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Back Any Way the Wind Blows
Chapters (100)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. 65
  69. 66
  70. 67
  71. 68
  72. 69
  73. 70
  74. 71
  75. 72
  76. 73
  77. 74
  78. 75
  79. 76
  80. 77
  81. 78
  82. 79
  83. 80
  84. 81
  85. 82
  86. 83
  87. 84
  88. 85
  89. 86
  90. 87
  91. 88
  92. 89
  93. 90
  94. 91
  95. EPILOGUE
  96. AGATHA
  97. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  98. Also by Rainbow Rowell
  99. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  100. Newsletter Sign-up

“I don’t think it’s hell exactly. I’ve done some reading…”

“For snake’s sake, Shepard—”

“My point is—” I say.

She takes a deep breath, like she’s about to shout at me.

I keep talking, holding up both hands. “My point, Penelope, is that it’s not your problem to fix.”

“Of course it is!”

“Why?”

“Be-because—” she sputters. “Because it’s a problem that—that exists.”

“You’re responsible for all existing problems?”

She buries her hands in her hair. “No! But yes. What sort of person would be if I didn’t help you?”

I try to look reassuring. “A normal one.”

“I’m not Nor—”

“You know what I mean. If I had cancer, would you feel like it was your job to cure me?”

“Possibly.”

“Penelope, listen—”

“No, Shepard, you listen! I understand I can’t fix everything. But it’s like, you can’t pick up every piece of litter, right? You can’t stop and pick up every napkin or piece of paper you see on the street. But my mum used to say that once we touched something, we were responsible for it. So if we picked up a can or a sweet wrapper, we had to deal with it—throw it away or recycle it or whatever—because we’d made it our business.”

“Okay.” I nod. “I think I get what you’re saying … I’m like a piece of trash that you picked up.”

“Exactly! I can’t just drop you now. Then I’d be the one littering.”

“What if I give you permission to throw me back?”

“It doesn’t work like that. You’ve penetrated my sphere of accountability.”

“Penelope…” I smile. “Does that mean we’re friends?”

She rolls her eyes—like she thinks I’m worth helping, but not talking to—and starts with the pacing again. “I can’t believe Mum was so dismissive. She’s the one who taught me the sphere of accountability.”

“Maybe it doesn’t apply to Normals.”

“Normals are still people, Shepard!”

“I’m surprised to hear you say so.”

She doesn’t look up. “On top of everything else, I owe you a life debt. We might all owe you a life debt. I can’t just—”

The front door bangs open, and Simon walks in, shuffling off his raincoat. His wings spring out.

“Simon, thank Morgana!” Penelope says. “You won’t believe what Mum did tonight—”

Simon walks past her. “We can talk about it tomorrow, yeah?”

“Simon, it’s urgent, I—”

He walks into one of the bedrooms and shuts the door behind him.

8

SIMON

Dr. Wellbelove told me to sleep on it. So I did.

And I woke up thinking he was right. I’m taking the money.

I don’t deserve it. Nobody owes me. But I could use it—I could really use it right now.