Sanjay pricks a pin through the map. “A hole in our world is created which lets them come in. It probably causes some kind of local weather disturbance but nothing too dramatic. But when an entire legion comes through, this is what happens.”

He punches a screwdriver into the paper. The handle and his hand also go through, tearing the map.

“My theory is that the world rips when they invade. This is what triggered the earthquakes, the tsunamis, the weather disturbances—everything catastrophic that caused the majority of the damage and deaths.” Thunder rolls through the gray sky as if to agree with him.

“It wasn’t the angels themselves who controlled nature when they invaded,” says Sanjay. “That’s why they didn’t create a giant tsunami to swallow us up when we attacked the aerie. They can’t. They are living, breathing creatures just like us. They may have abilities we don’t have, but they’re not godlike.”

“You’re telling us that they killed this many people and they weren’t even trying?”

Sanjay rakes his fingers through his thick hair. “Well, they did kill a bunch of people after we killed their leader, but they may not be as all-powerful as we initially thought. Of course, I have no proof. It’s just a theory that fits what little we know. But if you guys can bring back some bodies for us to study, we may be able to shed some light on this.”

“Want me to confiscate some angel parts from the hallways?” asks Dee-Dum.

I don’t joke about how he and his brother are probably dealing in angel parts, just in case it’s true.

“There’s no guarantee any of those parts are authentic,” says Sanjay. “In fact, I’d be surprised if any of them are. Besides, it would be much more helpful to study an entire body.” The shreds of the paper depicting our world lie drooping on Sanjay’s lap.

“Cross your fingers,” says Obi. “If we’re lucky, we might be able to bring you some live ones.”

I feel a flutter of unease. But I tell myself that they won’t capture Raffe. They can’t. He’ll be all right.

The two-way radio on the dash comes alive and a voice says, “Something’s going on at the old aerie.”

Obi grabs the handset and asks, “What kind of something?”

“Angels in the air. Too many to hunt.”

Obi takes a pair of binoculars from the glove compartment and looks toward the city. In most places he wouldn’t have a clear view, but we’re near the water so he has a shot at seeing something.

“What are they up to?” asks Dee-Dum.

“No idea,” says Obi looking through the binoculars. “There are a lot of them, though. Something interesting is going on.”

“We’re halfway to the city already,” says Dee-Dum.