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Ivan scoffs. "That's all just grandmothers' tales. He can't do nothing of the sort-"
"Yes, he can," I say, and once again, all eyes turn on me. "He can hit you with his Noise and it hurts like hell. He can look into yer mind and try to force you to do and say the stuff he wants. Yeah, he can do all that."
They're staring at me now, wondering when I'm go
"But I think he's gotta make eye contact to do it-"
"You think?" says Ginger Hair.
"And the Noise hit ain't fatal and he can only do it to one person at a time. He can't beat all of us, not if we all come at once."
But I'm also hiding in my Noise how much stronger it was when he hit me in the Arena just now, how much more potent.
He's been working on it, sharpening his weapons.
"Don't matter," says Sallow Skin. "He'll have his own guards. We'd be walking right into our deaths."
"He'll be expecting you to escort me," I say. "We can walk right past the guards to where he's waiting."
"And why should we follow you, Lieutenant?" asks the Corporal, getting sarcastic on my rank. "What's in it for us?"
"Freedom from tyra
The Corporal rolls his eyes. He ain't the only one.
Ivan tries again. "Because as soon as he's gone, we take over."
Less eye rolling this time, but Sallow Skin says, "Anyone wa
He says it to get a laugh but it don't get any.
"What about President Hewitt?" Ivan says, looking up at me with a weird glint in his eye.
Corporal Pot Belly scoffs and says again, "He's a boy."
"I'm not," I say. "Not no more."
"He's the only one a - willing to go after the President," Ivan says. "That speaks for something."
The guards look from one to another. I can hear all the askings in their Noise, all the doubts rattling around, all the fears confirming one another, and in their Noise I hear the idea being defeated.
But in their Noise I also hear how it can be saved.
"If you help me," I say, "I'll get you the cure."
They all shut right up.
"You can do that?" Ginger Hair asks.
"Naw," says the Corporal. "He's bluffing."
"It's stockpiled in the cellars of the cathedral," I say. "I saw the Mayor put it there himself."
"Why do you keep calling him the Mayor?" Sallow Skin asks.
"You come with me," I say. "You help me take him prisoner and every man here gets all the cure he can carry." They're listening to me now. "It's about ruddy time Haven became Haven again."
"He's taken it from the entire army," Ivan says. "We bring down the President, give 'em the cure, and who do you think they'll start a - listening to?"
"It won't be you, Ivan."
"No," says Ivan, giving me that look again. "But it could be him."
The men look up at me, up on top of Angharrad, with my rifle and my dusty uniform and my idea and my promises and there's a rustle thru their Noise as each man asks himself, is he desperate enough to take the chance?
I think of Viola, sitting in the Arena, sitting there as everything I want to save, everything I'd do anything for.
I think of her and I know exactly how to convince 'em.
"All the women are banded," I say. "Who do you thinks go
Lee's pulling the last bandages round Viola's feet when I come back in and her face is looking way less pained.
"Can you stand?" I ask.
"Only a little."
"Don't matter," I say. "Angharrad's outside. She'll take you and Lee to find the Answer."
"What about you?" Viola says, sitting up.
"I'm go
She really sits up at that.
"I'm coming with you," Lee says instantly.
"No, yer not," I say. "Yer telling the Answer to call off their attack and yer telling them just how Mistress Coyle works."
Lee's mouth sets firm but I can see his Noise roiling in anger over the bomb. He woulda died, too. "Viola says you can't kill."
I send her a dirty look. She's got the good grace to look away.
"I'm go
"If you don't warn the Answer," I say, "there'll be a lot more dead people to make him pay for."
"He can have Mistress Coyle," Lee says but I can already see other people churning in his Noise, Wilf and Jane and other men and other women and Viola and Viola and Viola and Viola.
"What are you going to do, Todd?" she asks. "You can't just face him one - on - one."
"It won't be one - on - one," I say. "I got some of the guards to come with me."
Her eyes open wide. "You what?"
I smile. "Got me a little mutiny going."
"How many?" Lee asks, his face still serious.
I hesitate. "Seven," I say. "I couldn't get 'em all to agree."
Viola's face drops. "You're going to fight the Mayor with seven men?"
"It's a chance," I say. "Most of the army's off marching to their final battle. The Mayor's waiting for me. It's the least guarded he's ever go
She watches me for a second, then she puts one hand on Lee's shoulder and one hand on mine and lifts herself to her feet. I can see her catch herself at the pain but Lee's wound the bandages tight and even if they ain't bone - fixers then at least they let her stand for a second or two.
"I'm coming with you," she says.
"No, yer not," I say at the same time as Lee yells, "Not a chance!"
She sets her jaw. "And what makes either of you think you have a say in the matter?"
"You can't walk," I say. "You have a horse," she says. "It's yer chance to get safe," I say.
"He's expecting both of us, Todd. You walk in there without me, your plan is over before you even speak."
I put my hands on my hips. "You said yerself the Mayor will use you against me if he gets the chance."
She grimaces as she tests the weight on her ankle. "Then your plan had better work, hadn't it?"
"Viola--" Lee starts but she stops him with a look.
"Find the Answer, Lee. Warn them. You haven't got much time."
"But-"
"Go," she says again, more firmly.
And we both see her rise in his Noise, we both feel how much he don't wa
"I'm not leaving Todd," she says. "Not now that I've found him again. I'm sorry, Lee, but that's the way it is."
Lee takes a step back, unable to keep the hurt outta his Noise. Viola's voice softens. "I'm sorry," she says again.
"Viola-" Lee says.
But she's shaking her head. "The Mayor thinks he knows everything. He thinks he knows what's coming. He's just sitting there waiting for me and Todd to show up and try and stop him."
Lee tries to interrupt but she don't let him.
"But what he's forgetting," she says. "What he's forgetting is that me and Todd, we ran halfway across this planet together, by ourselves. We beat his craziest preacher. We outran an entire army and survived being shot and beaten and chased and we bloody well stayed alive this whole time without being blown up or tortured to death or dying in battle or anything."