Chapter 20
An hour ago, Xavier and Billy had walked through the Lafayette cemetery gates.
They’d past the row of wall vaults, down the center aisle, and entered the grandiose resting place in silence. And as they’d explored the grounds, Xavier had followed Billy, trying to keep Billy’s spirits up with his usual history lessons or clever comments, but though the sun was shining in the bluest of skies, and they had the whole day to spend wandering about, he hadn’t been able to draw a smile out of Billy yet.
Walking past the Sercy grave, Billy paused, and after reading the tragic dates and encryption on the tombstone, crossed himself and said a quick prayer for the kids buried there. One child had lived only a single day. Yellow fever had taken the lives of many during the outbreak of the
