Page 101 (1/2)

Zu scribbled the words down, looking relieved to finally not have to stare at the ca, even though Liam clearly knew the answer to both of the questions

"My name is Suzume," he said, "and I’m thirteen years old"

"Suzume? That’s a lovely name"

"Thank you," Liam read "My friends call me Zu"

"Can you tell us a little bit about why your friend is speaking for you?"

Zu looked away fro I saw the save her a low, quick thu

"Becausebecause for a long ti," Zu said "And I didn’t t-think anyone would l-listen"

Liam jumped as if she’d shot him in the chest, his face pale with shock The world ceased to spin under ed It was slightly halting, edged with the nerves she wasn’t letting anyone see on her face So different, too, from the way it sounded when she had talked in her sleep--not scratchy with disuse

"I did it," she said, alirl!" Vida said, and her loud clapping was the only sound that eed in the silence that followed The kids who’d been watching the interview happen from where they sat fanned out on the floor to the side looked, in a word, stunned

Chubspast me, Vida, and Alice, who’d started to rise to her feet to reset the caed her was a portrait of pure joy, and he didn’t bother trying to hide the evidence of the tears that were beginning to track down his face

"I’ to do an interview," Zu complained, her voicehis back

"Okay, Charlie," Vida said "Let the girl finish before you try to drown her in tears Come on" She carefully extracted hi him back around to where I stood, where the rest of his elad for the excuse to look away fro to well up behindlike c-crazy people?" she said, and already her voice was getting steadier, stronger "Can we start again?"