The lodging house was full but silent as night stole into the city.  Newsies sat two or three to a bed, wanting to be near each other but not saying a word.  They'd looked everywhere, everywhere, until there was no place left to look.  Davey dropped his head in his hands.  How could he go, without saying goodbye?

The silence was broken by the sound of the door opening.  Every head whipped around to look, but it was just Sarah.  "I came to take Les home," she said, shrinking back a little as she wondered why everyone was staring.

"Les is home," David said wearily.

Sarah shook her head.  "No, he never came home from school.  What's going on?"

"Jack's gone," Blink told her, "and Moshe's dead."

"No!" Sarah whispered in shock, holding her hand to her mouth and going white.  Mush and Jake jumped up to help her sit down, as Davey was preoccupied puzzling over Les's disappearance.

Mush patted Sarah's shaking hand.  "Don't worry, Sarah," he said, trying to comfort her.  "He might come back."

            Sarah shook her head violently but did not try to correct him.  Then Davey was standing in front of her, asking if she was sure Les hadn't returned.  Why was he bothering her?  Why didn't he just go away?  She didn't want to think.  She didn't want to feel.
            "No, I'm sure he's not home.  Davey, please.  How can you worry about Les at a time like this?!"

            Davey reached a sudden and terrible conclusion.  Les was trying to find Jack.  How far had his search taken him?  "Les is gone," he said.

            "Les is gone?" Sarah repeated stupidly.

            "Les is here," said a voice from the doorway.  Everyone turned again, and there stood Jack, Les in front of him.

            "Les!" Sarah said, standing, and Les ran from Jack to his sister's arms.  She grabbed him tight, then stood straight, her face falling as she met Jack's eyes.  Without a word, he looked away from her, casting his glance around the room to see the anxious faces of the assembled newsies.  They looked hesitant, unsure, he realized.  They were afraid he'd be angry with them.  For a moment, no one spoke as they waited for Jack's reaction.

            "I'm back, fellas," he finally said, spreading his arms wide.  In a moment, the room erupted with cheers and the newsboys raced toward their leader to slap his back and shake his hand and promise him they never doubted him, not really, not ever.  Unseen to all of them, Sarah led a protesting Les out of the room.

            "We really t'ought you'd gone for good dis time," Blink said, striving for a light-hearted tone of voice.

            "Guess I just can't stay away," Jack said, hitting Blink's shoulder.  "Guess dere's still some stuff heah worth doin'."

            "D'ya t'ink you'll evah really go ta Santa Fe?" Mush asked, receiving several sharp elbows in the side and whispers of, "Shaddup, Mush!"

            "I dunno…" Jack replied, wandering to the window and watching the light fade from the sky.  "Someone once tol' me, it's da same sun as heah.  Maybe dey were right."  He turned back to the newsies, who stared back at him with blank expressions.  "Ah, forget dis sappy stuff," Jack said, grinning and clapping Race on the back.  "Wheah's dinnah?  I'm starvin'."

            The Manhattan leader and his boys clattered down the stairs and out the door, squinting in the light of the setting sun.  Jack shielded his eyes, but then dropped his hand and gazed defiantly into its yellow glare.  It seemed to him he'd never seen it so big and bright.  But maybe, he thought, he'd just never really looked.