Answer the questions related to fundamentals of finance Research Paper

Answer the questions related to fundamentals of finance - Research Paper Example For example, a company which is forced to delay investments to achieve earning target is trapped in short term vision. This tension can be described as a disturbance in equilibrium of maintaining balance between profitability & earning and growth & development of a firm. For example, a company focused on boosting high margin by reducing costs may also have to compromise on research and development or other investment on technological advancement. This may result in loosing profitability in long term to competitor. This tension can be described as a disturbance in equilibrium of maintaining balance between creating companywide benefits and utilizing individual potential of the units to the optimum level. One example of a firm trapped in such tension can be an organization which is swinging its operation between centralization and decentralization of its operations. The purpose of the Financial Statements is to provide information about the financial position, performance and comparative financial trend of the firm to various stakeholders in order to facilitate them in economic decision making. Internal financial statement, however, is prepared for internal management and managers. It facilitates them in financial analysis and making business decisions. Whereas, financial statements intended for public is used for external stakeholders such as investors, shareholders and regulators etc. The fundamental difference between the two is that financial statements for the public is standardized and regulated by the authorities and regulatory body. It has to comply with minimum international and local accounting standard. Furthermore, the public statement is required to be audited and endorsed by the external auditors. On the other hand, there are not strict regulatory standards for internal statements and are used for internal decision making. It is purpose driven and can be

Kite Runner Themes Essay Example for Free

Kite Runner Themes Essay Baba expresses a great deal of pride and attachment to the afghan culture so the move to America fills Amir and himself with a loss of heritage and identity. The escape from the previous culture however allows Amir to escape the incident of rape upon his best friend Hassan which has left a bad taste on his childhood. In America Amir doesn’t turn away from his Middle Eastern culture, and asks Soraya’s father, the general for permission to marry her even though he spurns it slightly by talking to her privately without consent. Amir towards the end, becomes proud of his blended culture. Although he enjoys visiting Pakistan, eating the traditional food and hearing references to childhood legends, he also likes the feeling of hope and freedom he gained from America. Social Inequality From childhood, Amir recognizes the difference in social standing between himself and best friend Hassan. As a Pashtun, Amir enjoys privileges of being a higher class and his father being a successful man whereas Hassan is poor and he and his father face prejudice from people every day. Despite this, Hassan and Ali are content with their lower class life and are good natured human beings. Hosseini is trying to convey that your social standing in society does not determine what kind of person you are and if you are better than someone else. You can only truly be better than someone else morally and having saint-like characteristics. During Amir and Hassan childhood, they’re differences of social class are conveyed by living standards, Hassan being illiterate and physical appearances. These are individually important but as a whole they all convey irony in the fact that it is Hassan who is content with life and Amir who is not. Later in the novel, Hazara prejudice which is taken to the extreme as they are massacred and abused by Taliban officials, such as Assef. When Sohrab returns with Amir to America, Amir is quick to dispel any mention of class as he believes it is has influenced his and Sohrab’s life too greatly and he perhaps finally sees them as his equals which he was afraid to do so as a child(never referring to Hassan as his friend). Personal Responsibility Many of the actions of the main character stem from personal responsibility. Baba takes on the responsibility of Ali from his father, who took him in when he was a child. He lets Ali and his son work for him, offers them shelter and food; making them feel part employees and part family. Air later realises this ‘personal responsibility’ baba showed for Ali may stem from his guilt of betraying Ali and fathering Hassan. Amir feels responsible for all the bad occurrences which happened to Hassan and his father. He feels many of the events which occurred later in the novel are down to him being too cowardly to prevent Hassan being raped. Though many suffer from the Taliban’s ruthlessness, he believes the events that happened to Hassan’s family are his responsibility/fault. The feeling of responsibility is what drives Amir to return to Afghanistan, to rescue Sohrab. Rahim Khan plants this idea in Amir’s head and suggests this is the way to achieve closure and absolution for the past. After he rescues Sohrab, Amir feels responsible for the boy in a different way and wants to protect him from anymore pain; furthermore, he sees Sohrab as a way to fill the emptiness in the marriage from his and Sorayas infidelity. Identity and Self- discovery Throughout the novel the protagonist struggles to find his true purpose and find his identity through noble actions. Amir’s failure to be loyal to his friend at such a crucial moment defines this conflict. His endeavour to overcome his own weaknesses appear in confronting Assef, returning to a war torn country oppressed by the Taliban and even his carsickness whilst during with Farid. The revelation of baba later in chapter 17, allows Amir to discover who his father really was and how alike they were in terms of betraying people who loved and were loyal to the end to them. The return to Afghanistan allows Amir to find out the type of man he can become and to confront his past which he has so desperately tried to bottle up. Family, Fathers and Fatherhood Family relationships play a great part in this novel but mothers are strikingly absent. Amir and Hassan grow up without their mothers and this is exemplified through the tension of Baba’s treatment of his sons. He makes it clear he is disappointed Amir is bookish, cowardly to protect his social standing and stick up for Hassan whilst on the other hand, he never publically acknowledges Hassan as his own son- although he shows a great deal of affection to Hassan. Likewise, General Taheri is a similar traditional, highly critical father who chafes his daughter for rebellious behaviour. The theme of family is then reintroduced when Amir and Soraya are unsuccessful in starting their own- punishment perhaps for their pasts or that Amir has yet to face up to his. The adoption of the troubled Sohrab however, provides them with the attempt to begin a complete family based on love and honesty. Journey and Quest The novel is mostly based around Amirs departure from Afghanistan as a young teenager and his return as a middle aged man to the war-torn country. At the same time, it is a symbolic quest. Amir makes great sacrifices to pursue his quest to atone for past sins by rescuing his nephew Sohrab in the hands of the Taliban. Symbolised at the beginning of the novel with Amir cutting his fingers with the kite string in order to sacrifice himself for his father’s love, sacrifice plays a big theme also. Amir towards the end of the novel again, willingly cuts his fingers, to revive his spiritually wounded nephew who is suffering from depression. By the end of the novel, this significant symbol of sacrifice shows how much Amir has morally developed as he is willing to sacrifice much in order to save Sohrab from a similar fate and to protect him. The most part of the novel is Amir hiding from his past and by returning to Kabul he is taking that all important journey to have complete redemption. Political power and Abuse The events of the novel occur against the backdrop of political change, the rise of the Taliban government. Assef, Hassans rapist and bully, who becomes a high ranking Taliban officer, embodies the consequence of abuse of power and violence and oppression caused by the Taliban. Assef is a sociopath who thrives in the atmosphere of chaos. Interpersonal violence leads to the split of Hassan and Amir; on a national scale the abuse of power by communist backed soviets results in massacres and Afghanistan forces to go into exile. The abuse of power and abuse is an important reference to how the hazara’s have been treated. From humiliation at the beginning of the novel for their looks to being massacred and horrifically abused. When General Taheri demands an explanation for their adoption of Sohrab, he echoes the discrimination against this entire ethnic minority and in a sense, Baba also condones the attitude towards Hazara’s by not admitting that he fathered a Hazara son. Kites After Hassan gets raped while running his kite, Amir cannot separate kite fighting and running from his own betrayal and cowardice. Therefore, even after all of his injuries and trials on Sohrabs behalf, it is the act of kite running that finally makes him feel redeemed. Beyond their significance to the plot, kites have multiple layers of symbolism in the story. One of these layers involves the class difference between Amir and Hassan, which largely dictates and limits their relationship. In kite fighting, one boy controls the kite while the other assists by feeding the string. Just as Hassan makes Amirs breakfast, folds his clothes, and cleans his room, so does he cater to Amir in kite tournaments. Even though Hassan shares in the excitement of kite fighting, he does not actually have control over the kite. Hassan may help the kite lift-and-dive, but Amir is the one who claims a victory. Hassan may catch a cherished rival kite and hold it in his arms, but always to bring it back to Amir, to whom it then belongs. His joy is vicarious, just like his experience of wealth and privilege while living in Babas household. In order to free himself of selfishness and cowardice, Amir must go from being merely a kite fighter-someone who seeks glory-to a kite runner, someone who genuinely does things for others. The activity of kite fighting is violent by nature. The kites battle and so too do the children flying them. The string, which is covered in ground glass, carves deep gashes into the fliers hands as they try to cut each other down, and once kites fall out of the sky, the kite runners retrieve them with the same furious determination as, say, a hunting dog does a slain bird. In its violence, kite fighting represents the conflicts that rage Afghanistan nearly throughout the course of the novel. When Hosseini paints us a picture of hundreds of kites trying haphazardly and with great determination to cut each other down, he shows us also the warring factions of Afghanistan overthrowing one another. At the same time kite fighting is violent, the mere act of kite flying is innocent and speaks of freedom. Amir and Hassan do not have control over the differences between them; in fact, they are both the victims of a lie, and their relationship would have been different had they known they were brothers. Yet despite their differences and the symbolism of their respective kite-fighting roles, flying kites is an activity that brings the boys together. For a moment, they are part of a team. For many years, Amir feels as though he and Hassan are adversaries for Babas love. After the rape, Hassans very existence infuriates Amir because it reminds him of his cowardice. Despite all this, when the boys fly kites together, they are on the same team. They are more like brothers then than perhaps any other time, because the activity is somewhat mutual. It allows them to momentarily escape their differences and enjoy a shared sense of exhilaration and freedom.

Beam Behaviour and Magnetic Field of K500 Scc

Beam Behaviour and Magnetic Field of K500 Scc Vinay Singh#, A Dutta, A Agarwal, C Das, B Naik, Z A Naser, S Paul, U Bhunia, J Pradhan, J Debnath Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata 700064 Abstract The extraction of the beam from the K500 Superconducting Cyclotron in Kolkata is posing a great challenge. After getting the internal beam, lots of effort was made to extract the beam and thereafter various experiments were designed and done to know the beam behaviour and to investigate the real reason. The deflector electrode was used in the Faraday cup mode. The deflector probe, bore scope probe and the main probe were used to investigate the beam behaviour by varying the first harmonic amplitude and phase with the help of trim-coil no.13 operated in harmonic mode. Finally magnetic field mapping was done. In this paper, all these experimental results are described in detail. INTRODUCTION K500 SCC got its first internal beam till the extraction radius in Aug 2009 [1]. This was confirmed by presence of neutrons in the neutron detector. The main probe and zinc sulphide screen (bore scope) were the only diagnostics available then. After installing the deflector, numerous runs were tried but the beam couldn’t be guided through it. A series of experiments were designed to get into the bottom of the problem. It was then found that the magnetic field was the main reason behind this. This was further confirmed by magnetic field mapping . In this paper the steps leading to this conclusion are described in detail. The electrostatic deflector Deflector as a beam diagnostic element In K500 SCC there are two sets of deflector E1 and E2. The beam first encounters the deflector E1 which spans from 335Â ° to 34Â °. In the normal mode i.e., when the power supply is connected to it, and electric field of around 2.5 MV/m is created by applying high voltage of 20kV between the electrodes. The gap between them is 8mm. To eliminate the possibility, the beam was at all going through the deflector or not, the power supply was disconnected and the deflector was operated in Faraday mode i.e., as a beam diagnostic element. The deflector E1 is not a fixed element, but has certain amount of freedom in respect to its radial distance from the centre of cyclotron. The entry position can be varied from 667 to 671 mm and the exit from 672 to 678 mm. The variation in position of deflector coupled with use of the 1st harmonic coils (to slightly alter the beam curvature) was done repeatedly to get the beam signature on the outer electrode. However no significant beam current could be detected. Use of wire mesh at the entry and copper block at the exit of deflector To further investigate a wire mesh was placed at the entry of the deflector (Fig. 1) and a solid copper block at the exit (Fig. 2). This was done to ensure that any trace of beam reaching the deflector entry can be detected. And this beam if successfully passes through the deflector will be detected by the copper block. So, this time the deflector was used in the normal mode i.e., in the power supply mode. Wide range of 1st harmonic magnetic field amplitude and phase with the help of trim coil no.13 was applied. This was done to vary the beam trajectory near the extraction zone so as to get beam signal from the entry mesh. However no significant beam current could be detected. To further explore this point, the deflector voltage and its orientation were changed through a series of iterative methods, but no current could be detected on the exit copper block. - #[emailprotected] Use of polymer sheets for Beam impression To get a further insight, another attempt was made by putting polymer sheets on the inner portion of the septum at three different locations – one near the entry , second at middle and the last near the exit. After a small amount of beam time the sheets were taken out for chemical analysis. This was done to exclude the possibility of any marks that could have arisen due to the high voltage discharge of the electrode. Only a faint beam impression (Fig. 3) was found on the sheet placed near the deflector and no impression was found on the other two placed further away. Beam characteristics using probes The beam appeared to be not reaching the deflector side, but at the same time the beam was very much available towards the main probe and bore probe, so further investigations were continued to know the off-centeredness of the beam. Description of the Probes The K500 SCC has two kinds of probes- one is the main probe and other is the bore scope. The main probe is meant to ready the intensity of current, whereas the bore scope is means to see the beam spot on a ZnS Screen. The main probe moves over the central spiral line of the hill whereas the bore probe moves across another hill after entering from its corner (Fig. 4). To know whether the beam was shifting towards a particular area or not, need of a third probe was felt. For this reason the deflector was dismantled (to gain access to a port) and another probe called the deflector probe was installed (Fig. 4) along 25Â ° azimuth. Scheme of measurement The beam curvature is not circular but a scalloped one. The local radius of curvature will thus change as the beam proceeds. The curvature will be less at the centre of the hill and more at the valley. Moreover, the three probes are not symmetrically placed with rest respect to the orbit trajectory. So, any data that is taken for the purpose of analysis has to take into account the scalloping of the beam vis-a-vis the position of the 3 probes. Figure 4: Median Plane top view with main probe, bore probe and deflector probe. Profile of the Beam Beam profile with all the 3 probes was measured separately. It was observed that although good amount of beam was available up to the extraction radius ~ 670 mm in main probe and bore probe, but in deflector probe the beam current was falling at ~650 mm without application of any external 1st harmonic field (Fig. 5). Figure 5: Beam profile on 3 probes without any external 1st harmonic. This clearly indicated that beam was shifted towards main probe and bore probe region. Attempts were made to equalize the beam current in all the 3 probes by using different combinations of 1st harmonic amplitude (up to 40 gauss) and phase (1-360Â °). One of those several iteration has been illustrated in figure 6. However, the distribution could not be equalized in all the three probes. From the shadowing of radial distribution of beam by using the said three probes, centering behaviour of the beam was quantified [2]. Figure 6: Beam profile on 3 probes with 15 Gauss 1st harmonic (phase 151Â °) MAGNETIC FIELD MAPPING These observations pointed out towards significant amount of imperfection in field and also towards the fact that this imperfection cannot be taken care of by the beam controlling parameters. Also the absolute phase measurement was done [3], which also pointed out towards the field imperfection. The remapping of the magnetic field was thus contemplated. The magnetic field mapping was done by a search coil. The Calibration factor of the search coil was found out by the use of two NMR probes.The search coil was installed on a zig that was free to move in the horizontal plane. At any azimuth the search coil moved from -1.24inch to 26.4 inches. The mapping was done for different excitations of main magnet coils namely alpha and beta coils The magnetic field mapping found that the average field near the central region was less by around 250 Gauss and the 1st harmonic amplitude was quite high ~ 45 Gauss near the extraction region. Figure 7: 1st Harmonic field amplitude versus Radius Figure 8: Average field versus Radius In figure 7 and 8, the results of the magnetic field mapping is compared with that of the field mapping that was done earlier in year 2006. REMARKS The experimental observation that pointed out towards magnetic field imperfection was verified by remapping of the magnetic field. The correction of magnetic field is currently being done. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors would like to thank all persons who have contributed directly or indirectly, especially the control room personnel who have toiled through the day and the night in the endeavour towards a common goal.

“Is technology tearing apart family life? Essay examples -- Technolog

â€Å"Is technology tearing apart family life? Text messaging, social networking, and online video are changing the way parents and children see the world—and each other.† There are many technologies in today’s ‘smart’ world which are now being established not just as a want, but as a necessity of life. Among many technologies that can impact family life, Smartphones and computers are the two most crucial technologies that can impact family life. The functions of computers and Smartphones are not just bounded to internet surfing, gaming and assignment tools, but its variety of other functions including social networking systems, online mailing, and online face-to-face video chatting are now arguably the most critical functions that have started to impact family lives on a visible level. These technologies have both positive and negative effects on family life; more and more families are beginning to own their own computers, as computer internet users in North America reached to about â€Å"78.3 %† (Miniwatts Marketing Group, 2011), accordingly, the effects of these technologies on family life is more easily recogni zed. This essay will come across both the benefits and negative effects of using such technologies on family life and ultimately see out whether the positives triumph over the negatives. There are the negative effects of using computer technologies: the isolation of family members, parents bringing their work home. On the other hand, the positives include: being able to associate more easily with the use of social networking systems between relatives and family members that live away from each other. Family members get more and more isolated by the use of computer technologies. For most North American families, ... ...eting Group (March 31, 2011). World Internet Usage and Population Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm 4. Small, G. (June 19, 2009). Is Technology Fracturing Your Family. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brain-bootcamp/200906/is-technology-fracturing-your-family. 5. Stevens, J.B. (June 21, 2011). Guest Post::Social Media and Divorces-Examining the Impact of Facebook and Twitter on Relationships. Retrieved from http://www.scfamilylaw.com/2011/06/articles/divorce/guest-post-social-media-and-divorces-examining-the-impact-of-facebook-and-twitter-on-relationships/ 6. Warren, L. (May 31, 2011). Video games being blamed for divorce as men ‘prefer World of Warcraft to their wives’. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1392561/World-Warcraft-video-games-blamed-divorce-men-prefer-wives.html

Operations Management: Technology and Operations Essay

Effective operations management is one of the most important factors relating to the sucess or in some cases failures of an organisation or company †because markets are volatile and demand uncertain, it is imperative that organisations become more responsive† (Christopher, M 2005:142 ) Because of this; organistaions are becoming heavily reliant on technology to perform duties that simply, because of the scale of operations, are not efficient to do ‘by hand’ . In order to remain competitive, organisations need to respond to the five main objectives of Operations which are : Speed, Flexibility, Dependability, quality and cost. The type of market is the decider of which of these objectives take priority. The aim of this assignment, using several different sources, is to provide an analysis of the technology available in different areas of operations and to provide a commentary on how they are acheiving the goals companies are employing them for. In the retail sector, technology is at the forefront of a smooth and successful operation. Customers will always see their time as a commodity therefore it is important that their experience at the store is as seamless as can be. In this consumerist age that we live in, customers are demanding a lot more from retailers. For example; customers expect that if they give their details once, they will be recorded ‘on the system’ which eliminates the need for them to produce them again. One of the methods used to aid this is the Electronic Point Of Sale system. Initially introduced to automatically tally the total of goods purchased, EPOS systems have evolved to be multifuntional and serve many purposes. Fashion jewellery retailer Swarovski are one of the many companys that use such a system. Initially, the programme used by Swarovski was a DOS based one called Retail Pro. By definition of RetailPro.Com (2011) †Retail Pro provides retail software for point of sale and retail management that helps retailers around the world operate more effectively, with a greater return on their technology investment.† This system however was not able to cope with their expansion as a company and according to a member of staff in the I.T. Department † it was becoming ‘Increasingly difficult to manage and was requiring more human intervention than was justifiable for the price’. (Stewart Pender. 2011). In May 2011, Swarovski swithched to a more advanced EPOS system that was able to efficiently manage their Point Of Sale (POS), Merchandising, Store operations and inventory control with a higher level efficiency and dependability at a lower cost. Micros was the new software introduced to Swarovski to improve efficiency and aid smoother operations. This new system also meant that their inventory control was now fully automated and linked directly to the EPOS. Micros designed their Micros X-Store to be able to monitor stock levels. Once an item is scanned on the EPOS sytem, unbeknownst to the customer the system interacts with the SAP (a global computer system to which Swarovski have access) to communicate that the item has been sold, therefore stock levels are now down by one. This occurs in Swarovski everytime an item is sold up until the cut off time, which is monday afternoon. Once the afternoon comes, the Mircos X-Store system culminates all the data it has gathered over the week and works out the ideal quantity of each individual item to re order against current inventory levels. Once this has been done, the sytems sends the order to head office where it can then be forwarded to the warehouse for picking and delivery. The automated re ordering improves lead times and overall speed of stock replenishment times. Aside from the merchandising aspect, the Micros X-Store is capable of handling human resource functions. It can manage employee reproductivity reports, employee borrow function (temporarily assigning collegues to other stores) and organise and manage customer information. Working from a fully automated warehouse the SCP Sytem receives the orders and begins to work on store specific order fufilment . Firstly, the order goes through what is called the ‘Schaefer Pack Pattern Generator’ (SPPG) which based on many complex alogarithyms, determines the optimum weight and height for the finished pallate depending on the weight and amzingly ‘stackability’ of the individual items in the order. By doing this, the SPPG can reduce the amount of pallates needing therefeore havign a direct positive impact on shipping and transport costs. As well as all of this, the SPPG generates a ‘pallate building plan’. This plan enables the next system to pick the items in the most logical sequence in relation to time and allows the items to be placed on the pallate in a ‘store friendly sequence’. By organising items into a store friendly sequence, the person unloading the items at the store does not need to spend time wandering back and forth as the items would have been palatised in respect to the store. Already a seemingly small software package has had an incredible impact on the effectiveness , efficiency and cost by †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Fully utilising maximum height and weight permittance by achieveing optimium packaging density †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Forecasting item positioning as to reduce damage to goods †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Positioning goods correctly for optimum stability during transport. After the SPPG has done its job, another programme; Schaefer Case Picking (SCP) sytem comes in. The SCP is an automated picking system that actualises the work of the SPPG. Once it has received teh orders from the SPPG, the SCP goes about selecting the goods in order. As aforementioned, the goods are selected in the most time effeicent was as to once again improve efficiency and reduce manual labour costs. As the sytems uses an optical identification known as ‘ the vision system’, there is no need for RFID Identification tags that are very common and popular in the industry, but can be rather expensive. As the goods are selected, they are placed into a buffer area until all the goods for that order have been selected. When selection is complete the items are then placed onto the pallet in the ‘store friendly order’ as calculated by the SPPG. Once complete, the pallets are then stretch wrapped which makes them optimised in terms of goods vs density and secure for transit. The flexibility they have means that the customer’s best interests are always kept at heart and they can avoid any disruption to service by having a multitude of couriers to choose from.   One of the couriers that ASOS use is CitySprint. Based in the UK, CitySprint specialise in same and next day delivery. When an order is placed with ASOS, it is packaged by hand in the warehouse and taken to the collection point. ‘Despite increasing automation, people are still essential in most operating systems’. (Wild, R. 2005 243) From the minute it is picked up by the courier the customer has the option to track it from warehouse to their front door. By scanning the bar code of the parcel, the courier is ‘accepting the job’ and it is ready for despatch. As soon as the order has been despatched, the customer is e-mailed a unique tracking I.D., Which will allow them to follow the journey of their item(s). CourierLocator, which is CitySprint’s own technology, is what allows all of this to be possible. Every courier carries a small hand held GPS enabled device called a CityTrackker. Small but powerful, the CityTrackker’s; using CitySprint bespoke technology and a network of anywhere up to 24 satellites wirelessly transmits live real-time information on the couriers location (including latitude and longitude) back to the FleetMapper (A system that depicts the location of all ‘on call’ couriers). On request, the client (in this case ASOS) can request information on several different couriers anywhere in the UK at the click of a mouse. This kind of technology also puts the customer at the forefront of operations. By logging onto either their ASOS account, or the CitySprint website directly, the customer is able to also see the exact real-time location of the courier delivering their parcel. With such methods, ASOS; using CitySprint’s technology, is giving the customer more flexibility and a heightened sense of dependability by putting them in what seems to be control of the delivery process.

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 13. Good Thing I’ve Got A Strong Stomach

13. Good Thing I've Got A Strong Stomach Carlisle and Rosalie were off in a flash, darting upstairs. I could hear them debating whether they should warm it up for her. Ugh. i wondered what all house-of-horrors stuff they kept around here. Fridge full of blood, check. What else? Torture chamber? Coffin room? Edward stayed, holding Bella's hand. His face was dead again. He didn't seem to have the energy to keep up even that little hint of hope he'd had before. They stared into each other's eyes, but not in a gooey way. It was like they were having a conversation. Kind of reminded me of Sam and Emily. No, it wasn't gooey, but that only made it harder to watch. I knew what it was like for Leah, having to see that all the time. Having to hear it in Sam's head. Of course we all felt bad for her, we weren't monsters – in that sense, anyway. But I guess we'd blamed her for how she handled it. Lashing out at everyone, trying to make us all as miserable as she was. I would never blame her again. How could anyone help spreading this kind of misery around? How could anyone not try to ease some of the burden by shoving a little piece of it off on someone else? And if it meant that I had to have a pack, how could I blame her for taking my freedom? I would do the same. If there was a way to escape this pain, I'd take it, too. Rosalie darted downstairs after a second, flying through the room like a sharp breeze, stirring up the burning smell. She stopped inside the kitchen, and I heard the creak of a cupboard door. â€Å"Note ear, Rosalie,† Edward murmured. He rolled his eyes. Bella looked curious, but Edward just shook his head at her. Rosalie blew back through the room and disappeared again. â€Å"This was your idea?† Bella whispered, her voice rough as she strained to make it loud enough for me to hear. Forgetting that I could hear just fine. I kind of liked how, a lot of the time, she seemed to forget that I wasn't completely human. I moved closer, so that she wouldn't have to work so hard. â€Å"Don't blame me for this one. Your vampire was just picking snide comments out of my head.† She smiled a little. â€Å"I didn't expect to see you again.† â€Å"Yeah, me, either,† I said. It felt weird just standing here, but the vampires had shoved all the furniture out of the way for the medical setup. I imagined that it didn't bother them – sitting or standing didn't make much difference when you were stone. Wouldn't bother me much, either, except that I was so exhausted. â€Å"Edward told me what you had to do. I'm sorry.† â€Å"S'okay. It was probably only a matter of time till I snapped over something Sam wanted me to do,† I lied. â€Å"And Seth,† she whispered. â€Å"He's actually happy to help.† â€Å"I hate causing you trouble.† I laughed once – more a bark than a laugh. She breathed a faint sigh. â€Å"I guess that's nothing new, is it?† â€Å"No, not really.† â€Å"You don't have to stay and watch this,† she said, barely mouthing the words. I could leave. It was probably a good idea. But if I did, with the way she looked right now, I could be missing the last fifteen minutes of her life. â€Å"I don't really have anywhere else to go,† I told her, trying to keep the emotion out of my voice. â€Å"The wolf thing is a lot less appealing since Leah joined up.† â€Å"Leah?† she gasped. â€Å"You didn't tell her?† I asked Edward. He just shrugged without moving his eyes from her face. I could see it wasn't very exciting news to him, not something worth sharing with the more important events that were going down. Bella didn't take it so lightly. It looked like it was bad news to her. â€Å"Why?† she breathed. I didn't want to get into the whole novel-length version. â€Å"To keep an eye on Seth.† â€Å"But Leah hates us,† she whispered. Us.Nice. I could see that she was afraid, though. â€Å"Leah's not going to bug anyone.† But me. â€Å"She's in my pack† – I grimaced at the words – â€Å"so she follows my lead.† Ugh. Bella didn't look convinced. â€Å"You're scared of Leah, but you're best buds with the psychopath blonde?† There was a low hiss from the second floor. Cool, she'd heard me. Bella frowned at me. â€Å"Don't. Rose†¦ understands.† â€Å"Yeah,† i grunted. â€Å"She understands that you're gonna die and she doesn't care, s'long as she gets her mutant spawn out of the deal.† â€Å"Stop being a jerk, Jacob,† she whispered. She looked too weak to get mad at. I tried to smile instead. â€Å"You say that like it's possible.† Bella tried not to smile back for a second, but she couldn't help it in the end; her chalky lips pulled up at the corners. And then Carlisle and the psycho in question were there. Carlisle had a white plastic cup in his hand – the kind with a lid and a bendy straw. Oh – not clear,now I got it. Edward didn't want Bella to have to think about what she was doing any more than necessary. You couldn't see what was in the cup at all. But I could smell it. Carlisle hesitated, the hand with the cup half-extended. Bella eyed it, looking scared again. â€Å"We could try another method,† Carlisle said quietly. â€Å"No,† Bella whispered. â€Å"No,111 try this first. We don't have time†¦.† At first I thought she'd finally gotten a clue and was worried about herself, but then her hand fluttered feebly against her stomach. Bellareached out and took the cup from him. Her hand shook a little, and I could hear the sloshing from inside. She tried to prop herself up on one elbow, but she could barely lift her head. A whisper of heat brushed down my spine as I saw how frail she'd gotten in less than a day. Rosalie put her arm under Bella's shoulders, supporting her head, too, like you did with a newborn. Blondie was all about the babies. â€Å"Thanks,† Bella whispered. Her eyes flickered around at us. Still aware enough to feel self-conscious. If she wasn't so drained, I'd bet she'd've blushed. â€Å"Don't mind them,† Rosalie murmured. It made me feel awkward. I should've left when Bella'd offered the chance. I didn't belong here, being part of this. I thought about ducking out, but then I realized a move like that would only make this worse for Bella – make it harder for her to go through with it. She'd figure I was too disgusted to stay. Which was almost true. Still. While I wasn't going to claim responsibility for this idea, I didn't want to jinx it, either. Bella lifted the cup to her face and sniffed at the end of the straw. She flinched, and then made a face. â€Å"Bella, sweetheart, we can find an easier way,† Edward said, holding his hand out for the cup. â€Å"Plug your nose,† Rosalie suggested. She glared at Edward's hand like she might take a snap at it. I wished she would. I bet Edward wouldn't take that sitting down, and I'd love to see Blondie lose a limb. â€Å"No, that's not it. It's just that it – â€Å"Bella sucked in a deep breath. â€Å"It smells good,† she admitted in a tiny voice. I swallowed hard, fighting to keep the disgust off my face. â€Å"That's a good thing,† Rosalie told Bella eagerly. â€Å"That means we're on the right track. Give it a try.† Given Blondie's new expression, I was surprised she didn't break into a touchdown dance. Bella shoved the straw between her lips, squeezed her eyes shut, and wrinkled her nose. I could hear the blood slopping around in the cup again as her hand shook. She sipped at it for a second, and then moaned quietly with her eyes still closed. Edward and I stepped forward at the same time. He touched her face. I clenched my hands behind my back. â€Å"Bella, love – â€Å" Tm okay,† she whispered. She opened her eyes and stared up at him. Her expression was†¦ apologetic. Pleading. Scared. â€Å"It tastes good, too.† Acid churned in my stomach, threatening to overflow. I ground my teeth together. â€Å"That's good,† Blondie repeated, still jazzed. â€Å"A good sign.† Edward just pressed his hand to her cheek, curling his fingers around the shape of her fragile bones. Bella sighed and put her lips to the straw again. She took a real pull this time. The action wasn't as weak as everything else about her. Like some instinct was taking over. â€Å"How's your stomach? Do you feel nauseated?† Carlisle asked. Bella shook her head. â€Å"No, I don't feel sick,† she whispered. â€Å"There's a first, eh?† Rosalie beamed. â€Å"Excellent.† â€Å"I think it's a bit early for that, Rose,† Carlisle murmured. Bella gulped another mouthful of blood. Then she flashed a look at Edward. â€Å"Does this screw my total?† she whispered. â€Å"Or do we start counting after I'm a vampire?† â€Å"No one is counting, Bella. In any case, no one died for this.† He smiled a lifeless smile. â€Å"Your record is still clean.† They'd lost me. â€Å"I'll explain later,† Edward said, so low the words were just a breath. â€Å"What?† Bella whispered. â€Å"Just talking to myself,† he lied smoothly. If he succeeded with this, if Bella lived, Edward wasn't going to be able to get away with so much when her senses were as sharp as his. He'd have to work on the honesty thing. Edward's lips twitched, fighting a smile. Bella chugged a few more ounces, staring past us toward the window. Probably pretending we weren't here. Or maybe just me. No one else in this group would be disgusted by what she was doing. Just the opposite – they were probably having a tough time not ripping the cup away from her. Edward rolled his eyes. Jeez, how did anyone stand living with him? It was really too bad he couldn't hear Bella's thoughts. Then he'd annoy the crap out of her, too, and she'd get tired of him. Edward chuckled once. Bella's eyes flicked to him immediately, and she half-smiled at the humor in his face. I would guess that wasn't something she'd seen in a while. â€Å"Something funny?† she breathed. â€Å"Jacob,† he answered. She looked over with another weary smile for me. â€Å"Jake's a crack-up,† she agreed. Great, now I was the court jester. â€Å"Bada bing† I mumbled in weak rim-shot impression. She smiled again, and then took another swig from the cup. I flinched when the straw pulled at empty air, making a loud sucking sound. â€Å"I did it,† she said, sounding pleased. Her voice was clearer – rough, but not a whisper for the first time today. â€Å"If I keep this down, Carlisle, will you take the needles out of me?† â€Å"As soon as possible,† he promised. â€Å"Honestly, they aren't doing that much good where they are.† Rosalie patted Bella's forehead, and they exchanged a hopeful glance. And anyone could see it – the cup full of human blood had made an immediate difference. Her color was returning – there was a tiny hint of pink in her waxy cheeks. Already she didn't seem to need Rosalie's support so much anymore. Her breathing was easier, and I would swear her heartbeat was stronger, more even. Everything accelerated. That ghost of hope in Edward's eyes had turned into the real thing. â€Å"Would you like more?† Rosalie pressed. Bella's shoulders slumped. Edward flashed a glare at Rosalie before he spoke to Bella. â€Å"You don't have to drink more right away.† â€Å"Yeah, I know. But†¦ I want to† she admitted glumly. Rosalie pulled her thin, sharp fingers through Bella's lank hair. â€Å"You don't need to be embarrassed about that, Bella. Your body has cravings. We all understand that.† Her tone was soothing at first, but then she added harshly, â€Å"Anyone who doesn't understand shouldn't be here.† Meant for me, obviously, but I wasn't going to let Blondie get to me. I was glad Bella felt better. So what if the means grossed me out? It wasn't like I'd said anything. Carlisle took the cup from Bella's hand. â€Å"I'll be right back.† Bella stared at me while he disappeared. â€Å"Jake, you look awful,† she croaked. â€Å"Look who's talking.† â€Å"Seriously – when's the last time you slept?† I thought about that for a second. â€Å"Huh. I'm not actually sure.† â€Å"Aw, Jake. Now I'm messing with your health, too. Don't be stupid.† I gritted my teeth. She was allowed to kill herself for a monster, but I wasn't allowed to miss a few nights' sleep to watch her do it? â€Å"Get some rest, please,† she went on. â€Å"There're a few beds upstairs – you're welcome to any of them.† The look on Rosalie's face made it clear that I wasn't welcome to one of them. It made me wonder what Sleepless Beauty needed a bed for anyway. Was she that possessive of her props? â€Å"Thanks, Bells, but I'd rather sleep on the ground. Away from the stench, you know.† She grimaced. â€Å"Right.† Carlisle was back then, and Bella reached out for the blood, absentminded, like she was thinking of something else. With the same distracted expression, she started sucking it down. She really was looking better. She pulled herself forward, being careful of the tubes, and scooted into a sitting position. Rosalie hovered, her hands ready to catch Bella if she sagged. But Bella didn't need her. Taking deep breaths in between swallows, Bella finished the second cup quickly. â€Å"How do you feel now?† Carlisle asked. â€Å"Not sick. Sort of hungry†¦ only I'm not sure if I'm hungry or thirsty, you know?† â€Å"Carlisle, just look at her,† Rosalie murmured, so smug she should have canary feathers on her lips. â€Å"This is obviously what her body wants. She should drink more.† â€Å"She's still human, Rosalie. She needs food, too. Let's give her a little while to see how this affects her, and then maybe we can try some food again. Does anything sound particularly good to you, Bella?† â€Å"Eggs,† she said immediately, and then she exchanged a look and a smile with Edward. His smile was brittle, but there was more life on his face than before. I blinked then, and almost forgot how to open my eyes again. â€Å"Jacob,† Edward murmured. â€Å"You really should sleep. As Bella said, you're certainly welcome to the accommodations here, though you'd probably be more comfortable outside. Don't worry about anything – I promise 111 find you if there's a need.† â€Å"Sure, sure,† I mumbled. Now that it appeared Bella had a few more hours, I could escape. Go curl up under a tree somewhere†¦. Far enough away that the smell couldn't reach me. The bloodsucker would wake me up if something went wrong. He owed me. â€Å"I do,† Edward agreed. I nodded and then put my hand on Bella's. Hers was icy cold. â€Å"Feel better,† I said. â€Å"Thanks, Jacob.† She turned her hand over and squeezed mine. I felt the thin band of her wedding ring riding loose on her skinny finger. â€Å"Get her a blanket or something,† I muttered as I turned for the door. Before I made it, two howls pierced the still morning air. There was no mistaking the urgency of the tone. No misunderstanding this time. â€Å"Dammit,† I snarled, and I threw myself through the door. I hurled my body off the porch, letting the fire rip me apart midair. There was a sharp tearing sound as my shorts shredded. Crap. Those were the only clothes I had. Didn't matter now. I landed on paws and took off toward the west. What is it?I shouted in my head. Incoming,Seth answered. At least three. Did they split up? I'm running the line back to Seth at the speed of lightLeah promised. I could feel the air huffing through her lungs as she pushed herself to an incredible velocity. The forest whipped around her. So far, no other point of attack. Seth, donot challenge them. Wait forme. They're slowing. Ugh – its sooff not being able to hear them. I think†¦ What? I think they've stopped. Waiting for the rest of the pack? Shh. Feel that? I absorbed his impressions. The faint, soundless shimmer in the air. Someone's phasing? Feels like it,Seth agreed. Leah flew into the small open space where Seth waited. She raked her claws into the dirt, spinning out like a race car. Got your back, bro. They're coming,Seth said nervously. Slow. Walking. Almost there,I told them. I tried to fly like Leah. It felt horrible being separated from Seth and Leah with potential danger closer to their end than mine. Wrong. I should be with them, between them and whatever was coming. Look who's getting all paternal,Leah thought wryly. Head in the game, Leah. Four,Seth decided. Kid had good ears. Three wolves, one man. I made the little clearing then, moving immediately to the point. Seth sighed with relief and then straightened up, already in place at my right shoulder. Leah fell in on my left with a little less enthusiasm. So now I rank under Seth,she grumbled to herself. First come, first served,Seth thought smugly. ‘Sides, you were never an Alpha's Third before. Still an upgrade. Under my baby brother is not an upgrade. Shh!I complained. don't care where you stand. Shut up and get ready. They came into view a few seconds later, walking, as Seth had thought. Jared in the front, human, hands up. Paul and Quil and Collin on four legs behind him. There was no aggression in their postures. They hung back behind Jared, ears up, alert but calm. But†¦ it was weird that Sam would send Collin rather than Embry. That wasn't what I would do if I were sending a diplomacy party into enemy territory. I wouldn't send a kid. I'd send the experienced fighter. A diversion?Leah thought. Were Sam, Embry, and Brady making a move alone? That didn't seem likely. Want me to check? I can run the line and be back in two minutes. Should I warn the Cullens?Seth wondered. What if the point was to divide us?I asked. The Cullens know something's up. They're ready. Sam wouldn't be so stupid†¦,Leah whispered, fear jagged in her mind. She was imagining Sam attacking the Cullens with only the two others beside him. No, he wouldn't,I assured her, though I felt a little sick at the image in her head, too. All the while, Jared and the three wolves stared at us, waiting. It was eerie not to hear what Quil and Paul and Collin were saying to one another. Their expressions were blank – unreadable. Jared cleared his throat, and then he nodded to me. â€Å"White flag of truce, Jake. We're here to talk.† Think it's true?Seth asked. Makes sense, but†¦ Yeah,Leah agreed. But. We didn't relax. Jared frowned. â€Å"It would be easier to talk if I could hear you, too.† I stared him down. I wasn't going to phase back until I felt better about this situation. Until it made sense. Why Collin? That was the part that had me most worried. â€Å"Okay. I guess I'll just talk, then,† Jared said. â€Å"Jake, we want you to come back.† Quil let out a soft whine behind him. Seconding the statement. â€Å"You've torn our family apart. It's not meant to be this way.† I wasn't exactly in disagreement with that, but it was hardly the point. There were a few unresolved differences of opinion between me and Sam at the moment. â€Å"We know that you feel†¦ strongly about the situation with the Cullens. We know that's a problem. But this is an overreaction.† Seth growled. Overreaction? And attacking our allies without warning isn't? Seth, you ever heard of a poker face? Cool it. Sorry. Jared's eyes flickered to Seth and back to me. â€Å"Sam is willing to take this slowly, Jacob. He's calmed down, talked to the other Elders. They've decided that immediate action is in no one's best interest at this point.† Translation: They've already lost the element of surprise,Leah thought. It was weird how distinct our joint thinking was. The pack was already Sam's pack, was already â€Å"them† to us. Something outside and other. It was especially weird to have Leah thinking that way – to have her be a solid part of the â€Å"us.† â€Å"Billy and Sue agree with you, Jacob, that we can wait for Bella†¦ to be separated from the problem. Killing her is not something any of us feel comfortable with.† Though I'd just given Seth crap for it, I couldn't hold back a small snarl of my own. So they didn't quite feel comfortablewith murder, huh? Jared raised his hands again. â€Å"Easy, Jake. You know what I mean. The point is, we're going to wait and reassess the situation. Decide later if there's a problem with the†¦ thing.† Ha,Leah thought. What a load. You don't buy it? I know what they're thinking, Jake. WhatSam's thinking. They're betting on Bella dying anyway. And then they figure you'll be so mad. . . That I'll lead the attack myself.My ears pressed against my skull. What Leah was guessing sounded pretty spot-on. And very possible, too. When†¦ if that thing killed Bella, it was going to be easy to forget how I felt about Carlisle's family right now. They would probably look like enemies – like no more than bloodsucking leeches – to me all over again. I'll remind you,Seth whispered. know you will, kid. Question is whether I'll listen to you. â€Å"Jake?† Jared asked. I huffed a sigh. Leah, make a circuit – just to be sure. I'm going to have to talk to him, and I want to bepositive there isn't anything else going on while I'm phased. Give me a break, Jacob. You can phase in front of me. Despite my best efforts, I've seen you naked before – doesn't do much forme, so no worries. I'm not trying to protect the innocence of your eyes, I'm trying to protect our backs. Get out of here. Leah snorted once and then launched herself into the forest. I could hear her claws cutting into the soil, pushing her faster. Nudity was an inconvenient but unavoidable part of pack life. We'd all thought nothing of it before Leah came along. Then it got awkward. Leah had average control when it came to her temper – it took her the usual length of time to stop exploding out of her clothes every time she got pissed. We'd all caught a glimpse. And it wasn't like she wasn't worth looking at; it was just that it was so not worth it when she caught you thinking about it later. Jared and the others were staring at the place where she'd disappeared into the brush with wary expressions. â€Å"Where's she going?† Jared asked. I ignored him, closing my eyes and pulling myself together again. It felt like the air was trembling around me, shaking out from me in small waves. I lifted myself up on my hind legs, catching the moment just right so that I was fully upright as I shimmered down into my human self. â€Å"Oh,† Jared said. â€Å"Hey, Jake.† â€Å"Hey, Jared.† â€Å"Thanks for talking to me.† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"We want you to come back, man.† Quil whined again. â€Å"I don't know if it's that easy, Jared.† â€Å"Come home,† he said, leaning forward. Pleading. â€Å"We can sort this out. You don't belong here. Let Seth and Leah come home, too.† I laughed. â€Å"Right. Like I haven't been begging them to do that from hour one.† Seth snorted behind me. Jared assessed that, his eyes cautious again. â€Å"So, what now, then?† I thought that over for a minute while he waited. â€Å"I don't know. But I'm not sure things could just go back to normal anyway, Jared. I don't know how it works – it doesn't feel like I can just turn this Alpha thing off and on as the mood strikes. It feels sort of permanent.† â€Å"You still belong with us.† I raised my eyebrows. â€Å"Two Alphas can't belong in the same place, Jared. Remember how close it got last night? The instinct is too competitive.† â€Å"So are you all just going to hang out with the parasites for the rest of your lives?† he demanded. â€Å"You don't have a home here. You're already out of clothes,† he pointed out. â€Å"You gonna stay wolf all the time? You know Leah doesn't like eating that way.† â€Å"Leah can do whatever she wants when she gets hungry. She's here by her own choice. I'm not telling anyone what to do.† Jared sighed. â€Å"Sam is sorry about what he did to you.† I nodded. â€Å"I'm not angry anymore.† â€Å"But?† â€Å"But I'm not coming back, not now. We're going to wait and see how it plays out, too. And we're going to watch out for the Cullens for as long as that seems necessary. Because, despite what you think, this isn't just about Bella. We're protecting those who should be protected. And that applies to the Cullens, too.† At least a fair number of them, anyway. Seth yelped softly in agreement. Jared frowned. â€Å"I guess there's nothing I can say to you, then.† â€Å"Not now. We'll see how things go.† Jared turned to face Seth, concentrating on him now, separate from me. â€Å"Sue asked me to tell you – no, to beg you – to come home. She's brokenhearted, Seth. All alone. I don't know how you and Leah can do this to her. Abandon her this way, when your dad just barely died – â€Å" Seth whimpered. â€Å"Ease up, Jared,† I warned. â€Å"Just letting him know how it is.† I snorted. â€Å"Right.† Sue was tougher than anyone I knew. Tougher than my dad, tougher than me. Tough enough to play on her kids' sympathies if that's what it took to get them home. But it wasn't fair to work Seth that way. â€Å"Sue's known about this for how many hours now? And most of that time spent with Billy and Old Quil and Sam? Yeah, I'm sure she's just perishing of loneliness. ‘Course you're free to go if you want, Seth. You know that.† Seth sniffed. Then, a second later, he cocked an ear to the north. Leah must be close. Jeez, she was fast. Two beats, and Leah skidded to a stop in the brush a few yards away. She trotted in, taking the point in front of Seth. She kept her nose in the air, very obviously not looking in my direction. I appreciated that. â€Å"Leah?† Jared asked. She met his gaze, her muzzle pulling back a little over her teeth. Jared didn't seem surprised by her hostility. â€Å"Leah, you know you don't want to be here.† She snarled at him. I gave her a warning glance she didn't see. Seth whined and nudged her with his shoulder. â€Å"Sorry,† Jared said. â€Å"Guess I shouldn't assume. But you don't have any ties to the bloodsuckers.† Leah very deliberately looked at her brother and then at me. â€Å"So you want to watch out for Seth, I get that,† Jared said. His eyes touched my face and then went back to hers. Probably wondering about that second look – just like I was. â€Å"But Jake's not going to let anything happen to him, and he's not afraid to be here.† Jared made a face. â€Å"Anyway, please, Leah. We want you back. Sam wants you back.† Leah's tail twitched. â€Å"Sam told me to beg. He told me to literally get down on my knees if I have to. He wants you home, Lee-lee, where you belong.† I saw Leah flinch when Jared used Sam's old nickname for her. And then, when he added those last three words, her hackles rose and she was yowling a long stream of snarls through her teeth. I didn't have to be in her head to hear the cussing-out she was giving him, and neither did he. You could almost hear the exact words she was using. I waited till she was done. â€Å"I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Leah belongs wherever she wants to be.† Leah growled, but, as she was glaring at Jared, I figured it was in agreement. â€Å"Look, Jared, we're still family, okay? We'll get past the feud, but, until we do, you probably ought to stick to your land. Just so there aren't misunderstandings. Nobody wants a family brawl, right? Sam doesn't want that, either, does he?† â€Å"Of course, not,† Jared snapped. â€Å"We'll stick to our land. But where is your land, Jacob? Is it vampire land?† â€Å"No, Jared. Homeless at the moment. But don't worry – this isn't going to last forever.† I had to take a breath. â€Å"There's not that much time†¦ left. Okay? Then the Cullens will probably go, and Seth and Leah will come home.† Leah and Seth whined together, their noses turning my direction in synchronization. â€Å"And what about you, Jake?† â€Å"Back to the forest, I think. I can't really stick around La Push. Two Alphas means too much tension. ‘Sides, I was headed that way anyway. Before this mess.† â€Å"What if we need to talk?† Jared asked. â€Å"Howl – but watch the line, ‘kay? We'll come to you. And Sam doesn't need to send so many. We aren't looking for a fight.† Jared scowled, but nodded. He didn't like me setting conditions for Sam. â€Å"See you around, Jake. Or not.† He waved halfheartedly. â€Å"Wait, Jared. Is Embry okay?† Surprise crossed his face. â€Å"Embry? Sure, he's fine. Why?† â€Å"Just wondering why Sam sent Collin.† I watched his reaction, still suspicious that something was going on. I saw knowledge flash in his eyes, but it didn't look like the kind I was expecting. â€Å"That's not really your business anymore, Jake.† â€Å"Guess not. Just curious.† I saw a twitch from the corner of my eye, but I didn't acknowledge it, because I didn't want to give Quil away. He was reacting to the subject. â€Å"I'll let Sam know about your†¦ instructions. Goodbye, Jacob.† I sighed. â€Å"Yeah. Bye, Jared. Hey, tell my dad that I'm okay, will you? And that I'm sorry, and that I love him.† â€Å"I'll pass that along.† â€Å"Thanks.† â€Å"C'mon, guys,† Jared said. He turned away from us, heading out of sight to phase because Leah was here. Paul and Collin were right on his heels, but Quil hesitated. He yelped softly, and I took a step toward him. â€Å"Yeah, I miss you, too, bro.† Quil jogged over to me, his head hanging down morosely. I patted his shoulder. â€Å"It'll be okay.† He whined. â€Å"Tell Embry I miss having you two on my flanks.† He nodded and then pressed his nose to my forehead. Leah snorted. Quil looked up, but not at her. He looked back over his shoulder at where the others had gone. â€Å"Yeah, go home,† I told him. Quil yelped again and then took off after the others. I'd bet Jared wasn't waiting super-patiently. As soon as he was gone, I pulled the warmth from the center of my body and let it surge through my limbs. In a flash of heat, I was on four legs again. Thought you were going to make out with him,Leah snickered. I ignored her. Was that okay?I asked them. It worried me, speaking for them that way, when I couldn't hear exactly what they were thinking. I didn't want to assume anything. I didn't want to be like Jared that way. Did I say anything you didn't want me to? Did I not say something I should have? You did great, Jake!Seth encouraged. You could have hit Jared,Leah thought. wouldn't have minded that. I guess we know why Embry wasn't allowed to come,Seth thought. I didn't understand. Not allowed? Jake, didya see Quil? He's pretty torn up, right? I'd put ten to one that Embry's even more upset And Embry doesn't have a Claire. There's no way Quil can just pick up and walk away from La Push. Embry might So Sam's not going to take any chances on him getting convinced to jump ship. He doesn't want our pack any bigger than it is now. Really? You think? I doubt Embry would mind shredding some Cullens. But he's your best friend, Jake. He and Quil would rather stand behind you than face you in a fight. Well, I'm glad Sam kept him home, then. This pack is big enough.I sighed. Okay, then. So we're good, for now. Seth, you mind keeping an eye on things for a while? Leah and I both need to crash. This felt on the level, but who knows? Maybe it was a distraction. I wasn't always so paranoid, but I remembered the feel of Sam's commitment. The total one-track focus on destroying the danger he saw. Would he take advantage of the fact that he could lie to us now? No problem!Seth was only too eager to do whatever he could. You want me to explain to the Cullens? They're probably still kinda tense. I got it. I want to check things out anyway. They caught the whir of images from my fried brain. Seth whimpered in surprise. Ew. Leah whipped her head back and forth like she was trying to shake the image out of her mind. That is easily the freakin' grossest thing I've heard in my life. Yuck. If there was anything in my stomach, it would be coming back. Theyare vampires, I guess, Seth allowed after a minute, compensating for Leah's reaction. mean, it makes sense. And if it helps Bella, it's a good thing, right? Both Leah and I stared at him. What? Mom dropped him a lot when he was a baby,Leah told me. On his head, apparently. He used to gnaw on the crib bars, too. Lead paint? Looks like itshe thought. Seth snorted. Funny. Why don't you two shut up and sleep?