go into that garden!' she thought

Then she went to the door and opened it

But she was too big and couldn't go through it.

Because she was very big, her tears were very big too.

'Alice, stop it this minute! Don't cry!' she said.

But she couldn't stop the big tears and after a time there was water everywhere.

'Please, Sir-' she said very politely.

'Am I different?' she wondered

'Perhaps I'm one of them,' she thought

I don't want to be my friend Mabel, because she doesn't know very much

I know more than she does.' Then she thought, 'Do I know more? Let me see

Oh! I can't remember! And she started to cry again.

But this time her tears were small tears - she was small again!

'Why?' she wondered

Then she understood

'I'm smaller because I've got the hat in my hand!' she thought.

'Am I smaller than the table now?' she wondered

'I'm getting smaller all the time!' she cried

'Now I can go into the garden!' thought Alice, and she started to run to the little door

But before she got there, she fell into some water

She tried to put her feet on the ground but she couldn't

'I'm in the sea!' she thought

'Perhaps it's a big fish or sea animal,' she thought

'Oh Mouse,' she said

She remembered some words from her schoolbook, so she spoke to the mouse in French.

'Where is my cat?' she asked.

'What is a Dodo?' thought Alice, but she smiled politely

I'm Alice,' she said.

I haven't got any chocolates.' But then she saw a box of chocolates near her feet.

'Here we are,' she said, and opened the box

'This is very stupid,' thought Alice and she wanted to laugh

But she didn't

'Nobody likes Dinah down here, but she's the best cat in the world

After a time, she heard the sound of small feet and looked up.

'Perhaps it's the Mouse,' she thought.

She wanted to help him, but she couldn't see the hat anywhere

She ran fast and after a short time, she came to a pretty little house

'This is very strange,' she thought

It didn't have the words 'DRINK ME' on it, but she drank from it.

'I know something interesting will happen,' she thought

'Oh, I'm getting much taller!' she cried

'Oh!' Her head hit the top of the house and she put the bottle down quickly.

'Oh no!' she thought

But after a very short time she was too big for the room

'I can't do any more,' she thought

'What will happen to me?' She waited for some time, but she didn't get bigger

'Well, that's good,' she thought

But then she tried to move and couldn't

She didn't feel well and she was very unhappy.

'I'm never going to get out of here,' she thought

Perhaps somebody will write a book about this place - and about me! Perhaps I will, when I'm bigger.' Then she remembered

When she could hear the Rabbit outside the window, she moved her arm up and down

'A cake? Why did they throw a cake?' she wondered.

Then she thought, 'I'll eat it and perhaps I'll get smaller again

I can't get bigger!' So she ate the cake and two or three minutes later she was small again

She ran out of the house as quickly as she could.

After some time, she came to a wood

She was tired because she was very small now.

She looked all round her, but she couldn't see anything with 'EAT ME' or 'DRINK ME' on it

'I eat mushrooms for dinner,' she thought

'It asked me that question before,' she thought

'This caterpillar isn't very friendly,' she thought

So she walked away.

And she thought, 'Why does it get angry all the time?'

Then she went to the Caterpillars mushroom and broke off some of it with her right hand

'Oh!' she cried

Then she ate some from one hand and some from the other

In a short time, she was her right size again.

'What shall I do now?' she wondered

After some time, she came to a little house

When she was 18 centimetres high, she walked to the house

'Can girls speak to Duchesses?' she wondered.

At the end of the song, she threw the baby to Alice.

It didn't hit her, but she left the room quickly.

'I'll have to take this child away from here, or they'll kill it!' she thought

The baby made a strange little sound and she looked at it again.

'Its nose is changing!' she cried

So she spoke to it very politely

'Cheshire Cat, dear,' she said.

'Perhaps it will come back again?' she thought

After some minutes, she heard a sound

Then she said, 'Cheshire Cat, one minute you vanish and the next minute you're there again

In a short time she was about 60 centimetres high

'I hope the March Hare isn't too strange,' she thought.

'I don't see any wine,' she answered.

'Wednesday, I think,' she said.

'It's a strange watch!' she said

'I don't really understand you,' she said politely

But she didn't really understand.

'Perhaps they'll call me back,' she thought

When she looked back, the Mouse was asleep with its head on its plate.

'A door in a tree? That's strange!' she thought

And she opened the door and went inside.

'Oh, good!' she cried

Then she ate some of the brown mushroom

When she was about 30 centimeters high, she walked through the door into the garden.

'What are you doing?' she asked.

'Why?' she asked.

So we're making the flowers red before she sees them.'

'Oh good!' she thought

'They're only cards,' she thought.

They were on the ground and she couldn't see their faces

Who are these men?' she asked.

'Turn those men over!' she said to the Knave of Hearts

'What's wrong with these flowers?' she asked the gardeners.

'I see,' she said

'Don't be afraid,' she said

'The Queen will hear you, she hears everything

When she arrived, the Queen said-'

'The Queen isn't angry with me now,' she thought

'What is it?' she wondered

It was a smile! 'It's the Cheshire Cat,' she thought

In another minute, she could see its ears and eyes.

But then she saw the Queen

'Cut off its head!' she shouted loudly

Then she said, 'It's the Duchess's Cat

'Perhaps when the cook isn't there, she's nice

'Cut off her head! Cut off his head!' she shouted, every two or three minutes.

The Queen likes saying it, but she never does it.'

'I know a lot of the animals and birds here,' she thought

'I hope they finish the trial quickly,' she thought

The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts,

'What's wrong with me?' she wondered

And then she understood

'I'm getting bigger again,' she thought.

'Who can it be?' she wondered.

But she was tall now, and chairs, tables and people fell here, there and everywhere.

So she has to leave the room!' he said.

She was very large now and she wasn't afraid of anybody.

Then she opened her eyes...

'Oh!' said Alice, and then she understood

When she finished her story, her sister laughed.

'Let's go home to tea,' she said

And she got up and ran home.

But one girl, Jenny Curran, didn't run away, and sometimes she walked home with me

I went and sat with her, and she remembered me!

So she phoned Jenny's Mom and explained

Once I thought she was on the floor, and I put my hand on her shoulder to pull her up

But I pulled her dress, and it came open, and she screamed.

'I heard the game on the radio!' she said

She had a big smile on her face, and she held my hand.

'I saw you play football yesterday,' she said

She wasn't angry about the cinema, and she asked me to have a drink with her!

'I'm taking lessons in music, and I want to be a singer,' she told me

I didn't know where she was.

Mom knew that I was coming, but she was crying when I got home.

'A letter came,' she cried

A pretty girl came up to our table, and the Colonel thought she was a waitress.

She looked at him and said, 'I won't get you anything - not as much as a glass of warm river-water, you pig!' Then she looked at me and said, 'And how many babies have you killed today, you big ape?'

Her hair was all the way down her back, and she was wearing sun-glasses - at night! She was wearing blue jeans and a shirt with lots of colours on it

'Who is that playing the harmonica?' she said

And then she saw me

'Forrest Gump!' And she ran out of the door and threw her arms round me.

'With my boyfriend,' she said

'Gone,' she said

'Walked out, like all the others.' And then she started to cry.

'Forrest, it's time to -' She stopped when she saw me with the girl

Then she said, 'Oh, no! Not you, too!'

'Stay away from me, Forrest!' she said

And the next morning she told me to find another place to live.

And there she was!

I started to walk towards her, but she turned and walked away

'Forrest,' she said

I heard that she went to Chicago, but that was five years ago.'

'It's an old number,' he said, 'but perhaps she's still there.'

I phoned the number, and she wasn't.

I asked about Jenny at the office, and the woman said, 'Yes, she works in here

Why don't you wait at the side of the factory? It's almost lunch-time, and she'll probably come out.' So I did.

'I saw you on TV when you went up into space, Forrest,' she said.

'What happened to him?' she asked.

Later, we went back to Jenny's flat, and she said, 'You can stay here.'

'It isn't honest,' she said.

'Oh, Forrest,' she said, 'you're home at last!'

'Forrest Gump!' she said, when she saw me

'I don't hear from her very often,' she said

Didn't you know?' she said

But Jenny only did what she had to do

'Why don't you go to Savannah?' she said

Her hair was different, and she looked a bit older, and a bit tired, but it was her all right

And when I finished playing, she held the little boy's hand and came across.

'We live here now,' she said

'Yes,' she said.

'His name is Forrest,' she said quietly

Then she went on, 'He's half yours

'Of course,' said Jenny, and she called to him

Then she got up and held little Forrest's hand, and they walked away.

'She died, did she?' Mr Slink-ton repeated

He introduced me to her, explaining that she was his niece

'My uncle is joking, Mr Sampson,' she explained

As she was speaking we saw the old man's hand-carriage come into sight

Suddenly she sat down near a rock on the beach

She told me that she knew she was going to die soon

She was worried about what would happen to her uncle when she died

I saw the hand-carriage coining back towards us along the sand as she was talking

I walked with her to the hand-carriage before she had time to object.

I knew that she was safe with that man.

But Mary Ann needed alcohol too, and she was drinking too much

Later that night she tried to get a bed at Cooley's lodging house in Thrawl Street, but she had to leave because she had no money

So she walked around the wet, cold streets hoping to earn something

The men looked at the woman, but in the darkness they did not know if she was drunk or dead

Mrs Emma Green lived in the cottage next to the stableyard; she did not hear anything either

These were all the possessions she had

She lived in workhouses and, when she had the money to pay, in lodging houses

In December 1887 she was sleeping in Trafalgar Square

Her friend Ellen said she was a clean, quiet person

And her father said, 'I don't think she had any enemies

On the first floor Mrs Richardson and her grandson lived in three rooms, and she let out the other rooms

Who was she?

Once she had children, but one died and another was disabled

The small sum of money which she received from her husband stopped when he died in 1886

Sometimes she borrowed money from her relatives

But her taste for alcohol dominated her life, and eventually she had to walk the streets as a prostitute.

But the week before her murder she was not at the lodging house

When she met her friend Amelia Palmer on September 2nd and 3rd she showed her the black eye and a bruise on her face

The next day she told Amelia she did not feel well

'Don't spend it on rum,' she told Annie

She told the deputy that she did not have any money, but asked him to keep her bed because she wanted to return with the money

Nobody saw her alive again; she never came back for her bed.

The other, Elizabeth Darrell, said that as she was walking down Hanbury Street at about 5.30 a.m

on her way to Spitalfields market, she noticed a man and a woman talking outside number 29

She only saw the man's back, but she identified the woman as Annie Chapman later in the mortuary.

He examined the dead woman and saw that she had a deep cut in her throat

Her stockings were white, her bonnet black, and she was wearing boots

He said she lived with him and her name was Elizabeth Stride

Mrs Tanner, the deputy, said she last saw Elizabeth alive about 7 p.m

In 1869 she married John Stride, a carpenter

Then she started singing quietly, and at 12.30 she asked the policeman on duty when she could go

He went with her to the street door and asked her to shut it when she left.

Catherine said, 'Good night.' And she went to meet her fate at the hands of Jack the Ripper.

We can imagine her singing to herself as she walked along, a small woman, about 1.52m, and thin

People said she was 'jolly', always singing

Born in Limerick, Ireland, she moved to Wales with her family when she was very young

At sixteen she married a miner named Davies, who was killed in an explosion in the mines

By 1886 she was living in the East End with Joe Flemming, who wanted to marry her

Nobody knows why she did not marry him

However, in 1887 she met Joe Barnett, a porter at Billingsgate fish market

At the time she was living at Cooley's lodging house in Thrawl Street

She was pleasant when sober but she could be noisy and very quarrelsome when drunk

When Barnett left at about 8 p.m., Mary knew she had to go out into the streets to earn some money

Mary was so drunk that she could not answer properly

As she went indoors Mrs Cox heard Mary singing an Irish song.

When she came back at 1 a.m., there was a light in number 13 and Mary was still singing

Returning at 3 o'clock, she saw no light in Mary's room, and all was quiet

Although men went in and out of the court, she did not hear anything suspicious

Around two hours later she woke up suddenly because her kitten was walking over her

At that moment she heard 'screams of "Murder!" two or three times in a female voice'

She later changed this to a quiet cry of 'Oh! Murder!' Mrs Prater said she went back to sleep; she often heard cries of murder in the court.

She slept badly in a chair until 3.30, when she heard the clock strike, and was awake until nearly five o'clock

Sarah Lewis, the witness who passed Christ Church at 2.30 a.m., said she saw a man standing by a lodging house opposite Miller's Court

Was it because Mrs Lewis's testimony appeared in the newspapers only after the inquest? When he read the report, he realised that she had seen him opposite Miller's Court

Hutchinson's statement begins, 'About 2.00 a.m., 9th, I met the murdered woman, Kelly, and she said to me, "Hutchinson, will you lend me sixpence?"' So he and Mary knew each other

In fact, Hutchinson had known Mary about three years, so he certainly knew that she had her own room

When Mrs Mary Burridge of south London read about the murder, she collapsed and died of fright

On October 10th a woman hanged herself at 65 Hanbury Street because she was depressed about the murders

'What are you doing?' she asked.

Then she said, 'Have you tried everywhere?'

'What about that one over there?' she said, pointing across the square to a small house beside the bishop's palace.

'People say there's a stranger in town,' she said

'But it's empty!' she cried

'Heaven save us, it's been stolen!' she cried

The mother was young and pretty, but she looked poor and unhappy

Her clothes were old and dirty, and she wore a tight, plain cap over her beautiful blonde hair.

'I used to work in Paris, but my husband died and I lost my job.' She could not tell Mme Thenardier the truth, which was that she had been made pregnant by a young man who had then abandoned her

'I left Paris this morning to look for work in Montreuil,' she continued

'My little girl walked some of the way, but she's very small

I had to carry her and she's fallen asleep.' As she spoke these words, she gave her daughter a loving kiss, which woke her up

With a little laugh, she jumped off her mother's lap and ran to play with the two girls on the swing.

'You will have them,' said Fantine, assuming that she was talking to Mme Thenardiers husband

The Thenardiers always replied that she was in good health and very happy

'Without us, she'd be living on the streets.'

When Fantine first arrived in Montreuil, she had immediately found work in a factory

Although she was careful to say nothing about her daughter to anyone, other women at the factory soon discovered her secret

She finally managed to earn a little money sewing shirts, but she was unable to send money regularly to the Thenardiers.

After selling her hair to the barber, Fantine was able to buy a woollen dress, which she sent to the Thenardiers

Fantine felt desperate; she did not know how to obtain such a large sum of money

As she was wandering around the town, desperately trying to decide what to do, she noticed a crowd of people in the market square

Forgetting her troubles for a moment, she smiled at the dentist's humorous efforts to sell the people of Montreuil false teeth.

'My hair will grow again,' she thought, 'but teeth would be gone forever.' But then she thought about her daughter, and her own appearance suddenly seemed unimportant

That evening, she visited the dentist at the inn where he was staying, and allowed him to remove her teeth.

Then she gave a blood-stained smile

'I'm happy,' she told herself

What could she do? She had sold her hair and her teeth; what else could she sell? And then she decided that she had no other choice: she would have to sell herself.

In fact, when she saw who it was, she spat at him.

'You own the factory where I used to work!' she shouted at him

The devil had suddenly decided to be kind, and she did not know what to think.

After all her pain and suffering she had, for the first time in her life, found kindness in another human being

At last she would be cared for, and she could look forward to a life of happiness with Cosette

Without a word, she fell to her knees and kissed the back of M

The weeks passed and, although she was happier than she had been for a long time, Fantine caught a fever

Months of poverty and misery had made her ill, and she soon became so weak that she was unable to leave her bed.

'When shall I see Cosette?' she kept asking M

She had a high fever, and was coughing badly, but she still had only one thing on her mind.

'Cosette?' she asked him.

'How is she?' he asked the nurse, who was watching her as she slept.

'Then what can we say to her when she wakes up?' The nurse looked suddenly worried

'It will destroy her if she doesn't see her child now, after you promised to bring her.'

Madeleine sat by the bedside and watched Fantine while she slept

Suddenly, she opened her eyes and saw M

'Cosette?' she asked, with a soft smile.

But suddenly her face froze, and she stared with horror at the door

'To fetch my child?' she cried

'Isn't she here? Nurse, answer me..

She looked as if she was going to speak, but no words came from her lips

Instead, with a small sigh, she fell back against her pillow and lay completely still.

He gazed into Fantine's eyes and knew immediately that she was dead.

Dressed in rags, she knitted woollen stockings for Eponine and Azelma.

Miserably, she picked up a large, empty bucket that was almost as big as she was, and was walking with it to the door when Madame Thenardier stopped her.

'Buy some bread on the way,' she said, giving the girl some money.

She was cold and hungry as she dragged the bucket behind her along the crowded street, but she could not resist stopping in front of one of the stalls

Cosette gazed at the doll for several minutes but, remembering her job, she sighed and continued on her way

Finding the stream, she bent forward and began to till her bucket

When the bucket was full, she gripped the handle with her tiny, frozen hands and tried to pull it back up the hill

But the bucket was so heavy that, after a dozen steps, she had to stop for a rest

She was almost at the end of her strength, and she was still not out of the wood

Leaning against a tree, she cried aloud:

There was something about his eyes, tilled with a strange sadness, that she liked and trusted

She let him carry the bucket up the hill and, as they walked back towards the village, she told him everything about her life with the Thenardiers

As they were approaching the inn, Cosette turned to him and said, 'May I have the bucket now? If Mme Thenardier sees that someone has been helping me, she'll beat me.'

'What took you so long?' Mme Thenardier said angrily when she saw the little girl.

'I'm sorry, the rooms are full,' she said.

But before she could start her knitting, she heard Mme Thenardier's angry voice demanding, 'Where's the bread I told you to get?'

'The baker's was shut,' she lied.

But before she could deliver the blow the old man, who had seen everything, interrupted her.

She turned her back on the room and began to play with it, hoping that no one could see what she was doing

Mme Thenardier rushed across the room towards Cosette who, afraid that she would be punished, put the doll gently on the floor and began to cry.

'She's touched it with her dirty hands!' Then, hearing Cosette crying, she turned to the little girl and shouted, 'Stop that noise!'

That child, for instance - you've no idea how much she costs

And, because she was carrying an expensive doll and was no longer wearing rags, not many recognized Cosette.

But, as she held the old man's hand, she gazed wide-eyed at the sky

She had the strange but comforting feeling that she was somehow travelling closer to God.

He lit a candle and sat by the bed, watching her while she slept

'I'm coming, Madame,' she yawned, blinded by the bright winter's sunlight that was shining into the room.

Then, as her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw the kind old face of Jean Valjean looking down at her, and she relaxed.

'Of course!' she cried with joy

Finally, she asked him, 'Do you want me to sweep the floor?'

Valjean gave Cosette lessons in reading and writing, and spent hours watching her as she dressed and undressed her doll

She was very thin, almost ugly, but Marius noticed that she had lovely blue eyes

A second later she looked away and Marius walked on but, in a strange way, he knew his life had changed

As he walked past, he kept his eyes fixed on the girl, but she did not seem to notice him

He was sure, this time, that she had watched him as he passed

He gazed after her until she had disappeared from sight, then rose to his feet and walked around, laughing and talking to himself

Sometimes he stood for half an hour in a place where her father could not see him, looking at her and enjoying the small, secret smiles she sent him.

Eventually, Marius was not satisfied with just knowing the girl's name; he wanted to know where she lived

He found that she lived in a small house at the quiet end of the rue de l'Ouest

She looked cold and ill, and when she spoke, Marius saw that she had lost several of her teeth

Her eyes lit up when she noticed the books on his writing desk.

'Books!' she said, and then added with pride, 'I know how to read and write

Picking up a pen that lay on the table, she wrote on a piece of paper, Be careful! The police are coming! She showed Marius her work and then, changing the subject quickly, for no reason at all, she gazed into his eyes and said shyly, 'Do you know, M

Approaching him, she rested a cold red hand on his shoulder and said, 'You never notice me, M

While she talked excitedly, she took out one of the letters

'The sun's come out at last!' she cried, eagerly accepting the coin

With those words, she gave a little laugh and wave, grabbed some dry bread from the table and disappeared out of the door.

Slamming the door shut behind her she cried victoriously, 'He's coming!'

Then, turning to his wife, he said, 'Quickly! Put out the fire!' While she poured water on the flames, the man broke the chair with his foot and told his younger daughter to break a window

When Marius had recovered some of his senses, he saw that she seemed a little paler than before

As she entered the room, she put a large parcel on the table.

'She had an accident in the machine-shop where she works for six sous an hour, 'Jondrette explained

Marius,' she said at last, a faint light in her sad eyes, 'you seem upset

Now please leave me alone.' Marius tried again to shut the door, but she still held it open.

'You're making a mistake,' she said

'Is that what you want?' she said, a disappointed look on her face.

'What will you give me?' she said at last.

'Are you sure? That's impossible!' she cried

'Our daughters barefoot and without a dress between them, while she wears leather boots and a fur coat? You must be wrong

Jondrette quietly told his wife to dismiss the carriage, and when she had left the room, turned back to his visitor.

Still wearing the same rags, with the same bold look in her eyes and the same rough voice, she had somehow become more beautiful

'So at last I've found you,' she finally said

But why are you wearing that dirty old hat? 'When Marius gave no answer, she went on, 'And you've got a hole in your shirt

Marius still said nothing, and after a moments pause she said, 'You don't seem very glad to see me, but I could make you look happy if I wanted to!'

Finally, she said, 'I've got the address.'

He pushed it into her hand, but she opened her fingers and let the coin fall to the ground

'I don't want your money,' she said.

Suddenly, she thought she heard the sound of footsteps in the garden

The next evening, as she was walking in the garden, she was sure that she heard someone moving in the trees

Again, when she looked round, she saw nothing

He told her not to worry, but she noticed an anxious look in his eyes

Nervously, she picked it up and discovered an envelope underneath it

Her heart on fire, she took the notebook upstairs to her bedroom and read every word again

She remembered the handsome young man she had seen so often in the Luxembourg Gardens

As she read the notebook, she knew in her heart that he was the author of these beautiful, romantic words

Finally, she kissed the book, held it to her heart and waited for the evening, when she knew that something special was going to occur.

Finally, she went out into the garden

She sat on the bench where she had found the notebook and, moments later, had the strange feeling that she was being watched

He looked paler and thinner than she remembered

Cosette felt suddenly faint, but she did not move or make a sound.

'Of course,' she answered in a low voice

When everything had been said, she laid her head on his shoulder and asked, 'What's your name?'

'My father said that we may have to leave,' she replied.

He replied, in a voice so low that she could hardly hear it, 'I don't understand what you mean.'

'What else can I do?' she cried.

'Please, Marius,' Cosette said as she watched him

Your wife will have to count the sous when she goes to the market, won't she?'

I haven't a pair of shoes, and she hasn't a shirt, but never mind

At nine o'clock that evening, Marius crept into the garden of Cosette's house, but she was not there waiting for him as she had promised

Now she was gone, he told himself, he had no future

Having run to tell Marius that his friends were waiting for him, she was helping Enjolras and his companions to build the barricade

'A soldier was going to shoot you,' she said, her voice no more than a whisper

For a moment she was silent

Then, with a great effort, she raised herself on one arm and, struggling for breath, looked into Marius's eyes.

'I can't cheat you,' she said at last

'Now you must promise me something for my trouble,' she said

Her eyelids trembled, and then she was still

Just as Marius thought that her sad soul had finally left her body, she slowly opened her eyes, and said in a voice so sweet that it seemed already to come from another world, 'You know, M

With those words, she closed her eyes for the last time and died.

Then he returned to the wine shop, and opened the letter that she had given him

So she still loved him! He thought for a moment that now he must not die, but then he thought, 'She's going away.'

She had not wanted to leave the house, but she had eventually obeyed him

In her unhappy state of mind, Cosette had forgotten to remove the page that she had used to blot the letter she had written to Marius

He remembered clearly the young man in the Luxembourg Gardens who had shown such great interest in Cosette, and he was certain that this was the man she had written to.

For the sake of Cosette's happiness, he would have to try and save the life of the man she loved - the man he hated more than any other in the world.

While you've been ill, she's spent her time crying and making bandages for you

I've found out that she's a charming girl and that she loves you

She wanted to throw herself into Marius's arms, but was unable to move, afraid to show the world that she loved him.

He also invented a dead family for Cosette, so that everybody believed she was an orphan

It was the happiest night of Cosette's life, spoilt only by one thing: the fact that her guardian - whom she still thought of as her father - went home before the feast had started, saying that he felt ill

She had Marius, and she would be happy with him for the rest of her life!

Everything ended for me when she married you yesterday

She is happy with the man she loves

When she hears

'She'll be heart-broken if she hears the truth about me

When he refused to kiss her cheek, she began to feel unhappy, afraid that she had done something to offend him

'Please, please be kind!' she begged

'I don't understand,' she said, becoming angry

As 'Monsieur Jean', he gradually became a different person to her, and she began not to depend on him for her happiness.

She did not realize that, every evening, Valjean would walk slowly from his house until he reached the corner of the street where she lived

She could not understand why her father, as she still thought of Valjean, had stopped visiting her

But she loved her husband even more, and she gradually became used to not depending on the old man for her happiness.

'Father!' she cried, falling into his arms.

Jean Valjean listened as she described the view from the room that would be his, the beauty of the garden, the singing of the birds, but he was listening more to the music of her voice than to the meaning of her words

'Your hands are so cold,' she said

Your mother loved you greatly and she suffered greatly

One day her mother made some cakes and said to her, "Go, my dear, and see how your grandmother is doing, because she has been very ill

As she was going through the wood, she met with a wolf, who had a very great mind to eat her up, but he dared not, because of some woodcutters working nearby in the forest

He asked her where she was going

"Does she live far off?" said the wolf.

The good grandmother, who was in bed, because she was ill, cried out, "Pull the bobbin, and the latch will go up

Is she my wife? My girlfriend? I think that she is, and I suddenly feel afraid for her

I remember Catherine's face, but she is not smiling like she is in the picture, and her blue eyes look scared and desperate

I try to remember the image, and I see that there is a piece of cloth in her mouth so that she cannot speak and that she is tied to a large grey stone by thick white ropes.

If the person who has Catherine hears me, she is in danger

She has a black uniform, which she always wears at work in the restaurant, and on the uniform is a badge with her name

"Hello handsome," she always says to me, "another day at the office?" And I never say much, but I do not have to: we understand each other without words

And I remember that after I eat, I wait for her in the car park until she finishes work, and she is surprised to see me there

"I just want Catherine," I say, but I can see the hate in the man's eyes, and I know that the only thing I can do now is run to the stone where I know she is tied and try to escape into the fog with her.

When I look to see why, I see that she is not there: the white ropes are still tied to the stone, but she is not.

"Catherine," I say again, smiling, because she is all that matters, and I can rest now because I know that she is safe.

And look, the blood behind his ear is where she hit him before she escaped."

We think she's his third victim this year."

"No, Darling, she means nothing to me, less than nothing

Perhaps the less she knows, the better.

But when his wife laughs, she sounds like a donkey.

"Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" she brays again.

Everyone in the bar knows she wants to go

But can she still swim? He is not sure

He thinks that with her clothes and her coat on she will be too heavy and that the cold grey water of the loch will pull her down

And the bottle of champagne that he knows she cannot resist.

And in her arms she has the heavy wax coat

"Of course," Sylvia says, and she stands up, which makes the boat rock

She has an oar in her hands, and she is reaching it out to him.

"Don't you dare call me that," she says in a tone as cold as the water

As she takes her coat off, Branwell watches her

And she has deep-green eyes that at the moment are tired and nervous and show something which he does not completely recognise.

"I do," she says, and her voice is thin and tense.

She waits for a moment, uncertain, and then she takes a breath

"Not now, no," she says, and she picks up her handbag

I can get you a tea if you like," but she shakes her head and puts the bag at her feet

Again she waits, and again Branwell thinks that he sees something in her deep-green eyes.

"There's a man who follows me," she begins

"Dangerous, yes," but she does not say anything else, and Branwell continues.

"Easily," she says, but again she pauses, and Branwell sees her turn quickly to look over her shoulder

Dead," she says

Is she crazy or just terrified? "Miss Thornton, if this man enters your house, we can arrest him

She looks over her shoulder again quickly and automatically as if she does it a hundred times a day

I know what he wants!" And she begins to cry.

"What?" she says before he can open the door

"You mean," she continues, "that if I tell you his name, you can help me? You can stop this?" she says desperately.

"Oh I know," she says, and he sees that something in her deep-green eyes, and he thinks that he knows what it is now

No, he cannot feel any sympathy for her, but maybe now she can find some rest

Maybe now she can forget the ghost of William Grey.

She is a quiet young thing, and beautiful too, and Carolina likes to have beautiful things around her, so she is more than happy to talk for both of them.

My doctor tells me that I must," she laughs

"I don't want to know! Just be nice." And she smiles at Eleanor

"Oh, I think I can look after myself," responds Eleanor, and again Carolina thinks what a sweet, lovely thing she is

Yes, a lovely, new companion, she thinks as she leaves.

"So, are you all writers?" she asks.

"Fascinating," she says, and all three look happy that she thinks so.

For the summer perhaps." Then she is quiet, and the three men think how polite and gentle she seems

"I'm sure she's not interested, Pete," says Edward.

Mrs Heath is lovely, but she only talks about scandal and gossip."

"Maybe," she says with another shy smile, "but you first: what's your idea for the perfect murder weapon?"

"Ha, she's right!" laughs Michael

"No, she kills him."

"Let me guess: they're rich, she wants his money?"

"You say she kills him

She always goes for a run in the evening, but this time she waits until he falls asleep in a chair in the lounge, and she puts a candle to the curtains

Then she goes for her run and makes sure that many people see her."

"Normally, yes," says Eleanor, and all three men notice how her smile fades a little, "but she has a plan for that

You see, she runs until she hears the fire engines

Then she returns to the house

There are people there already, neighbours, and this is just what she wants

They try to stop her, but she runs into the burning building

And so she goes to her husband as the flames spread over his body, and she watches

And while she watches, she lets the flames touch her, too

And at this point she screams and runs from the building and falls to the floor." Eleanor stops speaking, and for a moment there is silence at the table.

"My God," says Edward, "she lets the flames burn her."

"Everyone thinks it's an accident and that she is heartbroken," says Peter.

Mrs Dawson was bleeding from her nose and mouth; she also had marks on her face

You are here because when Miss Lee saw her younger sister, she took a pair of scissors from her kitchen table, said something to her sister and left the house

The words she said were 'I will kill him,' but the defendant says she does not remember that

Both times she had the scissors with her, and both times witnesses testified that she said 'I will kill him.'

They say this is the case because Miss Lee was not in a sane state of mind when she killed Mr Dawson; they say that this crime was in defence of her sister

They say this is premeditated murder because for half an hour Miss Lee looked for Mr Dawson; they also say she made her intention clear on three different occasions

In the court room she always looks sad and confused

Now, however, she looks only victorious.

"Wait," Mrs Dawson says, and she looks like she might cry

Why not? What can she do to him in here?

"Look," she says, her voice different now, "I saw you looking at me yesterday

Maybe there is something we can do to make you forget this? Maybe you can take me for a drink." Then she smiles and takes his hand

For a second she is silent, but then she speaks again, though this time her voice is hard and angry

He understands, and she is right: there is nothing he can do.

I never hurt anyone; she did

Is it my fault she is so stupid? So easy to manipulate? A little bit of blood on my face, a few tears, a fake story about him hitting me

"I think the judge needs to listen to this first," he says, and he looks back at the beautiful Mrs Dawson and sees that she is not sad now, and that she is not victorious, and not angry.

Yes, he thinks Mrs Dawson looks best when she is scared.

You know that Sophie is sleeping in her usual position at the top of the stairs and that she never makes a noise in the night, and you wish, for the first time, that you also had a dog

She was not the first girl, and he knows she will not be the last.

He remembers that afterwards they were in the hotel room kissing, but then something happened, and she laughed

Jesus, is this it? Did he really do something to that girl? More than hit her once? Did he do what they said on the radio? Was she dead?

And he remembers the last thing she said before she closed the door to the hotel room.

"I hope you die and rot in the desert!" she shouted, blood still on her face

I think she has family here, or maybe she comes from the area

"I already did" she calls back to him as she slowly disappears from sight.

"I don't think so," she says quietly.

Sarah considers sitting on one of the seats by the wall of the tunnel, but she is so tired that she thinks that maybe she will fall asleep if she rests.

So she stands, and she looks around at her fellow commuters and other passengers

For a moment she thinks about how quiet the platform is, and how normally she has to fight to get on the train in the evening.

Sarah thinks about her cosy sofa and the Chinese takeaway she will eat while watching TV

She can get it as she passes the restaurant, buy a bottle of wine from the local shop and be in bed by ten o'clock.

The train speeds out of the tunnel, and she enjoys the feeling of the wind in her dark brown hair

As it stops, she sees her reflection in the mirror of the carriage.

I look like death, she thinks.

Do not fall asleep, she tells herself.

She cannot see his face because he has the hood of his sports jacket up, but he seems to be asleep, and there is something about his face that she does not like

He has a short beard and pale, unhealthy skin, and she thinks that his eyes are probably unkind.

The train starts, and she shakes her head.

You are an idiot, she tells herself and pulls a book out of her bag

You need to stop reading this rubbish: you are losing your mind, she tells herself.

For ten minutes she reads her crime novel

The old woman two seats away from her does not look happy and she moves to sit in the seat next to Sarah.

The poor old woman must not feel too comfortable next to the noisy kids, but Sarah knows that they are okay: she can spot the bad kids from a mile away.

And when she hears the topic that they are talking about, she suddenly feels cold.

But she does not want to listen, and she takes her MP3 player from her bag and puts her headphones in.

After a few more minutes she feels the train stop and she is aware of the kids getting off.

Just listen to the music, she tells herself

But she is exhausted, and her head begins to drop, and she feels herself falling asleep

And she dreams about dark tunnels and strange men watching her.

Then she feels a sharp pain in her arm, and she almost screams.

Sarah nods and is about to put her headphones back in her ears when she feels someone watching her, and she looks at the corner of the carriage.

She feels a cold shiver move over her body, and suddenly she thinks that she feels a little ill.

Is he watching her? She looks again and, yes, his hood is still covering his face, but she is sure that his eyes are focused on her.

You just need to get home, she tells herself, and she feels the train slow down, and she knows she must get up.

I will, she thinks, but only if the strange man stays on the train

Go now, she tells herself.

The doors open, and she quickly walks through them.

For a few seconds she walks and then turns back to look at the tube train

No one gets off apart from her, she is sure.

The train starts again and she relaxes a little.

She can see the stairs to the street, and she wants to walk to them, but she feels so weak

All she needs is a little water.

Her arm hurts, so she takes her jacket off, and in the mirror she can see a small drop of blood on her skin.

Sarah jumps at the sound of the voice, and in the mirror she sees the reflection of the old woman

"What?" she tries to say, but then she falls to the floor

"Help me." she says in a weak voice.

Sala was so busy staring that she didn't look where she was going, and stepped into water up to her ankles.

"Urgh!" she said

It was March 15, and she had been going out with Cham for exactly one year

The little chip under her skin lit up for a second, showing how many energy units she had left

When she saw him over by the taste-pot machine, her heart jumped

"Hey," said Cham, as she joined him

"Yes." Sala loved painting, but the paints were expensive, so it was something she couldn't do very often.

One year ago, on March 15, 2087, she'd been standing in Space 29 in one of her favorite illusions

Sala had been so surprised she'd almost screamed

Usually, she was shy with boys

By the time they left the simulator, she'd fallen in love - and luckily for her, so had Cham.

"A diamond necklace?" she joked.

"I haven't heard anything," she said

She'd made her own garden on the roof of their apartment, and she was always up there

"Give this to your grandmother," she said, and then turned away.

But she was too late

It carried her away rapidly, and in no time at all, she'd disappeared.

"Must be something for Gran's garden," she said.

"Thank you so much, again," she said

"Cham is everything OK?" she asked.

She wished she could believe him

All at once, she was sure that something wasn't right.

She turned and ran down the street to her apartment block, and soon she was in the dry and rushing upward in the elevator

It had taken years for Gran to make her garden because it was so difficult to find soil or plants, but she had made some soil with rotten vegetables and fruit, and slowly found bits and pieces here and there

Now she spent as much time in the garden as possible, even when it was dark or raining

Gran was bending over a tomato plant, but as Sala entered, she straightened up slowly

Her back was often painful from when she'd been injured during the Oil Wars, so she almost never left the apartment these days.

For one awful moment, she thought Gran might even fall over.

Sala, where did you get this?" she whispered.

I think she must have followed me

Instead, she turned the package over, looking for a way to open it

"It's a fruit of the wild rose," she said in a low voice, touching it carefully

"Wild roses used to grow near our house, when I was young," she told Sala

Gran was always talking about how she'd lived by the ocean when she was a child.

Then she turned to Sala

"So, tell me about your day," she said, over her shoulder

"Well, it's good to be generous," she said

Gran was always talking about the days when she and Sala's grandfather used to travel to distant lands, climb mountains, and go swimming in the ocean

"Who knows?" she said

Gran had a chip buried under her skin like everyone else, but she wore a bracelet to hide it as a small way of protesting about the government's tight control over everyone.

There was one from Niki, but nothing from Cham, so she began a message to him

"Hey," she said

"Did you get home OK?" Then she stopped

Then she thought about Gran's fruit.

Don't mention that on the ultranet, she told herself

"Please message me," she finished instead

Will we ever be free? she wondered

Suddenly, Sala thought she understood

"You didn't say you'd do it, did you?" she whispered.

As soon as Cham's face disappeared, she suddenly remembered: Gran's story! She'd forgotten to tell him about it in the end.

When she came back to their table, Cham was watching something on the ultranet.

well, she surprised me

"So you were thinking about it!" she cried

When Sala got home with Apat, she felt sick

She managed not to say anything in front of her little brother, but Gran could see at once that she was upset.

We argued, and I told Apat we had to leave early," she finished miserably

It was true, her family was very lucky, and she sometimes forgot that

It meant that she earned a regular salary, unlike Cham's parents, who were always worrying about money

"Oh! No." Sala's thoughts had been so full of Cham and Pod Life that she'd almost forgotten about it

Sala thought of all the places she'd visited in the simulator

I'm really sorry I got so angry," she said

Then she waited for his reply

What if he wouldn't forgive her? She had really shouted at him, and now she felt awful

She was in the wrong, and now she'd probably ruined everything.

The mystery woman: Who was she? How did she know about Gran? She wondered when she would see her again...

Forgetting about the woman, she jumped to her feet and rushed out

Too bad, she thought.

nine floors down, she stepped out into a different world

At Cham's door, she stood by the recognition screen and waited.

Then she and Cham both began talking at once.

Then she thought of Gran.

"But Cham," she said, "what if there was a better future - something completely different?"

"Gran said she thought it had come from..

I love the way she talks about the past and all that

she thinks maybe it came from her long-lost brother

He truly didn't believe the fruit came from another world beyond the city boundary - and she couldn't really blame him

She decided that they needed to talk about something different, because she'd come here to make things better, not worse.

"I wish someone else in your family could do the pod thing," she said

But she hated the thought of losing him.

When I told Mom about it, she looked so hopeful I thought she'd cry

She wanted to tell Cham right away that she hated the idea

But then she thought of her Gran, and what she'd said about Cham's situation

how would it work?" she asked

Then she looked at Cham and smiled

"Really?" she replied

But whenever she thought about lying in a pod for months, her stomach seemed to turn over and over - in spite of what she'd told Cham.

"I suppose it seems to me like losing control," she said.

They had almost reached Sala's exit, so she gathered her things together and said goodbye to Niki

But as she stepped off the walkway, she felt a hand touching her back.

uh, yes," she managed to say

The following afternoon, as Sala walked up and down in her little room, waiting to go with Cham for their pod experience, she had a strange feeling in her stomach

Maybe this was how it felt to go on a real journey, she thought

"We're like explorers from the past," she said.

Sala had seen it before, of course, from a distance - but she'd never been so close to it.

"Wow!" she said.

Would it really feel like she was swimming with dolphins in one of those?

Zee guided Sala into her pod; the door closed, and she could feel the cool metal attachments touching her face and her body suit

All at once, she was floating in warm, clear water

Cautiously, she tried moving her arms and legs, and found that it came naturally

Then she heard a noise

She couldn't believe it - she was face to face with a beautiful gray dolphin

"Oh, wow!" she cried

This was such an intelligent, sensitive creature, who seemed to know exactly who she was.

And then she heard a voice: "Your hour is almost over

She wanted to fight, or run, but she couldn't lift her legs.

"Help! I'm -" she began.

Then a face she had seen before

The attachments came off and she walked out of the pod, her knees trembling

And take your time," she told them

Her legs had stopped trembling, more or less, and she wanted to get out of there

There was a big conversation coming, and she wasn't looking forward to it.

They'd never had to make a big decision like this before, and she wished with all her heart that he wasn't making her choose

But she could see he was only being fair.

"All right, Cham," she said slowly

Everyone wanted to hear about Sala's pod experience, so she described it slowly, giving every last detail

"I don't think you can depend on that, Gran," she said

And what if - just what if - she was right?

At last, she knew she couldn't put off her decision any longer, and when she'd finished her studies on the day after the pod experience, she invited Cham to her apartment.

This was harder than she'd imagined

"Cham, I've made a decision," she said, in a rush.

Should she mention the wild rose fruit again? She wasn't sure

But then she opened her mouth and the words just came out

As soon as she said it, she wished she hadn't.

"Thank you," she said

and Niki, too, as soon as she's seventeen..

A few days had passed since Sala's decision, and she was feeling happy about it

Many of the other students still talked about nothing but Pod Life, but she didn't care.

Now, she was sitting with Niki on their lunch break, and thinking about the months ahead.

"It's not just that," she protested

All the reasons she'd given to Cham ran through her mind, but how could she explain them to Niki? It was really complicated.

Back at home that afternoon, Sala thought about Niki's words: it was true that because she was with Cham, life felt exciting

Feeling warm and comfortable and sleepy, she thought of Cham, holding her in the Real Space

Maybe it's part of the story, she thought sleepily - but then a light started flashing, and she opened her eyes.

Cham sent her another message while she was on her way to say that he was in Space 46, and when she went in, he'd already chosen an illusion

"I'm so sorry," she said

"Pod Life," she said.

If only she'd seen that woman again...

Sorry." All at once, she was trembling

At last, she looked up

When she and Cham left the simulator center, it was still only late afternoon, so Sala went to the energy center

All she wanted to do was run

She ran until she was exhausted - too tired to think anymore.

She wished she could be with Cham, but his family was in crisis; they all needed him more than she did right now

As she walked home, loneliness hit her

Sala hadn't been looking where she was going

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" gasped Sala, and she bent down at once to help him pick them up.

Sala did as the woman had said: she turned and walked down the street

Then she raced up to her apartment and arrived breathless

"It's front the same woman," she said

Then she sat down and covered her face with her hands

"He's alive!" she whispered

How could she ask Cham to keep a secret from his parents?

"The woman said she would find me again soon," said Sala

The journey across the city seemed to take forever; but when she arrived, Cham was waiting, hands in pockets

They were so close to the pod center that she was worried there might be government agents nearby

you're still going to do this?" she demanded, waving her hand toward the pod center.

"Ouch," she said.

What more could she say? Cham's number one consideration right now was his family, and she couldn't stand in the way of that; but she wished that he would at least think about other possibilities.

Sala felt she was going to burst

Surely, this wasn't really going to happen? But there was nothing she could do

Sala couldn't believe how much her life was suddenly changing, but she didn't try to discuss it with Cham

What more could she say?

She arrived early and didn't have to wait in line, so in a few minutes, she was stretching her legs and then running mechanically, left-foot right-foot, on the machine.

Sala didn't look at her at first, but when the woman spoke, she recognized her voice at once.

Sala's thoughts flew to Cham - she was supposed to meet him in an hour

Instead, she spent hours sitting on her bench in the Real Space, looking out over the city with a distant expression

Or she would suddenly tell them all one of her memories: of growing up with Eston or their suffering during the Oil Wars.

Sala stopped soon afterward, and, feeling guilty, she sent a message to Cham.

and anyway, maybe she would come back with exciting news for everyone.

When she came toward the biggest walkway of all - the one that stretched right across the city - Sala's heart started beating faster

Was this a trap? Where were they going? But the woman didn't look back; she wasn't going to wait

The woman wore a bright yellow bag on her back, so at least she was easy enough to follow, but she walked rapidly, and Sala was soon breathless.

This was crazy; she shouldn't have come

But still, she followed

She had lost sight of the woman - where had she gone? She tried to message Cham, but nothing happened

Sala, you're such a fool, she thought

If the woman was leading her into a trap, she now had no way of contacting anyone.

But then she saw something yellow on the crowded street ahead: the woman's bag

Her guide was bending down, playing with her boot; and then she signaled with her fingers, inviting Sala on

This is it, she told herself.

"Come in, come in," she said

She looked very different now that she was in her own surroundings - more friendly and unthreatening

Sala guessed she was about nineteen.

Come and sit," she said.

We wanted to contact your grandmother directly, but she never goes out

So..." she hesitated, "we put a tiny bug inside the fruit

We needed to hear what she said

If that's true, she knows all about us

"So what did we say?" she demanded.

"Your grandmother told you how she and her brother used the fruit to play tricks on people

"But not without us," she added hurriedly

Like your grandmother, because she stays at home so much."

See if she would be prepared to take the risk

Sala half-wanted to rush home to tell Gran and Mom what had happened, but she didn't want to lose any of her remaining time with Cham

She was over an hour late for meeting him at the simulator center, and because her ultranet connection didn't come back on until she was almost there, she couldn't even call him or send him a message

So by the time she arrived, he looked desperately worried.

She'd never considered it before, when she'd had nothing to hide

But Wena knew that Sala had told Cham about the rose fruit, didn't she? Anyway, Sala needed to tell Cham to try and persuade him not to go into a pod.

You don't even know this woman and now she's filling your head with all these crazy stories..."

"It is real, though," she said

Could she try to persuade him? Would he listen?

"I just wish you'd change your mind about Pod Life," she said, in a rush.

When they had talked about it before, she had felt left out; not jealous, exactly, because she was sure that she didn't want to join them

Instead, she thought of Oban and Wena, and Gran's dreams about a life outside

She was dying to tell the others, but knew that she couldn't.

"Is she OK?"

"So, Gran, what do you think?" she asked breathlessly, when she'd finished her story.

"Not without you," she said at last

"Never again," she insisted

Sala wished she could see him on her own, but she knew that time with his family was precious

"He's just joking," she told the girls

Then she stepped forward, and wrapped her arms around him.

"Remember what we said," she whispered in his ear

She was counting the hours until she could speak to him again.

Sala went to the energy center every day, hoping she'd see Wena

Sometimes she took Apat with her, though he was less enthusiastic now that Cham couldn't go with them

He complained that Sala spent too long running, not realizing that she was waiting..

Apat was busy on the jumping machine, and Sala was collecting a drink from the cafe, when she heard a voice in her ear.

"She wants to wait," she said

"I don't think she'll change her mind."

"OK," she said at last

She turned away, and before Sala could stop her, she picked up her yellow bag and disappeared through the center's doors.

But she was so good at just melting away, disappearing before Sala had time to realize she was going

"What have you been doing?" she asked.

Sala began to wonder if she'd offended him

"Sorry, I..." she started.

I really miss you, though." Sala wanted to tell him about seeing Wena, but she knew that she needed to be careful over the ultranet

As she worked, she wondered why Cham didn't want her to talk to Wena

It must be strange for him, not knowing where she was or what she was doing

Next time, it will be fine, she told herself.

he's fine." Sala described how enthusiastic he'd been, but she didn't mention his warning

"Oh, yes, don't mind me." But Gran was rubbing her back, where she'd been injured years ago

She'd been really excited to discover what the group was doing, but she hadn't considered actually joining them

Then she thought about Cham's warning, and felt confused

"You take after me," she said

She knew it would be best to go straight to the earth apartment, but she felt a little afraid to do that

Did she dare go back to the earth apartment? What if Cham was warning her for a reason?

Don't be silly, she told herself

She set off along the busy walkway, checking her ultranet connection as she went

After looking around to check that no one was watching her, she slipped quietly down the passageway, and found the same door as before

Down she went, into the depths of the tower block

The lights had been turned off; soon she was in complete darkness, so she turned on the lights on her virtual interface to guide her

At last, she reached the door to the earth apartment

She was about to knock, when she saw that this one wasn't closed either

She pushed it gently and, her knees trembling, she stepped into the room

"Wena!" she called, her voice high with fear

Sala rushed into the room that she had seen on her previous visit

She was at the kitchen table with Mom and Gran, but Apat was in his room, and she didn't want him to hear them.

"Why?" she said

"Cham has a point," she said slowly

"I think I could test this," she said

But the day before her next Ultranet Talk Hour with Cham, she decided to go to the simulator center

Outside, the clouds looked gray and threatening, so she took the covered walkway

He said it so lightly that Sala wasn't sure she'd heard right

"Cham! Don't you remember the woman?" she demanded

"The letter from Gran's brother." The words slipped out before she could stop herself, and she knew at once that she shouldn't have said it

"Cham, you're talking such nonsense," she said, laughing

Terrified, Sala rushed from her room as soon as she and Cham had finished talking.

"Mom! Gran!" she shouted.

Sala ran up the steps so fast she almost tripped

He's changing! The pod is having some kind of effect on him!" she gasped.

He's not the same person anymore," she finished, bursting into tears

Now that she was here, how was she going to say what she needed to?

he said he might want to stay in the pod, after the two years," she said

"Look, I know this will sound strange, but to me, he doesn't seem the same," she insisted

Completely hopeless, Sala thought as she sat finishing her green tea

There was only one thing she could do

When the ultranet interface went dead, she sat quietly for a moment

On the one hand, she could now see a future full of possibilities..

She wasn't even sure if his family would give them time alone together - but she'd have to make sure it happened

I'm sure you'll learn so many interesting things," she said encouragingly.

"Actually, I'd really like to talk to Cham about his studies," she said

Right now, all she wanted was to talk to Cham

Normally she loved it when Cham was fooling around with his sisters, but now she thought she'd explode.

"Oh yes," she whispered

This might be easier than she'd imagined

"You don't mean it?" she begged Cham.

Sala played with the plate of food in front of her; she couldn't eat a thing.

Cham doesn't know much about the rebellion, does he?" she said

"I'm so sorry I told him," she said guiltily.

"Wena didn't tell you, did she?"

She thought of everything that she, Mom, and Gran had talked about over and over

And then, just before daybreak, she had an idea

"Gran," she said, "you remember what you said last night, about the Oil Wars? You said..

"Could you teach them to me?" she asked.

Then she nodded slowly.

Cham's parents and sisters sat next to her, talking quietly, but she didn't join in

Her knees were trembling, but along with Cham's family, she followed Zee through the glass doors.

At the far end of the room, she saw Ding, and waved

Look normal, she told herself

"Actually, I've got something to tell you all," she said slowly

As a huge smile of delight spread over his face, she felt suddenly weak all over.

It might be the last real moment with him she'd have.

For one last time, she thought of them

With her new strength of mind, she didn't think about the tears and hugs as she'd said goodbye

Instead, she imagined them standing in a beautiful garden, surrounded by greenery, with wild roses nodding gently nearby

This, Gran had taught her, was what she must think of.

And somehow, she hoped, she would reach Cham, through his avatar, and find the real person inside once more

We'll heat them, she told herself

Then, pretending to know them well, she asked her victims rude questions in her loud American voice.

I hated my life with Mrs Van Hopper, but she paid me a little money to be her companion

'There isn't one well-known person here,' she said in her loud voice

Soon she was eating a large plateful of spaghetti

'It's Max de Winter,' she said to me

I knew what she was going to do.

At last she had to stop

'You must have a drink with me,' she said

'At least, she did not think you were

'Important? Why does she think that I'm important?' de Winter asked.

'And she's much older than you too

Is she a relation?'

'It was dreadful,' she had said

'You haven't got enough to do and so you are doing nothing,' she said unpleasantly

But she did not.

'He's an attractive man,' she said, 'but not easy to know

People say she was very lovely

Somehow, she and her beauty had not died.

She wanted to tell everyone that she was leaving.

'What are you doing in there?' she said

'You haven't got a cold, have you?' said Mrs Van Hopper when she saw my face.

'Well,' she said, 'you are more clever than I thought

'It was lucky for you that I was ill,' she said

'Of course,' she said, 'you know why he is marrying you, don't you? He's not in love with you

The hand she placed in mine was cold and heavy, like something dead.

I remember nothing of what she said

I suppose she was welcoming me to Manderley

'No, not from this wing,' she answered, 'and you can't hear it either

'Very well,' she said

'Thank you, sir,' she said

Then she turned and went quietly out of the room.

'I expect we'll get on well when she knows me better,' I said

'Not like you? Why shouldn't she like you?' said Maxim and he came across the room and kissed me gently.

I suppose she wants to have a look at you.'

'Yes, but she won't stay long

If she doesn't like you, she'll tell you so.'

Here she had chosen her guests and written letters to her friends

'This is the west wing,' she said

'Major and Mrs Lacy have been here some time,' she said

I knew then that she had been watching me, laughing at my fear

'Here she is at last,' Maxim said

'What do you think of Manderley?' she asked me.

'You know,' she said, 'you are much younger than I expected

'Don't answer,' she said

I told her about Mrs Van Hopper and how surprised she had been.

'Why must she hate me being at Manderley?'

'We must be going,' she said

Then she bent down and kissed me

'Beatrice is very kind-hearted, but she always says the wrong thing.'

'What did she talk to you about after lunch?'

She said I was quite different from what she expected.'

'What on earth did she expect?'

She won't come back, will she?'

At last she said,

Of course, she was a clever person.'

'Yes, she was a lovely person

And she had such a lovely dress.'

'Yes, she did

I noticed that Frank always called Rebecca 'she'

What happened to it? Was it the boat Rebecca was sailing when she died?'

Nobody knew she was sailing

And when I meet anyone new, I know what they are thinking: "How different she is from Rebecca." '

'Yes, I suppose she was the most beautiful woman I ever saw in my life.'

He did not sit at Rebecca's desk and touch the things she had touched

She knew that I enjoyed sketching and she had really tried to please me.

I felt she had known the truth all the time.

As she left the room I could see the scorn and hatred in her eyes.

People will hurt you," she said

I heard Mrs Danvers say, 'I expect she went into the library

'You opened the shutter yourself, didn't you?' she said

She was wearing it the night before she died

'I blame myself for the accident,' she said

When I came in, I heard she had gone down to the bay

The wind was blowing harder, and still she had not come back.

'Sometimes I feel she is standing here, behind me

'Do you think she can see us now?' Mrs Danvers asked me

'Sometimes I think she watches you and Mr de Winter together,' Mrs Danvers whispered.

'Well, my dear, how are you?' she said

'Well, my dear, here I am,' she said

'Oh well,' she said, 'I suppose he knows Mrs Danvers quite well.'

I hoped that she would tell me more about Favell, but she did not

'I hope you won't be so thin next time I see you,' Beatrice said as she got into her car

Thank God she did not know I was watching her

'Oh, Madam, it's so exciting,' she said

I hoped she would go, but she stood at the door.

I wondered why she was so friendly

Her name was Caroline de Winter and she had been famous for her beauty

'And what is our hostess going to wear?' she asked

'I don't know what she's doing,' I heard Maxim say

Yes, her dress was exactly like mine and she had the same curled hair

When she saw my face, Clarice started to cry.

'My dear,' she said, 'are you all right?' I put a hand up to my head and took off the wig

Beatrice stared at me before she spoke.

You must come down for him,' she said.

'I must go down now,' she said at last

'Well done, my dear,' she said

I felt that she knew about my tears

But she was a living woman like myself

'Why did you ever come to Manderley?' she said

'You tried to take Mrs de Winter's place,' she said.

He has looked like that ever since she died.'

'Well, he's a man, isn't he?' she said with a hard laugh

'What do I care for his pain?' she said

How do you think I've felt, watching you sit in her place, using the things she used? I hear the servants calling you Mrs de Winter

He knows she is watching him

'I looked after her when she was a child

'Mrs de Winter was a lovely child,' she said

'When she was only twelve years old, the men could not stop looking at her

But even then, she cared for nothing and nobody

And that's how she was when she grew up

'Mr de Winter was jealous of Mr Favell when she was alive

'It's no use, is it?' she said

'Why don't you go?' she said again

'It's the rockets,' she said

'We had better go down,' she said in her usual voice

Then she went to the door and held it open for me.

'She's on the rocks, isn't she?'

She won't come back, will she?'

I remember how she looked at me before she died

She knew she would win in the end.'

'Everyone thought she was the kindest, the most charming person

I would never tell people all the terrible things she had told me.'

But she made Manderley the place of beauty it is today

Then she began to grow careless

When she came back, she took Giles out sailing with her

"It won't be easy to divorce me," she said

'Then she stood up and walked towards me.

"If I had a child, Max," she said, "Everyone would think it was yours

'And she smiled at me again

'Rebecca knew she would win in the end

I saw her smile when she died.'

They'll think she was trapped there

Rebecca had not won, she had lost.

I rang the bell for a maid and when she came, I spoke to her angrily

'I don't understand,' she said

When Mrs de Winter wanted any change in the menu, she spoke to me herself.'

'Is it true,' she asked slowly, 'that Mrs de Winter's boat has been found and that there was a body in the cabin?'

'I will give orders about the lunch,' she said

But if she learnt the truth about Rebecca's death, she would become Maxim's enemy too

Then the door shut and, somehow, she was trapped there

Colonel Julyan thinks she was trapped in the cabin and the jury will think that too.'

'Mrs de Winter was careless for a moment and she died.'

'And she was fond of me

I say she was murdered

He was jealous because she loved me

Were you on the beach when she took her boat out for the last time?'

'No, certainly not,' she said.

'I don't know what she meant

If it was something important, she would have told me.'

'Can you tell us how Mrs de Winter spent that last day in London? Did she keep a diary?' asked Colonel Julyan.

'Here is the page for the day Mrs de Winter died,' she said

'If he wasn't a friend, perhaps it was someone she was afraid of.'

'There's a telephone number here at the back,' she said

I knew what she had wanted to tell Favell

Rebecca had been pregnant when she died

We want to know why she came to see you on the day she died.'

'Was she tall and dark, a beautiful woman?' Colonel Julyan asked.

"I want to know the truth," she said

In six months, she would have been dead.'

The X-rays showed that she could never have had a child

'I suppose she could not face the pain

That's why she laughed

She was laughing when she died.'

By a quarter to seven, she had gone.'

'I can do that,' she thinks

'I have a drink for you, Nathan,' she says.

'You're a good stand-in, Nathan,' she says

Suddenly, she sees someone running to the trees.

'Look!' she says

'It's OK, I'm a good driver,' she says

'It's OK!' she says

'What is it?' she asks.

'I'm not stopping,' she says

'Let's go!' says Natalie, and she runs after The Cat.

'Can I do that?' she thinks.

'Got you!' says Natalie, and she jumps on him

'You!' she says.

Tina could see only the side of his face, but she gasped in painful recognition.

She whispered her son's name, as if she would frighten off this beloved apparition if she spoke any louder.

Unaware that she was staring at him, the boy put one hand to his mouth and bit gently on his bent thumb knuckle, which Danny had begun to do a year or so before he died

Now, as she watched this boy, his resemblance to Danny seemed to be more than mere coincidence

She still had not adjusted to the loss of her only child, because she'd never wanted - or tried - to adjust to it

Seizing on this boy's resemblance to her Danny, she was too easily able to fantasize that there had been no loss in the first place.

Why not? The more that she considered it, the less crazy it seemed

After all, she'd never seen Danny's corpse

The police and the morticians had advised her that Danny was so badly torn up, so horribly mangled, that she was better off not looking at him

Sickened, grief-stricken, she had taken their advice, and Danny's funeral had been a closed-coffin service

As they stared at each other through two windows and through the strange sulphurous light, she had the feeling that they were making contact across an immense gulf of space and time and destiny

Pulling her gaze away from his, she studied her hands, which were gripping the steering wheel so fiercely that they ached.

She thought of herself as a tough, competent, levelheaded woman who was able to deal with anything life threw at her, and she was disturbed by her continuing inability to accept Danny's death.

After the initial shock, after the funeral, she had begun to cope with the trauma

Gradually, day by day, week by week, she had put Danny behind her, with sorrow, with guilt, with tears and much bitterness, but also with firmness and determination

She had taken several steps up in her career during the past year, and she had relied on hard work as a sort of morphine, using it to dull her pain until the wound fully healed.

But then, a few weeks ago, she had begun to slip back into the dreadful condition in which she'd wallowed immediately after she'd received news of the accident

Again, she was possessed by the haunting feeling that her child was alive

This boy in the station wagon was not the first that she had imagined was Danny; in recent weeks, she had seen her lost son in other cars, in schoolyards past which she had been driving, on public streets, in a movie theater.

Also, she'd recently been plagued by a repeating dream in which Danny was alive

Each time, for a few hours after she woke, she could not face reality

This was a warm and wonderful fantasy, but she could not sustain it for long

Though she always resisted the grim truth, it gradually exerted itself every time, and she was repeatedly brought down hard, forced to accept that the dream was not a premonition

Nevertheless, she knew that when she had the dream again, she would find new hope in it as she had so many times before.

Sick, she berated herself.

She'd heard that said, and she believed it

But she wasn't going to allow such a thing to happen to her

She wanted to cry, needed to cry, but she didn't.

She wasn't a dancer anymore; now she worked behind the curtain, in the production end of the show, but she still felt physically and psychologically best when she weighed no more than she had weighed when she'd been a performer.

Five minutes later, she was home

In the kitchen, she toasted two pieces of bread

Right now, she didn't want to remember so clearly.

Her heart knotted in her chest, and her lower lip began to quiver again, and she put her head down on the table

She was miserable because she couldn't think of a way to reach him

Tina Evans sat straight up in bed, certain that she had heard a noise in the house

The sound she'd heard had come as she was waking, a real noise, not an imagined one.

This wasn't the first night she'd been wrongly convinced that an intruder was prowling the house

On four or five occasions during the past two weeks, she had taken the pistol from the nightstand and searched the place, room by room, but she hadn't found anyone

Recently she'd been under a lot of pressure, both personally and professionally

Maybe what she'd heard tonight had been the thunder from the dream.

She remained on guard for a few minutes, but the night was so peaceful that at last she had to admit she was alone

As her heartbeat slowed, she eased back onto her pillow.

At times like this, she wished that she and Michael were still together

He would comfort and reassure her, and in time, she would sleep again.

Of course, if she and Michael were in bed right this minute, it wouldn't be like that at all

Because Tina had loved Michael to the end, she'd been hurt and saddened by the dissolution of their relationship

Admittedly, she had also been relieved when it was finally over.

During the twelve years of their marriage, Tina had become a different and more complex person than she'd been on their wedding day, but Michael hadn't changed at all - and didn't like the woman that she had become