Firestone Read Free Page B

do you mean?”
    “ As your gift for making
our family, our entire community whole,” Liban said.
    “ My gift?” Jill asked. “I
don’t really want anything from you.”
    “ Yes,” Liban said. “That’s
refreshing.”
    Liban smiled.
    “ But?” Jill
asked.
    “ You are given a wish for
every single person involved in this adventure,” Liban
asked.
    “ A wish?” Jill
asked.
    “ For your friends, Jacob,
Sam, Valerie, James, the Oracle, your family, and your friends who
valiantly fought the men who wanted to take your babies, the people
at the earthquake site . . .,” Liban said. “You can
wish for anything you want.”
    “ You mean you could heal
Honey’s back so she can walk again?” Jill asked.
    “ No,” Liban said. “I
cannot heal an old injury. A newer injury, sure, but Honey has
healed and . . . I’m sorry. Honey is wonderful.
Older injuries are . . . tricky. There’s a good
chance I would make it a lot worse.”
    “ So you could heal Tink’s
seizures?” Jill asked.
    “ Would you like that?”
Liban asked.
    “ Yes,” Jill
said.
    “ What about her memories?”
Liban asked. “I can take them . . .”
    “ No,” Jill said. “She
needs them for the trial so she can testify. But could you help her
not feel so bad about them, or scared,
or . . .”
    Liban nodded.
    “ While you’re at it,” Jill
said. “Can you help sort out that whole thing – the boys
responsible and the boys who were just there and the boys who
watched the videos and . . .”
    “ Done,” Liban said. “Good
choices, Jillian. However, you must watch your own
nature.”
    “ My nature?” Jill asked.
“What . . .”
    “ You have a tendency to
destroy to create something new,” Liban said.
    “ What?” Jill
asked.
    “ It’s in your blood,”
Liban said.
    “ How would
you . . .?”
    “ It is what you do, isn’t
it?” Liban asked. “Destroy an engagement party, get a new
life?”
    Jill blushed.
    “ I’m not chastising you,
Jill,” Liban said. “I’m saying we need to be careful. For example,
you might want to heal the child Sissy’s eating disorder. But by
wiping her slate clean, you will leave her vulnerable to other
trouble as she moves forward in her career as a ballerina. By
having this disorder so early in life, she is less vulnerable to
situations and people that keep other girls from
greatness.”
    “ I see what you mean.”
Jill nodded. “Did we do that with the rapist boys
or . . .?”
    “ For a few,” Liban said.
“As you know, destruction brings healing.”
    “ And I get to decide for
everyone?” Jill’s inner meddler squealed with glee.
    “ Who else?” Liban
smiled.
    “ Can I have some time to
think?” Jill asked.
    “ No,” Liban said. “With
the birth of the boys, the surrounding magic is elevated right now.
We can get more done. Plus, I’m confident you already have a plan
for everyone.”
    “ Well . . .” Jill smiled.
    “ I’m
listening.”
    ~~~~~~~~
    Saturday—10:12 A.M.
     
    Jacob looked out over their old construction
site. While he’d been in the Isle of Man, his crew had fought to
stabilize the site and save lives. Their efforts were evident in
every area of the site. He was proud of the men and women from
Lipson Construction, who’d fought so valiantly through the night.
He grinned at his princely thoughts, and wondered if his time at
the Isle of Man had changed him.
    “ Marlowe?” an Adam’s
County Sheriff’s detective yelled at him from an area near the
trailers. “We’re ready.”
    Today was the day of reckoning. The Adam’s
County Sheriff’s along with police detectives from every city in
Adam’s County were here to go over what happened last night and
take their statements. Sam was out on the north side of the site,
the pit area, with Rodney and Honey. Blane was with DeShawn, Jason,
and Pete in the medical tents. Aden was with Jerry and his team
going over their work.
    They had asked Jacob to discuss how