Summary

Cole begins working for Blay, helping to pull Blay’s barge down the river. In the afternoon, Cole and the other barge puller stop for lunch at a small, ramshackle abode where a family resides. The family makes a living by selling food made from their crops. The dynamics among the family are quite tense, as they must work very hard to make their meager living. That night, Cole has a dream about the last time he saw his parents. He and his family were being attacked by a group of Normals. Cole’s father threw Cole and Connie over the wall of the medieval theme park so that they would have relatively safe lives. Cole’s parents then fled. Cole often wonders if his parents are alive. The next day, Cole and the other barge pullers stop for lunch at another family...