“opened and went through it before I could even blink. Man, that guy was fast. He was like the polar opposite of Trask. I stared at the sloth, trying to figure out how this guy was the height of intellectualism in New Athens. Of course if he was the height of intellectualism, it explained a lot about their level of technology. Gideon, Riya, and I all moved to the window farthest away from Trask. I lowered my voice. “What do you think?” “I think Chopper’s really curious about us,” Gideon said. “Not sure how he feels about the whole execution thing after questioning us, though.” Riya nodded. “I don’t think he necessarily means us any harm. I also don’t necessarily think he’s going to help us.” I nodded. I’d been thinking the same thing. Out the window, I could see all of New Athens coming to light. It was a small city. There were about ten blocks, and that was about it. A few houses were arranged along the edges, some of them rather large. But most people seemed to be living in the city center. There was also a steady line of people and conveyances heading for the main gate. My gaze drifted over the people in line, wondering what their lives were like. Were they happy here? It didn’t seem so. In fact, I couldn’t remember seeing anyone smile, save for Asmodeus and the Queen. And neither of them were the right kind of happy. Below, I saw a wagon with a tarp over the back get into line with the others. With a start, I realized it was Desmond sitting at the reins. As if feeling my gaze on him, he glanced up toward the window. He stared straight at the window for at least ten seconds before he gave a slow nod and then continued toward the drawbridge. “Did you see him?” Gideon whispered excitedly.”