Calliope was trembling. All the questions she’d been holding in came streaming out at once. “What aren’t you saying? Why are the Suuke alive? Why are they after us? Why are the stories real? Where is everyone? If you know, why aren’t you telling us?”

He sighed, snapped the compass shut. “I told you, mujer. I have to talk to the Elders. Not everything is for us to know.”

“I understand your beliefs are sacred, but we almost died. We keep almost dying. I found this in Phoenix’s backpack. Eunjoo put it there, from the table at Susana’s house.” She pulled the letter out of her shirt, handed it to Chance. “It’s a suicide note.”

“Who’s Susana?” Amy asked.

Calliope realized she hadn’t ever told them about Susana. She told the whole story of finding Susana in the mud, how she’d shot herself in the barn.

Chance read the note aloud.

When he finished, Calliope repeated, “Turned to stone. What does she mean? Literally turned to stone? Did Reina become a rock? Is that a Zuni story too? Connected to the ko’ko?”

In the back seat, Mara’s eyes fluttered and she moaned, “It’s Lizard’s Tail. Why won’t you believe me? I need to get back to Trudy.”

“I do believe you,” Calliope said, filled with compassion for the woman, in much worse shape than any of them. “Save your energy. We’re getting you help.” To Chance, she said, “You didn’t answer my questions.”