Soon, after pasting the 3-D door in her bedroom, Lani showed up, and together they sorted through piles of books, making hardly a dent. It was easier with Lani there. And it was nice to spend the time in silence, or chatting now and then about things other than death and dying.

Finding no luck after a day or two, Alex asked others to join them in the search. Samheed and Carina helped Sean up the stairs and through the traditional way, and Sky came with Lani through the 3-D door.

Alex was glad to have Lani take charge of the organizing. He remained quiet, mostly, preoccupied with the pain that never left his side.

In the evening, after the others left, Sky stayed with Alex. The two sat shoulder to shoulder together on the museum floor, in silence for a while, until Alex couldn’t hold his thoughts anymore. They came pouring out.

Sky listened. And listened. And listened. All night long, until years’ worth of Alex’s private thoughts and feelings and actions were strewn out across the endless floor like the scattered piles of books. Stories about his parents. Stories about Meghan and her bravery. And stories about Aaron and what life was like for them in their little dusty room in Quill that was now demolished, buried under tons of rubble.

They talked, and dozed, and sorted, and talked, and dozed some more, until Lani returned to start a new day of work and shooed them out to get something to eat.

And while Alex and Sky wolfed down a most delicious breakfast at the kitchen bar, Florence wandered in, saying over her shoulder, “Come on little ones. Let’s get a snack.”

Behind her, the twins toddled, laughing and trying to keep up with Florence’s long strides. One wore purple, the other red. When Florence noticed Alex and Sky, she grinned and picked up the girls, which made them laugh harder, and set them on the countertop near where Alex and Sky were sitting.

Alex, nervous, sat back in his chair. “Uh, hi there.”

Florence pushed the girls toward Alex and guarded the edge to make sure they wouldn’t tumble off. “These are your sisters. As you can see, and as I’m sure you were wondering, they are doing quite well now after a few days of spoiling by the nurses.”

Alex managed a weak grin. “They look . . . fine,” he said. “Nice. I mean, I don’t really know anything about babies.”

“Carina and the nurses think they’re probably a little less than a year old.”

“Oh,” Alex said. “That’s . . . a good age.” He didn’t really know what to say.

One of the twins leaned forward and stretched out her hand, trying to reach Alex’s face. He backed up, and she took interest in his plate of food instead. She grabbed a crust of toast and shoved it in her mouth.

Sky laughed, but Alex looked at Florence in alarm. “Is she—is that—?”

“She’s fine. She just wants to share your snack.”

“Okaaay.” Alex frowned.

Sky tore off a crust of bread from her plate and offered it to the other twin. “What are their names?”

Alex looked up, curious. “Yeah,” he said. “What are they called?”

Florence shrugged. “No one knows, and we don’t want to stir up any suspicion in Quill by asking around, since we don’t want Gondoleery to know they’re here and alive. I think you ought to give them a fresh start, Alex.”

“Me?” Alex sputtered. “I don’t know anything about that. You guys just go ahead and do it.”

“Alex,” Sky said, disgusted, “don’t be ridiculous. They’re your sisters. And,” she added more gently, “it’s pretty likely the longer Aaron is gone that you’re all the family they have left.”

Alex cringed as the pain in his side throbbed. He knew deep inside him that something terrible was happening with Aaron, but what? If he was dead, would this pain last forever?

Florence leaned in. “Even if Aaron returns, you have a chance to give them the childhood you never had. Aren’t you excited about that?”

Alex flinched. “That’s a fine point, Florence, and you know I want that, of course.”

Sky squeezed his knee under the counter. After their long talk last night, she knew as well, now.

Florence tipped her head, waiting. “Well, then. You should name them.”

“All right,” he sighed. “Let me think about it, though.” He peered at the girls as if seeing them for the first time, trying to figure them out. “It might take me a few days to come up with some options.”

“A few more days won’t hurt,” Florence said. “I’ll take them back to the hospital ward for now so you can get back to your search. They’ve set up a nursery in the corner for them, though they like to escape and visit Simber and me.” She grinned. “But you can stop by and visit them now and then, you know?”

“Yeah, I guess.” It would take some getting used to. But they seemed like nice enough children when they weren’t crying. And they were his sisters. “I’ll come by,” he promised. When Florence swept them up, they waved over her shoulders, and Alex found himself waving back.

Sky and Alex finished their breakfasts, feeling ready to hit the library again. But just as they were leaving the kitchen, Lani came pounding down the stairs and flying around the banister carrying a small book high over her head.

“I found it!” she cried, leaping into the air. “Element-ary: A Guide to Elemental Magic!”

On the Island of Shipwrecks

When Ishibashi exited his shelter during the hour of calm, he carried a few of his newly recovered tools to the precious ship that Alex-san had so thoughtfully transported to the island. Now the three scientists could explore it once again after so many years.