as soon as it was over we could go after vera . in sudden alarm , he felt billy sliding from his back . `` and i tell you again , i did not , '' marcus said , holding harding 's gaze . he tied the sheet to other vertical aerial roots making an angle so that rain water could drift off easily . `` i 'm a bit peeved because you keep dying all the time . that boy has a lot more inside of him than what he lets us see , my mother commented . 