Among the Barons

Luke woke to bright sunlight streaming in the windows. This, too, seemed fake somehow — like a trick. How could the sun be shining when Luke’s mind was in such turmoil? He looked up at the elaborate light fixture that arced over his bed, and even that seemed dangerous this morning. ~Watch out for chandeliers,” Oscar had said. Did the light over his bed count as a chandelier? Was Luke in danger every time he went to sleep?

Luke shook his head back and forth on the pillow. He needed to get a grip on his fears. He remembered what Mother always said back home every time he or his brothers whined about anything: “Count your blessings. Look on the bright side.” Luke’s current problems were a lot worse than, say, Matthew and Mark wanting to play football while Luke wanted to play tag. But maybe he could find a few blessings even now. He began making a mental list.

1. Oscar had been kind enough to warn Luke about the chandelier.

But why? Was it a true warning or just a trick? Luke decided to move on to the next blessing.

2. Nobody was going to blow his cover. The Grants needed him to be Lee. Oscar needed him to be Lee.

But what about Smits? Could Luke trust Smits to keep Luke’s secret?

Luke frowned and abandoned his list of blessings. It was all too confusing. Every blessing hid more danger and uncertainty. It was like the reverse of that saying about clouds and silver linings: All of Luke’s silver linings hid dark storm clouds.

I’ll just call Mr. Talbot, Luke told himself. He’ll know what to do.

“He’s a Baron. Barons can’t be trusted.. “ Oscar’s words from the night before echoed in Luke’s head. Luke tried to push them away, but the doubts lingered.

Luke wished he could trust Oscar. Oscar was already right there. He didn’t like the Grants any more than Luke did. It would be so easy to agree with Oscar, let Oscar do all the planning, let Oscar save Luke.

If only Oscar’s plan didn’t involve Smits. How could Luke, who wanted freedom so badly, help send another boy into hiding?

And was that what Oscar was really planning to do?

In that moment before Luke had asked about Oscar’s plan, “Just pretend, right?” he’d seen a glimmer in Oscar’s eyes.

If Luke hadn’t protested, would Oscar have let him believe that Smits was going to be killed for real?

Was Oscar planning actual murder?

Were the Grants?

Luke had been wrong about a good night’s sleep helping him think. His thoughts were more jumbled than ever. He was more terrified than ever.

“I can trust Mr. Talbot,” he said aloud fiercely.

He slipped out of bed and went into the hall. He tapped on Smits’s door.

“Who is it?” Smits mumbled.

“Me,” Luke said. It was too hard to say Lee’s name to Smits. Especially now. Without waiting for an answer, Luke pushed on in.

“Ever heard of privacy?” Smits said. “Ever heard of letting someone sleep in?”

Smits was still in bed, tangled up in his blankets and sheets as if he’d been fighting with his bedding all night long. His hair stuck up at odd angles, making him seem younger than ever. He was just a little kid. After having heard Oscar’s plan, Luke found it hurt just to look at Smits.

But Luke took a deep breath and reminded himself that he was supposed to be a carefree Baron, lazing around on an unexpected day off from school. Not an illegal third child terrified of murder plots.

“It’s ten o’clock already,” Luke said. “How much sleep do you need?”

He was proud of the way his voice sounded so even and calm — even playful.

Smits just groaned.

“Hey,” Luke said, still forcing himself to sound casual. “Don’t you think we should call back to school and see how close they are to finishing the repairs? See how soon we can go — I mean, we’ll have to go back?”

Luke had picked this ruse on the spur of the moment.

It’d be easier to get Mr. Hendricks to seek help from Mr.Talbot, rather than trying to call Mr. Talbot directly.

Nobody could deny a boy a phone if he said he just wanted to call his school. Could they?

Smits stared back at Luke as if Smits had totally forgotten about Hendricks School. Then he laughed.

“Oh, good try,” he said. “But Dad’ll see through it.”

“What?” Luke said, suddenly scared that even Smits had figured out what Luke was planning.

“You want to make some more of those prank calls again, don’t you?” Smits asked. “Remember how much trouble we got into last year at Christmas? ‘Hello, is your refrigerator running? Can’t you catch it?’ And then Dad made it so we couldn’t use any of the phones in the house at all, because they all take a special code?”

Smits was covering for Luke once again, telling him information that Lee would have known, but Luke didn’t Why? Why did Smits want to help Luke?

It didn’t matter. Either way, Luke wouldn’t be able to use a phone.

“‘W’e’re basically prisoners here, aren’t we?” Luke asked quietly.

At that moment Oscar stepped into the room. Luke froze.

“Ah,” Oscar said. “A little early-morning brotherly chitchat, I see. How pleasant.” He leaned casually against the wall. Then he very deliberately pulled a headset off his ears and placed it on a chest of drawers beside him. “I won’t need this now that I’m right in the room with the two of you.”

Luke glanced at Smits, wondering if the younger boy got the message, too: Oscar had been listening to their entire conversation. Smits’s room was bugged, and Oscar heard everything that happened there electronically.

Smits’s face registered no surprise whatsoever.

“Yeah, it was pleasant until you showed up,” Smits said.

Luke looked from Smits to Oscar. He felt trapped between the two of them, the muscular man and the scrawny boy Oscar wanted Luke to betray Smits. And Smits wanted — what?

“Sometimes brothers have secrets they want to share,” Oscar said. “And sometimes they have secrets they need to keep to themselves.”

And Luke saw, staring at Smits’s face, that Smits thought Oscar was saying that for Smits’s sake, telling Smits not to share any secrets with Luke.

What secrets did Smits know?

And what had Oscar told him?

CHAPTER 26

Luke took a shower and got dressed. For some reason he couldn’t have explained, even to himself, he transferred the fake I.D.’s for Oscar and Smits from his pajamas into the pants he’d put on. Maybe he just liked having a few secrets of his own. Or — how did he know that his room wasn’t going to be searched while he was away?

Being at the Grants’ house was making him totally paranoid.

Except — was it still paranoia if all his fears were justified?

On the way down to breakfast Luke passed Oscar on the stairs. Luke half expected him to stop Luke and ask quietly, “So what’s your answer now?”

But Oscar only flickered his gaze briefly in Luke’s direction. Otherwise, he acted as if Luke didn’t exist.

He took my “I don’t know” as a no, Luke thought And the chance to join his cause was a onetime offei Luke’s heart sank He wanted to grab the hulking man and beg for a second chance. But how could he? He still didn’t want to hurt Smits.

“What’s going to happen now?” Luke asked weakly He meant, ~Are you going to kill Smits or just hide him away somewhere? Or are the Grants going to kill me?”