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"No," Indie says "We’re all clear" She glances over atto tell us anything more about Caleb’s second errand

We wait for the other ships to take their turns departing fros The coain for our destination Indie reaches for it first

"Where now?" I ask her, even though I think I knohat she’ll say

"Back to Caet more of the cure"

"And then?" I ask

"Then we coain This is our route, for now" There’s a hint of sympathy in her voice "Someone else will take cures to Central"

"They’d better," I say I don’t care if the Pilot hears In fact, I hope he does Why not? Long ago people used to say what they wanted out loud and hope that so

Cassia has so She’s only used a few of thees There must be plenty left for her to use for whatever she needs, ain for a cure Cassia kno to trade

We start down theup speed

The white and black uniforrow s before the buildings disappear, too, and then it’s all gone

I can still hear the Pilot singing the Antherave for Vick All day long, he talks tohim

He talks to me while Eli and I pull spheres from the streairl he loved I picture it inLaney how he felt Watching the rainbow trout swi up to celebrate a Contract S as he reached for her hand to claione

Is that what’s going to happen to o to look for Cassia?

Cassia’s changed oing to be harder than ever to get to her

Indie brings us higher

Some people think the stars must look closer from up here

They don’t

When you’re up here, you realize how distant they really are--how impossible to reach

CHAPTER 7

XANDER

So But, because the quarantine cells are soundproof, I can’t hear anything except the tired sounds of the Hundred Songs

Through the walls ofat the hout the Hall For a few seconds, everyone looks frozen, listening to whatever is co from their ports, and then some of the people move One walks over to a quarantine cell and enters a keycode The person inside the cell steps out and heads for the main doors of the Hall Another Officerto intercept hiht then the doors to City Hall burst open Figures in Rising black swarun The Pilot’s speaking and I can’t hear anything

The Officer releases someone else fro officers in black hold back others to let her pass Some of the workers look bemused Most of them put their hands up in the air in surrender when they see the Rising

It’s got to beofficer appears in front of my cell "Xander Carrow," he says I nod He holds up the ’s picture of me, and enters a code into the keypad on the cell The door slides open and I’m out

The Pilot’s voice comes out over the ports "This rebellion," he says, "is different It will begin and end with saving your blood, not spilling it"

I close ht

This is the Pilot and this is the Rising

I wish Cassia and I were together for the beginning

I start for the door All I have to do is leave City Hall and walk across the greenspace to the medical center But then I stop Official Lei is trapped inside her cell No one has let her out

She looks at me

Is it a mistake that she’s still locked in her cell? I pause at the door for a second But she shakes her head at me No

"Conow

Outside, it’s chaos The Rising has cleared the way fro back Officials, soht An air ship screams overhead, but I’ shots down into an empty spot near the barricade People scream and step back