One of the media types, a bald, heavyset man with a mustache, a lanyard that read ben stapleton hanging from his neck, gave her a raised eyebrow as he walked past.

“What a shit show, huh?” he said.

Sandra failed to comprehend his words. Her mind was elsewhere.

The kids, she thought. If this is happening all over the island, with all of the cars, I have to get in touch with the kids.

“You!” she cried. “Mr. Stapleton? I need to use your phone!”

But the man kept walking.

Twelve

The lime-green Arrival that answered to the name Pamela, and which was carrying Archie and his friends Nick and Rory, was nearing the Garrett Mall.

Nick, sitting up front, was the one giving Pamela the orders and, as the only one in the car whose voice commands were accepted, was having to relay questions to her from Archie and Rory in the back seat.

Rory said, “Ask her if she’s ever done it.”

Nick rolled his eyes, cleared his throat, and said, “Pamela, there’s something I would like to ask you.”

A light in the instrumentation flickered as Pamela replied. “Would you like to enter a new destination?”

“No, nothing like that,” Nick said. “Just stick with the Garrett Mall. If we change our minds and want to go to Intercourse, Pennsylvania, we will let you know.”

“What is your question?”

“Have you ever done it?”

Archie and Rory clapped hands over their own mouths to stifle giggles.

“Could you make your request more specific?”

“You know,” Nick said, trying to sound coy. “It. Have you ever done it?”

“Could you make your request more specific?”

Nick turned around in the front seat and shrugged in front of his friends. “Got anything else?”

Rory said, “Ask her if she likes to get naked.”

“You know,” Nick said, “this is all getting a bit tiresome.”

Rory looked hurt. “You’re just mad because you’re not Pamela’s type. I bet, when your dad’s in the car, Pamela brings out some little gadget that gives him a hand job.”

Archie scowled. “Man, you’re sick.” Then, looking at Nick, he said, “It doesn’t, does it?”

Nick sighed. “You think, maybe, we’ve done enough of the stupid shit?”

Rory was the most disappointed. “I’ve never talked to a girl as much as I’ve talked to Pamela.”

“That’s just sad,” Archie said, glancing out his window at other Arrivals going by.

“Oh, like you talk to girls all the time,” Rory shot back. “And your sister doesn’t count.”

“What the—” Archie said, his head whipping to get a better look at something.

“What?” Nick asked.

“Did you see that car that went by?”

Rory turned around in his seat. “The silver one?” A silver Arrival headed the other way was receding into the distance.

“Yeah,” Archie said. “Did you see it when it went by?”