I rocked unsteadily。 I couldn’t feel my legs very well—just prickles like needle points as the blood
flowed down。
There was a hiss of disapproval behind him。 It came from more than one mouth。
“Okay； whoever you are；” he said to me； his voice still kind。 “Let’s get out of here before it heats up。”
The one who must have been Kyle’s brother put his hand on Jeb’s arm。
“You can’t just show it where we live； Jeb。”
“I suppose it doesn’t matter；” Maggie said harshly。 “It won’t get a chance to tell tales。”
Jeb sighed and pulled a bandanna—all but hidden by his beard—from around his neck。
“This is silly；” he muttered； but he rolled the dirty fabric； stiff with dry sweat； into a blindfold。
I kept perfectly still as he tied it over my eyes； fighting the panic that increased when I couldn’t see my
enemies。
I couldn’t see； but I knew it was Jeb who put one hand on my back and guided me； none of the others
would have been so gentle。
We started forward； toward the north； I thought。 No one spoke at first—there was just the sound of
sand grinding under many feet。 The ground was even； but I stumbled on my numb legs again and again。
Jeb was patient； his guiding hand was almost chivalrous。
I felt the sun rise as we walked。 Some of the footsteps were faster than others。 They moved ahead of us
until they were hard to hear。 It sounded like it was the minority that stayed with Jeb and me。 I must not
have looked like I needed many guards—I was faint with hunger； and I swayed with every step； my head
felt dizzy and hollow。
“You aren’t planning to tell him； are you？”
It was Maggie’s voice； it came from a few feet behind me； and it sounded like an accusation。
“He’s got a right to know；” Jeb replied。 The stubborn note was back in his voice。
“It’s an unkind thing you are doing； Jebediah。”
“Life is unkind； Magnolia。”
We walked in silence again for a few hours。 When my legs buckled； Jeb lowered me to the ground and
held a canteen to my lips as he had in the night。
“Let me know when you’re ready；” Jeb told me。 His voice sounded kind； though I knew that was a false
interpretation。
Someone sighed impatiently。
“Why are you doing this； Jeb？” a man asked。 I’d heard the voice before； it was one of the brothers。
“For Doc？ You could have just told Kyle that。 You didn’t have to pull a gun on him。”
“Kyle needs a gun pulled on him more often；” Jeb muttered。
“Please tell me this wasn’t about sympathy；” the man continued。 “After all you’ve seen…”
“After all I’ve seen； if I hadn’t learned passion； I wouldn’t be worth much。 But no； it was not about
sympathy。 If I had enough sympathy for this poor creature； I would have let her die。”
I shivered in the oven…hot air。
“What； then？” Kyle’s brother demanded。
There was a long silence； and then Jeb’s hand touched mine。 I grasped it； needing the help to get back
on my feet。 His other hand pressed against my back； and I started forward again。
“Curiosity；” Jeb said in a low voice。
No one replied。
As we walked； I considered a few sure facts。 One； I was not the first soul they’d captured。 There was
already a set routine here。 This “Doc” had tried to get his answer from others before me。
Two； he had tried unsuccessfully。 If any soul had forgone suicide only to crack under the humans’
torture； they would not need me now。 My death would have been mercifully swift。
Oddly； I couldn’t bring myself to hope for a quick end； though； or to try to effect that oute。 It would
be easy to do； even without doing the deed myself。 I would only have to tell them a lie—pretend to be a
Seeker； tell them my colleagues were tracking me right now； bluster and threaten。 Or tell them the
truth—that Melanie lived on inside me； and that she had brought me here。
They would see another lie； and one so richly irresistible—the idea that the human could live on after
implantation—so tempting to believe from their perspective； so insidious； that they would believe I was a
Seeker more surely than if I claimed it。 They would assume a trap； get rid of me quickly； and find a new
place to hide； far away from here。
You’re probably right；Melanie agreed。It’s what I would do。
Last night Melanie and I had wished for death； but death had been only inches away at the time。 It was
different now that I was on my feet again。
I don’t want to die； either；Melanie whispered。But maybe you’re wrong。 Maybe that’s not why
they’re keeping us alive。 I don’t understand why they would。… She didn’t want to imagine the things
they might do to us—I was sure she could e up with worse than I。What answer would they want
from you that bad？
I’ll never tell。 Not you； not any human。
A bold declaration。 But then； I wasn’t in pain yet。…
Another hour had passed—the sun was directly overhead； the heat of it like a crown of fire on my
hair—when the sound changed。 The grinding steps that I barely heard anymore turned to echoes ahead
of me。 Jeb’s feet still crunched against the sand like mine； but someone in front of us had reached a new
terrain。
“Careful； now；” Jeb warned me。 “Watch your head。”
I hesitated； not sure what I was watching for； or how to watch with no eyes。 His hand left my back and
pressed down on my head； telling me to duck。 I bent forward。 My neck was stiff。
He guided me forward again； and I heard our footsteps make the same echoing sound。 The ground
didn’t give like sand； didn’t feel loose like rock。 It was flat and solid beneath my feet。
The sun was gone—I could no longer feel it burn my skin or scorch my hair。
I took another step； and a new air touched my face。 It was not a breeze。 This was stagnant—Imoved
intoit。 The dry desert wind was gone。 This air was still and cooler。 There was the faintest hint of moisture
to it； a mustiness that I could both smell and taste。
There were so many questions in my mind； and in Melanie’s。 She wanted to ask hers； but I kept silent。
There was nothing either of us could say that would help us now。
“Okay； you can straighten up；” Jeb told me。
I raised my head slowly。
Even with the blindfold； I could tell that there was no light。 It was utterly black around the edges of the
bandanna。 I could hear the others behind me； shuffling their feet impatiently； waiting for us to move
forward。
“This way；” Jeb said； and he was guiding me again。 Our footsteps echoed back from close by—the
space we were in must have been quite small。 I found myself ducking my head instinctively。
We took another turn； and then the floor started to climb upward。 My legs were so numb and wooden
that as the path got steeper； Jeb had to half drag me up the incline。 The air got mustier and moister the
farther we went； but the blackness didn’t change。 The only sounds were our footsteps and their nearby
echoes。
The pathway flattened out and began to turn and twist like a serpent。
Finally； finally； there was a brightness around the top and bottom of my blindfold。 I wished that it would
slip； as I was too frightened to pull it off myself。 It seemed to me that I wouldn’t be so terrified if I could
justsee where I was and who was with me。
With the light came noise。 Strange noise； a low murmuring babble。 It sounded almost like a waterfall。
The babble got louder as we moved forward； and the closer it got； the less it sounded like water。 It was
too varied； low and high pitches mingling and echoing。 If it had not been so discordant； it might have
sounded like an uglier version of the constant music I’d heard and sung on the Singing World。 The
darkness of the blindfold suited that memory； the memory of blindness。
Melanie understood the cacophony before I did。 I’d never heard the sound because I’d never been with
humans before。
It’s an argument；she realized。It sounds like so many people arguing。
She was drawn by the sound。 Were there more people here； then？ That there were even eight had
surprised us both。 What was this place？
Hands touched the back of my neck； and I shied away from them。
“Easy now；” Jeb said。 He pulled the blindfold off my eyes。
I blinked slowly； and the shadows around me settled into shapes I could understand： rough； uneven
walls； a pocked ceiling； a worn； dusty floor。 We were underground somewhere in a natural cave
formation。 We couldn’t be that deep。 I thought we’d hiked upward longer than we’d slid downward。
The rock walls and ceiling were a dark purpley brown； and they were riddled with shallow holes like
Swiss cheese。 The edges of the lower holes were worn down； but over my head the circles were more
defined； and their rims looked sharp。
The light came from a round hole ahead of us； its shape not unlike the holes that peppered the cavern；
but larger。 This was an entrance； a doorway to a brighter place。 Melanie was eager； fascinated by the
concept of more humans。 I held back； suddenly worried that blindness might be better than sight。
Jeb sighed。 “Sorry；” he muttered； so low that I was certainly the only one to hear。
I tried to swallow and could not。 My head started to spin； but that might have been from hunger。 My
The tunnel opened into a chamber so vast that at first I couldn’t accept what my eyes told me。 The
ceiling was too bright and too high—it was like an artificial sky。 I tried to see what brightened it； but it
sent down sharp lances of light that hurt my eyes。
I was expecting the babble to get louder； but it was abruptly dead quiet in the huge cavern。
The floor was dim pared to the brilliant ceiling so far above。 It took a moment for my eyes to make
sense of all the shapes。
A crowd。 There was no other word for it—there was a crowd of humans standing stock…still and silent；
all staring at me with the same burning； hate…filled expressions I’d seen at dawn。
Melanie was too stunned to do anything more than count。 Ten； fifteen； twenty… twenty…five； twenty…six；
twenty…seven…
I didn’t care how many there were。 I tried to tell her how little it mattered。 It wouldn’t take twenty of
them to kill me。 To kill us。 I tried to make her see how precarious our position was； but she was beyond
my warnings at the moment； lost in this human world she’d never dreamed was here。
One man stepped forward from the crowd； and my eyes darted first to his hands； looking for the
weapon they would carry。 His hands were clenched in fists but empty of any other threat。 My eyes；
adjusting to the dazzling light； made out the sun…gilded tint of his skin and then recognized it。
Choking on the sudden hope that dizzied me； I lifted my eyes to the man’s face。
CHAPTER 14
Disputed
It was too much for both of us； seeing him here； now； after already accepting that we’d never see him
again； after believing that we’d lost him forever。 It froze me solid； made me unable to react。 I wanted to
look at Uncle Jeb； to understand his heartbreaking answer in the desert； but I couldn’t move my eyes。 I
stared at Jared’s face； unprehending。
Melanie reacted differently。
“Jared；” she cried； thr