Free The Kingdom of Kevin Malone by Suzy McKee Charnas Page B

Well, her mother killed herself, did you know that? Sleeping pills. And that scrawny boy with the lisp, what was his name—”
    â€œTony,” he said. “Him and his baseball card collection. He was ready to sell his blood to get it back. I couldn’t give those cards away, they were so beat up. They weren’t worth a thing.”
    â€œTony had such bad allergies he had to go to a special camp every summer.”
    â€œOh boy, poor guy,” Kevin sneered. “Camp! Poor deprived little creep. He stabbed me in the hand with a pencil. I still have the scar!”
    â€œThen you must have scared him into it.” I remembered Tony as a timid boy.
    â€œIt didn’t take much to scare you brats from up the block,” Kevin said. “Crybabies. You had everything, the whole bunch of you. We didn’t have nothing.”
    â€œDidn’t have anything,” I corrected. “If you’re going to call yourself a hero, you should learn to talk like one.”
    â€œHa, that’s how much you know,” he crowed. “You know why the real Spanish, from Spain, speak Spanish with a lisp? Because they had a king who lisped, that’s why. He was the king, so everybody had to talk like him. Once I’ve beaten the White One and taken my kingdom back, everybody in the Fayre Farre will have to talk my way or have their heads whacked off. How about that?”
    â€œHow about that?” I said. “It stinks. They’re better off with old Glopgoner in charge instead of you. Who needs a hero with a chip on his shoulder?”
    â€œWhen you need a hero,” he retorted, “you don’t stop to pick and choose. You take what you get.”
    â€œAnd the people around here are going to get you?” I laughed. “I’d be doing them a favor if I made sure you never find this stupid sword.”
    Kevin lunged forward and shoved his face in mine. “It’s not stupid!” he shouted. “It’s the only chance any of us have got!” He leaned back again, glaring at me. He was fast and strong as a snake, and he had scared me, pouncing like that.
    â€œI didn’t ask to be dragged into this, Kevin,” I said, my heart still pounding in alarm. “Why should I help you anyway?”
    He made an exasperated sound. “You’re part of the story. The rhinestone rose sought you out. Look, the Promised Champion was raised in a foreign place but there’s people he knows there. Like this girl he grew up with.”
    Scandalized, I burst out, “You used to take my money! You call that growing up together?”
    â€œWell, we knew each other, didn’t we?” he said.
    â€œI wouldn’t say so,” I said. “I sure never knew Prince Kavian, the hero of the Fayre Farre. Some hero.”
    â€œHey, didn’t you hear me? Watch it,” he snarled. “Without me you’d be a dead duck in the Fayre Farre, even if I wasn’t a prince.”
    â€œWell, I’m just a tourist,” I said, “and where I come from, it’s called America and even important people are just citizens, like the rest of us. So if you want me to bow and grovel and talk highfalutin’ baloney to you, Prince Kavian, you can just forget it.”
    We sat and glared at each other through the murk. This was not an improvement on conversation, no matter how irritating. For one thing, I noticed how thirsty I was. But I was through complaining. I was not going to play comic sidekick to Kevin’s valiant prince.
    Suddenly Kevin whispered silkily, “You’ll do it, Amy.”
    â€œDo what?” I asked.
    â€œWhatever the prophecy says. Because there’s something I can do for you.”
    â€œSuch as?” I said.
    â€œOnce I’m in charge around here,” he said, “once I’ve overthrown the White One and taken back my kingdom, all the magic he’s stolen comes back to me. It has to. I’ll be able