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‘Coet to Group,’ I say
As alk back to the road, I ask Ben what he thought of Hatten saying I was a biological anoery But Ben brushes it off, doesn’t seem to want to talk about him
We run the rest of the way, and as we dowith Ben hadI need to keep him safe I need to look out for both of us
Why can I think for myself in ways that Ben can’t? I don’t understand, at all
CHAPTER FORTY ONE
Muht on the wheel her knuckles are white But nothing is happening; the traffic is crawling We go up a slight rise on the road, and e reach the top we can see the endless queue that leads to the hospital We were notified yesterday that we are to use a different entrance today Was the usual one da last week? Soon we reach the queue and coht?’ I ask
She ju you that?’
‘I asked you first’
‘Fair enough I’ back to the hospital after last week Aren’t you?’
Strangely, no; at least, not the way sheso locked do that terrorists won’t stand a chance of getting within a mile But Mum looks like she wants to jump in the opposite lane and race away as fast as she can
‘I think they won’t let anything happen after last week, so it is safer than it ever has been’
Muht I still don’t want to go there’
Me either, though for different reasons I’m not sureto decide to go along and do as expected and be the perfect little Slated; it is another thing to do it
‘I know Let’s dash off and go out for lunch, instead,’ I say
Mureat if we could?’
‘Well, you could: du every Saturday taking o wherever I like You see up the pole at each corner? Like to your left, there’ I look out theThere is a traffic light and a pole next to it Up the top of it is a small black box; a device of some sort A camera
‘They monitor the identity and position of every car in London If I start wandering around beyond expectation, who knohat et aith it’
‘Is that because of who your dad was?’
‘And o where they want’
‘No Not these days’
‘Could they before?’
‘Things have changed, Kyla When I was your age it was very different’
‘Was that when everything kicked off, in the twenties?’
She winces ‘Do I look that old? I was sixteen in 2031’
‘But you’d remeangs, and everyone cowered in their hoain ‘That is one version of events That was also when anise demonstrations, you see? But it wasn’t as bad as all that Not to start with Though it was different to today: you had to be careful where you went at night, that sort of thing’ Her eyes track to the side, to Lorders at the corner In black with uns
‘Now you just have to watch out for thehtly, and I’m surprised
‘You said it wasn’t so bad to start with What about later on?’
‘Don’t you take history in school? After the crash – you know, frohout Europe – when the UK withdrew fros did go pretty crazy’
‘I’ve seen films of the riots’
‘They show the worst of it Most of the student demonstrations were peaceful, in the early days But frustration and anger grew’
In history lessons it is all out of controlpeople Stunned that Mu, , and what happened there last week
‘Muht: I’d creep down the stairs, and listen in’
‘Your dad was the PM So he won the argument’
‘Not to start with Early on he was just another candidate; there was an election on the way Mu on civil liberty’
‘What is that?’
She shakes her head ‘To think you need to ask that question What do you think itlike freedom, doesn’t it?’
She nods ‘Freedom of speech; freedom of action; freedom of asses should be sorted out She ended up ca for a new political party, Freedom UK
‘So they were on opposite sides?’
‘Yes’