Life was tough.

They couldn't go back to the Stella, not after the police had found them there. They had to stay in Acey's small hotel room, though there wasn't nearly enough room. Now that Scipio was a runaway, it just made things worse. it was hard to use the elevator, walk through the lobby, and so on.

It would get better, though. When they brought the wing to the Conte, they'd have enough money to buy a whole island, or anywhere else they pleased. Maybe life would get a little bit easier for them.

But life in the hotel room was awkward. As soon as the group had decided to do what Ida proposed, they let Sofia, the homing pigeon, go. So, they waited for three days, not doing much. Just lounging in the hotel room.

"Hey, Scipio," Prosper said, looking from Acey to Scipio. "What's up with Acey? She hasn't said much since you two talked the other night. What did you do now?"

"Why do you assume I did something?" Scipio barked, and Prosper realized he'd hit a raw nerve.

"Well, she got like that after you talked and..." he was at a lost for words. What could he say, and how could he say it? He had to be careful here. he didn't want to upset Scipio- that would have made the atmosphere in the room a lot more tense.

"It's about the merry-go-round, alright?" he said, sighing and sitting on the bed. The others tried to pay no attention, and Acey was too busy writing to notice the two.

"What do you mean?" Prosper inquired, curious. "She doesn't want us to give the Conte the wing?"

"No, she's fine with that," he said, shaking his head. "I don't think she wants me to ride it. To get away from my father."

"Scipio..." Prosper said, trying to choose his words extremely carefully. "She doesn't want you to not get away from your father... She just..."

"Oh, so now you're the wise one?" Yeah. It was definitely a raw nerve.

"Come on. She knows how much escaping him means to you... She just thinks you're cheating."

"Cheating? How could I be cheating? That's just stupid."

"Well-" But Prosper didn't get to finish. He was cut off by an excited Riccio.

"Hey, everyone! There's an envelope!" he cried, running in the door.

"From the Conte?" Hornet asked, looking up from her book.

"Who else could it be?" Mosca asked, moving closer to Riccio, so he could see the letter, too.

"Read it!" Bo cried, looking nearly as excited as Riccio.

The whole gang gathered around Scipio as he opened the envelope, anxious to hear where and when the Conte planned to meet them.