The Prize of Dysprosium

Chapter XXI: Daylight in the Time of Darkness

For a full second nobody moves, but neither Ridder nor Hansel look remotely surprised, which means inviting the Potentate son to fight with them must have been part of a plan. I look at Anton. The surprise in his face mirrors my feelings, and his mouth opens and close.

"Me? What about Noah? I thought you wanted him?" he stutters and looks at me. "I thought they wanted you?"
"Anybody can play Piece, isn't that right Alle?" I ask, thinking of the faux-Piece from the uprising the day Garmen died. "Nobody else can be the Potentate's son."

"We would still very much like to keep Noah alive," Alle says. "Which is why we'd like to move you both."

"We can't just leave," Anton is still arguing. "What about the Cave?"

"We don't have room for everyone," Ridder says.

"I'll take care of the Cave," Barooba says. She's materialized in the kitchen entrance with her arms crossed and a tired drag around her mouth. "You two should get out of here. Get somewhere safe."

"I'll get Dr. Max," Ridder says. "Where is he?"

"I'm here," Dr. Max says just as he comes upstairs from room 1. "What is going on?"

"We're moving back to the bunker," Alle says and Hansel grunts in agreement. Dr. Max nods.

"Alright, let me just get my bag-"

"Hurry," Alle says and Dr. Max disappears downstairs again. The she turns to Barooba. "You will be abundantly rewarded. You can count on that."

"Oh, I expect it," Barooba says with a hard grin. "Now go."

I look at her for a long time, but she's impossible to read the motivation of. Maybe she thinks the Cave will be safer without us here – without Anton especially. Maybe she genuinely wants the two of us to be safe. Maybe she's just trying to get rid of Alle. Whatever it is, it makes me nod.

"No," Anton blurts.

"They will be safer without us," I say and touch his arm. Anton licks his lips as if he's getting ready to argue, but it's the truth and he can see that. After the initial hesitation, he nods too.

"To be clear," he says as the politician's son that he is, "This is not me joining anything. I'm only coming with you to protect the Cave. But," he continues and looks at me. "Maybe you should consider staying Noah. Nobody knows who you are. It's your home, and you have your life here. You don't have to leave."

"Nope," I say and squeeze his hand. "Wherever you're going I'm going. And that's the end of it."

Anton smiles, and it makes all kinds of butterflies take off inside my stomach, just as Dr. Max arrives back upstairs.

"Okay, we came here in three different cars for the purpose of splitting up," Alle says and clasps her hands together. "They're parked a little away to not draw attention. So if Dr. Max go with Hansel, then Ridder takes Anton-"

"No," I snarl and back up into Anton, grab his arms from behind and stare at Alle. "You take Anton, I'll ride with him," I say and nod towards Ridder. It gives me a bad taste in the mouth to have Alle and Anton ride together – I'd much rather Anton rides with Hansel – but if they're caught in some sort of problem Anton will try to save Hansel whereas Alle is the best chance of both of them getting out alive. Ridder looks at me without blinking.

"Maybe we should reconsider," he says in a low voice to the top of Alle's head. "There's room for two people in the cars, I can ride alone, then you can take them both."

Alle looks at me, stares more like it, with her face scrunched together in concentration. But then she shakes her head. "No. If we get into a mishap we lose both of them, can't have that."