I almost did punch him that time, but managed to hold myself back. I’d almost forgotten, in two annums, what a complete dick my dad could be.

Dad ran his fingers over his chin, picking at the thick almost-beard thoughtfully. “A time machine, you say? So this isn’t just some alien planet. Incredible. Wait a minute!” He slapped his hand on my knee, looking up at me with wide eyes. “Ancient stuff sells for thousands in our time. Maybe even millions. If we could bring a few things back with us—a few trinkets here and there—we’d be set for life!”

I shoved his hand away and jumped to my feet. “What the hell is wrong with you, Dad? These are good people. They’ve been taking care of you for weeks without even knowing who you are. And now you want to steal from them?”

Dad frowned. “Not necessarily steal, just—”

“No, you know what? Shut up. Do you know I’ve spent the last two annums worrying about you? I thought you might be dead, or sick, or hurt. When I wasn’t torqued off at you for ditching us without a word, I was completely miserable at the thought that something might have happened to you and we’d never know what. And now, after all this time, I’ve finally found you”—my voice caught on a lump, but I forced it down—“and you don’t even say that you’re glad to see me. You don’t even ask me how Celeste is, or Mom, or anything. Why did I even waste my time?”

I stormed off, across the longhouse and out the door. “Isaak! Wait, don’t be like that,” I heard Dad yell, but I ignored him.

“Isaak,” Marin called, hurrying out the door after me. “What’s the matter? What did he say?”

I froze midstep, realizing I didn’t know where I was going, where I was running to, anyway. I just wanted to get away from him.

“Isaak,” Eos said in a softer voice. “Who is he?”

I didn’t look at him. I kept my eyes trained on the road ahead of me, snaking between the longhouses. In the distance, I could hear the familiar trill of a gurza. I wondered if it was Tuupa. If I followed this road, maybe it would lead me to their stables. It wasn’t Escalante Bay, but I realized with a sudden certainty that I’d rather spend the afternoon with a friendly T-Rex than with that man in the longhouse any day.

“I’m sorry to say he’s my father.”

Eos didn’t reply. He merely tugged his earlobe, and his expression seemed to say it all. I nodded, then turned to make my way down the road, following the winding creek and the sounds of the animals.

Chapter 30