Milo, meanwhile, was trying to drag both his suitcase and Maeve’s without zipping them up.Both bags tipped onto their sides almost immediately, and clothes went everywhere.
“A little help?”Jem said, glancing around for Tean.
The doc was on his phone, his expression distant.After a moment, he said, “Hold on,” and then he pressed the phone to his chest and said in explanation, “River.”
“What now?Maeve, enough.”
Maeve stopped screaming, but she immediately struck another hipshot pose, her face set in a fresh challenge.
“She says she knows why—” Tean hesitated.“—theyhave been following her, and she wants to show us.”
“Great.”Jem crouched next to Milo and began scooping up clothes.“Tell her we’ll pencil her in.First, I’ve got to deal with these two psychos.And then I’ve got to deal with Brigitte and Stephen.”
“If you make us go back to Brigitte,” Maeve said, “I’ll cutyourhair off.”
Tean was sending him a look that said adults took the high road.Adults didn’t respond.
Sometimes, though, Jem thought Tean wasn’t always right about the important stuff.Which was why, as he was yanking the zipper shut, he said, “If you make us go back to Brigitte, I’ll cutyourhair off.”
Maeve’s mouth opened into an O.“Hey!”
“Hey!”
Maeve made a sound of disgust.
So did Jem.
“Stop copying me!”Maeve shouted.
“Stop—”
“Jem,” Tean said.
“—copying me!”
“For goodness’ sake,” Tean said not quite under his breath as he grabbed Jem’s arm and pulled him away from the suitcases.“I don’t think taking them back to Brigitte is the right thing to do.Not right now.”
“Like it or not, she’s their mom.”Jem added in a mutter, “For whatever that’s worth.”
“What if Maeve is serious?”Tean didn’t quite glance over at the kids.“What if they run away again?”
“Then we’ll take them with us.”
“We can’t take them to see those people.Not now.”
“I’m going to tell Brigitte you were being rude!”Maeve called.
“You know what?”Jem said.“You’re right.We have to get rid of them.Permanently.”
Tean looked like he was about to smile.“Why don’t we do this?I’ll take them with me, and I’ll go see what River wants to show us.You try to get some answers out of Gerald’s coaching group.We’ll meet up after and figure out what to do with these two.”
“I don’t like the idea of splitting up.”
“Neither do I.But we’re in a bind.”
“Stay in the lodge.”
“Of course.”
