Another tree met the business end of Jess' knife, bearing the symbol that would help lead them in the right direction should need call for it. In this thick bush, he couldn't rule it out. Couldn't rule much of anything out.

"Thirteen's not a lot of nations." Out of nearly two hundred? It was infinitesimal.

The more he heard about others' backgrounds, the less sure he was he saw history--not to mention the present day--remotely the same way, because he sure didn't recall there being a historical precedent for Noah's Ark above the clouds. But he was starting to understand it was just better not to argue some points.

"Something like that, I'd wager. It's why we're out here. Stuck together, survive together."