“Despite our differences, Mr. Kitt,” Muthr said as she wheeled toward the center of the room, where Rovender and Eva were relaxing, “I will be the first to say we could not have come this far without your guidance. And so, I thank you.”

“Yes, Rovee, thank you!” Eva scooted close, threw her arms around him, and gave him a peck on the cheek. A befuddled-looking Rovender remained rigid. “Oh! That reminds me!” Eva said as she crawled over to her belongings and pulled something out. “I wanted to give you this.” She unrolled the braid that she had made earlier.

Ivory threads from her tunic, along with the thick climatefibers of her knee socks, were woven into dirty-blond strands of Eva’s hair, and the braid was accented with colorful beads. “Hold out your hand,” she instructed, draping the braided strand in her lap.

Setting down his bottle, Rovender watched. Eva took his large, calloused hand, palm up, and placed it on top of the braid. She looped the loose ends together and began tying them around Rovender’s wrist.

“I learned how to make this from one of my holo-shows,” she said. “It is a special bracelet, a friendship bracelet, that I’ve made for you to wear. That way you’ll never forget about us. And you’ll know that wherever you are—wherever you go—we’ll be friends. Always.” She sniffed as she finished tying the bracelet. “There,” she said, admiring her handiwork. “It looks good, right?” Eva’s pale green eyes were glassy. Misty.

Rovender held up his hand and stared at the bracelet wrapped around his thick wrist. He glanced over at the girl and the robot, both quiet and looking back at him. Grabbing his ratty cloak and bottle, he stood and made for the doorway.

“I am going to do a sweep of the village tonight to be sure of your safety, Eva Nine,” he said. He draped the cloak over his head, opened the door, and looked back over his shoulder. “Get your rest. You have a busy day tomorrow.” With that, Rovender Kitt slipped out into the night.

Distant thunder grumbled as the village of Lacus went to sleep.

Calling turnfins awoke Eva Nine from her deep slumber. Through the undulating curtain she saw the lavender predawn light drift into the room. Her blanket still wrapped around her, she crawled over to the window to view the waking village.

Down below, one group of Halcyonus fishermen gathered gear for their morning outing, while another was in the center of the open-air plaza arranging small mats in a circular layout. Eva wanted to get dressed and explore before she left; she couldn’t wait to see everything in the daylight.