“Can someone just tell me what’s going on?” Isaac asked. “Mr. Timon, sir, I don’t really want you to beat me up or drag me in a sack again, but I’d at least like to know why you want to take me and my friend all the way to Alaska. I’ve looked at maps, before, you know.”

Timon grumbled something under his breath and went back to his place by the wall. He seemed like someone who was tired of dealing with his own kids and had given up. When he plopped back to the floor the house shook as if struck by an earthquake.

“Listen to me,” Letti said. Isaac returned his attention to her—she seemed nice and was a lot smaller than her partner. “Alaska is our home. It was one of the most stable places after the sun flares and near the south coast is a huge, functional, safe city. A lot of that we owe to the Godhead. They’ve saved us from the worst of the apocalypse this world went through, and we are sworn to our last drops of blood to serve them. And they need you. Well, more specifically, they need to keep you from Kletter’s people.” She sighed in frustration and rubbed her forehead with both hands. “It’s a very long story.”

“You’re caught up,” Sadina said. “I woke up a half hour before you and they talked the entire time and I still don’t know anything.”

Letti stood up and paced the room for a few seconds then stopped at a point where she could easily look at both Isaac and Sadina. “You’re both smart alecks but I guess that’s the way with young people, isn’t it?”

She didn’t sound angry at all, just defeated. The whole situation had taken on an air of absurdity to Isaac.

“Why don’t you start from the beginning,” he said. “That’s what my . . . my dad used to say. We’re not going to try anything with Timon the Gentle Giant sitting over there.”

Timon grumbled under his breath again. Oddly enough, Isaac didn’t feel threatened by the man despite his size. Maybe it was the drugs still coursing through his system.

“He’s right,” Sadina added. “Just tell us. Tell us. And if it sounds halfway promising we’ll go find our friends and go with you to Alaska and this wonderful city full of gods without having to be dragged there.”

Isaac perked up at that, not realizing that was a viable option at the moment. But he stayed quiet—he didn’t want to impede the chance of hearing the story behind these two strange people.

Letti nodded her head a few times, as if considering Sadina’s words. Then she started talking.

“The Evolution began thirty years ago . . .”

CHAPTER NINE

Crossing Paths

The Orphan walked.