BUT HE COULDN’T STOP THE FIRE.  THEY HAD SNEAKED BACK ACROSS THE BORDER IN THE DARK TO GET MAMA, PAPA, AND SELENA AWAY FROM ALL THOSE BAD PEOPLE, BUT THEY WERE TOO LATE.  THE STRANGERS HAD BURNED DOWN THE WAGON . . . WITH HIS FAMILY INSIDE.  IN THE DREAM, HE COULD STILL SEE THE FLAMES, AND HE WAS SHOUTING, “I’M SORRY!  I’M SORRY!”  OVER AND OVER AGAIN . . .

HE WANTED TO LET HIMSELF CRY, TO LET OUT THE HURT OF HIS TWO-YEAR-OLD MEMORY, BUT IF HE DID THAT HERE AND NOW, ARADIA WOULD NEVER STOP TRYING TO BE HIS MOTHER.

ARADIA:  WULFSTON . . .

NOW, HER VOICE WAS GENTLE, AS THOUGH SHE UNDERSTOOD WHAT HE WAS FEELING.  BUT HE WOULD HAVE NONE OF HER SYMPATHY.  HE SNATCHED UP A LONG BLADE OF GRASS AND CHEWED ON THE TIP END.  J UST LIKE HE HAD SEEN CARAVO DO SO MANY TIMES.  HE LIKED CARAVO, AND CARAVO WAS NOT AFRAID OF VINGA, HE KNEW.  YES, THAT WAS IT; IF ARADIA COULD BE VINGA, HE WOULD BE CARAVO —

THE BLADE OF GRASS GOES “POOF!”

THE OTHER END OF THE GRASS BLADE WAS SUDDENLY BURNING WITH A TINY FLAME, AND ARADIA WAS GIGGLING, MARCUS MATCHED HER SMIRK WITH HIS BEST ANGRY SCOWL AS HE TOSSED AWAY THE GRASS BLADE, TO LET IT BURN ITSELF OUT.  HE ROSE UP TO HIS FULL HEIGHT - STILL A HEAD SHORTER THAN ARADIA - AND GLARED AT HER.  “SO WHAT?  THAT TRICK IS EASY.  ALMOST ANYBODY CAN DO IT.”  OUT CAME THE GIRL’S LIP AGAIN.  “OH, NO IT ISN’T!  FATHER SAYS IT NOT SO EASY TO MAKE THINGS LIKE LEAVES AND GRASS BURN WHILE THEYRE (sic RBW THEY’RE) STILL GREEN!”

WULFSTON:  YES IT IS!

ARADIA:  NO IT ISN’T!

WULFSTON:  YES, IT IS!

ARADIA:  THEN LET’S SEE YOU DO IT!