The stack of unsorted papers grows smaller as I continue my work. I am starting on the last stack when President Collindar walks in holding a gray folder. Gone is the muted sense of concern I saw when she left to meet with Symon. In its place are strength and confidence.
I scramble to my feet as she says, “I apologize for the delay. Symon had a number of thoughts on this week’s activities. Letting him talk gave me time to come up with a plan.” She crosses the room to the table where I sit, looks directly at me, and says, “I cannot cancel the Debate Chamber vote. Not without raising Jedidiah’s and Symon’s suspicions. But tomorrow morning a member of my staff will be reported as missing. No one will question a postponement while my team dedicates all its resources to finding him. I believe Symon will outwardly applaud the decision, all the while sowing dissention among the rebel factions and pushing them to schedule an attack. I can convince them to hold off while we search for Michal. If I am lucky, I might be able to postpone their actions for a week. I only hope it will be long enough.”
“For what?” I ask.
“I thought that would be obvious,” she says. “There is no choice. We must carry out the rebels’ plan to end The Testing.”
For a moment I am speechless as her meaning hits home. “The rebels were going to start a war.”
“That has never been the intention,” she says. “The plan is for the rebels to coordinate the elimination of specific targets. The loss of life will be limited to those threats marked for termination. Of course, when violence is employed as a tool, there is always a chance of unexpected casualties. But those involved in creating this plan worked to design a blueprint that would limit losses as much as possible.”
Strategic targets. Termination. Tools. Blueprint. Clean words for the bloodletting they imply.
She opens the folder she is carrying, pulls out a piece of paper, and hands it to me. On it are eleven names. The first is Dr. Jedidiah Barnes. Professor Verna Holt is also on the list, as are Professor Douglas Lee and a man named Rychard Jeffries—whom I am almost certain is Raffe’s father. Just holding the sheet of paper makes my pulse race and my palms start to sweat.
President Collindar doesn’t appear to notice my discomfort as she explains, “The direction of The Testing and the University is headed by a select group led by Dr. Barnes. They are members of the University, officials in key government positions, and research scientists whose work has been used by Dr. Barnes to benefit The Testing. All of the people listed have enough influence and authority to retain control of the University and Testing programs even if Jedidiah is removed from the equation. Symon helped create this document, so there is a chance it is flawed, but I believe the plan is still valid.”
“You want to murder Dr. Barnes and his top administrators?”
“No.”
I let out a sigh of relief as President Collindar reaches over, takes the paper from me, and slides it back into the gray folder. “I’m not going to kill Dr. Barnes and his followers.” She places the folder in my hand. “You are.”
Chapter 3
HER WORDS PUNCH through my chest and steal my breath. The fire crackles. Somewhere in the building I hear a door slam. President Collindar stands still as death, watching me.
“You can’t be serious,” I whisper. Though I know she is. “I can’t—”
“Yes, you can.” Her words are sharp. Confident. “Though the process of The Testing is kept from the public, I have heard enough rumors to understand the tests each candidate must face. For a candidate to pass, she must be intelligent, quick thinking, and able to prove she is capable of doing whatever it takes to survive.”
Suddenly, I am not here. I am on the unrevitalized plains during the fourth test. Tomas whispers my name. In the dim light I ca
n see the blood as it flows from the wound in his abdomen. Will stands in front of me. His green eyes narrow behind the gun he has now aimed at me. He straightens his shoulders and takes aim. The gun in my hand kicks. Will staggers as the bullet punches into his side. When he runs I ignore the nausea that is building inside me and fire again.
Yes. When attacked, I will do what it takes to survive. But this . . .
“I can’t.” My legs tremble but my voice is firm. Strong. More in control than how I feel.
President Collindar walks unhurriedly across the room and takes a seat in the chair right next to the fire. “I will postpone the vote, but that will only delay the inevitable. If you are correct about Symon’s allegiance, how long do you think it will take before he incites the rebels to lead their own attack? What will happen then? Do you think Symon will allow any of the rebels or the citizens who have aided them to live? What will happen to the country if I am gone? Who do you think the Debate Chamber members will appoint to take my place?”
Dr. Barnes. If not him, someone he supports. The Testing will continue.
“Cia, I would prefer not to involve you in this, but sometimes a leader has to rely on the resources at hand. My staff has been infiltrated once that we know of. There is no doubt in my mind that where there is one spy there are more, which means the people in this building cannot be trusted. Neither can the rebels.”
“The Safety officials—”
“Report to one of the names on that list. And there must be others Dr. Barnes knows will take up arms in his support. Otherwise he would not have embarked on this course of action.” She turns and stares at the fire as if looking for answers in the flames, and sighs. “I would attempt to execute this plan myself, but it would be impossible for my actions to go unnoticed, and I am no longer confident of whom I can trust. You, Malencia, are the only one I can be certain of, which is why I am forced to ask you to live up to the promise you have made as a future leader and take up this task. As long as Dr. Barnes remains in control of the University, the rebels will not put aside their agenda. Emotions are running high. The rebels are insisting on change. I have talked to a number of them already.”
I see a flicker of regret on the president’s face, but it is gone as quickly as it came. Then all I see is her resolve. “I have been told that citizens on the outlying areas of Tosu have been armed by Ranetta’s rebel faction despite my express wish for this not to happen. Symon assured me that those allegations are false and that my orders are being obeyed, but everything he’s said is suspect. We must assume there are citizens aware of the rebellion and ready to take up arms in support. When the rebels do attack, those citizens could take to the streets. Dr. Barnes’s forces will respond. People will be scared. Some will fight. More will die.”
Michal told me that the rebels were arming citizens. The president is right to fear what could happen with weapons in the hands of so many. The fear. The desperation to survive at all cost. But that might happen no matter what.
Shaking off the images, I say, “Killing Dr. Barnes and his top administrators might gain you control of The Testing, but people will panic when they hear that many government officials have died. There has to be another way.” When solving geometric proofs, often more than one path of logic can lead to the correct solution. Surely there must be a different route we can take now.
“The more we talk, the better I understand why Dr. Barnes chose you.”
Despite my own proximity to the fire, the president’s compliment makes me shiver.