"Oh..."
The ladies on the second floor sighed in sympathy.
Binn stood rooted to the spot. He had only told Rose to say how pitiful he was. He hadn't known Rose would say all that, and he couldn't pretend he wasn't moved.
"I promised to be your 'mom,' even if you don't make it through," he said.
"Really?" Rose's big eyes lit up.
"Really."
"Then... can I come down now?" Rose started toward the edge of the stage.
Fortunately, Binn remembered why they were there and hurriedly told Rose to stay put. He had coached Rose to move the Judges, but somehow Rose had moved him instead. "But I'll be even happier if you do well."
One of the Judges chimed in. "Rose, please begin your song."
"Oh..."
Binn faced the stage and took a deep breath.
A child's voice, pure but a little rough, rang out across the stage.
"Conch's stars are twinkling, acorns tumble into the pocket of dreams..."
Everyone in Conch City knew the nursery rhyme. Sung in that young voice with such heartfelt feeling, it needed no great technique to bring the crowd to silence.
After Rose finished, the audience remained quiet for a long moment. Then someone shouted, "Let him through!"
"Let him through!"
"Let him through!"
More and more people joined in. They loved the nursery rhyme, but they loved Rose's story even more.
Perhaps they were greedy in their daily lives. Perhaps they stole and did whatever it took to survive. But right then, all they wanted was for the little boy onstage to avoid the path they had taken and have a happy ending.
The three Judges exchanged glances.
"He sang well, and the crowd likes him."
"Lord Annan said we should lead the people."
"Then there's nothing more to say."
The