"I don't need you to take a test," he said, his voice ragged.

In a ragged voice, he said, "So all the time, you were working for them."

Then I started singing in a more open, ragged voice.

"I wish, from the bottom of my heart, that she hadn't done this thing," he said, his voice less ragged but still soft.

"All right," he said, his voice ragged and deep after a moment.

For a moment ragged voices continued oblivious, and then they stopped.

"I have seen," he said, his voice thick and ragged.

The man outside called out again in a ragged voice.

"I'll walk out," he said, his voice ragged but stronger than before.

Her ragged voice gave the words an authority she didn't feel.