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Brayden startedme so he didn’t see Niko launch at him Niko drove his head into Brayden’s side

Jake was on the to separate the Jake’s head into the metal cabinet, by accident I’ on Niko Punching

Brayden already whaling on him, too

The kids went totally berserk Batiste ran off Max was screeching The twins, wailing and clutching at each other Chloe, screa at her head It was insanity

Niko was doing his best to fight back, but he was outmanned and overpowered I stupidly scrambled over and tried to pull Jake and Brayden off Niko

Brayden turned and smiled, like he was happy to see me, then he punched me in the side of my head

I meant to just try to pull hi hirip but that didn’t stoppunches to his side and then--

BWRAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!

An air horn

So loud

BWRAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!

Everyone stopped fighting

We looked up

Josie had the air horn held high She was standing on the counter

She was in her grimy, stained clothes Blood still crusted behind her ears, where Mrs Wooly had ore alone

She looked like she had risen froht is over," Josie said

Her voice was quiet, but you could have heard it ato have a ceremony to honor the dead"

We took that in

"And then we’ll have an election to pick soets back, to be our leader"

And that was that

We had a plan

CHAPTER TEN

MAMA DUCK

After dinner, which we ate with hardly any fuss and hardly any talking, really, Josie got up and put her plate in the trash

Then Chloe, Max, Ulysses, Batiste, Henry, and Caroline got up and put their plates in the trash

Then Josie walked out of the Pizza Shack area

And Chloe, Max, Ulysses, Batiste, Henry, and Caroline walked out of the Pizza Shack area

Josie walked to the Children’s Clothing section

Chloe, Max, Ulysses, Batiste, Henry, and Caroline followed

She asked them their sizes and picked out pajamas for theed the pajamas to them like they were a precious treasure Like the pajamas were a dream come true

Then Josie walked back toward the Media Departle-file line

It was astounding

"I think I’ the calame of Monopoly, with his darn railroads and utilities and hotels on Connecticut, Vermont, and Oriental

And ent back to the Media Departs on new air mattresses with new pillows in new pillowcases All in a circle around Josie, as sitting on the floor Josie had a candle in front of her, and it cast a warht on their clean, scrubbed faces

Why hadn’t I thought of an air mattress?

Josie had also (finally) cleaned herself up She earing white pajamas and a pink robe and slippers And her hair was back in its custoiraffe knots on top of her head Her brown skin looked soft and glowing in the candlelight The only thing that broke the spell was the big square of gauze taped over the gash on her forehead But at least it was fresh gauze

Josie eaving an outrageous, preposterous, totally absurdist fairy tale It went like this:

"When Mrs Wooly co, new yellow school bus And she’s going to open up the door and say, ‘Coet on first, of course, because they are the youngest"

"I’m older by fourteen minutes," Henry volunteered