“Oh that’s it, huh?” This sounded like a bark coming from the doorway of an old coffee shop or something, the door hanging off its hinges. Letti stepped out and onto the street. “Really? That’s all you wanted to do? Send a nice little message of love? We’re not as stupid as Timon looks. We know you’re trying to leave them bread crumbs along the way so they can follow us.”

Isaac, temporarily insane, tried to shout, “Hansel and Gretel” because that had been a favorite story when he was little; his mom would read it to him at bedtime. Scary as hell and warped his mind, but he loved it. All that came out of his mouth, though, was a repeat of the squawk and groan from earlier.

Maybe the unpleasant sounds spewing from his throat had finally been enough to convince Timon; he released Isaac from his kidnapper grip. Isaac bent over and put his hands on his knees, releasing a mixed order of coughing, spitting, sucking in breaths, letting them out, then coughing and spitting again.

Letti walked right in front of him and lifted his chin with a firm hand so he had to look up at her.

“What did you write on that wall?”

Timon opened his mouth to answer—he’d seen it, after all—but Letti cut him off with a sharp swipe of her hand. “I want to hear it from the boy who wrote it. What did it say?”

Isaac straightened up, continuing to catch his breath. He knew any chance of lying to get out of this mess had gone out the window. “It was just one of those stupid tags kids leave. Johnny so-and-so was here. Regina what’s-her-name was here. People do it all the time. So . . . Isaac was here. Sadina was here. No big deal.”

Timon stiffened a bit. “Isaac the Blacksmith? Sadina the Wise? What was that all about?”

“What do you mean, what was that all about? They’re called nicknames. Nothing to worry about. Let’s keep moving.”

The woman rolled her eyes and shook her head. Timon made a noise that sounded like he needed to clear his sinuses. Sadina still trembled with frustration but was wise enough to keep it simmering on the inside. Isaac could finally breathe again. Everyone seemed content to consider the situation settled and move on.

“Okay,” Letti said. “Come with me, I want to show you something.”

She turned and started up the rough remnants of a path that led away from the street and up a hill, through a jungle of weeds and bushes and small trees. Timon faced the other two and gave a stern nod toward the path, his message clear. Without a word, Isaac followed, then Sadina, the Gentle Giant being kind enough to take up the rear.