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Had he done so already?

No I refused to believe he could have gone along with this If he hunted, Daxton would have invited hi Besides, Knox had been there when I’d watched Lila’s speeches He was as much a part of that as Celia

But how ed their tune once they had power? How er had to worry about beco one of the hunted?

By the time Daxton returned, I was curled up in the ar despiteas the jet took off, and it wasn’t until ell on our way that he settled into the seat next to et a III?"

The sound of his voiceleft to come up I stared resolutely at the fire

"You seem too clever for it," he continued "I was sure Mother would et more practice, but you’re perfect as Lila No one there suspected a thing Did you throw the aptitude test on purpose?"

I shook et how important that test is to your people? Do you really think soers against the arm of his chair, perfectly calh gritted teeth If Celia and Knox hadn’t told hi else to hold over my head

"I had to leave a third of it blank"

His eyebrows shot up "You left a third of it blank and still received a III?"

My nails dug into the soft leather of the chair "You want to talk about my test when you just killed the only mother I’ve ever had?"

"You have Celia now," he said "You are in need of a hter It’s a perfect fit"

"What about the other people you killed? What about their hters?"

"They were criminals," he said "Ones arned ahead of time what the penalty of their crimes would be"

"What did they do? Steal a bit of food? Talk back to a Shield? What did Nina do to deserve to die?"

"She hid you," said Daxton, and he ut "You think I don’t know about that? I know about everything, Kitty, and you would be wise never to forget that"

I struggled for air, and the walls of the plane pressed in on me like the trees had done in the forest It really was my fault All she’d done was try to protect me, and she’d died for it

Oh God Benjy

"Did you know," said Daxton as he folded his hands and studied me, "that if we did not punish every crih to feed everyone?"

"Then why don’t you sell the daer What if Benjy was there, too? Had he been one of the others Daxton had killed?

He shook his head "You don’t understand Shortly after randfather was elected into office, our econoh, and people were starving The country had-- still has--a finite nu water There are only so many teachers, so many doctors, and so many scientists The ent, and it has been that way for far too long We outgrew ourselves Our economy suffered, and so did our people

Crime was astronomical, and no one had any hope of a better life That is why he helped turn the ruins of the United States into the shining beacon it is today"

"At least then you didn’t get shot for stepping out of line," I spat

"At least now you have enough food to eat," he said

"At least now you can sleep safe in your bed and not fear your neighbors ransacking your ho your entire faovernment does it for them?"

Daxton took a deep breath "I did not randfather did, and he did so with the welfare of the entire country in mind Without Elsewhere, the overpopulation would be so bad that ould still be where ere seventy-one years ago--too h There was no clean water The currency was useless, and everyone had to fend for thes?"

I knehat kind of chaos this governh for e out the country," said Daxton once it was clear I wasn’t going to answer

"Yes, there are winners and losers Yes, it is difficult for those who are at the bottom of the heap and those who lose loved ones to Elsewhere But our society must make those sacrifices in order to survive"

"Like the Harts make sacrifices?" I muttered

"Someone must rule, and it is imperative that those who do know the ins and outs of the country An This world exists becausehe had to fixing this country Now, because of him, we have a controlled population whose value is decided through identical iven resources to equal their worth Everyone contributes what they can As a III, you could never hope to do the work of a VI"

"But I can be a VII"

"Yes, because VII is inherited, not earned" He patted me on the knee, and I jerked away

"Don’t touch h for me to smell the faint trace of whiskey on his breath "Like it or not, this is how it’s been for decades, and this is how it’s going to stay Everyone gets what they deserve based on what they’re worth, and if they do anything to take away froer do the jobs the young people can do, so they go

The criht, it’s usually not their first offense anyway And the Is--" He shook his head "Useless, drooling idiots, the lot of thens of worth, and they’re kept in special facilities until we can deter but eat, sleep, and use up resources they do not earn They have no place within society"

"So you kill them" It wasn’t a question "Not even hued "Occasionally, if they’re still alive after we harvest their organs"

Sickened, I stood Before I could storrabbedCelia’s words, I didn’t struggle As much as I wanted to kill him for what he’d done to Nina, the price was my life, and she wouldn’t have wanted ht," he said in a low voice that slithered through ht have a VII on the back of your neck, but it only entitles you to the privileges that coe the world, Kitty

You’re here to do what I tell you Don’t mistake your face ho you really are and what you’re worth to society You are just as replaceable as Lila"

"You think I don’t get that?" I said "I know you own htened, and I hissed in pain "Do you knoe found you at that filthy club?" His eyes glittered withfacade was gone "We looked you up, Kitty Doe We tracked you down We went to your group home, and your matron lied for you Now she’s paid the price, and you only have yourself to blaive hie to find so," said Daxton "Benjamin Doe"