And now, walking breathlessly toward the crest of the hill, the pretty secretary breathed in the smokeless air, smelled the healthy scent of dusty oak trees and sun-toasted grass, and decided that Lani might just be right. If one could choose between the exhilaration of a summertime hillside under a cloudless sky, and the stench and filth of a modern city, who in his right mind would be anywhere but where she was right at this very moment, panting uncontrollably as she forced her lungs to accept more oxygen than they'd had in years.

At last, Ann reached the top, and paused again to catch her breath. She looked back over the climb she'd just made, and could just make out through the trees the tops of a few of the buildings down in the Village. Then she turned, and began to make her way through the small line of trees that separated her from the meadow on the other side of the hill. Her eyes sparkled with the exertions of her climb, and her unaccustomed ears happily caught the sound of birds talking to her from their hidden perches in the oaks around her, the wind rustling softly through the branches, the healthy sound of her own heavy breathing.

She suddenly stopped, hearing another sound she couldn't identify. It was off to her left, and sounded like small animals digging hastily into the ground. Silently, like some kind of novice big-game hunter, she moved to her left, crouched over, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever it was. She was soon surprised to hear what sounded like muffled voices as well, coming from somewhere at the edge of the line of trees, just at the top of the meadow. She crept closer, and the sounds became more distinct. They were voices, she decided, and involved in a fairly intense discussion it seemed. If she just got a little closer she could perhaps just… Ann's hand suddenly flew to her mouth, and she stifled a horrified shriek which threatened to burst from her constricting throat. Her eyes grew wide with disbelieving shock and revulsion, and she groped frantically for the tree beside her to keep from falling.