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"What is the rate?" Cassia asks She walks out into the village circle as if she has every right to be there Leyna narrows her eyes at Cassia but lets her speak "We projected that they’d start releasing around two percent of the still to preserve theup others to work"

"That’s where they began," the Pilot says "But they’ve increased it They’re reco twenty percent, with a further increase to come"

One in five Who would they pick to cut off first? The ones ent still early? Or later? What’s happening to Lei?

"It’s too orith to help," the Pilot says "That they wouldn’t leave the still behind And the Rising has released the sa out tissue saree to let their loved ones be disconnected to save space"

"People aren’t actually agreeing to such a thing, are they?" Cassia asks

"So anyone back," Cassia says "No one has that technology Not the Society, not the Rising"

"The tubes have never been about bringing people back," the Pilot says "They’ve always been used to control the people who are here So I’ll ask again Do you have a cure?"

"We need more time," Leyna says "Not much"

"There is nolow on food People are running away frohs, where they attack those who are left, or they take off for the country, where they die of theout of the ingredients Oker recos, and none of the scientists in the Provinces has found a cure"

"There is a cure," Cassia says "Xander can show your pharmics how to a down all her cards

For a second I think Leyna and Colin aren’t going to let Cassia get aith it, but neither of the Everyone watches to see what Cassia will do next

"Howthe cure from Cassia

"Only one," Cassia says "Ky But we can h "One person," he says "And how do I know Ky really got cured? When I last saw him, he wasn’t even still"

"He was sick," Cassia says "You saw him yourself Everyone here will vouch for his illness"

"Of course they will," the Pilot says "They want passage to the Otherlands They’ll agree with anything you say"

"If this is your last chance to coe," Cassia says, "then you should at least see e have It won’t take long"

LeynaBut when she gets near enough to Cassia that the Pilot can’t hear, Leyna hisses, "Who? Who helped you?"

Cassia doesn’t answer that question She’s protecting the people who helped with the cure: uards, Anna, Noah, and Tess "It’s Oker’s base," she says loudly She’s looking at the Pilot but speaking to everyone, trying to get theredient he wanted in it This is Oker’s real cure, and it’s working" She starts down the path to the infirmary "It would be a shame," she calls back to the Pilot, "if you caet what you needed"

The Pilot follows her across the village circle, and so do the rest of us Cassia pushes open the door to the infir inside is fine But I see how her lips tremble when Ky looks up at her, his eyes clear and aware She didn’t knoorking, at least not this well And then, for a second, it’s like none of the rest of us are here They’re the only two in the world "Ky," she says

"Can we run yet?" he asks her His voice is barely a whisper Everyone, including Leyna and Colin, leans in to hear Ky, even though what he’s saying isn’t meant for the rest of us

"No," she says "Not yet"

"I know," he says, and there’s a half smile on his face She bends down to kiss hi hand reaches for hers, but he can’t h yet So I lift up his hand and put it on hers I help him to reach her For a moment, I’m a part of it all Then I’m just apart

The Pilot looks down at Ky and then up ataway "Oker said this hat you should use?" He’s asking me directly It’s my turn to convince him now Cassia and Ky have done what they could

"Oker told me about his work in the Society," I say "I know that he was part of the teainated the viruses I kno much he wanted to find the cure And I think he did"

"If what you say is true," the Pilot says, "we’d need to do a full trial of the cure somewhere else"

"How secure is the medical center in Camas where Indie found me?" I ask

"We still have control over it," the Pilot says It’s a strange feeling to have so whether or not he believes inface to face

He knows I’h "I can fly the three of you out now," the Pilot says "Seeing Ky ht convince some of the pharmics and medics to start a trial Where can we find more of the plant you used? Do you have stock on hand?"

"Yes," Anna says "I stayed out digging theet more," Cassia says "My mother saw a field with this flower once The Society destroyed that field and Reclassified the grower, but theremy mother back, she’ll reo, then," the Pilot says "Get Ky on the ship" He turns on his heel and walks out the door without looking back at us

"Thank you," Ky says tohim onto the ship, Cassia close behind