If he cannot even feel pain, how did I think he’d feel love or gratitude or guilt or anything else? Gerta clutched the reindeer hide. It was warm under her fingers, and steadied her a little. She could feel the pulse of the reindeer road in it, and even if she could not reach it, she knew that it existed. There was one place in the world where time went in all directions and the herd moved together as one. She wanted to cry or scream or demand that Kay go with them, but none of those things would help. Therefore she must move in the next direction, whatever that may be. She straightened.
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