Hunting by Stars: Chapters 23–29

by Cherie Dimaline
After a plague of dreamlessness spreads across North America, seventeen-year-old Frenchie is captured so the Canadian government can harvest his bone marrow as a cure. Frenchie must find a way to escape and reunite with his found family.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–9, Chapters 10–17, Chapters 18–22, Chapters 23–29, Chapter 30–Epilogue/Prologue

Click here to explore our lists for The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. intimate
    innermost or essential
    Fear had grown in my body since I’d been here. It reached new places at a higher volume than ever before. It was more intimate, more immediate.
  2. infraction
    a violation of a law or rule
    “You do realize that I am still going to have to offer corrective measures for this infraction, of course.”
  3. scrutinize
    look at critically or searchingly, or in minute detail
    I was sure that on the day they let me out into the field, everything I wore and carried would be closely scrutinized...
  4. indifferent
    showing no care or concern in attitude or action
    I was less excited than I should have been, almost indifferent, until I saw Mitch standing there.
  5. cohort
    a company of companions or supporters
    My door stayed open, and an hour later, my silent cohort in the grey scrubs meandered down the hall and motioned for me to fall into step beside him.
  6. meander
    move or cause to move in a winding or curving course
    My door stayed open, and an hour later, my silent cohort in the grey scrubs meandered down the hall and motioned for me to fall into step beside him.
  7. scuffle
    disorderly fighting
    I sat back down on my stool and held my head in my hands, repeating messages from the napkins to myself as if they were for me while the kitchen filled with scuffles and protests.
  8. girth
    the distance around something, especially a person's body
    One by one, the residents paraded around me, giggling, their fingers bent from the girth of their glee, their steps high and awkward as if they were marionettes.
  9. alleviate
    provide physical relief, as from pain
    Back in the days of massive slaughterhouses, they would push the cattle through a narrow chute before they put them down. The chute would contract, and the animals got squeezed. That kind of pressure alleviates stress, releases good chemicals.
  10. mitigate
    lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
    I believe, based on how you reported the theft in the kitchen and mitigated a potentially disastrous attack, that you were indeed telling the truth.
  11. imperative
    requiring attention or action
    “It is imperative that they not leave our observation while en route. Under no circumstances are they to be lost before we can complete the mission.”
  12. seasoned
    rendered competent through trial and experience
    Then I realized I would have to convince them everything was okay while also maintaining my cover with the seasoned agent until I could get rid of the second agent for good.
  13. denounce
    accuse or condemn openly as disgraceful
    Thank god—I wasn’t sure I could handle the accusing stares or whispered denouncements, not now.
  14. topographic
    relating to the natural and artificial features of the land
    I reached out and put a hand on a table laid with topographical maps and measuring instruments.
  15. mettle
    the courage to carry on
    “This is such a great opportunity for your brother to prove his mettle. Of course, he’s been out in the field before, but only in smaller, lesser roles. But this time, he’ll be proving he didn’t waste our time and resources when he recommended that we bring you in to the Program.”
  16. toque
    a small round hat
    He was wearing brown cargo pants and a muted green hoodie with a black toque.
  17. demeanor
    the way a person behaves toward other people
    I wasn’t sure how I was going to hold myself together, much less police his demeanor.
  18. torrent
    a violently fast stream of water or other liquid
    We ran behind JP as the wind picked up into torrents and ripped the breath from my lungs.
  19. intermittently
    in a manner of stopping and starting at irregular intervals
    We waited out the weather this way, crouched, intermittently choking on secondhand smoke, listening to JP, who used to be a long-haul trucker and lived in a place called Timmins.
  20. palpitation
    a rapid and irregular heart beat
    Instead, I had sat in my bed all night and willed my heart to keep working. It felt fragile and frantic, like it was pulled so tight that any palpitation bigger than a blip would tear the tension and it would all come unzipped.
  21. apprehensive
    in fear or dread of possible evil or harm
    Though they may have been exhibiting nerves, it didn’t seem suspect, as runners are normally apprehensive when interacting with new individuals.
  22. reverie
    an abstracted state of absorption
    Mellin’s voice cut into my reverie.
  23. reconnaissance
    the act of scouting, especially to gain information
    It was the biggest reconnaissance mission I could have been handed, especially now, at the very last minute with no time to plan for it.
  24. seamless
    perfectly consistent and coherent
    Soon we were loaded back into a van, going over our story to make sure it fit together seamlessly.
  25. rebuke
    an act or expression of criticism and censure
    I waited for him to offer a rebuke or question my newfound loyalty.
  26. indignantly
    in a manner showing anger at something unjust or wrong
    It was still so early an owl hooted indignantly from a nearby tree.
  27. ablution
    the act of washing oneself, as for ritual purposes
    The morning birds hadn’t yet started their daily ablutions.
  28. roil
    be agitated
    I stepped over a small hill roiling with ants—they seemed to form alliances in these times—and paused.
  29. alight
    settle or come to rest
    There were no more birds, just the soft thrum and scuttle of insects burrowing and alighting on dense moss and curated sand.
  30. curate
    select and present content or information
    There were no more birds, just the soft thrum and scuttle of insects burrowing and alighting on dense moss and curated sand.
  31. nuance
    a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude
    I took him in and tried to remember each nuance of his smell, his skin, the way his hair felt when the breeze blew it suddenly over the back of my neck.
  32. balaclava
    a tight knit cap that covers the entire head and neck
    The knife wielder pulled off her balaclava, revealing a pleasant face and close rows of box braids.
  33. inkling
    a slight suggestion or vague understanding
    Now that I knew Mitch had a tracker, one he was guarding with his life, I knew the bush would be lousy with Recruiters the moment he had an inkling I had told the group about our true identity.
  34. rogue
    disposed to or engaged in defiance of authority or rules
    Not only would he be bringing in the rogue Indians who had been causing so much chaos, but he would also almost-single-handedly uncover and tear down an entire refugee network.
  35. amalgamate
    bring or combine together or with something else
    I had no choice but to chase after him, like I hadn’t a care in the world and nothing better to do than goof around with my brother. Like I wasn’t trying desperately to amalgamate my two families before I had to choose one over the other.
  36. extremity
    that part of a limb that is farthest from the torso
    The blood returned to my extremities in a torrent. Suddenly, I could feel everything, see everything.
  37. sternum
    the breastbone
    And the tip entered just to the right of his sternum, burying itself in the striated muscle of his conflicted heart.
  38. incredulous
    not disposed or willing to believe; unbelieving
    Mitch staggered, placed a hand on the shaft protruding from his chest, and looked up at me, incredulous.
  39. stilted
    stiff and strained; lacking natural ease
    He blinked, long and stilted, one eye opening after the other, focusing on my face.
  40. strew
    spread by scattering
    She had insisted on staying on the ground while the rest of us nestled high in a hay- strewn loft, safely out of sight.
Created on Tue Sep 20 16:12:30 EDT 2022 (updated Tue Oct 04 13:40:37 EDT 2022)

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