“Rovee!” Eva squealed, and moved to hug her friend tightly. “I’m so glad you’re here! I was worried about you.” She looked him over. “Your color,” Eva said, “it’s brighter. You look good. Healthier.”

“Thanks,” Rovender said, holding Eva.

“You are here to say good-bye, aren’t you?” she asked.

“I thought I was leaving,” he replied, “but clearly you and Mother need someone to keep you out of trouble, right?”

Eva looked at his grinning face and smiled back.

“So I’ll tag along for a little longer,” Rovender added. “I want to see where your journey takes you—that is, if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind at all.” Eva beamed.

“Otto, Mr. Kitt,” Muthr said as she rolled up. “I am happy you made it.”

“You too, Mother Robot.” Rovender put a hand on Muthr’s shoulder. “So tell me, how did you both manage to escape Besteel?”

Muthr smiled. “Eva rescued me.”

Rovender nodded. “She rescued me as well.”

Otto hooted in agreement.

Misty-eyed, Eva stood facing them. “You’ve rescued me, too.”

“Oh, before I forget,” Rovender said as he walked over to Otto. “Your belongings.” He handed Eva back her jackvest and satchel.

She peered inside her satchel and saw that everything was as she’d left it—including the WondLa. She ran her fingers over it and smiled at Rovender. “Thanks,” she whispered.

“Of course.” Rovender’s voice was soft. “Though I assume that while you were detained you had no luck finding clues as to the whereabouts of your clan.”

“Actually, I did,” Eva said, leaning back against Otto’s armored side. “It’s across a vast desert. An ancient city lies there.”

“The . . . the wastelands?” Rovender’s mouth was agape. He pointed to the ash-colored plain that stretched out behind them. “It is here. We are at the edge of it.”

Eva stepped forward, walking out from the shade of the wandering tree. An endless barren expanse extended out toward the midday horizon. There was not a tree, or any other living thing, visible as far as she could see.

“Many have traveled into this wasteland,” Rovender said, standing next to her. “Many have disappeared. This is dangerous land.”

“We will need to find food and water, Eva.” Muthr rolled up to Eva’s other side. “Enough for you, Mr. Kitt, Otto, and the car.”

Rovender stared out at the barren plain. “You can have whatever provisions I’ve collected.”

“We need coordinates,” Muthr continued. “I do not believe the Omnipod has the radar range we will require.”

“Mother Robot is right,” Rovender concurred. “If we don’t know where we are going, we are walking to our deaths.”

“We know where we are going,” Eva said. She pulled out the crystal given to her by Zin that was tied around her neck. “We are going to find the answer to the puzzle.”