Plague

awkwardly, self-conscious, twitchy, between the two separate camps.
    “I think everyone is here,” Caine announced.
    “He doesn’t believe that,” Toto said.
    Caine smiled indulgently. “I think everyone is here that is likely to come,” Caine corrected.
    “True,” Toto said.
    “Yeah,” Sam said. His mouth was dry. He was nervous. He shouldn’t care. This shouldn’t matter. It wasn’t as if he’d ever wanted to be a leader, let alone a popular one.
    Caine held up his hand, signaling it was time for everyone to quiet down.
    “You all know why we’re here,” Caine said in his fine, strong voice. “Sam and I both want peace—”
    “Not true,” Toto said.
    Caine’s eyes flashed angrily. But he forced a smile. “Toto, for those of you who don’t know, is a freak with the power to tell truth from lie.”
    “True,” Toto said.
    “So. Okay. Let me start over,” Caine said. “Sam and I don’t like each other. My people don’t like his people, and his people feel the same way about us.” He paused to look at Toto.
    Toto nodded and said, “He believes this.”
    “Yes, I do,” Caine said dryly. “We have different visions for the future. Sam here wants to move everyone to this lake of his. I want to stay here in Perdido Beach.”
    The crowd was very quiet. Sam was both irritated and relieved that Caine was doing all the talking.
    “Sam and I also have different ideas about leadership. Sam thinks it’s a burden. Me? I think it’s an opportunity.”
    “He . . . he believes that,” Toto said. But he was frowning, perhaps sensing something about Caine that was neither true nor false.
    “Today, each of you will make a decision,” Caine said. “To go with Sam, or to stay here. I won’t try to stop anyone, and I won’t hold it against anyone.” He placed his hand over his heart. “For those who choose to stay, let me be very clear: I will be in charge. Not as a mayor, but as a king. My word will be law. My decisions will be final.”
    That caused some murmuring, most of it unhappy.
    “But I’ll also do everything I can to leave each of you alone. Quinn, if he chooses to stay, can still fish. Albert, if he chooses to stay, will still run his business. Freaks and normals will be treated equally.”
    He seemed about to add something else but caught himself after a sidelong look at Toto.
    The silence lengthened and Sam knew it was time for him to speak. In the past he’d always had Astrid at his side for things like this. He was not much of a speaker. And in any case, he didn’t have much to say.
    “Anyone who goes with me has a vote in how we do stuff. I guess I’ll be more or less in charge, but we’ll probably choose some other people, create a council like . . . Well, hopefully better than we had before. And, um . . .” He was tempted to laugh at his own pitiful performance. “Look, people, if you want someone, some . . . king, good grief, to tell you what to do, stay here. If you want to make more of your own decisions, well, come with me.”
    He hadn’t said enough to even cause Toto to comment.
    “You know which side I’m on, people,” Brianna yelled. “Sam’s been carrying the load since day one.”
    “It was Caine that saved us,” a voice cried out. “Where was Sam?”
    The crowd seemed undecided. Caine was beaming confidence, but Sam noticed that his jaw clenched, his smile was forced, and he was worried.
    “What’s Albert going to do?” a boy named Jim demanded. “Where’s Albert?”
    Albert stepped from an inconspicuous position off to one side. He mounted the steps, moving carefully still, not entirely well even now.
    He carefully chose a position equidistant between Caine and Sam.
    “What should we do, Albert?” a voice asked plaintively.
    Albert didn’t look out at the crowd except for a quick glance up, like he was just making sure he was pointed in the right direction. He spoke in a quiet, reasonable monotone. Kids edged closer to hear.
    “I’m a businessman.”
    “True.” Toto.
    “My job is organizing kids to work, taking the things they harvest or catch, and redistributing them through a market.”
    “And getting the best stuff for yourself,” someone yelled to general laughter.
    “Yes,” Albert acknowledged. “I reward myself for the work I do.”
    This blunt admission left the crowd nonplussed.
    “Caine has promised that if I stay here he won’t interfere. But I don’t trust Caine.”
    “No, he doesn’t,” Toto agreed.
    “I do