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"The speech was really good," I said after a minute.

She smiled. "Thank you." She looked around, but there were still very few people on the street to see her being carried.

"What would you have done," she asked after a few moments, "if he had hit me?"

"He wouldn't have hit you," I said. "I would have stopped him. I was going to break his arm, but I'm glad it didn't come to that."

She smiled. "I always forget how quick you are, for someone of your age. But would it really have been necessary to break his arm?"

"No, but I was going to do it anyway." She smiled, her head pressed against my chest, and I chuckled. "You don't seem all that exhausted. Why am I carrying you again?"

"I'm conserving my energy," she said. "Lean over here, and I'll tell you what I'm conserving it for."

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