Once again, Grayson woke them in the morning. Connie slept through the night on the couch. She was surprised to see the sun fully up.

"It's late. This mean you're going to give me the day off?"

"Not sure. Maybe. A little situation's come up. I have a question for you. I need an honest answer."

"Like you give me honest answers?"

"Connie, I'm not in the mood. You took one of the Glocks, right? What did you do with it? Did you really throw it in the river?"

"What's brought that up? Come on, Grayson. Do you really want me on your side, or not?"

"A message bird came from Misgy this morning. They want to trade Peter for Quill. I guess your old friend has been hiding out in Misgy all this time."

"Oh."

"Oh. Is that all you have to say? No big Connie opinions? I know either the old Chinese guy or the boy is incentive to keep you on track, as it were. So why would we trouble ourselves making the switch? Except - they've also offered to give back the gun you took. That you told Ainsley you threw in the river. She likes to crow about how she can read you like a book. And can always tell when you were lying."

Neither said anything for several seconds, each waiting for the other to speak first.

Connie didn't want to give away how relieved she'd be to have Quill returned to his family. It would be much easier to take risks with a resourceful grown man like Peter rather than a little boy. It was worth losing the gun. But would they make the switch, even with the gun? Could they be trusted? Zatch would certainly be in the middle of this. Despite what she thought of him, she did have confidence he'd be extremely careful to control the outcome.

"I lied. I fooled Ainsley. That almost makes me happy. I gave the Misgys the gun. And showed them how to use it."

"You know how to use a gun?"

"Duh, more of my backwoods upbringing, Grayson."

He turned to go.

"Wait, does this mean you'll do the trade, and I'm not going through the passage today?"

"I don't know yet. Maybe you'll go this evening."

"If the trade happens, I need to witness what happens. And be with Quill. No more rough strangers handling him."

After Grayson left, Harnell asked, "Do you think they'll do it?"

"I hope so. I tried not to, but I'm afraid he saw that that's what I want. I'm not that good a liar. I'm counting on them being nervous about Misgy having a gun. Guns rule their world. I hope they'll see it as a big give."

It was early afternoon before Grayson returned for Connie and Quill. The arrangements were to meet on the road near Joyund Farm. Along with Grayson, Connie was dismayed to see eight men and women with assault rifles piling into several 5-5's. She thought wistfully about those mornings she pedalled to work with Tessa in the greenhouses on the farm. Though it was mere days, it seemed another lifetime ago.

All that she and Harnell told Quill was that he was going to Joyund Farm today and that he would be back soon with his family. But first, they had to meet some people. His initial excitement faded when he felt the grim mood of their armed chaperones. And began crying when he saw the mercenary who'd seized him at Tori and Lina's. Connie picked him up and held him close on the 5-5, softly singing their new dialect version of Old MacDonald.

The 5-5s stopped. A line of Misgys with Peter and Zatch in the middle stood across the road. Connie was comforted to see Zatch in full bravado mode. The Glock dangled down from his right hand as if it belonged there. She didn't see Tori and hoped that she and her crossbow and other crossbow archers were hiding in the trees.

They got out of the 5-5s. The mercenaries held their assault rifles in a front ready position and stood in a menacing line with a gap in the center for Grayson, Connie, and Quill.

Grayson explained to Connie, "Peter will bring the unloaded gun, walk halfway, and stop. When he does, you can tell Quill to run to their line. And then Peter and the gun will come to us. If he does not," he jerked his head to the mercenaries. "Well then, you know what will happen."

Connie knew Peter wouldn't do anything foolhardy, but worried if Grayson had anything devious planned. Quill clung to her and whimpered about not seeing his parents. She whispered to him in dialect, "Zatch take you to parents."

Grayson waved and shouted to Peter, "Okay, come halfway and stop. Make sure the gun is unloaded."

Zatch made a show of expertly ejecting the magazine. He put the gun in Peter's hand and stuck the magazine in Peter's back pocket. Peter walked steadily to the halfway point and stopped.

Connie put Quill down, "Run, run to Zatch. Run as fast as you can."

And the little boy took off. Once Quill passed him, Peter continued walking. Quill was in Zatch's arms before Peter got to Grayson's line. Connie opened her arms to hug him, but two of the mercenaries grabbed him and pulled him away, taking the gun and magazine.

"Wait. What are you doing?"

Grayson said, "I don't trust the two of you together. Someone will bring him to you before and after your transits, so you'll know he's all right."

Connie was furious. "At least let me give him a hug."

Grayson nodded to the mercenaries, and they brought Peter over.

He said, "I'll be all right, as long as you're all right." He opened his arms and hugged her tight, whispering in her ear. "Echo station is working. And..."

Grayson butted in, "No more whispering. Take him away."

They hustled him off to a 5-5.

Grayson smiled, "You happy now, Connie? Hug from Peter. Little boy back in the bosom of his family. Everything you wanted. Should put you in a good mood for this evening's transit."

Connie was upset that she'd have to do another transit so soon. More guns. More mercenaries. More Ainsley? And when she got back to the room, there was no Harnell and no explanation where she was.

However, Grayson was right, the half-full part of the glass, at least for now, held quite a bit.

Quill – thank god! And after watching the way the infuriating Zatch lovingly scooped up the boy, Connie reconsidered some of her opinions about him.

And Peter's revelation about the echo station. Did that mean that they could broadcast to all of Dahria about what was happening? Reach Arden?

But the most confounding thing was when Peter whispered in her ear about the echo station. Connie looked over his shoulder back at the Misgy line. The line parted, leaving three people standing farther back in the middle of the road. A tall person, short person, tall person. Poignantly familiar postures. The short person in the middle waved to her like an old friend. And then they turned and walked toward Misgy.

For the evening transit, one mercenary was assigned to accompany Connie through the passage. James tucked the expander into the mercenary's backpack. "Don't touch anything on it. Ainsley will know what to do on the other side."

When Connie turned to the passage opening, a several-inch-wide fissure began showing. James whooped. "Look, Grayson. I've almost got it." He reached for Connie, and she backed away. "Only a few more trips, and you're done, Connie. Free to stay in Dahria or go. It will all work out all right, you'll see."

Connie paused. What if she refused to go? Maybe she could at least delay their progress.

As if reading her mind, Grayson came forward. He spoke softly, "My father's people. The ones we've brought here. They'll do anything I ask them to do." His tone became paradoxically, tender. "Even something like sever a foot. A hand. Two. They don't like to. I don't like asking them..."

"Shut up." She looked over her shoulder at the mercenary. "Let's go."

The two of them ran into the opening and only, toward the end, slowed to a sluggish jog. Ainsley stood ready on the other side and Hastings emerged immediately from his RV as if he'd been watching for them.

The mercenary took the expander out of his backpack and handed it to Ainsley along with an envelope. She and Hastings listened closely to his description of the transit and the prominent fissure that opened up this time.

Hastings clapped Ainsley on the back, "That weaselly brother of yours is actually doing it." He reached out to take the expander. "I want to put this in my safe for the night."

Ainsley handed it over. "Works for me. I have enough to take care of, looking after this one." She jerked her head toward Connie.

Hastings went back to his RV with the expander, never looking at or acknowledging Connie.