to have satisfied Orlando. Without saying another word, Grace lay down by the fire, and Charles and Orlando smoked and drank together till I finally fell asleep again.
11
The next thing I knew, someone was shaking me. I opened my eyes and saw Grace bending over me. "Time to wake, Felix," she said. "Señora Perez has made a breakfast for you."
Across the cave, the fire was burning brightly, and the old woman was stirring something in her witch's cauldron. Phillip and Amy huddled at her feet, spooning food into their mouths, and Charles and Orlando sprawled nearby, drinking coffee. I had slept more soundly than I thought.
As Grace straightened up, I sprang to my feet and grabbed her arm. "How could you do this?" I whispered, feeling tears burn my eyes.
She tried to pull away, but I hung on to her as tightly as I could. "I stood up for you," I sobbed. "I told Mom how nice you were."
With her free arm, Grace brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. "Come, please, Felix," she said. "You must eat with the others."
"Aren't you going to answer me?" I thrust myself in front of her as she pulled away from me. "I thought you liked me, I thought I was your friend."
Grace hesitated and looked across the cave at Orlando and Charles. They were talking to each other, paying no attention to Grace and me. "Felix," she said, "you must not take this as a personal thing. In Toledo, you told me you are rich, lots of money, easy life. So I think it is fair to take some of that money to share with other children who are not so lucky. You understand? It was to help the other children that I brought you here. Not to hurt you."
"I heard you and Charles last night," I said. "He and Orlando don't care about starving children. Or us. They just want the money for themselves."
Grace frowned, but before she could answer, Orlando called to her in Spanish. Turning to him she said, "
Un momento, por favor.
" Then she whispered to me, "Do not make that one angry. His temper is bad. You come now and eat. Later we talk, okay?"
Scowling, I let her lead me to the fire. Then I took the bowl Señora Perez handed to me and poked my spoon into the runny porridge. It was lukewarm and full of lumps. If I hadn't been so hungry, I could never have swallowed it.
"This is the worst stuff I ever ate in my whole entire life," Phillip whispered to Amy. "It tastes like pig food."
"Sh," Amy whispered.
Señora Perez was looking at us. "Is good?" she asked.
Amy nodded and smiled as if she were in school, polishing the apple for a good grade. "Thank you very much.
Gracias,
" she added as she gave her empty bowl to the old woman.
Amy nudged Phillip. "Say thank you," she whispered.
Ignoring his sister's instructions, Phillip stuck out his lower lip and silently shoved his bowl toward Señora Perez.
The old woman peered at me. "You," she said, "good?" Like Phillip, I said nothing. I would have liked to dump the porridge in the fire, but I was too hungry for any heroic acts.
A few minutes later, Orlando and Charles prepared to leave the cave. As Orlando puffed impatiently on a cigarette, Charles spoke to Grace softly. Without looking at him, she nodded several times. Her shoulders slumped, her face was pale, even her hair had lost its shine and looked dull auburn in the cave's gloom.
Throwing his cigarette down, Orlando ground it under his heel and growled something to Charles in Spanish. While I watched, his eyes found mine and he frowned. Pulling a revolver out of his jacket pocket, he thrust it toward Grace. His gestures indicated she was to shoot us if we tried to escape.
When she didn't take the gun, Orlando grabbed her shoulder with his free hand and pulled her toward him. With his face close to hers, he shouted at her. Charles tried to intervene, but Orlando yelled at him, too.
"
Dios!
" Charles turned to Grace and began talking rapidly.
With great reluctance, Grace took the gun and nodded as Orlando continued to shout at her.
Finally satisfied
11
The next thing I knew, someone was shaking me. I opened my eyes and saw Grace bending over me. "Time to wake, Felix," she said. "Señora Perez has made a breakfast for you."
Across the cave, the fire was burning brightly, and the old woman was stirring something in her witch's cauldron. Phillip and Amy huddled at her feet, spooning food into their mouths, and Charles and Orlando sprawled nearby, drinking coffee. I had slept more soundly than I thought.
As Grace straightened up, I sprang to my feet and grabbed her arm. "How could you do this?" I whispered, feeling tears burn my eyes.
She tried to pull away, but I hung on to her as tightly as I could. "I stood up for you," I sobbed. "I told Mom how nice you were."
With her free arm, Grace brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. "Come, please, Felix," she said. "You must eat with the others."
"Aren't you going to answer me?" I thrust myself in front of her as she pulled away from me. "I thought you liked me, I thought I was your friend."
Grace hesitated and looked across the cave at Orlando and Charles. They were talking to each other, paying no attention to Grace and me. "Felix," she said, "you must not take this as a personal thing. In Toledo, you told me you are rich, lots of money, easy life. So I think it is fair to take some of that money to share with other children who are not so lucky. You understand? It was to help the other children that I brought you here. Not to hurt you."
"I heard you and Charles last night," I said. "He and Orlando don't care about starving children. Or us. They just want the money for themselves."
Grace frowned, but before she could answer, Orlando called to her in Spanish. Turning to him she said, "
Un momento, por favor.
" Then she whispered to me, "Do not make that one angry. His temper is bad. You come now and eat. Later we talk, okay?"
Scowling, I let her lead me to the fire. Then I took the bowl Señora Perez handed to me and poked my spoon into the runny porridge. It was lukewarm and full of lumps. If I hadn't been so hungry, I could never have swallowed it.
"This is the worst stuff I ever ate in my whole entire life," Phillip whispered to Amy. "It tastes like pig food."
"Sh," Amy whispered.
Señora Perez was looking at us. "Is good?" she asked.
Amy nodded and smiled as if she were in school, polishing the apple for a good grade. "Thank you very much.
Gracias,
" she added as she gave her empty bowl to the old woman.
Amy nudged Phillip. "Say thank you," she whispered.
Ignoring his sister's instructions, Phillip stuck out his lower lip and silently shoved his bowl toward Señora Perez.
The old woman peered at me. "You," she said, "good?" Like Phillip, I said nothing. I would have liked to dump the porridge in the fire, but I was too hungry for any heroic acts.
A few minutes later, Orlando and Charles prepared to leave the cave. As Orlando puffed impatiently on a cigarette, Charles spoke to Grace softly. Without looking at him, she nodded several times. Her shoulders slumped, her face was pale, even her hair had lost its shine and looked dull auburn in the cave's gloom.
Throwing his cigarette down, Orlando ground it under his heel and growled something to Charles in Spanish. While I watched, his eyes found mine and he frowned. Pulling a revolver out of his jacket pocket, he thrust it toward Grace. His gestures indicated she was to shoot us if we tried to escape.
When she didn't take the gun, Orlando grabbed her shoulder with his free hand and pulled her toward him. With his face close to hers, he shouted at her. Charles tried to intervene, but Orlando yelled at him, too.
"
Dios!
" Charles turned to Grace and began talking rapidly.
With great reluctance, Grace took the gun and nodded as Orlando continued to shout at her.
Finally satisfied
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