Page 34 (1/2)

“Mamumu?” the other inmate mocked, his voice thick to the point of incohed and slapped his hand down hard on the steel table “Mamumu ma ma, moo”

“You a sword ser, Mamomo?”

Manolo shook his head

Andrews leaned in closer “Nah, I think you are That weak handshake there? You all scared All shaking, hey, that’s okay, you’re a fish, you ht to be scared—there’s some bad men in here Like Carolla here He’s a bad man, aren’t you, Carolla?”

“Bad man,” the other one confirmed

“See,” Andrews said “You need to make friends fast here, fish Need someone to watch your back”

Carolla stuck his hand into Manolo’s plate, scooped up a peach slice, and popped it into his mouth

“See? There you go You let Carolla eat your peaches,to hurt you He’ll knock the teeth out of your mouth and bust you open, that’s a fact”

Manolo sed, stiffened, and tried to stand up, but both rabbed his shoulders and sla his peaches, , while Manolo sat helpless, pinioned

“Let o!” Manolo yelled

Andrews put a hand behind Manolo’s neck and slammed his face down into his tray When his head ca from his nose

All the while I was growing increasingly uncomfortable I told myself that this boy was a murderer, that he had taken a life and therefore deserved none of ination than , what these two brutes intended for him I did not wish to see it

“Do we have to watch this?” I demanded

“Don’t you want to alter the fabric of time to rescue him as you wished to do for Samantha Early?”

“It’s not the saritted teeth “Samantha is just a victim This boy killed someone But that doesn’t ht occurred to ht?”