A faint layer of tears actually washed over his eyes. “Dunpheeeee?!” he said. “Come onnnn. You could at least have the decency to settle this thing in good faith. Somebody has to take the blame. It’s not as if I found you five miles up in the woods. Now don’t get greedy.”

“Okay. Jonathan Wheeler takes the blame for everyone. The rest go free.”

“What?”

“We go back in there, and you pick Wheeler’s name out of a hat.”

“Why Wheeler?”

“Why not?”

Fundy’s panting subsided. He blinked all the moisture off his lashes and grinned.

“You just made a big mistake, Dunphy. I can tell Wheeler what you were planning, and he’ll turn around and blame everything on you.”

“Good. Throw me out, too.”

“You don’t understand. He’ll blame everything on you. Which will leave Sodani scot-free.”

“You really think Jonathan Wheeler’s going to let his only hope off the hook?”

“He just might be mad enough.”

“He’d get mad but he wouldn’t lose his cool. He never would’ve lasted here this long.”

Fundy knew I was right.

“As it is we’re going to have a hard time getting him out,” I said. “You have to get him to agree to the terms before you pick his name.”

“No.”

“What do you mean ‘no’?”

“No. You’re complicating matters. I’ll grant you that only one goes, but I choose who.”

Fundy seemed firm. I knew I’d be pressing my luck not to give in.

When we re-entered the room I knew I was being set up to be the fall guy, but I didn’t care. Although Wheeler would stay, I’d at least saved some of my friends. I outlined the terms of the deal. “Fundy’s going to pick one guy,” I began.

“Mr. Funderburk,” Fundy said.

“And whoever he picks got to promise not to involve anyone else. In other words, you brought the hash from home.”

Fundy finally smiled. “Okay, do I have any volunteers?”

I started to get up.

“Sit down, Dunphy, you’re not even worth throwing out.”

He looked at Wheeler, Candle, and Creature. “You three aren’t either,” he said. “No, it’s between Waltham and Rafferty.” He smiled. “Now which one of you wants to be the sacrificial lamb?”

Great, I thought, all the better! Jack was the only guy in the room who could get through this without getting booted. He’d definitely get a hefty job project and be put on probation, but that was nothing compared to what anyone else would get. Unfortunately, he didn’t want to be the lamb. He stared at Fundy, unblinking, his mouth closed tightly, his jaw muscles flexed. Even after Irving had left with Funderburk, Jack remained holed up in his silence. He was that way when the last of us returned to our rooms.