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time I thought someone might understand.”
    â€œIt’s lucky she met you,” Mrs. Ridley said to me.
    â€œLucky for me,” I said.
    * * * 
    The dinner was as good as Joel promised. We had tomato and onion salad, sautéed mushrooms, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potato and pecan casserole, and huge T-bone steaks. While we were eating, Joel walked up to our table. “Is everyone having a good time?”
    My mother looked up at him with a large smile. “Everything is wonderful. Thank you.”
    A similar smile crossed his face. The way they looked at each other made me wonder if there was more to their relationship.
    â€œThank you,” Mrs. Ridley said. “For bringing us together.”
    â€œIt’s our pleasure,” Joel replied. He looked at Taylor. “I guaranteed you an especially good evening. Was I right?”
    â€œYes, sir,” Taylor said. “Thank you.”
    â€œIt’s the least we could do.” He looked back over the table, his gaze again settling on my mother. “I’ll let you enjoy your meals. But, sincerely, thank you for all you’ve done.” He turned and walked off to another table.
    About a half hour later the servers brought out coffee and a dessert of fresh berries with sweet cream, and Joel lifted the microphone again. “I hope you’ve all had a good time this evening. It’s getting late and we start early tomorrow, so it’s about time we wrapped things up. Tomorrow morning we will be meeting in this same room at eight o’clock for breakfast. For those assigned to Operation Jade Dragon, which includes all of our young guests, please come dressed and ready for your first briefing. Thank you again, and good night.”
    A few minutes later we all got up from the table. After telling everyone good night, I walked my mother to her room in the eastern wing of the Ranch House.
    â€œYou know, what Joel said earlier about you being a hero is true,” my mother said. “Your father would have been just as proud of you asI am.” She looked me in the eyes. “But remember, you’re still my son. You don’t have to save the world.”
    â€œWhat if I’m the only one who can?”
    Her expression was a mix of pride and sadness. “That’s something you’re going to have to answer yourself.”
    * * * 
    By the time I got back to my room the lights were out and Ostin was already asleep. At least I thought he was. As I quietly undressed and slipped into bed, Ostin said, “Good night.”
    â€œGood night,” I answered. After a moment I added, “It was cool seeing your parents tonight.”
    â€œYeah. It was. Sleep well.”
    â€œYou too.”
    I had just closed my eyes when Ostin blurted out, “Did you know that the first woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize was from Taiwan?”
    I think that could have waited until morning, I thought. “No.”
    â€œDid you know that Taiwan’s national sport is American baseball? In 1995 they won the Little League World Series in the U.S.”
    â€œNo,” I said again. “Didn’t know that either.” For a moment I lay there wondering why he was sharing these random factoids—not that this was unprecedented for Ostin. I sometimes wondered if there was so much information in his head that it occasionally just burst out. At my thirteenth birthday party I was about to blow out the candles on my cake when he said, “Did you know that Stalin tried to create a humanzee—a hybrid of men and chimpanzees—hoping to create ape-men superwarriors?”
    Suddenly it occurred to me why he was pelting me with facts about Taiwan. “Are you worried about Taiwan?”
    â€œA little,” he said quietly. “Are you?”
    â€œI’m always worried.”
    â€œYou don’t act like it.”
    â€œI’m just good at faking.” I was quiet a moment, then