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But there is I’ has it all planned out:

The Plague has beeninroads into the Provinces for ed to keep the illness contained, but one day it will break--and the Society will no longer be able to keep up with the spread of the disease At this point, citizens will knohat they have so far only suspected: there is a disease that the Society cannot cure

When the Plague breaks, that is our beginning

I’, which means that I’m supposed to wait until I hear the Pilot’s voice before I take action When the Pilot speaks, I’m to report to the main medical center as soon as possible I don’t knohat the Pilot sounds like, but nize the Pilot’s voice when the ti to be even easier than I thought The Society’s about to takewhen the Pilot finally speaks

The loves before we clih I know none of the precautions are necessary forthe Rising’s tablets do Not only do they make you iue

The baby wails as they put on his et sick, since he was likely exposed to the illness before we could give hiet sick, I re has a cure

There’s a river that winds through thethe daytiht it looks like a broad black street For a little while we hover along the dark surface of the water on our way into the center of the City

The est h white wall "When did that go up?" the father asks, but the medics don’t answer

The wall is new The Society has built it to keep the Plague contained It’s one ofwill have to tear down

"Don’t say you don’t know," the father says "Officials know everything" His voice sounds hard and angry now, and he looks first at Official Brewer, then Official Lei, then at aze

"We’ve told you e can," Official Brewer says "Your fah distress I’d prefer not to add a citation to your difficulties"

"I’m sorry," Official Lei says to the father I hear almost perfect empathy in her voice I hope that’s the way the Pilot sounds

The father turns around and faces forward again, his shoulders rigid He doesn’t say anything et out of this uniform It pro I haven’t believed in for a while now Even Cassia’s face changed when she saearing it for the first time

"What do you think?" I asked her I stood in front of the port and heldthe way the Society would expect ht I’d be there when it happened," she said, her eyes wide I could tell fro back Surprise? Anger? Sadness?

"I know," I said "They’ve changed the cere my parents out either"

"Oh, Xander," Cassia said "I’ her "We’ll be together e celebrate our Contract"

She didn’t deny it: not with the Society watching So there ere All I wanted was to reach her and it was impossible, since she was in Central and I was in Cah the ports in our aparto," she said "Does this mean you left your unifor back, and I relaxed

"No," I said "The rules have changed We have to wear our uniforms all the time now Not just at work"

"Even when you sleep?" she asked

I laughed "No," I said "Not then"

She nodded and blushed a little I wondered what she was thinking about I wished ere together: face to face in the same room In person, it’s a lot easier to show someone what you really mean

All the questions I had for her crowded ht? What happened in the Outer Provinces?

Did the blue tablets help you? Did you read ured out ? Did Ky tell you? Are you part of the Rising now, too?

You loved Ky when you went into the canyons So, was it the same when you came out?

I don’t hate Ky I respect him But that doesn’t mean I think he should be with Cassia I think she should be homever she wants to be with, and I still believe it could be me in the end

"It’s nice, isn’t it," she said, her face serious and coreater than yourself"

"Yes," I said, and our eyes met Even with all that distance between us, I knew She didn’tWe’re both in the Rising I felt like shouting and singing all at once but I couldn’t do either "You’re right," I said "It is"

"I like the red insignia," she said, changing the subject "Your favorite color"

I grinned She’d read the scraps I put in the blue tablets She hadn’t forgotten aboutto tell you," she said "I know I always said reen That’s what it says on ed it"

"So what is it now?" I asked her

"Blue," she said "Like your eyes" She leaned forward a little "There’s so about the blue"

I wanted to think she was giving me a co : but what? Why the addition of the word the? Why not say "There’s so about blue?"

I think she h Was she trying to tell me that they saved her, the ays believed they would? We all knew the tablets were meant to keep us alive in the event of a disaster I wanted Cassia to have as many as possible when she left, just in case

When I gave Cassia the tablets, I didn’t tell her the truth about how I got them I tried to find the explanation that would cause her the least worry What I had to do to get the papers and tablets for her orth it I keep telling myself that, and most of the time I believe it