MEMELAND

Raj had learned something over the years.

Whenever Alice said she had an idea—

Run.

Unfortunately.

She was too late.

"What if," Alice began, "we clean him?"

Andre looked offended.

"I am clean."

Raj looked at his clothes.

Looked at his hair.

Looked at the dirt still stuck to one side of his face.

Then looked back at him.

"No."

"I am."

"No."

"I washed."

"When?"

"In the sewer."

Raj nearly stopped walking.

"You what?"

"There was water."

"THAT DOESN'T COUNT."

Andre looked genuinely confused.

Alice meanwhile was laughing.

"See?"

"I told you."

Raj wanted to go home.

Unfortunately she no longer had time to go home.

Because Alice had stolen her schedule.

The trio eventually arrived at one of the palace guest facilities.

Several servants froze upon seeing Andre.

One servant whispered:

"Is that a criminal?"

Another whispered:

"Is that a survivor?"

A third whispered:

"Is that a barbarian?"

Andre pointed.

"I heard that."

The servant immediately left.

A wise decision.

Ten minutes later.

Andre found himself standing in a bath.

A very large bath.

A very expensive bath.

And a very unwilling bath.

"I hate this."

Raj crossed her arms.

"You smell like a sewer."

"I survived."

"You smell like three sewers."

Alice nodded.

"Maybe four."

Andre glared.

The two women ignored him.

An hour later.

Andre emerged.

Clean.

Mostly.

His hair had been fixed.

His clothes replaced.

His wounds bandaged.

He almost looked respectable.

Almost.

Alice stared.

Raj stared.

Andre stared.

Silence.

Then Alice nodded.

"Still ugly."

Andre immediately looked offended.

"You're ugly."

"Impossible."

Raj walked away before either could continue.

Her sanity had limits.

After changing clothes and eating enough food to feed a small family, Andre was finally escorted deeper into the palace.

The halls became quieter.

The guards became fewer.

Eventually they reached a familiar section.

Alice stopped before a large door.

"He's inside."

Andre folded his arms.

"Still sleeping?"

Raj nodded.

"Doctor said he needed rest."

Andre became quieter.

The joking disappeared for a moment.

The sewer.

The collapse.

Fais.

The cultists.

Everything came back.

For the first time since escaping—

He looked genuinely relieved.

"Good."

Alice noticed.

But said nothing.

Raj noticed.

But said nothing.

Some things didn't need words.

Andre approached the door.

His hand reached for the handle.

Then paused.

"Wait."

Alice sighed.

"What now?"

Andre looked back.

"If he's sleeping."

"Yes."

"And I wake him up."

"Yes."

"He'll get mad."

"Probably."

Andre thought about this.

Then grinned.

A dangerous grin.

The exact grin that usually preceded disasters.

Raj immediately stepped back.

Alice immediately stepped back.

Both had excellent survival instincts.

Andre opened the door.

Slowly.

Quietly.

Inside—

Kai was asleep.

Peaceful.

Silent.

Unaware.

Andre stepped forward.

The grin widened.

Alice whispered:

"Oh no."

Raj whispered:

"Oh no."

Neither stopped him.

Because deep down—

They both wanted to see what happened next.

And Kai's peaceful nap was about to end.