“But there were hundreds of them,” I point out. “At Midway Park, there were hundreds … How hasn’t Happy found them? Where are they?”

“That’s the lifesaving question.”

“Luka”—Pod’s voice comes booming through the library—“glad to see you’re recovering from surgery.”

I turn to see him walking sideways through an aisle between bookshelves.

“Hey, Pod,” I say, “how’s the eyesight today?”

“It’s getting better all the time,” he says through a smile. “I estimate that in seven to ten days I’ll be able to see the stars again.”

“That’s so awesome,” I say.

“Yes, it is awesome. It appears the more historical the injury or ailment, the longer the Delay takes to fix it. I don’t mind waiting, though,” Pod says, and then turns to Igby. “Igby, ten minutes, you and me, storming the Temple of Zah! Bring your dice.”

“Absolutely,” Igby replies, smiling.

Pod walks away, disappearing through the door marked PERIODICALS.

“You guys still playing that game?” I ask, remembering the endless hours that Pod and Igby would play their fantasy dice game, yelling out their storylines over the walls of the exercise yard.

“Sure are,” Igby replies.

I smile, and then the question that has been burning in my mind recurs.

“Hey, Igby, after we crashed near the Red Zone, before I was captured, did you manage to … ?”

“Get your sister to the hidden vault?”

“Yes,” I say, terrified of the answer.

“I did,” he tells me. “It took me hours to find it, but I got her there. I left her with Day and Shion and about fifty other clones, but, Luka, there’s something you should know.”

“What is it?” I ask, the fear that had dissipated now back.

“The only reason I managed to get her there was because of the rally in Midway Park. Something like ninety percent of all the Alt soldiers were there, and most of the fallen surveillance drones hadn’t started self-repairing. I had to leave her in the vault so I could come and try to help you guys, but by then the battle was over, and I was forced into hiding—more and more Alt soldiers started patrolling the streets. Luka, we can’t get back to the financial district without being spotted now—there are thousands of Mosquitoes all over the city. I can scramble all of them within the three-mile radius, but the vault is seven miles east of here. I don’t know how the clones are getting food or water, I don’t know if they’ve been captured … or killed. I don’t know.”