“The name,” Mínervudóttir-Chan said, “means happy marriage cake, because it is said that if you can make it well, you will have a happy marriage.”

“I didn’t know you were ever married,” Altantsetseg said between bites.

“I bought it at a store. I cannot imagine having the time for baking a thing. Maybe that is why my marriage did not work out so well. I was young, and mistaken about what mattered to me in life. Certainly it was not baking. Or marriages, happy or otherwise. This coffee is good.”

Altantsetseg stabbed a thumb at Evrim. “They don’t even drink coffee. But they can make it.”

Evrim shrugged. “Good coffee is nothing more than expensive beans, clean water, and math.”

There was a beat of silence.

I am supposed to say something clever here. To join in the banter that is clearing a path between us.

“Ha also brought baked goods,” Evrim said. “Macaroons. They were beautiful.”

“They were delicious,” Altantsetseg said. “But she didn’t make them, either.”

“I should hope not.” Mínervudóttir-Chan smiled. “I distrust a scientist who has time for baking.”

We are your prisoners. Say it.

Evrim placed a slice of the hjónabandssæla in front of Ha. “I have heard that no one buys a better hjónabandssæla. Try it.”

Ha sipped her coffee from its identical mug and regarded the slice of cake in front of her. Say it. She lifted it to her mouth and bit.

Yes, it was amazing.

“I know what you want to say, Ha,” Dr. Mínervudóttir-Chan said. “And yes. It’s true. Altantsetseg has orders to kill you if you try to leave the island or send a signal from here. And orders to do the same with Evrim. It could not have been concealed from you forever. And I know what you—both of you—must be feeling. Betrayed, trapped, used. You have a right to feel that way—but what you don’t understand is the why of it.”

“And that is what you came here to explain? The why of it?” Ha asked.

“I came to explain that. But mostly I came to find out how far you are along in the research. And to help—if I can.”

You mean to extract the data you need.

But everything about this person sitting in front of her was different from the sarcastic, contemptuous CEO of the feedstreams. Here was just a vulnerable person with dark shadows under their eyes who had brought a cake with them in a hexcopter. Ha said nothing at all.

“Have another piece.”