All the Water in the World

On the canoe outside the AMNH, the group realizes that they can’t wait for the water to drop. Staying in one place might make them more vulnerable to attack from “the Lost,” or vagrants who wander the city, unattached to any settlement. The group decide to go north to Mother’s family’s farm.

They paddle across the city, but a current impedes their progress, and they’re wary of the dirty water they’re traversing. Bix is in a silent, catatonic state. They assess their supplies. Father wants to paddle past 93rd Street to see his old apartment. It’s dangerous, but he’s nostalgic. The city is in ruins, and massive piles of debris and bodies mark where the surge broke. They continue, arriving at the Hudson, which has disappeared in the flood.

In a flashback, Nonie recalls the various skills of the different members of Amen. Keller was an entomologist who helped keep their bee hives and tracked the insects he found to monitor the changes in the world. Father curated Indigenous American architecture and built many of the shelters in Amen. Jess grew up in Alaska and could track deer, while Sergio taught people how to make arrow heads from knapped flint.

They canoe down the Hudson River. As night falls, they spot lights in a building. It’s the Cloisters, a settlement known to take in travelers.

They disembark near the Cloisters, hide the boat, and approach. Keller hangs back, wary that his race may lead to his rejection (or worse).

In a flashback, Nonie recalls asking her mother about fossil preservation efforts as the climate crisis intensified. Shipping fossils out became increasingly difficult as infrastructure collapsed, so they took preservation into their own hands. Nonie’s mother compared Amen to Leningrad again. Nonie began to protect the Logbooks in case they had to leave the AMNH.

Bix, Nonie, and Father approach the Cloister’s gate. They knock, and a man called Douglas enters. He expresses surprise when Keller reveals himself; mixed groups are rare, and (due to a mosquito-borne illness) so are children. He allows them in but says they must leave at dawn.

Douglas gives them a tour of The Cloisters. He shares that the illness killed all their children. In addition, he condemns the Amen community for turning travelers away. They receive food, water, a bath, and a place to sleep.

Nonie reflects on the women of Amen and how they influenced her: Jess, who had medical experience, and Angel, Keller’s partner. Together, they established a pharmacy, shelter, and classroom in Amen. Jess in particular helped organize their medicinal supplies, especially their antibiotics.

The next morning, the group packs to leave, and Douglas shows them the Cloister’s scriptorium before they go. It’s a large, electrically lit room where they record the stories of travelers who pass through.