“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.”

“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.”

“You won't," says the Mayor, smiling again. "Everyone knows you aren't a killer, Todd."He pushes Viola forward again -She calls out from the pain of it -Viola, I think -Viola -I grit my teeth and raise the rifle -I cock it -And I say what's true -"I would kill to save her," I say.”

“And I feel her against me -And I think Viola -I think VIOLA! -I think VIOLA!!!! ”

“I'll ask ye this once," the woman says, lifting the rifle again. "Am I gonna need this?"I exchange a glance with Viola."No," I say."No, mam," Viola says.Mam? I think."It's like sir, bonny boy." The woman slings the rifle over her shoulder by its strap. "For if yer a-talking to a lady.”

“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–”

“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.”