Everyone meets at Xie’s, Erik arranging their bags in the back of Jo’s car. He doesn’t say anything about the Jetta, or the bottles of oil thickening in the garage, untouched since winter. K, you got shotgun, Jo says. Karen’s eyebrow at the nickname as she gets in. It’s a good thing you two are fucking sticks, Jo mutters as she settles into her seat, Leni in the middle, thigh-to-thigh with Jo. Seat belts, Erik says. Jo passes her iPod up to the front. Erik’s dim smile as he sets it in the cupholder. Driver chooses music, he says. Mr. L, are you going to be a total Nazi for six and a half hours? ’Cause I don’t think I can handle, like, pure totalitarianism. Erik snorts. You’ll live. Karen unfolding a map. Erik starting the car. I know the way, he says. Karen pauses, then folds the map back up. Tom Petty on the radio again. All the trees slipping past. So tell us more about this protest, Karen says. Sounds like a lot of people will be there. Jo nodding. There are thirty-two groups involved, officially. Monday they’re going to start the mining, so some of the groups will stay in the camps, in between the land and the equipment. On the land that Century Energy owns? Karen asks. Won’t the police just remove them? Well, they’re going to be locked neck to neck, so it will take a really long time to get them all undone. Karen frowns. What do you mean? Jo leans forward, scrolling for a photo to show Karen on her phone. They use, like, bike locks? Literally they just lock themselves to each other at the neck and it takes forever for the cops to separate them in order to make arrests. That’s intense, Karen says. Yeah, well, it’s a million fucking acres of land, you know? We’re really glad you came, by the way, Jo adds. It’s cool that you guys would do this. Erik glances in the mirror. Xie made a compelling case, he says. Leni whispers something to Jo and Jo pulls her backpack onto her lap, unzipping it to reveal Tupperware filled with giant white squares. We made these last night, Leni says, passing the tub to the front. They’re vegan Rice Krispies treats. Karen offers one to Erik. God, he says, grimacing through a mouthful, and Jo scoffs. What, they’re amazing! Karen shrugs. I think they’re great. Erik’s elbow on the rolled-down window. Arm straight on the wheel. His close-cropped hair almost pure silver now. He was forty when Xie was born, already old. Karen starts a game of Twenty Questions. Leni keeps forgetting if it’s animal or vegetable and Jo yells at her to get with the program. They park at the motel, check in. Three rooms in a row. Xie and Erik, FKK, Karen on her own. Erik passing out the keys. Leni like a puppy, jumping down the hall, purple carpet on the walls. This place is a trip.