I waited for him to finish chewing.
“How old are you?” I asked. Rives seemed older than everyone else.
“Seventeen.”
My age, I thought, surprised.And Thad’s.
“And you’re Thad’s wingman?”
“Wingman?” Rives raised one eyebrow like Thad.
I nodded. “You back him up, like with the wild boar thing.”
Now Rives laughed. “I’m one of his Seconds.”
“Maybe.” I smiled. “But I still say you’re his wingman.”
Rives grinned, then wolfed down the rest of his wrap.
“Where is he? Thad?” I tried to sound casual.
“Teaching Talla how to fly a glider.”
Talla. Talla with big boobs and flat abs, Talla the girl whose honor Thad flew to defend after she was struck by Rory. I knew he was busy, that as Leader he juggled lots of jobs. I’d just hoped island guide was still near the top of his list. But I was either selfish or stupid. Or both.
“Hey,” Rives was saying, “you still there?”
“Sorry.” I switched gears to a more pressing worry. “Rives, there’s something I need to tell you. As one of Thad’s Seconds.”
“Shoot,” he said.
“The day Rory died, I went exploring. I hiked north, and just before the north cliffs, I ran into Bart. He was crouched at the tree line, just off the sand, like he was hiding. Then Samuel caught hisgate. The thing is, it looked like Bart was dashing out when I saw him—like he was about to steal Samuel’s gate.”
Rives’s face went hard. “Really.”
“I know, it sounds crazy. But that’s how it felt. Bart played it off, like I’d surprised him just as he was about to cheer Samuel on. But, Rives, I’m telling you, it felt weird.”
Rives nodded, his expression thoughtful. “I’m on it. Thanks for the heads-up, C.”
We finished our wraps, chatting easily. Relieved after unburdening my Bart worry, I did most of the talking, picking Rives’s brain about Search strategies and gate timing.
“Rives—” I hesitated, unsure how to frame my next question. “The carving. The one Thad calls the Man in the Maze. Do you know what I’m talking about?”
“Yeah. The one at the Arches.”
“What do you think it means?”
Rives shook his head. “I’m not sure.”
“Me either. But I think it’s important. When I asked Thad about it, he said we’re all rats in a maze.” I paused. “I know I just got here. But I can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to it and that we need to figure it out, especially since there’s a second carving on the other side of the island.”
“Maybe,” Rives said. “But unless it’s going to point us to a gate, I don’t see how it’s gonna help.”
“Good point,” I admitted. “But think on it, okay?”
“Will do. And hey, except for the Bart part, it was fun.” Rives tapped his empty plank against mine and smiled.
I smiled back. “Thanks for listening.”
