Jesus and Pepper were both saying something to me. I didn’t have time to reply to either because Pita had come hurrying over. She unclipped the microphone from her collar, squatted next to me, and starting spurting off Spanish to the girl.

Rosa mumbled something back. Pita frowned. They exchanged a few more words.

“What?” I said.

Pita looked up at me. “She says she doesn’t want to speak Spanish because you can’t understand.”

“Sounds logical to me.”

“What did you do, brainwash her?”

Rosa pressed tighter against my legs. I peeled her off me and crouched so we were at eye level. “What’s the matter, Rosa? Remember, they’re my friends.”

“I don’t like the dork,” she said.

“Dork?” Pita was indignant. “Me?”

Rosa pointed past her to Nitro. “Him.”

Nitro guffawed.

“That’s okay,” I said. “Nobody likes him. But you can talk to Pita. She’s nice.”

“What are you doing here, honey?” Pita asked. “Where are your parents?”

“They’re at home.”

“So who are you with?”

Rosa threw her arms around my neck and buried her head into my chest. I hesitated, then patted her on the back. “Where’s Eliza?” I asked.

Pita looked around, as if just noticing she was gone. “I don’t know.”

“Nitro,” I said, “go find Eliza. She shouldn’t be on her own.”

“Fuck you, Jack Goff.”

“Do it!”

For a moment I didn’t think he was going to, he was going to stand there in stupid defiance. Then Jesus gave him a godfather nod.

Scowling, Nitro wandered off into the trees.

To Pepper I said, “Do you have any more of those candy bars you had on the boat?”

“Lucky I have a sweet tooth,” he said, nodding. “I have one more.” He went to his bag, retrieved the candy bar, and brought it to Rosa. “Here you go.”

Rosa raised her head from my shoulder. She took the candy bar and said, “Are you Pepper?”

Pepper beamed. “Have you seen my show?”

“Jack told me your name,” she said.

“And did he tell you Nitro was a dork?” Pita asked.

“Who’s Nitro—? Oh, you mean Muscles?”

Pita shot me a look.

“Nice, Jack,” Jesus said.

“Here,” I said to Rosa. “Let me do that.” I unwrapped the candy bar, then handed it back to her.

She took a small bite, then another, and another, all the while chewing quickly.

“The poor thing’s ravenous,” Pita said.

“Rosa,” I said, easing her away from me and standing. “Can you give us a sec? I’m going to tell them what you told me, okay?”

She nodded without taking her eyes from the candy bar.