The rain did not bother him. Nor did the wind, or the darkness.

Sitting on a rock, he waited in the shadows, across from the building.

It had not been difficult to track him down. He had spies everywhere, and not just in Joqqal. And a god such as he does not exactly go unnoticed. Nor had it taken very long.

Knowing he was in there was an odd thing. And that, soon, he’d be facing him and talking with him. And maybe, finally, getting those answers he so craved.

It was well into the night when Xian walked out. The expression on his face was difficult to read—though it certainly seemed troubled, perhaps even shocked... but how could a god be shocked? Surely, he must be misreading.

Evken jumped to his feet and walked up to Xian.

When he arrived near the Suryi, he fell to one knee and bowed his head.

“Lord Xian! I request an audience.”

He heard the god’s voice, and it was kind but also embarrassed.

“Please, don’t do that. Stand. I am in a hurry, but you are welcome to walk with me... You are of the Zendaar?”

He rose and leaned on his cane. “My name is Evken Norkh. Few are those capable of distinguishing us from the humans. You truly are a god!”

“I truly am not,” said Xian with unease. “But what was it you wished to discuss?”

They walked together under the rain, and Evken felt blessed for it.

“I have been trying to understand our role in the world... what we are, where we come from... what is our purpose? Before slaughtering my brothers, the other Suryi claimed our people are flawed...”

Xian glanced at him though he did not answer immediately.

They walked through deserted streets, the ring of their footsteps echoing in the night.

“Why does it matter to you so much?” asked Xian. “Are you not content with your life?”

“No,” admitted Evken, “I cannot say that I am. I feel there must be more to life than... this.” He made a wide gesture, encompassing all of their surroundings.

“Qojja is not enough for you?” Xian sounded amused.

“It’s not just that, though it is a part of it. I feel trapped. Both physically and mentally. The hold Rakash has on me only intensifies it.”

The god made a face at the name.

“Why can we not leave this world?” Evken asked.

“I don’t know.”

How could a god not know the answer to such a simple question? This baffled him. He stared at Xian as they walked under the rain.

“Surely, you must have some understanding of what we are, what our purpose is?”

“There is only one who could answer for sure.”

Evken’s eyes lit up with hope. “Who?”

“I don’t know.”

“What?”

Xian sighed. “We Suryi—as you like to call us—are not gods, as I’ve said before. We are worldbuilders. Aliens, if you would. Our people make worlds, such as this one. We have made thousands, millions, billions of them. The only one who could answer your question is the one who created the world you come from. But since no one knows where you come from, then there is no way to know who has made you.”

Evken was devastated by the answer.

He remained quiet for a long time as they walked.

“So there is nothing you can tell me?” he asked as despair overtook him.

“Not all worlds are created by the Rissl, nor are all creatures. But what I can tell you is that you were. That much I can read in you, just like I can read the same in the humans. Though they, too, are not from this world. You all came here, through different means, millennia ago, and colonized this empty world. There were only animals and plants here at the time.”

“Do you know how we came here?”

Xian shook his head. “I know the humans came in ships. But I do not know about the Zendaar. One day you were not here, the next you were. Though it happened shortly after the humans’ arrival. If I had to guess, I would say you came from the same world.”

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“Do you know why the other Suryi killed my brothers?”

“They would destroy all life on this planet if they could. And the planet itself. They disapprove of the craft of our kin.”

“But they didn’t kill any of our human servants...”

Xian gave him another glance. He seemed to hesitate, as if he were looking for the right words. “Only the creator can destroy his own creations. Since none of us have created this world or any of its inhabitants, we cannot destroy them directly. Were it not for this, Qojja would have been obliterated a long time ago. The only way we can affect it is by manipulating the elements.”

“Then why could they kill us?” insisted Evken.

“Because,” said softly Xian, “there are imperfections in your people that make you vulnerable.”

“It is true, then, that we are flawed?”

“What we do is akin to art, and as such it is not impervious to mistakes...”

“Can we be fixed? Can we be made more like the humans?”

“That, too, could only be answered by your creator.”

Evken fell quiet, with a sullen look on his face.

***

They had rented a room in a cheap motel. Paying cash had its benefits but also some significant drawbacks—like, they were required to pay a whole week in advance.

But, once again, his friend had surprised him by handing out the amount without an instant of hesitation.

It had been one surprise after another ever since they had run out of the hospital.

First, Will had helped him escape. Then, he’d come up with a plan—albeit a fairly crazy one. He still wasn’t sure what he thought about it.

At least, he felt a little better now—thanks to the medicine his friend had snatched from the hospital before they’d rushed out.

He stood and took a few steps around the room, trying to get his feet used to walk again.

When Will finally returned, he was closely followed by Victor.

The boy ran to him and hugged him.

“Wassab! I thought you were going to die!”

“I still might,” he said with a grimace, though he ruffled the boy’s hair affectionately. “Good to see you, kid.”

It had been his idea to bring Victor here. Wanting to become servants to the Zendaar was one thing, but actually reaching out to them was another. But since the boy’s father had been a fanatic, he hoped he might have connections they could use.

After they explained their idea to the boy, Victor made a face.

“I don’t know, wassab...”

“Oh, come now! You must know someone who works for the Zendaar!”

“I do, wassab, but they would not take offworlders.”

“How could they know if we are?”

The boy grimaced.

“It is very obvious, wassab.”

Jack frowned. “How so?”

“Well... your clothes would be easy to change. But there is also your attitude and posture. That would be more difficult. And then...”

“What?”

“Well, you are sick, wassab. They would not hire a sick man. A sick man could not serve the gods properly.”

“He does have a point,” said Jack.

Will grumbled. “We’ll just give you more pills.”

“There’s only so much we can hide...”

“We only need the illusion to last long enough to get in. After that, it won’t matter anymore.”

“I don’t know, wassab,” repeated the boy. “They could kill you if they found out you tricked them.”

Jack shrugged. “I’m already dying, anyway. It’s worth a shot. For me, at least. I should go in alone, Will. There’s no point in your risking your life—”

“No way! I’m not leaving you on your own. I’ll be fine. I’m in good health, after all, so they’d have no reason to think I tricked them.”

Except that he’d be with him, and this alone could get him into trouble... But he did not voice his concern, as he knew his friend well enough to know he would not change his mind. Jack was grateful, too, to have him by his side.

He had tried to do this on his own and had failed miserably.

Perhaps it was time for a different approach...

***

The message was repeated numerous times during the journey, and again it blasted through the ship as they were about to land.

“Attention travelers!

“Traffic to and from Qojja has been postponed until further notice.

“The conditions on site have become highly unstable.

“All incoming vessels have been requisitioned by the Qojjan government to evacuate tourists and other foreigners who wish to leave.

“If you are not here on urgent business, we urge you to remain on board.

“Your return trip will be provided at no charge.”

Like all previous announcements, Susan ignored this one.

It did intrigue her, though.

What could have gone so wrong to prompt such drastic measures?

She would know soon enough, she realized, as the ship landed at the spaceport in Joqqal.

When she walked out, she was assailed by the rain and the wind. For a brief moment, she wondered if there hadn’t been some terrible mistake and that she had somehow been taken back to Vuulthur... But then she noticed the air did not smell of sulfur.

She looked at the sky and frowned. It was supposed to be noon, yet the sun was nowhere in sight. The clouds were dark and ominous. Lightning flashed in the distance as thunder roared.

All the other passengers—at least those who had decided to risk staying—were running toward the shelter of the spaceport proper. She hurried after them.

Once the administrative process was taken care of, she hailed a hovercab that dropped her off at the Syndarin. She had no reservation, but with all of the offworlders flocking out, it wasn’t difficult to find a room.

After settling in, she turned on the news and learned of all the recent disasters that had struck the planet, and that still were. It was unsettling. Not to mention the madness in the streets, with fanatics screaming for all foreigners to leave.

All of a sudden, she did not feel so safe.

She pushed that thought away and tapped on the TriVid screen to bring up information about the Moonrise Conglomerate.

Going through the data, she wondered for the millionth time what she was doing here. What was she looking for, exactly? There was a connection between this company and her parents, but she had no idea what it might have been, let alone how to uncover the truth—assuming there even was a truth to uncover.

She planned to meet someone at the company, but then what? What could she possibly ask them? Lucaan Labs was one among likely hundreds of subcontractors they used. How could she expect them to have ever even heard of her parents?

And yet... there had to be something.

She had let the news run in the background. It now showed images of fires on the southern continent. They were spreading wide and burning down entire villages. There were talks, too, of gods walking the earth—which she found troubling.

With a disapproving shake of her head, she turned the volume off and initiated a holo call to Moonrise.

When the secretary appeared on her retina, Susan politely asked for an appointment with the CEO.