Page 206 of Everything Under the Sun

“I only clean the messes I make,” I announced audaciously. “And the other is none of your business!”

Laughter went around the room.

I turned back to Ravinia and Maxima; they looked at one another, contemplating my words and discussing them telepathically.

Kade appeared as though he was about to explode, and it took everything he had to remain still and calm.

“WHAT SAY YOU?” Maxima shouted at the crowd.

“WHAT SAY YOU?” shouted Ravinia.

The crowd cheered; more than half went to their feet, pumping their fists.

Ravinia and Maxima glanced at one another. Ravinia nodded, as if encouraging him to make the next announcement.

Maxima turned. “The people have spoken,” he said. “The Majority have agreed you are worth living in our world as an equal—your demand will be met!”

“The gauntlet has ended!” Ravinia proclaimed, hand raised into the air again.

The reaction of the room was mixed: some jeered and cursed their disappointment, while most cheered their approval.

“But what of the bets?” a voice called out.

“Yeah!” shouted another. “If the gauntlet was stopped prematurely, who then is the winner?”

“YEAH!”

“WHO IS THE WINNER?”

“IS HE ALIVE?”

Ravinia waited for the crowd to quieten, and then she declared, “Since the fight was stopped due to unforeseen circumstances, all gauntlet bets are annulled!”

The disappointment in the crowd tripled; hundreds of slips of multi-colored paper floated like confetti into the air, their voided bets tossed away with the trash; the people grumbled and cursed and some argued as the crowd dispersed slowly, shuffling down the bleachers and away from the arena floor and toward the exits.

I went to my knees next to Atticus—the only thing I’d wanted to do the past many minutes—and I felt for his pulse. He was still alive. “Atticus,” I whispered, cradling his battered and bloody face within my hands, trying to revive him. “Atticus, please wake up.” I leaned over and kissed his swollen left eye. Then I lifted his shirt where there was a lot of blood, to see a deep wound where a knife had pierced him, just above the hip, and then I saw another in his right thigh—the blade had ripped his pants; and another in his left arm—I gasped; I thought he had only been stabbed once.

I looked up at Ravinia standing over us.

“He needs a doctor,” I said with desperation.

Ravinia smiled.

“I’m surprised being a doctor isn’t on that long list of things you can do,” she said.

“I have some basic medical skills,” I said, “but his injuries may not be basic, and I can’t take that chance.”

Maxima moved over to stand with us.

“If the man is strong enough,” he announced, “he will survive—put him back in the trenches!”

Dread washed over me, and I grabbed Atticus’ hand. “No! He needs a doctor! He needs medical care!”

During my pleading, Kade grabbed me from behind and pulled me away from Atticus.

“Let go of me! I demand it!” I roared.

Kade’s laughter encircled me. “You can’t play that card with me,” he said, the pleasure of revenge in his voice.

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