35
Adam smelled the fire first. Then he heard its crackling, popping hunger for fuel, and then he saw its glow flickering through his eyelids.
He opened his eyes and saw the familiar evergreen boughs above his head. His feet were warm from the campfire, but his face had the flushed feeling that comes from being simultaneously hot and cold.
“Hey there, Rip Van Winkle,” came Teddy’s voice, a moment before his face passed into Adam’s field of vision. “Welcome back to the land of the… well, not quite dead, anyway. You think you’re ready to sit up for a minute?”
Adam’s throat had glommed shut, and he gave a small cough to clear it. “Sure,” he croaked.
A noise from the dark woods nearby startled Adam, and he lifted his head. Harlan appeared, adjusting his upper layers (corduroy jacket, flan
