the Kiva Members , I think,
heart pounding in my throat.
What did you do, Athel ?
Athel
keeps his eyes on Yuri and his brother, probably wondering what the heck those
two up-to-no-good rascals are doing there.
“It’s all
a mistake,” I whisper. “It’s all a big, huge, mistake. I’m sure once they
realize the misunderstanding, Athel will be cleared.”
“Depends
on what he’s done,” Lukas says.
“Oh, shut
up!” I hiss.
He blinks.
“I was just saying the truth.”
You and your truth, Lukas .
“I declare
this Kiva open under extraordinary circumstances.” Tahari’s voice booms from
the stage, bounces up the twisted air vent, and reaches our tiny closet one
floor up. “Uli, do you want to explain what happened?”
Uli lifts
his gaze, then sends a sideways glance to Athel and shakes his head. “Tahari,
I’ve known Athel all his life. I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation for
what he did.” Again, he looks at Athel, his eyes almost pleading.
Tahari
scowls. “I was there with you, Uli, when you found the young man in your
workshop closet. I asked you to look into his backpack and, had I not done that,
you would’ve never suspected him a robber. I believe you are biased. You are
therefore excused from testifying any further.”
One row
behind them, Mom wails. Seeing her like that angers me. Why is she not standing
up and defending her son? All she does is hide her face and sob.
“I know my
brother does a lot of stupid things, but if I were there in the auditorium, I’d
walk right to that Tahari guy’s face and tell him Athel’s no robber.”
“No, you
wouldn’t,” Lukas says. “Nobody talks to Tahari like that.”
I want to
reply but don’t want to miss what Tahari is saying. He recounts how Athel was
caught red-handed stealing from Uli’s workshop. Uli and he had just stepped
inside the room and found Athel in the closet, his backpack full of parts he’d
lifted from the shelves.
Tahari
looks down on Athel, then back to the men and women seated at his sides. “Do my
fellow Kiva Members have any questions?”
Athel
scans the faces of the men and women on stage, their eyes narrowed with spite. “How
long have you been stealing?” one man asks.
“I’ve
never stolen anything,” Athel replies.
“A liar,
too!” Tahari bellows. “I saw you with my own eyes.”
Athel
turns to Uli, perhaps hoping for a word in his favor, but Uli reverts his gaze
and says nothing.
“Let the
witnesses speak!” Tahari says.
A burly
man brings Yuri and Cal to the stage. From up there, Yuri looks down on Athel
and smirks, the bastard. Tahari nods and Metal Jaw chatter about all the stuff
he “overheard” us say at the stables.
It’s the
final straw. I stomp my foot, fuming. “Overheard my boot, the prickle head
eavesdropped on us!”
Lukas
scowls. “Shh!”
“Athel
meant to steal the stuff,” Yuri says. “He and his friends wanted to make
batteries but were missing some parts. My brother and I heard them say how they
didn’t have everything they needed.” He shrugs and flashes a disgusted look
toward Athel. “I guess he found it convenient to go take a look in Uli’s shop.”
“He’s
making that stuff up!” I protest. “That’s not what we said!”
Lukas
blows air through his tiny nostrils. “I know. I was there too, remember ?”
I snort
and keep my mouth shut this time.
“Who else
was there plotting with him?” Tahari asks.
Yuri’s
eyes sparkle with pleasure as he replies, “His sister was there, together with
the nerdy guy, Lukas. And the super fast one—”
He frowns,
searching for the name.
“Wes,” Cal
chimes in. “The super fast kid’s name is Wes.”
Tahari
shifts his gaze to the man who’s accompanied Yuri and Cal into the hall. “Go
find them,” he says. The man bows and leaves while Yuri and Cal gloat. Tahari
dismisses them and, as they exit the stage, their eyes meet Athel’s. Yuri looks
straight at us through Athel’s eye and his gaze
heart pounding in my throat.
What did you do, Athel ?
Athel
keeps his eyes on Yuri and his brother, probably wondering what the heck those
two up-to-no-good rascals are doing there.
“It’s all
a mistake,” I whisper. “It’s all a big, huge, mistake. I’m sure once they
realize the misunderstanding, Athel will be cleared.”
“Depends
on what he’s done,” Lukas says.
“Oh, shut
up!” I hiss.
He blinks.
“I was just saying the truth.”
You and your truth, Lukas .
“I declare
this Kiva open under extraordinary circumstances.” Tahari’s voice booms from
the stage, bounces up the twisted air vent, and reaches our tiny closet one
floor up. “Uli, do you want to explain what happened?”
Uli lifts
his gaze, then sends a sideways glance to Athel and shakes his head. “Tahari,
I’ve known Athel all his life. I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation for
what he did.” Again, he looks at Athel, his eyes almost pleading.
Tahari
scowls. “I was there with you, Uli, when you found the young man in your
workshop closet. I asked you to look into his backpack and, had I not done that,
you would’ve never suspected him a robber. I believe you are biased. You are
therefore excused from testifying any further.”
One row
behind them, Mom wails. Seeing her like that angers me. Why is she not standing
up and defending her son? All she does is hide her face and sob.
“I know my
brother does a lot of stupid things, but if I were there in the auditorium, I’d
walk right to that Tahari guy’s face and tell him Athel’s no robber.”
“No, you
wouldn’t,” Lukas says. “Nobody talks to Tahari like that.”
I want to
reply but don’t want to miss what Tahari is saying. He recounts how Athel was
caught red-handed stealing from Uli’s workshop. Uli and he had just stepped
inside the room and found Athel in the closet, his backpack full of parts he’d
lifted from the shelves.
Tahari
looks down on Athel, then back to the men and women seated at his sides. “Do my
fellow Kiva Members have any questions?”
Athel
scans the faces of the men and women on stage, their eyes narrowed with spite. “How
long have you been stealing?” one man asks.
“I’ve
never stolen anything,” Athel replies.
“A liar,
too!” Tahari bellows. “I saw you with my own eyes.”
Athel
turns to Uli, perhaps hoping for a word in his favor, but Uli reverts his gaze
and says nothing.
“Let the
witnesses speak!” Tahari says.
A burly
man brings Yuri and Cal to the stage. From up there, Yuri looks down on Athel
and smirks, the bastard. Tahari nods and Metal Jaw chatter about all the stuff
he “overheard” us say at the stables.
It’s the
final straw. I stomp my foot, fuming. “Overheard my boot, the prickle head
eavesdropped on us!”
Lukas
scowls. “Shh!”
“Athel
meant to steal the stuff,” Yuri says. “He and his friends wanted to make
batteries but were missing some parts. My brother and I heard them say how they
didn’t have everything they needed.” He shrugs and flashes a disgusted look
toward Athel. “I guess he found it convenient to go take a look in Uli’s shop.”
“He’s
making that stuff up!” I protest. “That’s not what we said!”
Lukas
blows air through his tiny nostrils. “I know. I was there too, remember ?”
I snort
and keep my mouth shut this time.
“Who else
was there plotting with him?” Tahari asks.
Yuri’s
eyes sparkle with pleasure as he replies, “His sister was there, together with
the nerdy guy, Lukas. And the super fast one—”
He frowns,
searching for the name.
“Wes,” Cal
chimes in. “The super fast kid’s name is Wes.”
Tahari
shifts his gaze to the man who’s accompanied Yuri and Cal into the hall. “Go
find them,” he says. The man bows and leaves while Yuri and Cal gloat. Tahari
dismisses them and, as they exit the stage, their eyes meet Athel’s. Yuri looks
straight at us through Athel’s eye and his gaze
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