toto

What__ Albert going to do?_ a boy named Jim demanded. __here__ Albert?__lbert stepped from an inconspicuous position off to one side. He mounted the steps, moving carefully still, not entirely well even now.He carefully chose a position equidistant between Caine and Sam.__hat should we do, Albert?_ a voice asked plaintively.Albert didn__ look out at the crowd except for a quick glance up, like he was just making sure he was pointed in the right direction. He spoke in a quiet, reasonable monotone. Kids edged closer to hear.____ a businessman.___rue._ Toto.__y job is organizing kids to work, taking the things they harvest or catch, and redistributing them through a market.___nd getting the best stuff for yourself,_ someone yelled to general laughter.__es,_ Albert acknowledged. __ reward myself for the work I do.__his blunt admission left the crowd nonplussed.__aine has promised that if I stay here he won__ interfere. But I don__ trust Caine.___o, he doesn__,_ Toto agreed.__ do trust Sam. But . . .__nd now you could hear a pin drop.__ut . . . Sam is a weak leader._ He kept his eyes down. __am is the best fighter ever. He__ defended us many times. And he__ the best at figuring out how to survive. But Sam__ Albert now turned to him___ou are too humble. Too willing to step aside. When Astrid and the council sidelined you, you put up with it. I was part of that myself. But you let us push you aside and the council turned out to be useless.__am stood stock-still, stone-faced.__et__ face it, you__e not really the reason things are better here, I am,_ Albert said. __ou__e way, way braver than me, Sam. And if it__ a battle, you rule. But you can__ organize or plan ahead and you won__ just put your foot down and make things happen.__am nodded slightly. It was hard to hear. But far harder was seeing the way the crowd was nodding, agreeing. It was the truth. The fact was he__ let the council run things, stepped aside, and then sat around feeling sorry for himself. He__ jumped at the chance to go off on an adventure and he hadn__ been here to save the town when they needed it.__o,_ Albert concluded, ____ keeping my things here, in Perdido Beach. But there will be free trading of stuff between Perdido Beach and the lake. And Lana has to be allowed to move freely.__aine bristled at that. He didn__ like Albert laying down conditions.Albert wasn__ intimidated. __ feed these kids,_ he said to Caine. __ do it my way.__aine hesitated, then made a tight little bow of the head.__ want you to say it,_ Albert said with a nod toward Toto.Sam saw panic in Caine__ eyes. If he lied now the jig would be up for him. Toto would call him out, Albert would support Sam, and the kids would follow Albert__ lead.Sam wondered if Caine was just starting to realize what Sam had known for some time: if anyone was king, it was neither Sam nor Caine, it was Albert.

Caine tried to roll to his feet, but something was jabbing him in the crouch. He shook off the stars and saw Edilio standing over him. Edilio had the business end of his automatic rifle in a very sensitive place. "If you move, Caine, I will shoot your balls off," Edilio said. "Toto?" "He will," Toto said, "Although he's not sure it will be just your balls.

Little Pete. He__ not exactly just Astrid__ autistic brother._ He explained briefly while Toto added a chorus of __am believes that__ true_ remarks.__ow do we get Little Pete to do anything?_ Dekka asked.__he last time Little Pete felt mortal danger he made the FAYZ,_ Sam said. __e needs to be in mortal danger again.__ack and Dekka exchanged a wary look, each wondering what the other had known or guessed about Little Pete.__ittle Pete?_ Jack asked. __hat little kid has that kind of power?___es,_ Sam said simply. __ext to Pete, me, Caine, all of us, we__e like . . . like popguns compared to a cannon. We don__ even know what the limits of his powers are,_ Sam said. __hat we do know is we can__ communicate with him very well. We can__ even guess what he__ thinking.___ittle Pete,_ Dekka muttered and shook her head. __ knew he was important, I got that a long time ago. But he can do that? He has that kind of power?_ She pondered for a moment, nodded, and said, __ see why you kept it secret. It__ like having a nuclear weapon in the hands of, well, a little autistic kid.

Today, each of you will make a decision,_ Caine said. __o go with Sam, or to stay here. I won__ try to stop anyone, and I won__ hold it against anyone._ He placed his hand over his heart. __or those who choose to stay, let me be very clear: I will be in charge. Not as a mayor, but as a king. My word will be law. My decisions will be final.__hat caused some murmuring, most of it unhappy.__ut I__l also do everything I can to leave each of you alone. Quinn, if he chooses to stay, can still fish. Albert, if he chooses to stay, will still run his business. Freaks and normals will be treated equally.__e seemed about to add something else but caught himself after a sidelong look at Toto.The silence lengthened and Sam knew it was time for him to speak. In the past he__ always had Astrid at his side for things like this. He was not much of a speaker. And in any case, he didn__ have much to say.__nyone who goes with me has a vote in how we do stuff. I guess I__l be more or less in charge, but we__l probably choose some other people, create a council like . . . Well, hopefully better than we had before. And, um . . ._ He was tempted to laugh at his own pitiful performance. __ook, people, if you want someone, some . . . king, good grief, to tell you what to do, stay here. If you want to make more of your own decisions, well, come with me.__e hadn__ said enough to even cause Toto to comment.__ou know which side I__ on, people,_ Brianna yelled. __am__ been carrying the load since day one.___t was Caine that saved us,_ a voice cried out. __here was Sam?__he crowd seemed undecided. Caine was beaming confidence, but Sam noticed that his jaw clenched, his smile was forced, and he was worried.

It__ time,_ Jack said.__reeze? Count the kids,_ Sam said.Brianna was back in twenty seconds. __ighty-two, boss.___bout a third,_ Jack observed. __ third of what__ left.___ait. Make that eighty-eight,_ Brianna said. __nd a dog.__ana, looking deeply irritated__ fairly usual expression for her__nd Sanjit, looking happy__ fairly usual expression for him__nd Sanjit__ siblings were trotting along to catch up.__ don__ know if we__e staying up there or not,_ Lana said without preamble. __ want to check it out. And my room smells like crap.__ust before the time was up, Sam heard a stir. Kids were making a lane for someone, murmuring. His heart leaped.__ey, Sam.__e swallowed the lump in his throat. __iana?___ot expecting me, huh?_ She made a wry face. __here__ blondie? I didn__ see her at the big pep rally.___re you coming with us?_ Brianna demanded, obviously not happy about it.__s Caine okay with this?_ Sam asked Diana. __t__ your choice, but I need to know if he__ going to come after us to take you back.___aine has what he wants,_ Diana said.__aybe I should call Toto over,_ Sam said. The truth teller was having a conversation with Spidey. __ could ask you whether you__e coming along to spy for Caine, and see what Toto has to say.__iana sighed. __am, I have bigger problems than Caine. And so do you, I guess. Because the FAYZ is going to do something it__ never done before: grow by one.___hat__ that mean?___ou are going to be an uncle.__am stared blankly. Brianna said a very rude word. And even Dekka looked up.__ou__e having a baby?_ Dekka asked.__et__ hope so,_ Diana said bleakly. __et__ hope that__ all it is.

Hey, Sam,_ Drake shouted. __ thought you__ like to know this isn__ my whole army.__am didn__ doubt it.__our girl Brianna tried to stop us._ Drake waved a bowie knife in the air. __ took this from her. I whipped her, Sam._ He snapped his whip hand. The crack was like a pistol shot. __ broke her legs so she couldn__ run. Then . . .__ekka was halfway over the side, ready to swim ashore. Jack grabbed her and held her.__et me go!_ Dekka yelled.__old her,_ Sam ordered Jack. __on__ be stupid, Dekka. He wants us to come rushing at him.___ can beat him,_ Jack said. __ekka and me together, we can kill him.__am registered the fact that Jack was actually making a physical threat. He didn__ remember ever hearing that kind of thing from Jack. But Dekka was Sam__ greater concern.____ going to kill him,_ Dekka said in a voice so deep in her throat she sounded like an animal. ____l kill him. I__l kill him._ Then she shouted, ____ going to kill you, Drake. I__ going to kill you!__rake grinned. __ think she liked it. She was screaming, but she liked it.___e__ lying,_ Toto said.__ho?_ Sam snapped.__im._ He pointed at Drake. __e hasn__ killed that girl or hurt her.__ekka relaxed and Sam and Jack let go of her.__ruth-teller Toto,_ Sam whispered. __e can tell when people are lying.___ just decided I like you,_ Dekka said to Toto. __ou might be useful.__oto frowned. __t__ true: you just decided you like me.