Alex rushed to Liam’s side, slipped the man’s arm over his shoulders, and hoisted him to his feet. Ms. Morning quickly stepped inside with the crying girls and rushed them into the hospital ward to have them checked out.
Alex followed her, dragging Liam along, but before he could reach the hospital ward, Liam snapped his head up and struggled to stand on his own. “I’m fine,” he said, his voice hoarse. “Just make sure the babies are all right. I didn’t know where else to go.”
Ms. Morning handed the children over to the nurses and came back to the entryway, where Alex helped Liam take a seat on the steps near Samheed. Ms. Octavia brought him a blanket. His unshaven face was proof enough that he’d been living precariously for at least a few days.
“We heard you’d been sent to the Ancients Sector,” Ms. Morning said. “It’s a shock to see you alive, much less carrying children.”
Liam didn’t dare look at her. He pulled the blanket around his shoulders, still visibly shivering. “It’s true. Gondoleery sent me to the Ancients Sector, and she commanded me to bring the babies there with me, but I didn’t. I couldn’t. They did nothing wrong. So I’ve been on the run.” He looked wearily at Alex. “You know about Aaron?”
Alex nodded.
A nurse who’d seen Liam come in returned with a steaming mug of warm liquid. Liam took it, grateful to warm his hands, and sipped from it. After a moment, he went on. “I took to the shoreline. After everything turned to ice, it took me all this time to get here, sliding along a little at a time so I didn’t fall with the children.” He glanced anxiously into the hospital ward. “They’re starving. I’m so sorry. I only had a little bread in my pocket, and I had to melt ice to give them water.”
Samheed looked over the banister at Liam. “Gondoleery sent little children to the Ancients Sector? Since when did Quill start doing that?”
“Since Gondoleery took over. But I have to tell you that I don’t think she has a plan much beyond freezing everybody in place. I think she saw the opportunity when Aaron was captured and she took it.”
Simber spoke. “So you don’t think she’s planning to attack us furrrtherrr at this time?”
Liam, who wasn’t comfortable at all around the large stone beast, shifted away from him. “I-I can’t say for sure, but I feel quite certain she froze the island because she needed to figure things out. She doesn’t have any allies as far as I know. Well, maybe Governor Strang, but I doubt it. The two are total opposites.”
“That’s good to hear,” Alex said, beginning to pace. “It buys us some time to figure out how to counteract the spell. In fact, that reminds me. I need to get Lani into the library. . . .” He stood still as his thoughts turned back to the task at hand, then he picked up the 3-D door and handed it to Samheed. “Get this to Lani, will you? You’ll see her before I do, I’m sure. I’m going to start searching. Tell her I’ll meet her up there.”
Samheed nodded and took it.
Alex looked at Claire. “Is this whole thing,” he asked, waving his hand toward Liam, “under control?”
“We’ll take it from here,” Ms. Octavia said. “Go save our island.”
Alex bid his thanks and his good-byes and turned to Liam. “Thank you,” he said before starting up the steps.
“Yes, of course.” Liam stood. He dropped his eyes. “I’ll be going, then. Thank you for the, ah, the drink.”
“What?” Alex asked. “Where will you go?”
“T-to the Ancients Sector,” Liam said. “That’s where I’ve been sent.”
Alex narrowed his eyes. He’d forgotten the strange ways people thought in Quill. “No, Liam. Don’t be ridiculous. You will not go back there. We’ll—we’ll find you a place. Somewhere. Here or in Quill.” He looked at Ms. Morning, letting her make the call.
Ms. Morning sighed. “Fine. You can stay here, of course. Then you’ll be closer to your children.”
Liam looked at her in alarm. “My—my children? The girls aren’t mine! They’re Alex’s. I thought . . . I thought you all knew that.”
Alex’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head. “What are you talking about?” he asked.
Samheed raised an eyebrow.
“Oh. Oh dear.” Liam grew pale. “Y-you didn’t hear this part? About the wall—and your parents? Oh my, I’m afraid I’ve quite bungled this. . . .”
“My parents?” Alex stared at Liam. Then he slowly turned to peer into the hospital ward where the children were being cared for, and slowly turned to look at Liam once more. “Explain, please,” he said in a terse voice.
Liam wavered. “Oh dear. Alex,” he said, “I’m so very sorry. I have some, ah, some horrifying news.” His mouth went dry, but he pressed on. “When the last of the wall collapsed, it fell inward on the workers, and it crushed three rows of Necessary houses. Your parents were both . . . killed.”
Alex continued to stare.
Liam swallowed hard. “Oh dear, you don’t know a thing, do you. I’d thought—I’d thought you’d have had contact with them by now.” His eyes darted around, making sure no one was about to attack him, and chastised himself under his breath. “You see, Alex, the children are your sisters. Twins, just like you and—” He stopped.