“We don’t know any of this,” Ariel insisted. “We’re not part of any resistance—we’re just trying to protect these children.”

“You’re fleeing the site of the largest human counterattack in the history of this occupation,” the Partial said firmly. “You are involved, and you will tell us what you know.”

Ariel tried to visualize the map in her head, the old roads of Long Island laid out in her memory. They had left East Meadow through Levittown, and then Bethpage, and then . . . Plainview. We were in Plainview this morning, she thought. There was no rocket strike, no attack of any kind. Maybe it happened since we left? But that’s only been a few hours—

The noise I heard, she thought suddenly. I heard a noise, something big and distant, and then the engines stopped, and then a minute later they left. Was that the attack? A human resistance movement attacked Plainview, barely minutes ago, and the patrol chasing us was called back to help. These two aren’t here to capture us, they’re here to interrogate us.

She opened her mouth to respond, but Cedric and the other Partial stood up, in almost perfect unison, glancing at each other and then all around the room. Ariel couldn’t tell if they looked scared or just confused.

“What the hell is that?” asked Cedric.

“It’s getting closer,” said the other.

Ariel glanced at the other women, crouching lower and huddling closer for protection. Ariel pressed herself to Isolde’s side, feeling the gun tucked under the girl’s shirt. “I’m taking this,” she whispered.

“They’re feeling something on the link,” whispered Isolde, nodding as Ariel took the handgun.

“Think it’s Nandita?” asked Xochi.

Ariel shook her head. “I’ve seen Nandita do her thing once before, and it was nothing like this.” She looked at the Partials again and saw them consolidating into better cover.

“Do you have any more weapons?” asked Cedric. It took Ariel a moment to realize he was addressing them.

“What’s going on?” asked Ariel.

“Something’s coming,” said Cedric. “If you have weapons, get them ready.”

“It’s got to be Nandita,” whispered Isolde.

As if in answer, Nandita stumbled through the door, practically walking backward. To Ariel’s shock the Partials noted her only mildly, keeping their weapons trained on the door. “Get down!” they shouted. She scrambled for cover, her eyes wide. Cedric’s voice was hard as steel. “Did you see it?”

“No,” said Nandita, “what is it?”

“We don’t know,” said the other Partial, “but we’ve heard stories.”