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ambled away casually, hands in his pockets.
    â€œThat was good timing,” Mira muttered.
    â€œLooked like it,” Joe said. “He was running some sort of scam. There’s plenty of that in Zeropolis. Maybe I shouldn’t have left you alone. Anyhow, I’ve got a bunch of credits on my card, and I know where we’re going to stay tonight. We’ll catch the monorail in the morning.”

C HAPTER
    5
    GWEN
    J oe booked a pair of adjoining rooms on the second floor of a big inn made of concrete blocks. One room contained four narrow beds, the other two. All of the beds had mattresses that looked and felt like the mattresses Cole remembered from back home, though a bit thinner. A couple of cowhide rugs softened up the cement floor.
    â€œAn actual faucet,” Dalton said, standing by the sink. “With hot and cold running water.”
    â€œA toilet too,” Cole added.
    Dalton twisted on a faucet and let water run over his hand. “What a miracle.”
    â€œThe showers are in a common area down the hall,” Joe said. “They have one washroom for men and another for women. But in the city, we’ll have showers in our rooms.”
    â€œSweet,” Cole said. “This might be my favorite kingdom.”
    They had gathered in the room with four beds. Mira would sleep in the other one when the time came.
    Joe sat on the edge of one of the beds, hunched forward,hands folded. He cleared his throat. “It’s time I tell you my story.”
    Cole perked up. “Why you wanted to get away from Zeropolis?”
    Joe nodded. “That and more. As long as we’re together, the mess I made for myself here could affect us all. Cole, Dalton, in a lot of ways, we’re in the same boat. I tried to get back home, and you deserve to hear about the problems involved.” He rubbed his thighs and chuckled. “I hardly know where to begin. Some people know pieces of this, but I haven’t told all of it to anyone.”
    â€œYou’re from Monterey?” Dalton prompted.
    â€œRight,” Joe said with a smile that was almost a grimace. “That’s a place to start. I’m, what, thirty-four now? I was thirty. I worked as a paramedic, and occasionally as a studio musician.”
    â€œYou were in a band?” Cole asked.
    â€œYeah, a few, when I was younger. Later on I just helped out when other people needed stuff recorded. Guitar mostly. It was fun work. I did most of it in the Bay Area. A little in LA.”
    â€œYou can shred on guitar?” Dalton asked, impressed.
    â€œIf shredding is required,” Joe said. “That hasn’t been the handiest skill here. Knowing some first aid helps at times.”
    â€œLike with Sultan,” Cole said.
    Joe winced. “I wish I could have handled that better. I’d never worked on an arrow wound.”
    â€œI wasn’t criticizing,” Cole said. “At least you did something.”
    â€œHave you guys been where he’s from?” Jace asked.
    â€œMonterey?” Dalton clarified. “I haven’t.”
    â€œMe neither,” Cole said. “Don’t they have an aquarium?”
    â€œA famous one,” Joe said. “And a lot of natural beauty. Great coastline. Nice bay.”
    â€œHow’d you end up here?” Jace asked.
    Joe clapped his hands together. “It’s a painful story. But it’s part of what I need to tell you. Let’s see . . . I was engaged to be married. Gwen Saunders, the love of my life. Our wedding was coming up. We were about ready to send out invitations. Her family had some money, so it was going to be at a fancy country club. Some of my friends were lined up to provide live music. It would have been awesome.”
    â€œWhat happened?” Cole asked.
    â€œI was walking by the ocean one evening,” Joe said. “I was lost in thought. Feeling grateful, mostly. Gwen is amazing. It’s ridiculous. She’s so