“We need to hold on to thoughts of our friends until it passes, don’t we?” I ask, my voice still that wistful, preoccupied way it had been inside Purgatory.

“Yes,” Malachai replies, the pain of his extracted eyes causing his voice to come out in growling barks, “hold on to your happy thoughts.”

We lie there in the silence. I begin to repeat the names of my friends over and over so I don’t forget why I left the place that seems so wonderful to me now. “Pander, Pod, Akimi, Igby, Wren, Kina.”

I repeat this over and over, forcing my mind to stay on course, to not be swayed into thinking about my room on the sixteenth floor, or the band playing beautiful music, or all my friends in there.

“Pander, Pod, Akimi, Igby, Wren, K—” But I’m cut off this time by the sound of a cryochamber opening.

I swivel around on the cold ground to see the liquid draining away from a chamber seven or eight down from my own. The glass spins and a figure falls to the floor. I watch as the form breathes heavily and slowly recovers from Safe-Death. Finally, the person stands and begins to slowly shuffle toward me on shaking legs. As he steps into the light, I see that it is Etcetera Price.

“Mr. Bannister, Mr. Kane”—he is different from his avatar, even older, not as warm or charming—“you left so suddenly.”

His voice judders with the cold, and yet is still commanding.

“Pander, Pod … Wren … Kina,” I say, trying not to be distracted by the doctor.

“There must have been some misunderstanding,” Dr. Price says, hobbling a step closer. “You were safe inside.”

“Pander … Kina … Kina …”

“Luka, why don’t we put Mr. Bannister back into his cryochamber, and then you and I can return to Purgatory together?”

“Something was wrong with that place,” I tell him.

“No, Mr. Kane, Purgatory is how we beat Happy.”

“Purgatory is how we beat Happy,” I repeat, confused.

“We beat Happy by doing nothing at all.”

“That’s how we beat Happy,” I say.

“Come back, Luka. You and Malachai, you can be with your friends again.”

“Yes,” I say, and I begin to stand up. “I can be with my friends again.”

As I begin to push myself up to standing, I feel Malachai’s hand grab my wrist.

“Don’t listen to him, Luka.”

“Come now, Mr. Bannister,” Etcetera Price says, his voice so warm and calming. “It’s not safe out here.”

“We know it’s not safe,” Malachai rasps, “but we’re not like you, we’re not weak, we’re not too terrified to fight.”

“Come back inside and we can discuss this in Purgatory.”

“No!” Malachai yells. “You drugged us; you drugged everyone in there. You’re a creep and a criminal and we’re not coming back with you. In fact, we’re going to get everyone out!”