Dante put a wad of cash into Adam’s hand. “Five thousand. Your allowance for the month.”

Adam had never held so much money. Back home he’d needed none. “Allowance? Then you expect nothing in return for this?”

Dante sat next to Gladys on the sofa. There was a sitcom on the television.

“Well,” said Dante, “obviously I’m going to want you to keep playing leader to our little team of wayward souls here.”

Adam pocketed the money. “I do not think of myself as a leader. We are a team. We help each other.”

“Go buy your bee medicine, kid.”