The Always War by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Author:Margaret Peterson Haddix [Haddix, Margaret Peterson]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Published: 2011-11-15T06:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER

22

It was slow going. Every few steps the person in the lead had to throw out a handful of gravel, walk forward, then scoop up another handful to throw. It amazed Tessa that there was always more gravel around to throw. This seemed man-made too, or at least of human design. Nothing in nature would dump tons of gravel in a field of grass, would it?

Once they got close enough to the tower to see the windows at the top, they slowed down even more, stopping every few steps to watch for movement, to listen for the first hint of any shouted commands. Gideon began walking with his hands high in the air, back in the pose of a surrendering soldier. He walked that way for so long that Tessa was certain his arms must have gone numb, but he didn’t complain.

While Gideon was busy constantly surrendering, Tessa took over the job of throwing out the handfuls of gravel to test the route ahead for him.

Tessa remembered the question Dek had asked her back on the plane, as soon as Gideon was out of earshot: He your boyfriend? She remembered the way Gideon’s mother had looked at her, as Tessa had walked into Gideon’s bedroom. She remembered the taunt nasty Cordina Kurdle from school had flung at her back at the auditorium the day of the ruined award ceremony: If you and the hero are so close, why aren’t you running after him?

All that had made Tessa feel a little bit sleazy. She had run after Gideon. She had chased after him all the way into enemy territory. In her wildest dreams she might have hoped for a hug or a kiss from the glowing hero.

She never could have imagined how intimate she could feel, not even touching him but walking together in silence through a field of grass, throwing rocks out in front of him, trying to keep him alive.

Was it because I spoke up, and volunteered to risk my life too? Did that make us true partners?

Something moved at the top of the tower. In a flash Dek had her arm reared back and began throwing rocks toward the dark windows.

“Stop! Stop!” Gideon begged. “It doesn’t work for me to surrender if you’re launching projectiles at them! They’ll retaliate!”

A flurry of wings flapped out the tower windows.

“Guys, look! Stop arguing! Stop throwing things! It’s only birds!” Tessa cried, pulling back on Dek’s arm.

Dek dropped the rest of her handful of gravel and wiped her hand across her sweaty forehead, leaving a trail of dirt.

“Yeah, and we wouldn’t have known that if I hadn’t flushed them out,” she bragged.

Tessa looked at Dek carefully. Dek had been the cautious one before. Why was she taking risks now?

“You already knew it was just birds, didn’t you?” Tessa asked. “How were you so sure?”

Dek shrugged.

“Educated guess,” she said. “Look at all the bird droppings coming down from those windows. I bet they’re even thicker inside. Nobody’s going to be hanging out in the midst of all that.

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