sam-temple

Lana's going through them one at a time. Healing them. She's amazing."Sam thought he heard something extra in Edilio's voice. "She's cute too, huh Edilio?"Edilio's eyes went wide and started blushing. "She's just...you know..."Sam slapped his shoulder. "Good luck with that.""You think she...I mean, you know me, I'm just..." Edilio stammered his way to a stop."Dude, let's see if we can stay alive. Then you can ask her out or whatever.

Why do we have to do this in the middle of the night?_ Taylor asked.__ecause we don__ want the whole town knowing why we__e going and where we__e going.___ow can I tell anyone if I don__ even know myself?_ Taylor stuck out her lower lip.__ater. We__e going to look for water,_ Sam said.He could almost hear the wheels in Taylor__ head spinning. Then, __MG, we__e out of water?_ She bit her lip, took a couple of dramatic breaths, and wailed, __o you mean we__e all going to die?___hat would be a pretty good example of why we__e keeping this secret,_ Sam said dryly.__ just need to go____h-uh!_ Sam said. __o you don__, Taylor. You don__ bounce anywhere or talk to anyone without me agreeing. Are we clear?___ou know, Sam, you__e nice. And so very, very hot,_ Taylor said. __ut you__e not really much fun.___et__ get out of here while we can,_ Dekka said. __ brought a gun, by the way.___re we going to be in danger?_ Taylor cried.__he gun__ in case you get on my nerves, Taylor,_ Dekka warned.__h, so funny,_ Taylor said.

Have either of you seen Sam? Brianna can__ find him.__lbert sighed. __e__ out of town.__dilio felt the blood drain out of his face. __e__ what?__strid arrived, coldly furious. ____ not on the council anymore. You have no right____hut up, Astrid,_ Edilio said.Astrid, Albert, and Howard all stared. Edilio was as amazed as any of them. He considered apologizing__e had never spoken to Astrid that way. He__ never spoken to anyone that way.The truth was he was scared. Sam was out of town? With Drake running loose?__hat makes you think Sam is out of town?_ Edilio asked Albert.__ sent him,_ Albert said. __im and Dekka. Taylor and Jack, too. They__e looking for water.___hey__e what?___ooking for water.

You know what, Sam? We created the council to take pressure off of you. Because you were falling apart.__am just stared at her. Not quite believing she__ said it. And Astrid seemed shocked herself. Shocked at the venom behind her own words.__ didn__ mean_,_ she started lamely, but then couldn__ find her way to explaining just what it was she didn__ mean.Sam shook his head. __ou know, even now, as long as we__e been together it still surprises me that you can be so ruthless.___uthless? Me?___ou will use anyone to get what you want. Say anything to get your way. Why was I ever even in charge?_ He stabbed an accusing finger at her. __ecause of you! Because you manipulated me into it. Why? So I would protect you and Little Pete. That__ all you cared about.___hat__ a lie!_ she said hotly.__ou know it__ the truth. And now you don__ have to bother manipulating me, you can just give me orders. Embarrass me. Undercut me. But as soon as some problem hits, guess what? It__l be, oh, please, Sam, save us.___nything I do, I do for everyone__ good,_ Astrid said.__eah, so you__e not just a genius now, you__e a saint.

Anna and Emma just poofed.___hat?___ was standing there. I was watching them. I was holding Anna__ hand when it happened.__strid rose and without really thinking about it wrapped her arms around Sam like she did when she was trying to comfort Little Pete.But unlike Little Pete, Sam responded to her touch by awkwardly hugging her back. For a moment his face was in her hair and she heard his ragged breathing close to her ear. And it seemed like they might do it again, the kissing thing, but then, both at once, they pushed away.__he was scared,_ Sam said. __nna, I mean. She saw Emma disappear. They were born just six minutes apart. So, first Emma. Then Anna, waiting for it. Knowing it was coming.

When she came back down, Sam and Astrid had arrived.Sam hugged Dekka, and the two of them stayed that way for a long time, saying nothing. Both had loved Brianna.To Edilio, Sam said, ____ so sorry, man. I wish I__ . . . You know what I wish.__dilio fought back a fresh rush of tears, nodded, waited until he was sure he could speak, and said, ____ glad you__e back, boss.

Hunter__ dead,_ Taylor said without preamble. __t was these . . . these things. They came crawling up out of him and were eating him, oh God, I mean, it was like . . . I mean he was crying and Dekka prayed with him and he tried to fry his own brain just like he did with Harry only I guess it didn__ work, I guess he couldn__ do it, so Sam . . ._ She swallowed. __nyone have some water?___hat about Sam?_ Astrid demanded.__e did it for him. Sam. I mean, he . . . Hunter was, you know . . . so Sam._ She pantomimed raising her hands, like Sam, like he would do when using his power.Astrid closed her eyes and crossed herself.__est in peace,_ Edilio said and crossed himself as well.__am burned the boy?_ Howard asked. Then, bitterly sarcastic said, __eah, you all pray to Jesus. Because Jesus is really providing a lot of help here. Sounds to me like Sam was the one doing what had to be done.

Drake__ dead,_ Astrid said. __ead people don__ come back. Let__ not be ridiculous.__oward made a derisive snort. __kay. That__ as far as I go with you on this, Sammy boy._ He made a hand-washing gesture.Astrid slammed her palm on the table, surprising even herself. __omebody better tell me what all these back-and-forth looks are about.___rittney,_ Howard said, spitting the name out like it was poison. __he came back. Sam had her and stuck her with Brianna, and told me not to talk about it.___rittney?_ Astrid said, confused.Howard said, __eah. You know, like dead-girl Brittney? Way dead? Dead a long time and buried a long time and suddenly she__ sitting in my house chatting? That Brittney._____ still not___ell, Astrid,_ Howard said, __ guess we just found the limits of your big old genius brain. Point is that someone who was very seriously dead is suddenly not so dead anymore.___ut_,_ Astrid started. __ut Drake___s dead as Brittney,_ Howard said. __hich might be a slight problem, since Brittney isn__ exactly dead herself.

Have you seen Sam?_ Mary asked.__hat do you want with Sam?___ can__ take care of all those littles with just John to help me.__oward shrugged. __ho asked you to?__hat was too much. Mary was tall and strong. Howard, though a boy, was smaller. Mary took two steps toward him, pushing her face right into his. __isten, you little worm. If I don__ take care of those kids, they__l die. Do you understand that? There are babies in there who need to be fed and need to be changed, and I seem to be the only one who realizes it. And there are probably more little kids still in their homes, all alone, not knowing what__ happening, not knowing how to feed themselves, scared to death.__oward took a step back, tentatively lifted the bat, then let it fall. __hat am I supposed to do?_ he whined.__ou? Nothing. Where__ Sam?___e took off.___hat do you mean, he took off?___ mean him and Quinn and Astrid took off.__ary blinked, feeling stupid and slow. __ho__ in charge?___ou think just because Sam likes to play the big hero every couple years that makes him the guy in charge?__ary had been on the bus two years ago when the driver, Mr. Colombo, had had his heart attack. She__ had her head in a book, not paying attention, but she had looked up when she felt the bus swerve. By the time she had focused, Sam was guiding the bus onto the shoulder of the road.In the two years that followed, Sam had been so quiet and so modest and so not involved in the social life of the school that Mary had sort of forgotten that moment of heroism. Most people had.And yet she hadn__ even been surprised when it was Sam who had stepped up during the fire. And she had somehow assumed that if anyone was going to be in charge, it would be Sam. She found herself angry with him for not being here now: she needed help.__o get Orc,_ Mary said.__ don__ tell Orc what to do, bitch.___xcuse me?_ she snapped. __hat did you just call me?__oward gulped. __idn__ mean nothing, Mary.___here is Orc?___ think he__ sleeping.___ake him up. I need some help. I can__ stay awake any longer. I need at least two kids who have experience babysitting. And then I need diapers and bottles and nipples and Cheerios and lots of milk.___hy am I going to do all that?__ary didn__ have an answer. __ don__ know, Howard,_ she said. __aybe because you__e really not a complete jerk? Maybe you__e really a decent human being?__hat earned her a skeptical look and a derisive snort.__ook, kids will do what Orc says,_ Mary said. __hey__e scared of him. All I__ asking is for Orc to act like Orc.__oward thought this over. Mary could almost see the wheels spinning in his head.__orget it,_ she said. ____l talk to Sam when he gets back.___eah, he__ the big hero, isn__ he?_ Howard said, dripping sarcasm. __ut hey, where is he? You see him around? I don__ see him around.___re you going to help or not? I have to get back.___ll right. I__l get your stuff, Mary. But you better remember who helped you. You__e working for Orc and me._____ taking care of little kids,_ Mary said. __f I__ working for anyone, it__ for them.___ike I say, you remember who was there when you needed them._ Howard turned on his heel and swaggered away.

As Sam came to a panting stop, a jet of orange flame burst from a high window.Several dozen kids were standing, watching. A crowd that struck Sam as very strange, until he realized why it was strange: there were no adults, just kids.__s anyone in there?_ Astrid called out. No one answered.__t could spread,_ Sam said.__here__ no 911,_ someone pointed out.__f it spreads, it could burn down half the town.___ou see a fireman anywhere?_ A helpless shrug.The day care shared a wall with the hardware store, and both were only a narrow alley away from the burning building. Sam figured they had time to get the kids out of the day care if they acted fast, but the hardware store was something they could not afford to lose.There had to be forty kids just standing there gawking. No one seemed about to start doing anything.__reat,_ Sam said. He grabbed two kids he sort of knew. __ou guys, go to the day care. Tell them to get the littles out of there.__he kids stared at him without moving.__ow. Go. Do it!_ he said, and they took off running.Sam pointed at two other kids. __ou and you. Go into the hardware store, get the longest hose you can find. Get a spray nozzle, too. I think there__ a spigot in that alley. Start spraying water on the side of the hardware store and up on the roof.__hese two also stared blankly. __udes: Not tomorrow. Now. Now. Go! Quinn? You better go with them. We want to wet down the hardware__hat__ where the wind will take the fire next.__uinn hesitated.People were not getting this. How could they not see that they had to do something, not just stand around?Sam pushed to the front of the crowd and in a loud voice said, __ey, listen up, this isn__ the Disney Channel. We can__ just watch this happen. There are no adults. There__ no fire department. We are the fire department.__dilio was there. He said, __am__ right. What do you need, Sam? I__ with you.___kay. Quinn? The hoses from the hardware store. Edilio? Let__ get the big hoses from the fire station, hook __m up to the hydrant.___hey__l be heavy. I__l need some strong guys.___ou, you, you, you._ Sam grabbed each person__ shoulder, shaking each one, pushing them into motion. __ome on. You. You. Let__ go!

I__ getting my stuff,_ he said, and bolted for the steps.__ou don__ have to move out,_ Astrid called after him.Sam stopped halfway up the steps. __h, I__ sorry. Is that the voice of the council telling me where I can go?___here__ no point having a town council if you think you don__ have to listen to it,_ Astrid said. She was using her patient voice, trying to calm the situation. __am, if you ignore us, no one will pay attention.___uess what, Astrid, they__e already ignoring you. The only reason anyone pays any attention to you and the others is because they__e scared of Edilio__ soldiers._ He thumped his chest. __nd even more scared of me.

We__e not going to give in. We__e going to fight.___ot that right,_ a voice cried out.__irst thing we need to have clear: there__ no line between freak and normal here. If you have the power, we__l need you. If you don__, we__l need you.__eads were nodding. Looks were being exchanged.__oates kids, Perdido Beach kids, we__e together now. We__e together. Maybe you did things to survive. Maybe you weren__ always brave. Maybe you gave up hope.__ girl sobbed suddenly.__ell, that__ all over now,_ Sam said gently. __t all starts fresh. Right here, right now. We__e brothers and sisters now. Doesn__ matter we don__ know each other__ names, we are brothers and sisters and we__e going to survive, and we__e going to win, and we__e going to find our way to some kind of happiness again.__here was a long, deep silence.__o,_ Sam said, __y name is Sam. I__ in this with you. All the way._ He turned to Astrid.____ Astrid, I__ in this with you, too.___y name is Edilio. What they said. Brothers and sisters. Hermanos.___huan Vong,_ said a thin boy with yet-unhealed hands like dead fish. ____ in.___ekka,_ said a strong, solidly built girl with cornrows and a nose ring. ____ in. And I have game.___e too,_ called a skinny girl with reddish pigtails. __y name__ Brianna. I_well, I can go real fast.__ne by one they declared their determination. The voices started out soft and gained strength. Each voice louder, firmer, more determined than the one before.Only Quinn remained silent. He hung his head, and tears rolled down his cheeks.__uinn,_ Sam called to him.Quinn didn__ respond, just looked down at the ground.__uinn,_ Sam said again. __t starts fresh right now. Nothing before counts. Nothing. Brothers, man?__uinn struggled with the lump in his throat. But then, in a low voice, he said, __eah. Brothers.

I__ mean? That__ the worst you can throw at me?___ean and self-pitying. Does that make it better?___nd what are you, Astrid?_ he shouted. __ smug know-it-all! You point your finger at me and say, __ey, Sam, you make the decisions, and you take all the heat.____h, it__ my fault? No way. I didn__ anoint you.___eah, you did, Astrid. You guilted me into it. You think I don__ know what you__e all about? You used me to protect Little Pete. You use me to get your way. You manipulate me anytime you feel like it.___ou really are a jerk, you know that?___o, I__ not a jerk, Astrid. You know what I am? I__ the guy getting people killed,_ Sam said quietly.Then, __y head is exploding from it. I can__ get my brain around it. I can__ do this. I can__ be that guy, Astrid, I__ a kid, I should be studying algebra or whatever. I should be hanging out. I should be watching TV.__is voice rose, higher and louder till he was screaming. __hat do you want from me? I__ not Little Pete__ father. I__ not everybody__ father. Do you ever stop to think what people are asking me to do? You know what they want me to do? Do you? They want me to kill my brother so the lights will come back on. They want me to kill kids! Kill Drake. Kill Diana. Get our own kids killed.__hat__ what they ask. Why not, Sam? Why aren__ you doing what you have to do, Sam? Tell kids to get eaten alive by zekes, Sam. Tell Edilio to dig some more holes in the square, Sam.__e had gone from yelling to sobbing. ____ fifteen years old. I__ fifteen.__e sat down hard on the edge of the bed. __h, my God, Astrid. It__ in my head, all these things. I can__ get rid of them. It__ like some filthy animal inside my head and I will never, ever, ever get rid of it. It makes me feel so bad. It__ disgusting. I want to throw up. I want to die. I want someone to shoot me in the head so I don__ have to think about everything.__strid was beside him, and her arms were around him. He was ashamed, but he couldn__ stop the tears. He was sobbing like he had when he was a little kid, like when he had a nightmare. Out of control. Sobbing.Gradually the spasms slowed. Then stopped. His breathing went from ragged to regular.____ really glad the lights weren__ on,_ Sam said. __ad enough you had to hear it._____ falling apart,_ he said.Astrid gave no answer, just held him close. And after what felt like a very long time, Sam moved away from her, gently putting distance between them again.__isten. You won__ ever tell anyone___o. But, Sam___lease don__ tell me it__ okay,_ Sam said. __on__ be nice to me anymore. Don__ even tell me you love me. I__ about a millimeter from falling apart again.___kay.

You need to think about all that, Sam,_ Dekka said. __ou__e the leader, after all.___ot anymore,_ he said.Dekka laughed. She stood up and stretched. __am: you__e still the leader. You__e always going to be the leader. It__ not something you choose: it__ something you are.

Now, who else speaks for Perdido Beach?__ouncing Bette said, __am Temple here went into a burning building to rescue a little girl. He can speak for me, anyway.__here was a murmur of agreement.__eah, Sam is a hero for real,_ a voice said.__e could have died,_ another voice seconded.__eah, Sam__ the guy.__aine__ smile came and disappeared so quickly, Sam wasn__ sure it had happened. For that millisecond it was a look of triumph. Caine walked straight up to Sam, open and forthright, hand extended.__here are probably better people than me,_ Sam said, backing away.

Diana can read power levels,_ Astrid said. __id she ever__am nodded. __he said the baby is a three bar. As a fetus. Who knows what it will be when it__ born. Or as it grows. Diana__ only, like, four or five months along. I should know exactly, but I forget. When she would talk about it I would kind of, you know._ He made a shivering move, like it all gave him the creeps.Astrid shook her head in disbelief. __eally. That__ the part of all this that makes you squirm: pregnancy.___he made me touch her, you know, stomach. And she talked about her, um, her things._ He pointed at his chest and whispered, __ipples.___eah,_ Astrid said dryly. __ could see where that would be devastating.

What is the matter with people?_ Sam fumed. __ said we needed a hundred kids and we get thirteen? Fifteen, maybe?___hey__e just kids,_ Astrid said.__e__e all just kids. We__e all going to be very hungry kids.___hey__e used to being told what to do by their parents or teachers. You need to be more direct. As in, Hey, kid, get to work. Now._ She thought for a moment then added, __r else.___r else what?_ Sam asked.__r else_I don__ know. We__e not going to let anyone starve. If we can help it. I don__ know the __r else._ All I know is you can__ expect kids to just automatically behave the right way. I mean, when I was little my mom would give me a gold star when I was good and take away a privilege when I wasn__.___hat am I supposed to do? Tell three hundred kids spread out in seventy or eighty different homes that they can__ watch DVDs? Confiscate iPods?___t__ not easy playing daddy to three hundred kids,_ Astrid admitted.____ not anyone__ daddy,_ Sam practically snarled. Another sleepless night, in a long string of them, had left him in a foul mood. ____ supposed to be the mayor, not the father.___hese kids don__ know the difference,_ Astrid pointed out. __hey need parents. So they look to you. And Mother Mary. Me, even, to some extent.

Why are we sneaking out in the night?_ Jack repeated.__ already explained,_ Sam snapped. __f you don__ listen___aylor jumped in to say, __ecause otherwise Astrid would find some way to stop him._ She mimicked Astrid__ voice, injecting it with steel and a tense, condescending tone. __am. I am the smartest, hottest girl in the world. So do what I tell you. Good boy. Down, boy. Down!__am remained silent, walking steadily just a few feet ahead.Taylor continued, __h, Sam, if only you could be as smart plus as totally goody-goody as I am. If only you could realize that you will never be good enough to have me, me, wonderful me, Astrid the Blond Genius.___am, can I shoot her now?_ Dekka asked. __r is it too soon?___ait until we__e over the ridge,_ Sam said. __t__l muffle the sound.___orry, Dekka,_ Taylor said. __ know you don__ like talking about boy-girl things.___aylor,_ Sam warned.__es, Sam?___ou might want to think about how hard it would be to walk if someone were to turn off gravity under your feet every now and then.___ wonder who would do that?_ Dekka said.Suddenly Taylor fell flat on her face.__ou tripped me!_ Taylor said, more shocked than angry.__e?_ Dekka spread her hands in a completely unconvincing gesture of innocence. __ey, I__ all the way over here._____ just saying: you can see where that could make a long walk just a lot longer,_ Sam said.__ou guys are so not fun,_ Taylor grumped. She bounced instantaneously to just behind Sam. She grabbed his butt, he yelled, __ey!_ and she bounced away innocently.__o answer your question, Jack,_ Sam said, __e are sneaking out at night so that everyone doesn__ know we__e gone and why. They__l figure it out soon enough, but Edilio will have to have more of his guys on the streets if I__ not there playing the big, bad wolf. More stress for everyone.___h,_ Jack said.__he big, bad wolf,_ Taylor said. She laughed. __o, when you play that fantasy in your head is Astrid Little Red Riding Hood or one of the Three Little Pigs?___ekka,_ Sam said.__ah! Too slow!