The two of them fist-bumped.
“Your father taught me that gesture,” Pentagonal Dodecahedron said to me.
“This is the guy,” my father said. “He’s the one who saved my life and brought me to Confederation Central. I complained about being abducted at the time, but he didn’t seem to care too much. And, I guess, when you think about it, it all worked out for the best. If he hadn’t alien-abducted me, the Phands would still be on the verge of defeating the Confederation.”
“Wait a minute,” I said. Things were clicking into place. “These Geometric Upstarts—”
My father cut me off. “I love that name. It’s like they’re a math gang or something.”
“I’m with you,” I agreed, “but they’re totally into numbers. They like to project things into the future.” I turned to Pentagonal Dodecahedron. “Is that why you took my father? Did you predict that his abduction would somehow lead to the decline of the Phandic Empire?”
Pentagonal Dodecahedron lowered its head slightly. “There were nearly five hundred possible outcomes that arose from taking your father, nearly three hundred of which were interesting. That is a very high probability for a worthwhile outcome. That is why we took your father. As it turned out, our investment of time and interest was well rewarded.”
My father apparently knew all this, because he seemed more interested in catching up. “Hey, are you and Octagonal Prism still a thing?”
“No, she left me,” Pentagonal Dodecahedron said, his colors shifting in a way I felt sure indicated sadness. “For an ixmo.”
“Huh,” my father said. “I didn’t see that coming.”
The two of them were clearly strolling down memory lane, so I drifted away, just as the secretary general announced that we had a special guest. The new ambassador from the Confederation of United Planets had, moments earlier, arrived on Earth and wanted to come directly to this gathering.
Steve walked up to me, flicking his tongue suspiciously at a plate of hors d’oeuvres. He hadn’t bothered to try to fit into Earth fashions and was wearing one of his usual tunics. He’d told reporters that this was formal wear on his world, but it looked like everything else he’d always worn. My theory was that he’d gotten a kick out of showing up for a dressy event wearing the Ish-hi equivalent of gym clothes.
“You think they’ll pick some git for ambassador?” he asked.
“Probably.”
I was braced for the worst, but then I saw Dr. Roop enter the room. He was immediately swarmed by politicians and reporters, but he politely made his way over to where we were standing.
“I had to call in many favors to receive this post,” he told me, leaning his long neck toward me to better speak confidentially, “but I think I shall enjoy my time here. I hope I will see you now and again, Zeke.”
“Whenever you want,” I said. “But I understand that you’ll be busy.”
“No, I mean I hope you will be on Earth.”
“Where else would I be?” I asked somewhat nervously.
“That is up to you,” he said with a grin. “But you were promised a spaceship, and I have delivered it. The sort of small, long-range shuttle you have grown used to piloting. It is docked at the East Thirty-Fourth Street Heliport and will respond to your voice commands.”
Just then my father, who was done talking to his Geometric Upstart friend, walked over and hugged Dr. Roop. He then introduced the alien to my mother. A bunch of politicians moved into the circle, eager to meet the new ambassador, and we got edged out.
“A ship?” Steve said to me with a sly look.
“We could go anywhere,” Alice said. She and the others had all wandered over.
“I would still like to see Ganar,” observed Charles.
“I have some ideas about how we might reactivate our nanites,” Tamret told me. “Get those Former upgrades back for good.”
“My parents are smothering me,” Nayana said. “I could use some air. I suppose it couldn’t hurt to go look at it. Maybe take it for a test drive.”
Mi Sun rolled her eyes. “Fine,” she said.
The six of us moved toward the exit. I felt Tamret take my hand and brush her shoulder against mine.
“We’re not going to go looking for trouble, are we?” I said to her.
She grinned at me. “When have we had to look before?”
It was, I thought, a very good point.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
* * *
David Liss is, himself, a proud science-fiction geek. When not acting like a total fanboy, he’s generally working on his books, stories, and comics. Liss has written eight bestselling novels, most recently The Day of Atonement, and is the author of numerous comics, including Mystery Men, Sherlock Holmes: Moriarty Lives, and Angelica Tomorrow. He lives in San Antonio, Texas.
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Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
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Also by David Liss
Randoms
Rebels
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Text copyright © 2017 by David Liss
Jacket illustration copyright © 2017 by Derek Stenning
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The text for this book was set in New Caledonia.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Liss, David, 1966– author.
Title: Renegades / David Liss.
Description: First edition. | New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, [2017] | Series: Randoms ; 3 | Summary: After many ups and downs, Zeke and his friends work together in a final effort to stop the evil Phands from taking over the galaxy.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016049271| ISBN 9781481417853 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781481417877 (eBook)
Subjects: | CYAC: Science fiction. | Conspiracies—Fiction. | BISAC: JUVENILE FICTION / Science Fiction. | JUVENILE FICTION / Social Issues / Friendship. | JUVENILE FICTION / Action & Adventure / General.
Classification: LCC PZ7.1.L57 Ren 2017 | DDC [Fic]—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016049271
David Liss, Renegades
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