"Yeah, right." Johnny stares up at him, bowed against his tree, smaller, almost poised to fight, as if he would try that shit when it never, ever works here. "What, out of the goodness of your heart? What would you get out of it?"

Suddenly seeming cowed, perhaps now that Johnny's taken the course of directness, Nova skirts backwards a little, trying to dart behind the tree, out of sight.