“We don’t know,” Kara said. “It doesn’t make a lot of sense. A strait sitting open can attract human attention in a number of ways. But it really seems like that’s what he’s doing. I mean, you know Callie’s predictions are almost always accurate, right?”

“That’s what you keep saying.”

“Our lives are on the line. So why didn’t Graham rush you out to the strait the minute Callie told him your help was essential? It’s weird.”

I opened my mouth to object.

“Look,” Kara cut in, holding up her fingers to count off her evidence. “First of all, he didn’t send anyone up here to close the thing. Callie called him first, but he didn’t do anything, so she called Williams. Williams called me. It’s like Graham was just going to ignore it. Now he’s been here three days, but he says he’s here for you, and he hasn’t tried to do anything about the strait. The fucker hasn’t even gone out to look at it. He’s the overseer for the Upper Midwest. Getting it closed should be priority número uno for him. Instead, he’s fucking around with a trainee.”

“No offense,” she added belatedly.

We all sat there for a moment, digesting. It did sound pretty damning.

Finally I said, “I don’t understand how I could help with the strait. I mean, Callie’s much more experienced than I am, and it nearly killed her. What could I possibly do?”

“Callie’s the strongest of us. She can see pretty deep into an open strait. That’s why Williams took her there — to see what it was stuck on. She tried, but she couldn’t see the snag in this one. We’re guessing you’ll have better luck.”

I felt like laughing, it seemed like such a random hope. “Why on earth would you think that?”

“Did Graham tell you that the later your abilities manifest, the stronger you’re going to end up being? Callie saw through at twenty.”

She must’ve heard me stop breathing.

“Yeah, I was guessing he skipped that bit.”

That was what Graham had meant when he mentioned my “potential.” Kara was kind enough to let me sit there a while and come to grips with what she’d said. Again.

I wondered if it was too late to run. If I moved far away, then I could ignore any Seconds I saw and just live as a normal person. Right?

I thought about it and decided my best source of information was right in front of me.

“Could I get away from all this?” I asked, “Go somewhere far away and keep my head down?”