The Brindle house was fully lit when we paused near the corner to get our bearings. My attempts to reach Sassafras failed over and over. I knew better than to try, but couldn't seem to resist each attempt, hoping perhaps I'd break through somehow.
"The whole family is home, I presume." Vasek had recovered his air of arrogance if not fully his good humor by then. "How then do you propose extracting the boy?"
I hadn't thought that far ahead and didn't appreciate his attitude. "I supplied the solution, didn't I? I can't think of everything."
Lucky for us, Stella had a mind of her own. Without waiting to see if we would follow, she promptly crossed the street on a straight approach to the house. We did pursue her, without a word. She had that effect on people, I noticed. At the last moment,
