Our Brothers at the Bottom of the Bottom of the Sea (24 page)
Read Our Brothers at the Bottom of the Bottom of the Sea Online
Authors: Jonathan David Kranz
“Whatever it takes.”
“All right.” With his bag slung over his shoulder, Ethan shifted himself forward. Rachel took his hand and helped him to his feet.
Outside the terminal, the sun had risen just enough to chase off the morning damp. It felt reassuring after the excessive, air-conditioned chill inside. Leonard waited for them in his car, idling at the curb.
“C'mon,” he said, leaning across the front seat to yell out the passenger window. “I'm in a tow zone.”
Rachel tossed Ethan's bag through the back window.
“Hey,” Leonard said, “be careful.” Rachel wasn't sure which concerned him more: his wreck of a car that was, nonetheless, a source of pride, or the grocery bag of shells on the back seat that had been the bulk of Curtis's collection. Last night, the plan had been to go to one of the nearly deserted beaches at the south end of Sea Town, where they would stand on a jetty to say a few words for Jason and Curtis, then return the shells to the sea. Last night, it had seemed like the right thing to do
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poetic and honorable. Now, in the light of day, Rachel wasn't so sure. The idea seemed corny or worse. It felt false.
“Let's get something to eat,” Rachel said, opening the door. She climbed in the front and gave Leonard a kiss; Ethan got in back. The car reeked of cigarette smoke and fast-food wrappers, but Rachel didn't mind. It was Leonard's car. It was all good. She tapped the hula girl on the dash to make her hips dance.
“What about the beach thing?” Leonard asked, pulling away from the curb. “You know, the shells?”
“Forget the shells,” Rachel said. “They're not going anywhere.” Rose's was on the other side of the island, just a block from the Atlantic City boardwalk and yet light-years from the gamblers' orbit, a quiet refuge from barking slot machine bells and blinding casino floor shows. At seven fifteen in the morning, there was no traffic to speak of. Stray newspaper pages blew across otherwise empty roads, and traffic lights changed for their own amusement. In this open lace of streets and breezes, Leonard savored the opportunity to pick up speed. His engine roared as if delighted to be set free, and Ethan, leaning into the gap between the front seats, cheered Leonard on, encouraging him to go, go, go.
Rachel felt the familiar urge to steal. But in a speeding car with her boys, there was nothing to take that she didn't already have. Her left hand found Leonard's knee, her right, the escape of an open window. Among her free fingers the rushing air whipped and played. Rachel made a grab for it, letting the wind take her hand.
She held on tight.
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It may be true that writing a novel is a lonely process. But publishing a book
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giving birth to it in the world
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demands the skills, the talents, and the stubborn goodwill of many gifted people. I want to express my gratitude to those who helped put this book in your hands: Marcy Posner, Laura Godwin, Julia Sooy, Maggie Reagan, April Ward, Ana Deboo, Sherri Schmidt, and the people of Henry Holt. Thank you!
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Jonathan David Kranz
has done a lot of writing in his lifetime
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advertising copy, columns for local newspapers, and essays for NPR's
All Things Considered
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but this is his first novel. He lives in a suburb of Boston.
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contents
Chapter 1: Following the Script
Chapter 5: Green Ribbon of Freedom
Chapter 6: A Christmas Present
Chapter 7: Island of Misfit Toys
Chapter 8: Make-Believe Ballroom Time
Chapter 11: Timmies and Tiffanies
Chapter 12: Circling the Tanks
Chapter 16: What You Do with a Broken Shell
Chapter 17: Fathers and Daughters
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Copyright © 2015 by Jonathan David Kranz
Henry Holt and Company, LLC
Publishers since 1866
Henry Holt
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is a registered trademark of Henry Holt and Company, LLC.
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The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:
Kranz, Jonathan.
    Our brothers at the bottom of the bottom of the sea / Jonathan David Kranz.Â
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First edition.
        pages          cm
    Summary: In their search for answers about their brothers' mysterious deaths, two teenagers in a small seaside vacation town will discover just how far a man will go to protect his kingdom.
    ISBN 978-1-62779-050-5 (hardback)Â
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ISBN 978-1-62779-051-2 (e-book)
  [1.  Brothers and sisters
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Fiction.  2.  Death
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Fiction.]  I.  Title.
    PZ7.1.K73Ou 2015              [Fic]âdc23           2014043029
eISBN 9781627790512
First hardcover edition 2015
eBook edition June 2015