Free Rivers of Fire (Atherton, Book 2) by Patrick Carman Page A

Vincent since Atherton's beginnings?
    "There doesn't seem to be anyone here," said Vincent. "Maybe the lack of water has turned out to be a good thing for us after all. There was nothing to keep them here, and it has made our approach all the easier."
    Vincent continued winding his way through the courtyard
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    with Dr. Kincaid and Edgar following close behind. With not a soul about the place, he became increasingly relaxed. At one point he stopped and looked back at his companions.
    "How does my nose look?" he joked. It was absolutely dreadful and made Vincent seem like an entirely different person. His nose appeared to be even wider than it was long, which was saying a lot because Vincent had a very long nose.
    "You look fine," said Dr. Kincaid. "Can we please get on with it?"
    Dr. Kincaid had seemed more nervous and quiet than Vincent along the way. Edgar wished he knew where they were going and why, but throughout their journey the older man had steadfastly refused to supply any useful information, so Edgar had given up asking. Wherever their ultimate destination was, the idea of getting there had turned Dr. Kincaid a little cold, and the old man wasn't quite the fatherly figure he'd seemed to be when they'd first met.
    At last they came up along a high white wall alive with climbing ivy, the green vines snaking brightly against the white stone. Vincent reached out and touched the wall, and when he did, a rock the size of Edgar's head crashed down from above. It struck Vincent on the top of his shoulder and he howled in pain.
    "Get away from there!"
    Looking up, the three companions saw a man's head sticking out. It was Tyler, and he was about to hurl another rock from above.
    Vincent pushed Dr. Kincaid toward a nearby wall with
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    open archway doors in it. Another rock crashed on the stone floor of the courtyard as Vincent and Edgar followed quickly behind Dr. Kincaid.
    They were in Samuel's deserted room. Everything was still there, including most of the books.
    "Don't you come out of there unless you want another on your head!" Tyler was not in his right mind. Alone and scared in the House of Power, he'd hoarded some food and water, hoping to survive the changing world and see what fortune it would bring.
    "How bad?" asked Dr. Kincaid, looking at Vincent's shoulder.
    "It's not broken, just badly bruised. I'll be all right."
    "So you can still protect us?" asked Dr. Kincaid.
    Vincent tried to move his arm back and forth and winced in pain. "I just need a minute," he said.
    Edgar fished around inside the pocket on the front of his shirt and pulled out his sling and a black fig. "I can protect us."
    Dr. Kincaid beamed at the boy, then turned his eyes on Vincent. "You stay here. The boy and I can handle one rock-throwing maniac."
    Vincent protested, but he knew Edgar's skill with a sling, and soon Dr. Kincaid was running out into the courtyard waving his arms and dodging flying rocks. Tyler appeared to have quite a collection of smaller stones and he knew how to use them. Dr. Kincaid was hit once square in the back and was just barely able to dodge a near direct hit to the head.
    "Ha-ha-ha-ha!" howled Tyler from above. But he hadn't
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    seen Edgar sneaking out into the open to hide behind a row of hedge. Tyler could hear the sound of the sling swishing over Edgar's head and the snap! of the black fig as it came flying toward him, but it all happened so fast. The fig smacked him flat on the forehead and he fell out of Edgar's sight. There was a dead silence in the courtyard.
    "I got him," said Edgar, looking into the room where Dr. Kincaid had taken shelter again with Vincent. "You can come out now."
    Dr. Kincaid and Vincent emerged from Samuel's room, glancing up warily at the possibility of a heavy falling object. Then Vincent, with a burst of renewed vigor, charged up a flight of white stairs off to his right in search of the culprit.
    When they arrived they saw that Tyler was not dead, but also not moving. Behind him