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But instead ofso that it can stay suspended in the air Eli flinches, and sos in the Outer Provinces Someone else moans, far back in the crowd

The ship dips down slightly and then comes back up The intent is clear, even to e circle

"He said he’d never try to land here," Colin says, his face pale "He proh?" I ask

"I don’t know," Colin says

And then everyone rabsover the grass and ground, the air whipping above us The Pilot is coht not either

What would drive the Pilot to do this? It’s only a short walk froe Why can’t he spare the ti back in the Provinces?

The ship dips and tilts; the air is alwaysin the mountains The ship’s blades churn and the hips around us, so we hear nothing but a howl and a screah the trees, ship turning to the side

He’s not going to be able to land it, I think, and I turn to look at Xander We’re pressed up against the wall of a building for shelter and Xander’s eyes are closed, as if he can’t bear to see what comes next

"Xander," I say, but he can’t hear ain the ship tips, turns, shudders down closer and closer to us, too near the edge of the circle There’s nowhere else to run There’s not enough tihts flash fast through ainst Xander as if either of us can keep the other safe He puts his arood place to be at the finish I wait for scrapingwood, for fire and heat and an end as sudden as a flood

CHAPTER 52

KY

Cassia’s not here anymore," I say My voice is a whisper Weak and dry

I don’t feel like I do when I’ve been asleep I know time has passed I know I’ve been here and that there was a tione I try to move my hand Do I succeed?

"Cassia," I say "Can someone find Cassia?"

No one answers me

Maybe Indie will do it, I think, and then I reone

But I’ve come back

CHAPTER 53

XANDER

When I open e circle Cassia is tucked into ht Neither of us moves as the Pilot climbs out of his ship and stands alhs

Colin strides forward into the circle "What do you think you’re doing?" he asks, furious "You alo to the landing h ti apart and I need every et Do you have a cure?"

Colin doesn’t answer The Pilot looks past Colin in the direction of the research lab "Find Oker," he says "Let me talk to him"

"You can’t," Leyna says "He’s dead"

The Pilot swears "How?"

"We think it was a heart attack," Colin says

Everyone looks over at me They still think I’m responsible for what happened to Oker

"Then there’s no cure," the Pilot says, his voice flat "And no chance for one" He starts back to the ship

"Oker left us a cure," Leyna says "We’re about to try it on the patients--"

"I need a cure that works now," the Pilot says, turning around "I don’t know if I’ain This is the end Do you understand?"

"You ins

"There’s a faction in the Rising that wants to remove me from my position," the Pilot says "They’ve already taken control of the patient disconnections and the rations If they succeed with my removal--which they will--I won’t have any access to ships or a way to get you to the Otherlands We have to have a cure Now" The Pilot pauses "The Rising has ordered disconnections of a certain percent of the still"