“But maybe the video’s out of date. Maybe they’ve sold more slots than they’re saying. Maybe it’s all a big lie!” Daniel brandished a handful of books. “We’re both gambling. Only I’ve chosen to play a different game.”

“Way riskier, I’d say.”

“Yours is no fucking luxury cruise!” He threw his fistful into the crate. “You weren’t ever told the final destination. Like, where is this secret Eden, specifically? I could never find it on a map!”

They really didn’t know? No wonder Hannah had been defensive when I’d asked if the documents were for real. Suddenly, my mother’s voice was in my ear, clear as day: better the devil we know, Lizzy . . .

This new cascade of memory left me breathless. But not for long.

“He’s not going! And you shouldn’t either!” I stared at Julian, like begging him to come down from the ledge. “What if it’s all burned up with the wildfires? Or too hot and dry to raise crops? Or they’ve cut down all the trees for shelter? When my dad evacked without us and sent emails saying where we should join him, each time it was someplace different. Like there was no best place, or even if there was, it was already taken!”

But Hannah’s faith was firm. “If our guide’s the only one who knows, no refugee hordes will be able to follow us there. Can’t say the same for Yankee Stadium.”

Julian shifted again and glanced toward the door. Was he truly on board with Hannah?

Daniel stood back, folded his arms. “Look. The agreement was that we’d leave if and when the situation on the Island got terminally desperate. Terminally, Hannah! I don’t think we’re there yet. Tell me this: why didn’t we leave before?”

She frowned. “What d’you mean?”

“I mean we had chances, plenty of them. To get away to places we knew something about. Nice places, some of them. Why did we stay? Why are we still here?”

Julian finally spoke up. “Something to do.”

“C’mon, Jules. You’ve been having a high old time.”

“So what if I have?”

“So, we stayed because we like it here. This is our city. It raised us and sustained us, but now it needs our help. We shouldn’t abandon it just because the fun’s not so easy anymore.” He put a hand on my shoulder. “She’s right. You both should scrap Arcadia and come uptown with us.”

Hannah bowed her head. She seemed to be running out of arguments.