How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
Mr. Rudyard had the dog in the front seat with him. He climbed down and pulled on a long rope to get the dog to follow him. The Tillermans crowded together. The dog snarled at them.
"There's a bag in the cab," Mr. Rudyard said to Dicey. "The missus said I had to feed you something." He walked off, down to the far end of the field.
"What's he going to do?" Maybeth whispered.
"I dunno," Dicey said. Fear climbed up from her stomach to her throat. A sour, metallic taste was in her saliva and she swallowed it down. She made herself climb up and get the paper bag from the seat of the cab. Mr. Rudyard had left the keys in the ignition.
Mr. Rudyard tied the dog to a tree, using the end of the long rope. (2.5.69-73)
This is probably the scariest part of the whole book. What is Mr. Rudyard going to do? What does he want with the kids? Dicey realizes what a frightening position they're in: Mr. Rudyard could kidnap them (or worse), and no one would ever even notice they were gone.
Quote #8
What good did it do, worrying and making plans, and more plans, if the first plans failed. It was like money. If you had it, good. If you didn't, then you had to find a way to earn it. There was nothing to be gained by fretting over maybes.
Dicey took a deep breath, which tasted of dampened sunlight and moist earth. They were living with a circus for a day or so. For a day or so they were safe. Something would happen after, but that was after. You had to keep alert and watchful, she'd learned that. You had to be ready to run. But if you wasted every day worrying about the next… And you never knew what was coming, anyway. (2.6.208-109)
Fear doesn't really have a purpose, does it? Sure, the kids have been afraid, but it's been their quick-thinking, perseverance, and good luck that have kept them safe. Worrying hasn't added anything to that.
Quote #9
Dicey was frightened, with a fear that swelled up deep within her. This fear had two heads, and Dicey was caught between them: she was afraid to speak and lose what they had gained of a place for themselves in this house; she was afraid to keep silent and lose what she felt was right for Sammy, for her family. This was more difficult danger than any she had faced before. It wasn't the kind of danger you could run away from, or fight back at. Dicey wasn't even sure she wanted to fight. She just knew she had to stand by her brother and her family. (2.10.104)
Okay, we know we said the whole run in with Mr. Rudyard was the scariest part of the book, but this is pretty frightening, too. If Dicey sticks up for Sammy, she risks losing the one home they really want. We don't blame her for panicking a little before she decides what do to.