“Todd!” she says again but this time in a way that asks me to look at her and I do and she stops Angharrad at the edge of the square and she’s looking at me, looking right into my eyes–And I read her–And I know exactly what she’s thinking–And my Noise and my heart and my head fill up fit to burst, fill up like I’m gonna explode–Cuz she’s saying–She’s saying with her eyes and her face and her whole self–“I know,” I say back to her, my voice husky. “Me, too.”And then I turn to the Mayor and I’m filled with her, with her love for me and my love for her–And it makes me big as an effing mountain–And I take it and I slam all of it into the Mayor–”

“I can read it.I can read her.Cuz she’s thinking about how her own parents also came here with hope like my ma. She’s wondering if the hope at the end of our hope is just as false as the one that was at the end of my ma’s. And she;s taking the words of my ma and putting them into the mouths of her own ma and pa and hearing them say that they love her and they miss her and they wish her the world. And she’s taking the song of my pa and she’s weaving it into everything else till it becomes a sad thing all her own.And it hurts her, but it’s an okay hurt, but it hurts still, but it’s good, but it hurts.She hurts.I know all this.I know it’s true.Cuz I can read her.I can read her Noise even tho she ain’t got none.I know who she is.I know Viola Eade.”

“ VIOLA Cuz she's here -She came -She came for me -And she calls my name -And I feel her strength coursing thru my Noise like a fire -And the Mayor staggers back like he's been punched in the face by a row of houses -"Ah, yes," he grunts, his hand to his head. "Your tower of strength has arrived.""Todd!" I hear her call again -And I take it and I use it -Cuz I can feel her there, riding to the end of the world to find me, to save me if I needed saving -Which I did -”

“Or perhaps we should just ask Todd."I pound the glass right at his face. He doesn't even flinch.And then she says, "Todd would never tell you. Never."And the Mayor just looks at me.And he smilesMy stomach sinks, my heart drops, my head feels so light I feel like I'm going to drop right to the ground.Oh, Viola-Viola, please-Forgive me."Captain Hammar," the Mayor says and Viola's plunged into the water again, unable to not scream out in fright as down she goes."NO!" I shout, pressing myself against the mirror.But the Mayor ain't even looking at her.He's looking right at me, as if he could see me even if I was behind a brick wall."STOP IT!" I shout as she's thrashing again-And more-And more-"VIOLA!"And I'm pounding even tho my hands are breaking-And Mr. Hammar is grinning and holding her there-"VIOLA!"And her wrist are starting to bleed from where she's pulling-"I'LL KILL YOU!"-I'm shouting into the Mayor's face-With all my Noise-"I'LL KILL YOU!"-And still holding her there-"VIOLA! VIOLA!"-But it's Davy-Of all people-It's Davy who stops it.”

“And I know I’ve lost.Everything is lost.Everything is over.“As the newly appointed President of this fair planet of ours,” the Mayor says, holding out his hands as if to show me the world for the first time,” let me be the very first to welcome you to its new capital city.”“Todd?” Viola whispers, her eyes closed.I hold her tightly to me.“I’m sorry,” I whisper to her. “I’m so sorry.”We’ve run right into a trap.We’ve run right off the end of the world.“Welcome,” says the Mayor,” to the New Prentisstown.”

“She tried to kill you, Viola. She tried to blow you up... You don't owe her nothing,' he says.But I feel his arms on me and I'm realizing things don't seem so impossible anymore. I feel Todd touching me and there's anger rising in my gut but it's not at him and I grunt and I pull myself up again, leaning on him to keep me there as I stand. 'I do owe her,' I say. 'I owe her the look on her face when she sees me alive.”

“You starting to feel hope yet?" Viola asks, her voice curious."No," I say, fuddling my noise. "You?"Her eyebrows are up but she shakes her head. "No, No.""But we're going anyway.""Oh, yeah," Viola says. "Hell or high water.""It'll probably be both," I say.”