“She never did you any favors.”

“Taught me how to survive . . .”

“There are more ways than Hannah’s way.”

“It’s the way I know.”

“Okay, then.” Daniel stuck out his hand. “Good luck.”

“Fuck you, too.”

Hannah came out behind us, shouldering her bow case and quiver. She took a fat plastic sheath of documents from a pocket of her sleek leather jacket, grabbed Daniel’s outstretched hand, and counted papers into it like paying out currency. She chose the most water-stained ones, the pail rescues. “In case of a last-minute sanity attack . . .”

Daniel handed them back. “Sell them at the gate. There’s sure to be someone with cash, eager to go along.”

Her mouth thinned. “These are VIP docs. The world was after them. We busted ass to keep them safe. And we don’t want just anybody where we’re going.”

“Hannah. We’re both doing what’s right for us. Can’t we wish each other the best?”

“Oh, Danny. Stop being so fucking reasonable.”

She turned and stepped lightly into Sprite’s back slot. Unseating the redhead would have messed up her exit, so she settled for second class.

“Hannah?” Daniel rested a foot on Melville’s gunwale.

Hannah stilled, halfway into her seat. I caught her flush of hope, even if Daniel didn’t.

“The Stormie woman . . . ? What alliances did you mean?”

She dropped herself into the slot like a hunk of cargo. “Guess you’ll have to figure that out for yourself. Drone Girl is outa here.”

Julian turned to me. “Take care of him, den rat. Somebody needs to.”

He slid behind the wheel, started up, and shoved off roughly. As he swerved away, he sent up his signature curl of spray, dousing boats and raft-builders in his path across the Lagoon. We watched until they turned the corner onto 8th Street. I was afraid to break the silence. When they’d gone, Daniel let out a sound somewhere between a grunt and a moan and disappeared into the cabin.

I found him slumped on the edge of his berth, face in hands. He glanced up, fixed me with a thousand-yard stare, and looked down again.

“My family. My unspeakable, fucking family. In a normal world, we’d have nothing to do with each other.”

“There’s still time, Daniel. You could catch up with them. One of the Empire boats would be fast enough.”

He shook his head, tiny little shakes like a shudder. “Hannah’s nuts. You see how crazy she is. I don’t approve of her. I don’t even like her. But . . .”

“She’s your sister.”

“Yes.”

I crouched at his feet. “I thought maybe Julian would stay.”

“No. Hannah’s his goddess. He thrives on being yelled at. He thinks it’s attention.” He took a long, tired breath, then let it out. “I was never the strongman he needed. Or thought he did.”

“I’d say you’re very strong.”