"Why do they hate us so much?" I mumbled.
"Because they don't know us, and we don't know them," he said. "It's easy to hate what you don't understand."
I considered that a moment, and then a harsh reality hit me, like a slap across the face. As sick as I felt with the Scourge, the tightening of my throat and clench of my hands right now was not a result of this illness. It was knowing that recovering from the Scourge was only the smallest part of surviving the Colony.
I fully intended to get better from this disease ... somehow. And if Weevil was sick by then, I'd figure out a way to help him get better too. Afterward, we'd have to find a way to leave this island, something no other Scourge victim had yet done.
For that, we'd need the help of a pinchworm. And not just any regular townsfolk. We'd need the help of someone with an influential father who was powerful enough to stand up to the governor herself.
We needed Della.
Just at the thought of it, a sour taste filled my mouth, but I swallowed it, just as I'd have to swallow my pride in order to escape this island. "I hate to say this, Weevil, but you were right before. Somehow we've got to make Della Willoughby our friend."
I slept for most of the night after that, though I doubted Weevil even closed his eyes. Every time I awoke, he was there with his arms around me, keeping me safely in the tree. Most River People thought I was the stronger one in our friendship, but that wasn't true. Weevil was always stronger than me.
Normally, I would have at least tried to stay awake, but without the medicine, I was hurting more than I wanted to let on. Based on my constant squirming, I'm sure he knew, and he was obviously worried, but there was nothing he could do except let me sleep.
I did feel a little better once I woke up. My side was still burning, and it felt like someone was using my forehead for a drum. But the dizziness was better, which was a good thing, since dawn was coming fast and I needed to make it back to the cage before anyone realized I'd cheated on my punishment.
When he saw I was awake, Weevil didn't ask how I was feeling, something I appreciated. Instead, he said, "It's about time you woke up. You snore."
"No, I don't!" I countered.
He chuckled. "Well then, perhaps you were singing in your sleep. It sounds about the same."
I sat up and from out of nowhere, Weevil produced a vinefruit for me. He must've plucked it while we were on the outer branch last night. Before taking it, I eyed him. "Where's yours?"
He shrugged. "I'll eat as soon as I get down from this tree. I'm not sure when they'll let you out."
So I took the vinefruit and bit into it, making sure not to drip juice on myself this time. That'd be hard to explain to Warden Gossel when he returned for me. Vinefruit were always delicious, but never more so than this morning.
While I ate, Weevil stared off into the distance, lost in his thoughts. Finally, he said, "I admit that when you told me about the wheat yesterday, I wasn't sure how to react. All this time, I thought I was doing better for my family than I actually was. One of the last things my father said to me before he left was that I was responsible for my family now. He trusted me, and I let him down."
"Your father would be proud of you! Nobody could've done more than you've done for your family."
"I needed your help, even if I didn't know it before." Weevil shrugged. "It should be me in the cage, not you."
"Stop this," I said. "It shouldn't be either of us in that cage. The truth is that I was always going to be punished because of what I did to Della--all the rest was just Gossel's game for his own entertainment. He told me they want to break us, that they have to break everyone here in the Colony."
"Then the best thing is to make them think you're broken," Weevil said. "We have to stay out of trouble."
My smile turned mischievous as I glanced back at him. "Now when have you ever known me to stay out of trouble?"
In return, he only frowned at me. "You should try it, for once. There's a building south of us, probably where we heard all that movement last night. It's called the infirmary, though from what I've heard, nobody who goes in there is ever seen again. You keep getting in trouble, and that's where you'll end up."
"I'm still curious about those noises we heard."
"No you're not, and it'd be best if you forget you ever heard them. Listen, people will be waking up soon. You need to get back in that cage before you're spotted."
With the little available light, it was easier to stand on the branch, holding on to higher limbs for balance. My legs were shaky when I first stood. The Scourge must have moved into the muscles there too, but I was steadier than when I'd scooted along the branch earlier.
I turned southward, in the direction of last night's mystery sounds. Everything in that direction was quiet. But from this height, I was able to see behind the infirmary where a tall fence was made of posts dug into the ground and lashed together. The fence was probably left over from when Attic Island served as a prison. Maybe the prisoners were sometimes allowed to wander, just as we moved about here in the Colony. That fence was apparently the line nobody was supposed to cross. So from which side of the wall had I heard all that movement? And who was making it?
From that very moment, I knew that all I really wanted was to get behind the fence. My curiosity nagged at me like an itch, one I knew I'd eventually be forced to acknowledge. I decided not to tell Weevil, though. He had interpreted my silence as agreement.
Weevil helped me back into the cage, and though I hated being cramped up again, the truth was the short climb here had put a fierce pain in my gut, so even if I had all the space in Keldan, I'd still be curled up somewhere in a ball. For all it mattered, I might as well be in the cage.
He apologized as he shut the cage door, and I didn't answer. I wanted to. I needed to thank him for risking so much to give me a better night, and for bringing me food, and for giving up a night of sleep. But my teeth were gritted together so tight that I couldn't say a word, and I hoped he understood.