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box, her name was Laura, too. If I could, I would tell you all the stories on these disks. Stories of her bravery, how she did not give up when everyone around her had.”
    Laura vaguely remembered the big windows that told the stories on the disks. She hadn’t thought about them for a long time. She glanced at the broad, dark window in the apartment, but it was just so much junk, like most Before stuff.   
    “And you are like her, Laura. You are chosen, the one that can, that will, defeat the Masters, drive them back to where they came from, and make the world like it was.”
    Laura’s goals were simple: find untainted food, locate shelter, stay away from the Dominion of Manhattan. Now, there was an unfamiliar feeling inside her, almost a hunger of the soul. She pondered her two-fingered right hand, maimed long ago when some dogs had chased her down. She had other scars, too. A large pucker where a cat had torn a chunk out of her shoulder, three thick lines across her breast where a dog had scratched her. She had a short line across her belly, and two on her left forearm from men with knives.
    “It won’t be as it was, not for a long time. But if you listen to me, and do as I say, you can kill the Masters, kill them all. And then, peace.”
    “The Dominion’s tower for women?”
    “No more tower.”
    “The Lord of Manhattan?”
    “Destroyed utterly.”
    “Impossible. The Masters are as big as buildings. What can I possibly do against them?”
    “Do you know any magic, Laura?” He said it slow and long. She shook her head, resisting his enticing tone.
    “Magic is only for the Masters and the people they favor.”
    “There is more than that. I have a spell that I want to teach you.”
    The thought thrilled through her. To have that power, to be a sorcerer, like the Lord of Manhattan. 
    The noises he made were an unintelligible jumble of mixed sounds.
    “Repeat it.”
    She did her best. 
    “No. Say it again.” 
    She did. 
    “No. Do it again.”
    “How will I know?”
    “You will know. Say the words again.”
    She did.
    “Did I get it right?”
    His sour look did not indicate success. He repeated the words, and then she did. She tried to hear the difference between what they were saying, but she ended up randomly emphasizing this word or that. And then, after ten minutes, a hot spark flew from her mouth, and she tasted tin. Her hands flew to her mouth. Her teeth were hot, her breath scorching. And she saw the triumph in his eyes.   
    “Now, say the words again.”             
    She did, and got it wrong.
    “Again.”
    The taste of tin returned. Her mouth dried out with the heat of it. 
    “Once more.”
    She got it right instantly. Her tongue felt like it had been left in the sun for days. 
    “You must say it to yourself every morning, and every night before you go to sleep.”
    “Will it kill the Masters if I say it to them?”
    “It’s not that kind of spell. But if enough people say it, chanting it at the same time, it will kill all the Masters.”
    An awe mixed with fear welled up in her. 
    “How many?”
    “It has to be at the right time, said by thousands of people. As many as you can teach.  And when the time is right, we will destroy them all.” A fire lit in his eyes as he said it.  
    “How long will I have?” She was disappointed that she wouldn’t be able to simply point her finger and destroy the Masters or their servants. In the wake of the ruined fantasy, hope remained. 
    “Laura, tell nobody that you are the chosen one. If the Masters or their slaves catch wind of it, they will stop at nothing to kill you. For your own safety, say nothing to anyone.”
    “I won’t.”
    His hand shot out, and he grasped her with painful strength. 
    “You must promise me. Promise you won’t tell anyone.” She tried to yank her hand away, but his grip was hard, and his fingers sank into her flesh. 
    “All right, I promise.”
    He let her go. 
    “I didn’t want