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that I had to swallow back a sob. “Yeah.”
    Helene patted my back.
    â€œYou must’ve figured you were crazy,” Tom remarked. “Who was it? Some teacher at school?”
    â€œAnd my next-door neighbor,” I muttered. “And some cops.”
    â€œAnd Kenny Booth,” Helene chimed in.
    Sharyn laughed. “Yo, Red! You have had a busy day!”
    Beside her, Tom said soberly, “By now, Will, you must’ve figured out that you ain’t alone in this. See all these kids around you? We’re all Seers. And one way or another, every one of us has had a day like yours—the day when we found out about the Corpses.”
    I nodded, too overcome to speak.
    â€œI wish I could answer all your questions right away,” Tom continued. “But Helene did her job at your school and blew her cover doing it. I got to debrief her. That cool with you, Helene?”
    â€œIt’s cool,” Helene replied.
    Tom nodded. “For now, Will—just chill. Sharyn, how’s about hooking up our man here with some food and a bed?”
    â€œI’m there,” his sister said.
    Sharyn spun me around and pointed me toward the rear wall of the Big Room. I glanced back at Helene, who smiled at me. “Let’s go, Red,” chirped Sharyn. “Some eats and you’ll feel a whole lot better. Trust me!”
    But I resisted, calling to Tom, who had already started off in a different direction with Helene in tow. “Wait! You said something about my dad?”
    He looked back at me. “It’ll keep,” he said. “But I’ll tell you two things right now. First: none of this”—he gestured around at the Big Room—“would be here without your dad. Yeah, Sharyn and me knew him well. And second: your rolling in here today was expected, Will. Fact is, we’ve been expecting you for a long time.”
    I absorbed this as best I could.
    Too much too quickly.
    Half out of fear and half out of frustration, I blurted, “Who the hell are you people?”
    Tom smiled.
    â€œYou’ve met the Corpses,” he said. “Well—we’re the Undertakers.”

Chapter 7
    Sharyn
    So…how’s it hanging, Red?” Sharyn asked as she led me across the Big Room. All around us, Haven was alive with activity.
    â€œDon’t call me Red,” I said wearily.
    Sharyn’s dark eyebrows rose. “Not hanging so good, huh?”
    I didn’t answer. She shrugged. “Not much for talking either, I guess.”
    â€œYo, Sharyn!” someone called.
    A short, rather chubby girl with curly brown hair ran up to us, rubbing greasy hands on the stained mechanic’s apron she wore. “What did you think of those new shocks Alex and me slapped on the Stingrays?”
    â€œThey were fierce, Tara!” Sharyn replied enthusiastically. “Like riding on air! You should’ve seen those Deaders bail when we pedaled through!” She touched the hilt of her sword, which she still wore on her back. “I even got a piece of one with Vader here. And—oh!” She threw a surprisingly strong arm around my shoulders. I didn’t like it. “This here’s Will Ritter—Karl’s kid. Got the Sight today, and him and Helene had to split his school shooting! Will, this is Tara Monroe. She’s our Monkey Boss.”
    â€œMonkey Boss?” I asked.
    â€œHe is new!” the smaller girl said. “No First Stop?”
    â€œWill’s special,” she replied. “Tom just had to meet him first.”
    â€œI’ll bet he did!” Tara said, laughing. She turned to me. “ Monkey ’s our word for mechanic or handyman. And Boss just means that I tell whom when to fix what—like the bikes and other things.”
    â€œOh,” I said. “Hi.”
    â€œNot much for talking,” Sharyn remarked.
    â€œGive him a break,” replied Tara. “He just started Seeing