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"Of course," he says "In here" He guidesin a nu it closed behind us

The shed is well-lit, and I blink, taking in True His fingernails are black with dirt and he smells like oil, and yet there’s that cleanness about him, and I think, He is exactly the kind of person that Atlantia was designed to save

"What is it?" he asks "What can I do?"

"I’ if you could make me some locks"

"Locks?" he asks "Like for a door?"

"For me," I say "To wear on my hands and feet when I swim"

"I don’t understand," True says

"Reet the coin fast is to do one big event? So that I can get the ine that I’ether, and that there are dozens of eels and fish co for me from the other end of the lane, and the crowd knows that the eels and fish are electrically charged And they know that I have to break free of the locks before I can evenwalk up to think about everything that I learned in my aunt’s house, in the place where my mother died And I’ve decided I want to follow my mother to the surface--not take my chances with Maire

Froh the to voices from the past or to Maire I don’t trust her

I’ve decided that when I create this ainst all odds I will find a robe to wear that looks like hers I will fetter myself with locks and chains, sy ill represent Nevio and others like him, and then, as Oceana, I will break away and swiain

"This will draw a crowd," I say "I think people ant to bet on it We can advertise Aldo will tell everyone If you can get the locks h, we could do it soon Like next week"

But True shakes his head "Too dangerous," he says "If you didn’t get out of the locks in tiot to you, you could go into shock and drown You could actually die, even though I’ve tried to ed"

"That’s the point," I say "People want to see soht races," True says "Take it more slowly The crowd hasn’t lost interest in you They like e’ve done so far"

He’s right, of course And, if I take ives er I can last here Howinworse than it’s ever been--as I miss my sister more each day, as I learn more aboutto Bay’s shell each night helped th to keep one

"I don’t think I can wait," I say That’s all I tell him But as always, True seems to know that there is more I can’t say He seems to understand

I don’t knohy

"So hoill you get out of the locks?" True asks

"That’s the hard part," I say "We want the audience to feel like they’ve seen a miracle, but not like they’ve been tricked, once we tell them hoas done Which we’ll have to do, at the end And we’ll probably have to let someone else put the locks on me so that they know that part is fair Aldo, maybe Someone the bettors trust"