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Back The Year the Maps Changed Save as PDF
Chapters (75)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. Map
  6. Prologue
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. Acknowledgments
  74. About the Author
  75. About the Publisher

Sam and I rode over the curb, dumped our bikes and helmets on the front lawn, and raced to the side of the house, where Pop and Mr. Khouri were helping Nora down from the truck bed.

Then Pop was opening the back door and I could hear the scrape of chairs inside, in the kitchen, as Luca and Anika stood up suddenly.

“Where have you been?” came Luca’s voice. “We got home and nobody was here. Where are Fred and Sam?” And then he stopped as we watched Mr. Khouri walk through our back door.

“So sorry to intrude, Senior Constable.”

“Ferman?”

And then it was Nora’s turn. Sam and I each took one of her elbows to help her up the stairs. I heard the reaction to her right away.

“Oh, oh no . . .” Anika breathed, and then Sam and I were coming in behind Nora. Luca and Anika were standing in the middle of the kitchen with their jaws hanging open. Pop was hobbling to take a seat at the dinner table while Mr. Khouri rushed to Nora’s side.

Luca’s eyes landed on each of us, then swung back around to Pop. “Jeffrey—what is this?” he asked as we shut the door behind us.

“This,” Mr. Khouri said, as he walked Nora to our couch, “is a very bad idea.”

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59

The Right Way

“Mirëmbrëma,” Nora said. “Good evening.”

Mr. Khouri turned to Anika and Luca as soon as Nora was seated. I’d never seen his eyes look so wild and worried. “Ms. Ramusa has left the haven,” he said.

“I can see that,” Luca sighed.

“We saw the police looking for her, and then we spotted Nora across the street at school and knew she must have been looking for her friend—for Mr. Khouri!” Sam said, nodding over at the two of them. “And then Fred said we should help her, and . . .”

I felt the blood drain from my face as Luca turned to me. “So, you’ve aided and abetted?” he said.

I knew what that meant—someone who helps a person commit a crime.

“Flee,” Mr. Khouri corrected. “We have—each of us—helped Nora to flee, which is the very purpose of a haven.” He paused before adding, “Or at least—it should be.”

Luca ran a hand over his face. “Aside from that explanation not holding up in a court of law, have you all failed to notice that she’s pregnant?”

“She is right here, and she knows,” Nora said quietly.

I saw Anika’s jaw drop open again when she heard Nora’s words, in perfect English; and then Anika seemed to shake herself, closed her mouth, and walked over to stand before her.

“Hello, Anika,” Nora said.

Anika nodded. “Your English is . . .”

“As it was,” Nora said. “I am sorry. I was . . . I could not talk then, I had nothing I wished to say.”