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Ky is looking at ain? Or Hunter?

"When the people froers of Endstone let them build a settlement of their own nearby," the Pilot says "We weren’t sure at first if the people fro would also be immune to the mutation They lived in a very different cli in Endstone for e boon to us because--"

"--then you could correlate their data," I say, understanding instantly "You could look for coroups It would save you time"

"How close are you?" Xander asks

"Not as close as we’d like," the Pilot says "There were roups We’re ruling out each possibility as fast as we can, but it takes ti at the three of us Have we convinced him?

Xander watches me, too When our eyes ain, the one who used to set a just a little, his fine hands that taught h the canyons

Long ago on the Hill, Ky warned ht He told me about the prisoner’s dilemma and hoould have to keep each other safe Did he ever think that there ht be three of us, not two?

Here, between Xander’s s, that the only way to keep one another safe is to find the cure

"We can help you," I say again to the Pilot, hoping that this time he will believe me

Grandfather believed in me In my palm, I hold the microcard It is wrapped in a paper from my mother that is covered in my father’s words, written by my brother’s hand

PART FIVE

PRISONER’S DILEMMA

CHAPTER 24

XANDER

Outside the ship, Ky paces the clearing while ait for the villagers to come down to meet us "You should rest," I tell him "There’s no evidence that continued motion delays the onset of the illness"

"You sound like an Official," Ky says

"I used to be one," I say

"The reason you don’t have any evidence that this works," Ky says, "is because you never had anyone try it"

He and I are talking and joking, using the saain Ky is going to lose and it’s not fair He shouldn’t have to be still

But he hasn’t lost Cassia The way the two of theht in the middle of it

There’s no ties from the trees There are nine of them Five carry weapons and the rest have stretchers

"I don’t have any patients for you today," the Pilot says "Nor supplies, I’m afraid Just these three"

"My naers at ease

"Leyna," says one of the wo, like us None of the othersI see no signs of illness a them

"I’m Cassia," Cassia says

"Ky," Ky says

"We’re Anomalies," Leyna says "Probably the first you’ve ever seen" She waits for our reaction

"We knew other Ano," Cassia says

"Really?" Leyna asks, her voice full of interest "When was this?"

"Right before they came here," Cassia says

"So you know Anna," says one of the men "Their leader"

"No," Cassia says "We came after she left We only knew Hunter"

"We were surprised when the farht everyone in the Carving had died long ago We believed that those of us in the stone villages were all that was between the Society and the rest of the world"