He shook his head. “I’ve been… I don’t know. I’ve been wanting to talk to you. About a lot of things.” He suddenly realized that one of the things he wanted to tell her was that he liked her, liked her in a way that was different than with anyone else he knew, but starting that particular conversation seemed as terrifying as diving out of a moving airplane at night with a parachute that might or might not work. “Talk about what’s been going on here. About some of the things you said. Because some of them… some of them were right… ”
“What do you mean?” Her weariness had been set aside. She looked interested, even sympathetic, and for the first time since the night of the storm Colin felt as though things might not be as wretched as they seemed.
“Well… ” He hesitated, suddenly overwhelmed by all the thoughts in his head. What could he tell her? That he agreed his mother was dangerous-that he was beginning to be really frightened of her, not just in the old ways, but in entirely new ones? After all, Lucinda and her brother were leaving: it was Colin who would be stuck on the farm with all these people who already hated him. What if his mother found out what he had been thinking, these disloyal thoughts? What if she found out he had been talking to the Jenkins children about her?
On the other hand, what if he said nothing and next time something really bad happened…?
But before he could speak again, a shout rolled across the open spaces beyond the driveway. “Hey! Hey, Luce!”
It was Tyler Jenkins, jogging toward them, shirt untucked, baseball cap sideways, looking like the perfect model of a stupid American middle-schooler. Colin felt his insides twist with disappointment and resentment.
As he reached the porch Lucinda said, “Hi, Tyler.” Did Colin fancy he heard a little disappointment in her voice, too? If so, that almost made the intrusion worthwhile. “Hang on a second-I’m just talking to
… ”
At first, Tyler didn’t even look at him. “You should have seen it, Luce-it was totally epic! One of the hoop snakes got out, then Zaza got spooked and she got into Haneb’s hair, and he was screaming and jumping around trying to get her out… ” He slowed then stopped, staring at Colin. “What’s your problem, Needle? Can’t I talk to my own sister?”
Colin swallowed an angry reply. “Go on, Jenkins, say what you want to say. Nobody’s stopping you.”
“Really? You’re sure acting like you wish you could. Was I interrupting something?”
“None of your business.” He heard the sound of his own voice, cold and angry, and at that moment it was just how he wanted to sound.
“Tyler!” said Lucinda. “We were just talking. Don’t be a jerk.”
“What?” Her brother turned toward her, face red. “Why is it my fault? He’s the one sitting there looking like he wants to punch me
… ”
Colin stood up so abruptly the rocking chair’s skids squeaked on the porch boards. “Forget it! Just forget it! Enjoy yourself, you two. Really a pity you’ll be leaving tomorrow-it breaks my heart to think of it.”
And without even listening to what Lucinda Jenkins was saying-because what kind of fool had he been to think she would ever understand anyway?-Colin turned and banged through the door into the house. He almost knocked down little Pema as he stormed through the entry hall, heading for the stairs and the security of his own room, but the thought of apologizing to her never even crossed his mind.
Chapter 43
“Are you still mad at me? Come on, I didn’t even do anything this time!”
That was mostly true-after all the fights her brother had picked with Colin Needle he hadn’t really been too bad this time-but Lucinda was frustrated at how close Colin had been to opening up to her.
“Don’t you get it? He was telling me that we were right about everything, stupid!” She bent to pick up Colin’s lemonade glass, abandoned on the porch.
“So? We were!”
“We could have had him on our side!”
Tyler made a disgusted face. “Like anyone would want him on their side!”
“Forget it. You’re impossible.” She carried the glasses into the house. The door to the Snake Parlor was closed, which probably meant Gideon was having a nap. He was supposed to be getting better. Lucinda hoped they’d get a chance to see him before they left.
As she rinsed the glasses in the kitchen she tried to figure out why Tyler crashing into the middle of the conversation like a runaway truck upset her so much. It wasn’t just because she and Tyler were going to leave tomorrow and things seemed even more confused than they had last year. It hadn’t even been because for a moment it had seemed like they had a chance to make Colin Needle an ally, although that would certainly make things a lot easier-Lucinda had a feeling the fight for Ordinary Farm was going to get really, really nasty before long. No, it was something else.
Colin had seemed almost… nice. That was what bothered her. He had been lost and confused and scared and looking for help and he had turned to Lucinda. She had seen something in him she had never seen before, the Colin that was separate from his crazy, scary mother, the Colin that was more than just a strange, nerdy kid who dressed badly and had been raised in a crazy place without any other kids around. For a moment she had thought she was seeing the real Colin… then Tyler had stomped in and the moment was lost-maybe forever…
Azinza swept into the kitchen with a tray full of crockery. “Gideon is feeling better and he’s going to talk to us!” she announced with great satisfaction. Pema and Sarah came in just behind her and the wide room was suddenly full of noise and movement.
“What? Who?” Lucinda realized she had been standing over the sink for several minutes, lost in thought.
“Gideon, girl! Caesar is giving him a bath and dressing him!” Azinza put the tray down so hurriedly that the cups and bowls rattled. “Which means he will also be told your brother’s secret! A happy day! I will bring some flowers for his room.”
“Just a few!” said Sarah. “The parlor will be full of people. I don’t want anyone to knock over the good vases.” But the cook was clearly excited too. All the women had been helping take care of Grace up in Lucinda’s room and all of them were agog to see what would happen when Gideon and his long-lost wife were reunited.
“Whoa.” Lucinda felt a sudden pang of worry. For some reason, she just couldn’t imagine that Ragnar and Mrs. Needle would both stand quietly by without telling Gideon what had been going on during his illness. Ragnar would tell the truth, of course, but Mrs. Needle would have to lie, and then things would get very, very difficult…
“I have to go talk to my brother,” she said abruptly and headed for the door, leaving Sarah, Pema, and Azinza to look at each other in surprise.
It was a slightly weird scene upstairs, in what had been Lucinda’s room until the night of the storm: Grace was sitting on the bed with Ooola kneeling behind her, brushing Grace’s thin white hair. (The Ice Age girl, after a lifetime of bear-grease and tangles, had taken to clean hair and brushes with joy and would sit for hours happily tending the hair of the other women. Lucinda had been amused at how many times Ooola had asked Tyler to let her brush his hair as well, and how adamantly her brother had always refused.)
Tyler was pacing back and forth in the middle of the room like the producer of a Broadway show just before opening night. “What is it?” he asked. “Is Gideon up yet?”
Lucinda could only shake her head. “Why are you making such a fuss of this? Why have you kept it a secret from Gideon?”
“Because he’s been unconscious most of the time. Duh!”
Grace had looked up at the mention of Gideon’s name, her eyes mild and slightly anxious. “Do I know you?” she asked Lucinda.
“Yes.” It was hard to connect this frail, blinking creature with the beautiful, bright young woman in all the old photos. “I’m Tyler’s sister-this is my room, remember? Gideon’s our great-uncle.” She turned to her brother. “We should have taken her to a hospital, Tyler. There’s something wrong with her.”