Distracted from my Milo watching, I gawk at the bustle of activity. There are street performers dressed as break-dancing robots or playing unrecognizable exotic instruments beneath giant crab sculptures. A woman in a long, exotic print dress with a shawl over her head tries to give me something, but Milo waves her off. He doesn’t stop the man who hands me a brochure for a Bay cruise. It’s utter chaos, but somehow everything flows perfectly together, like some kind of crazy, hectic ballet.

I’m surrounded by energy and I try to absorb as much as I can.

I follow the boys onto the pier, sticking close so we don’t get separated. I’m pretty sure I’d never find them again. As we push through the Thursday-night crowd, I marvel at all the shops: seashells and pearls, souvenirs, socks, bath salts, candy, and crystals, restaurants serving seafood and ice cream and a hundred kinds of crepes.

No wonder this is such a popular tourist attraction.

“Watch out,” Milo says, tugging me against his side as a tourist with a camera the size of my head nearly knocks me over. “You okay?” he asks.

I nod, dazzled by the feel of Milo against me. “Yeah, thanks.”

“No problem.” He beams, and for a second it feels like we’re completely alone in the crowd.

“I’m hungry,” Thane says, killing our moment.

“We just ate,” I complain, mostly because Milo’s attention—and his hand—is now off me.

“Me too.” Milo agrees with Thane. “Everything here is overpriced for the tourists. Have you guys ever had dim sum?”

Had it? I’ve never even heard of it. Still, even though I know it’s a bonehead answer, I’m on the verge of saying, All the time, because I don’t want Milo to think I’m an uncultured hick. “Sure—”

Before I can finish, Thane says, “No.”

“Excellent!” Milo’s eyes light up brighter than before, and I’m really glad I didn’t get the chance to fib.

“—I haven’t,” I finish quietly.

The look Thane throws me suggests he knew what I’d actually been about to say.

“Then I’ll get to introduce you to it.” Milo starts walking back in the direction we’ve come from and then off to the west. “The best all-night dim sum in town is only a cable car ride away.”

I have to practically jog to keep up with his long strides. We cross to a dead-end street where a line of people stand waiting. They’re all looking expectantly up the hill. I turn and see an ancient-looking cable car gliding down toward the dead end.