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familiar hiss—the sound of the stunbolt ammo carving through the air—and the man dropped the knife, clutched his chest, and crumpled to the ground. “Burns!” he screamed, his legs kicking uncontrollably. Nick rushed forward and grabbed the knife, then took a few steps back.
    “You’ll be fine in a minute,” said Cass, her voice shaky. “The stunbolt won’t kill you.” Kevin looked over at his sister. She held the stunbolt aimed steadily at the man.
    After a few moments the man’s legs stopped kicking. He lay on the ground, panting, still clutching his chest. Eventually his breath slowed, and he pushed himself into a sitting position. He held his hands up at his chest, palms facing out. “Wasn’t going to hurt you,” he said slowly. “Supplies. Need supplies.”
    “Get your own supplies!” said Kevin.
    The man shrugged.
    “Where are you from?” asked Nick. “Is there another Freepost nearby?”
    “Need supplies,” the man said again. He began to get to his feet.
    “Stay sitting!” said Cass. The man looked over at Cass, paused, then stood, continuing to stare at her. “I’ll stand. Don’t shoot again.”
    “The Freepost,” repeated Nick, pointing the knife at the man. He spoke slowly and loudly, like he was talking to a child. “Is … there … one … nearby?”
    “North,” said the man. “Two days. I visit sometimes, to trade.”
    “But you live where?” said Cass.
    “Here,” he said. “This forest.”
    “Alone?” said Kevin.
    The man didn’t answer. Kevin took a closer look at the man, at his ripped clothing and wild beard. He felt a pang of sympathy. How long had he lived out in the wild?
    Nick took a step toward the man. “A City,” he said. “Is there a City near here?”
    The man stepped back from Nick, his eyes shifting back and forth from the knife Nick held to Cass’s stunbolt. “Bots,” he said. “Stay away from there. Go in, and you don’t come out.”
    “We need to know where the City is,” said Nick. When the man didn’t say anything, he added, “We’ll trade. For supplies.”
    The man nodded, and took a step toward their packs. “Stop!” said Cass. The man froze.
    “We don’t have much,” said Nick. He handed the knife to Kevin and went to the packs. Kevin was surprised by how heavy the knife felt in his hand.
    Nick pulled a parka out of his pack. “Waterproof and warm. It’s all we can spare.”
    The man nodded. “A day and a half east, cross the river, then half a day south,” he said. He pointed at the parka. “Now.”
    Nick balled it up and threw it toward the man. It landed at his feet. He picked it up, inspected it, and slipped it on.
    “Now go,” said Cass, still aiming the stunbolt at the man’s chest.
    “My knife,” said the man.
    “Go!” repeated Cass.
    “Wait,” said Kevin. He tossed the knife at the man’s feet. “Now go,” he said.
    The man picked up the knife, rubbed it along his thigh to brush off the dirt, then slid it into a sheath at his waist. He looked at Cass and licked his lips.
    “Leave us alone,” said Cass. Her hand holding the stunbolt was shaking. “Don’t come back, or I’ll shoot you again, and I’ll keep shooting you until you have a heart attack and die.”
    The man stared at Cass, then turned and disappeared into the trees.

CHAPTER 7
    TWO DAYS LATER, AFTER CROSSING THE RIVER AND HEADING SOUTH, they still saw no signs of the City. Cass was beginning to worry the man with the knife had given them bad directions or that he had been confused. It was dusk, and they were tired. They sat silently on their sleeping bags on top of a hill and watched the sun set.
    As the sky grew darker, the horizon below them began to glow. “What’s that?” said Cass, standing up.
    “A whole lot of wattage,” said Kevin. “Like a million lightsticks.”
    Cass sucked in a deep breath. That much light could only mean one thing. “The City.”
     
    In the morning they made their way carefully south. The tree cover