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I wonder where Eva and Barron are right now. Does the Golden Vigil have them, or Abbot and his people? It’s nice to know they’re fucked no matter what.

I look over at Howard. His face smears like the city lights and I’m afraid for a second that I’m going to black out. But I pull it together and push myself back into a better sitting position where I can feel the wind.

I say, “Howard.”

“What?”

“What are you going to do with immortality? I always wanted to know how you plan out something like that. What are you going to do with yourself? Learn to play the piano? Then what? Learn to paint? Then what? Learn to sail? Go skydiving? Wrestle gators in Florida for tourists? How do you spend forever?”

He smiles, delighted by the question.

“All of those things and more,” he says. “You see, you and your friends are bound by time. You’re linear thinkers. Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. I’m not bound by time. I can let my imagination roam freely. The first thing I’ll do is put Wormwood back together again, bigger and better than before. I’ll pursue my study of magic. Can you imagine what that will be like? A magician with all the time in the world and all the resources of Wormwood at his disposal. In a hundred years, I’ll be running this whole bloody planet. After that? Who knows?”

I watch the stars streak by.

“At least you’ve kept your modesty,” I say. “It’s your best quality.”

“That’s just the thing. I don’t need to think in ordinary ways anymore. Modesty. Ego. Benevolence. Malevolence. All the old definitions and mores fall away when your future is infinite. I’ll have to invent a whole new way of being.”

“It’s going to get lonely, don’t you think?”

He considers that for a minute.

“I’ll allow for a few more of my type. Just a few carefully selected individuals who can grasp the enormity of this gift.”

My eyes are getting better. I can focus again. The wind is really helping me feel alive again. I look around at the buildings and the nearby cars.

“Hey, Superman,” I say. “Have you checked the traffic lately?”

“It’s not too heavy. We’re making good time.”

“That’s not what I mean, shithead. I mean have you looked at what’s around us?”

He checks the mirrors and looks side to side.

“Cars. Trucks. Vans. What are you getting at?”

I look around again. Twist around so I can see the rearview.

“There are two unmarked vans on either side of us and at least one behind us.”

He glances at me.

“What does that mean?”

“It means the faction found us.”

He looks around again.

“How?”

“How the fuck do I know? Spy satellites? Facial recognition pigeons on the freeway signs? Ballerinas with Uzis? What does it matter? Just hit the fucking accelerator.”

“But I don’t drive. Not often. I have a chauffeur.”

“Of course you do,” I sigh. “If you can’t drive, then get off the freeway. Maybe we can lose them in the streets.”

“Will they let me?” he says. There’s real fear in his voice.