“Even if I believed that,” the Mayor says, “I’m sure we would have to Ask him long and hard before we could possibly be sure.”
“Leave him alone!” Viola says, trying to turn her head to follow him.
The Mayor stops just in front of the mirror, his back to Viola, his face to me. “Or perhaps we should just ask Todd.”
I pound the glass right at his face. He don’t even flinch.
And then she says, “Todd would never tell you. Never.”
And the Mayor just looks at me.
And he smiles.
My stomach sinks, my heart drops, my head feels so light I feel like I’m going to drop right to the ground.
Oh, Viola–
Viola, please–
Forgive me.
“Captain Hammar,” the Mayor says and Viola’s plunged into the water again, unable to not scream out in fright as down she goes.
“NO!” I shout, pressing myself against the mirror.
But the Mayor ain’t even looking at her.
He’s looking right at me, as if he could see me even if I was behind a brick wall.
“STOP IT!” I shout as she’s thrashing again–
And more–
And more–
“VIOLA!”
And I’m pounding even tho I think my hands are breaking–
And Mr. Hammar is grinning and holding her there–
“VIOLA!”
And her wrists are starting to bleed from where she’s pulling–
“I’LL KILL YOU!”
I’m shouting into the Mayor’s face–
With all my Noise–
“I’LL KILL YOU!”–
And still holding her there–
“VIOLA! VIOLA!”–
But it’s Davy–
Of all people–
It’s Davy who stops it.
“Let her up!” he suddenly shouts, striding forward from his corner. “Jesus, yer gonna kill her!” And he’s grabbing the frame and lifting it outta the water and the Mayor gives Mr. Hammar a sign to let him and Davy gets Viola back up and out, her throat roaring from taking in the air and coughing it right back out again with all the water.
No one says nothing for a minute, the Mayor just staring at his son like he was some new kinda fish.
“How can she help us if she’s dead?” Davy says, his voice wobbly, his eyes not meeting no one’s. “Is all I meant.”
The Mayor stays quiet. Davy backs away from the frame and returns to his spot near the door.
Viola coughs and hangs from her bindings and I’m pressed so close against the window it’s like I’m trying to crawl thru it to get to her.
“Well,” the Mayor says, clasping his hands behind his back, looking at Davy. “I think perhaps we’ve learnt what we need to know anyway.”
He walks over to a button on the wall and presses it. “Would you please repeat what you said earlier, Todd?”
Viola looks up at the sound of my name.
The Mayor walks back over to the frame, lifting up the little Noise-baffling rods from the sides of her face and she looks all around as she can suddenly hear my Noise.
“Todd?” she says. “Are you there?”
“I’m here!” I yell, my voice now booming thru the Arena so everyone can hear me.
“Please tell us again what you said a few moments ago, Todd.” The Mayor’s looking at me again. “Something about tonight at sunset?”
Viola looks up to where the Mayor’s looking, surprise on her face, surprise and shock. “No,” she whispers and it’s as loud as any shouting.
“Viola deserves to hear you say it again, Todd,” the Mayor says.
He knew. He could hear my Noise the whole time, course he could, he could hear my shouting, even if she couldn’t.
“Viola?” I say and it sounds like I’m begging.
And she looks into the mirror, searching for where I might be. “Don’t tell him!” she says. “Please, Todd, don’t–”
“One more time, Todd,” the Mayor says, putting his hand on the drowning frame, “or she goes back into the water.”
“Todd, no!” Viola shouts.
“You bastard!” I yell. “I’ll kill you. I swear it, I’ll KILL YOU!”
“You won’t,” he says. “And we both know it.”
“Todd, please, no–”
“Say it, Todd. Where and when?”
And he starts lowering the frame.
Viola’s trying to look brave but her body is curling and twisting, trying to keep any part of it outta the water. “No!” she’s yelling. “NO!”
Please please please–
“NO!”
Viola–
“Tonight at sunset,” I say, my voice amplified over her shouts, over Davy’s Noise, over my own Noise, just my voice filling everything. “Over the notch in the valley south of the cathedral.”
“NO!” Viola screams–
And the look on her face–
The look on her face about me–
And my chest tears right in two.
The Mayor pulls back the frame, lifting her away from the water and setting her back down.
“No,” she whispers.
And it’s only then that she actually starts to cry.
“Thank you, Todd,” the Mayor says. He turns to Mr. Hammar. “You know where and when, Captain. Pass on the orders to Captains Morgan, Tate and O’Hare.”
Mr. Hammar stands to attenshun. “Yes, sir,” he says, sounding like he just won a prize. “I’ll take every single man, sir. They won’t know what hit ’em.”
“Take my son,” the Mayor says, nodding at Davy. “Let him see all the battle he can stomach.”
Davy’s looking nervous but proud and excited, too, not noticing the odd twist Mr. Hammar’s smile has taken.
“Go,” the Mayor says, “and leave none alive.”
“Yes, sir,” Mr. Hammar says as Viola lets out a little sob.
Davy snaps a salute at his father, trying to make his Noise look brave. He sends the mirror a look meant for me, a look of sympathy, his Noise full of fear and excitement and more fear.
Then he’s following Mr. Hammar out the door.
And then there’s just me, Viola and the Mayor.
I can only look at her, hanging from the frame, her head down, crying, still tied up and soaking wet and so much sorrow coming from her I can practically feel it on my skin.