Luca spreads his hands. “Many famous families have been associated with HP for generations. The school needed the best minds to replicate Nemo’s technology! But surely this is no surprise. Your class has a Harding, a Dakkar…” He glances at Gem. “Your surname is Twain, isn’t it? Wasn’t there a famous American author—?”

“No relation,” Gem mutters. “Anyway, that guy’s real name was Clemens.”

“I see.” Luca sounds vaguely disappointed, like he had wanted an autograph. “At any rate, each generation must prove its own worth at HP, as I’m sure you will!”

Around the table, my classmates’ expressions turn glum. I imagine they’re thinking the same thing I am. How can we prove our worth if HP no longer exists?

Maybe we would have made house captains someday. Maybe we would have found love among our peers, the way Luca and Ophelia did (though, frankly, I have a hard time imagining that). Maybe we would’ve had brilliant careers.

There’s no way to know. Four days ago, our futures were blasted off the side of a cliff.

Ophelia picks up on the change of mood. She sighs in exasperation. “Ah, Barsanti.”

Luca looks confused. “What did I do?”

I get the feeling Luca is the type of guy who would cheerfully skip through a minefield and somehow come out unharmed on the other side, while Ophelia would tear her hair out and chide him for being careless. I have no trouble imagining them being friends with my parents. They are just the right combination of caring, adventurous, brilliant, and eccentric.

“If we’re done eating,” Ophelia continues, “perhaps our guests can help us clean up. Jupiter does the cooking, but he does not do dishes.”

She puts us to work. Nothing like scrubbing lasagna pans to put your problems in perspective. After the kitchen and dining area are spotless, most of the crew heads back to the Varuna for the night. The ship has been cleaned and resupplied, so my classmates will be comfortable enough. Besides, the base doesn’t have enough beds for everyone. I’d prefer to go back with them, but Luca and Ophelia have asked me to stay in the base’s guest room. It has two sets of bunk beds: enough space for Nelinha, Ester, and me. Nelinha brings my go bag ashore along with her own.

Gem looks torn, like he wants to take the fourth bunk so he can guard me.

Yeah…That’s not going to happen.

“I’ll be fine,” I tell him. “Take care of the crew on the Varuna, okay? We’ll see you for breakfast.”

He hesitates. “Just be careful.”

I’m not sure if he doesn’t trust our hosts, or just doesn’t trust life in general. After our recent experiences, I can’t blame him either way.