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As Sondo moved to join the others, Falco stepped in his way and gestured for him to sit down. Falco sat down as well, and he was silent for a few moments. Every so often he would glance at Sondo, or at Sassy, or down at the water. At last he spoke, slowly and quietly, but with a very clear ring of annoyance in his voice.
"Look here, Sondo, I thought this was a good idea to start with," he said, "and I still think it has some promise. But you can't deny that things haven't come off to a wonderful start. Mind you, I'm not questioning your leadership, but I am saying that there are some things that should, and need to, be improved." He glanced over his shoulder at the other boys. "First, you need to get a better hold on the other boys. The raft tipping wasn't a good thing, as I'm sure I don't need to tell you. You really need to sharpen up, Sondo."
Falco realised, of course, that it was not Sondo's fault that the raft had tipped, but he had a vague idea that the leader was responsible for all under his command, and what was laid to blame upon them should also be laid to blame upon the leader. Anyway, Sondo had to be told that the adventure wasn't starting well. Falco did not break it gently, but told it exactly as he saw it. Sondo appeared annoyed and perhaps slightly angry, but he was too used to Falco's manner of suggesting improvement and giving advice to fly into a great rage.
"The raft was bad enough," said Falco. "Everyone was scared ('Except me,' he thought). Sam thanked me very humbly when I fished him out. If that's not a sure signal that they were scared, nothing is. Besides losing morale and running the risk of mutiny - " whereupon Falco drew himself up a little with pride for using such exceptional words " - we've also lost some supples ('I think,' he added to himself... he wasn't sure if they had our not... he hadn't exactly been paying attention). But I was willing to put up with that because we're not a bad set of boys and I think we can re-coop-i-ate well and trudge on. But this business about your little sister is going much too far."
"I spoke to her," said Sondo, through slightly tight lips. "She won't cause any trouble if she knows what's good for her."
"I don't care if she causes trouble or not! Her mere presence is trouble. Do you think she's going to keep quiet when Sammy starts saying sharp and grumpy things? Eh? Mind you, I'm not trying to insult your sister. I think she's a fine little girl in her place... but this isn't her place."
"I can't send her back," said Sondo. "Unless you want to be caught... and whipped..."
Falco pondered over this for a moment. "Very well," he conceded. "I suppose we can't send her back. But things have come off to a bad start, Sondo. Really they have."
"Do you think I'm not capable of being leader?"
"No, no, I wouldn't say that," said Falco, after some hesitation. "You're capable of it. But, like I said before, you need to sharpen up. And you need to keep an eye on that sister of yours." He paused for a moment, and then smiled in a comradely way. "I'm not trying to stir up trouble," he said, "and I'm not thinking of mutiny myself. I just wanted to give you a little advice... before the other boys started giving their opinions by deserting and... and... mutiny-ing."
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