“That’s right,” said Shady. “You ought to take it easy on him, Liz. Seeing how he’s a cripple and all.”
Jeth rolled his eyes. “It’s my hand, Shady. Not my leg.”
“Oh, well, then I meant ‘amputee.’”
Celeste slapped Shady in the back of the head. “That’s not funny.”
Shady grinned at her. “Sure it was.”
“Who cares if he’s an amputee,” said Flynn. “He’s the captain. All he’s got to do is shout orders and sit around while we do all the work.”
Jeth sighed as he plopped down on the nearest sofa. “That sounds like the best job ever. Not that it’ll work with you bunch of lazy good-for-nothings.”
“Does this mean we can call you Stumpy?” said Shady.
Jeth grunted. “I can still shoot you with my good hand.”
The banter went on a short while longer, and when it died down, Jeth braced himself for the question he knew was coming next: What do we do now?
But to his surprise, nobody asked it.
Instead Shady said to Celeste, “So, do you want to see how bad I can kick your ass in matchmaking on Robot Revenge?”
Celeste smirked. “I could beat you one-handed.” She flashed a grin at Jeth. “No offense, Stumpy.”
Jeth scowled at her. “Next person who calls me ‘Stumpy’ is getting the boot.”
A chorus of “Stumpys” answered him.
“I get no respect,” Jeth grumbled. He tried to keep a straight face but failed.
“What’s a stumpy?” asked Cora.
Jeth had been doing his best not to look at her as she sat next to Vince with Viggo asleep in her lap. He didn’t know how she would react to seeing him again. He was afraid he would detect fear in her eyes.
“It’s just a nickname,” said Lizzie, coming over to her. “And we’re only calling Jeth that because it’s funny.”
“Why’s it funny?” said Cora.
“Because he hurt his hand,” said Sierra.
“Oh.” Cora cast Jeth a furtive look, biting her lip. “But I hurt his hand, didn’t I?”
“No,” Jeth said, unable to keep from answering. “It wasn’t your fault. You did everything right. You saved us all, Cora.”
Cora looked uncertain for a moment, and then to Jeth’s surprise, she smiled.
He smiled back.
“Go on,” Lizzie said. “Give him a hug.”
Jeth started to shake his head, but Cora was already pushing the cat aside and standing up. She dashed across the room and jumped into his lap. Jeth winced at the sudden pain in his hand, but he wrapped his arms around her automatically.
He didn’t mind the pain, not with his baby sister hugging him like this, unafraid. He kissed the top of her head.
“Do I really look like our mom?” Cora said next to his ear.
Jeth blinked, remembering how he’d told her that right before she’d phased them off the Northern Dancer. “Yes, Cora. You really do. You’re both beautiful.”
Cora giggled and hugged him tighter. She stayed there a few moments longer, then got up and started chasing Viggo around the common room, filling the place with her giggles as the cat jumped and pawed at her, returning the play.
With the excitement of Jeth’s arrival officially over, everyone settled into their favorite activities for relaxing. Lizzie turned on some music. Milton lit a pipe, while Flynn decided to make some after-dinner snacks. Vince joined Celeste and Shady at the gaming table.
Sierra sat next to Jeth, holding his left hand and resting her head on his shoulder. He leaned his head atop hers. Then he let out a sigh and closed his eyes.
I’ve been set free, he heard Sierra saying again in his mind.
So have I.
He didn’t know if it was real, if freedom was something you could earn or win after a long, hard fight, or if it was just an illusion. But he decided it didn’t matter. Only this mattered. This moment right here, surrounded by the people he cared about. And he realized this was the paradise his parents had meant when they named this ship.
There were other things he should be thinking about, decisions he should be making. Like where they went next. What they would do with the information they had. And most important, how he would save his mother.
But for now, he was content to leave those worries alone, to let them be silent and still inside him. For now, it seemed he’d found his Avalon at last.
Acknowledgments
BOOKS ARE SURPRISINGLY LIKE SPACESHIPS-YOU NEED AN entire crew to navigate the storytelling universe, to go from an idea in the writer’s mind to a physical object in a reader’s hand. And just like Jeth would say, my crew is the best.
As always, thanks to God and his Son for all the good things.
A huge, galaxy-sized thank you to my editor, Jordan Brown, for his enthusiasm, support, and especially his uncanny ability to see what I meant even when I didn’t. Your insight and guidance are divine.
Thanks also to my rock-star agent, Suzie Townsend, for first giving this wacky story about spaceship thieves your blessing for me to write and then for helping me to make it better. You are my rock in this biz, a solid foundation in a crazy, up-and-down world.
To the entire Balzer + Bray team for giving my book a home and for making it reader worthy: Alessandra Balzer, Donna Bray, Alison Donalty, Ray Shappell, Renée Cafiero, Rebecca Springer, Caroline Sun, and Emilie Polster.
To the team at New Leaf Literary & Media—Joanna Volpe, Kathleen Ortiz, Pouya Shahbazian, Jaida Temperly, and Danielle Barthel—for giving me such a wonderful and cozy literary home.
To my amazing critique partners and beta readers: Lori M. Lee, Cat York, Sarah Goldberg, Kathy Bradey, Farrah Penn, and Mallory Hayes. I am forever grateful for your support, insight, and friendship.
To my ultrasmart, sci-fi–loving brother-in-law, Jay Sharritt. Thanks for the long talks about deep things. Also for introducing me to Halo.
Much love and thanks to my parents, Betty and Phil Garybush—you make my life possible in more ways than you could know. Also love and thanks to my sci-fi loving dad, Jim Gaver, who took me to my first Star Trek movie and who never said no when I wanted to watch Star Wars for the tenth time in a single weekend.
To my husband, Adam, and my kids, Inara and Tanner—you are my Avalon.
To my sister, Amanda Sharritt. This book would not exist without you. Thank you for first wanting me to write a story like this one, and then for believing in it afterward.
And as always, thanks to you, dear reader. It would take all of time and space for me to express how much you matter.
About the Author
MINDEE ARNETT is the author of one other book for teens, The Nightmare Affair. She lives on a horse farm in Ohio with her husband, two kids, a couple of dogs, and an inappropriate number of cats. Her dream home, though, is aboard a spaceship. You can find her online at www.mindeearnett.com.