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Chapter 55

Lila’s dressing table detonated with a splintering crash Guilder hauled her to her feet again and slapped her across the face with the back of his hand, sending her flying back, toward the sofa

"How could you let this happen?" His face boiled with rage "Why didn’t you call the virals back? Tell me!"

"I don’t know, I don’t know!"

Fro effortlessness, Guilder hurled her, face-first, into the bookshelf A thud of i Sara was huddled on the floor, her body curled around Kate, the little girl wilted with fear

"Every last viral! Nine of my men, dead! Do you kno this makes me look?"

"It wasn’t my fault! I don’t remember! David, please!"

"There is no David!"

Sara clenched her eyes tight Kate hi softly in her arms What would happen if Guilder killed Lila? What would become of the two of them then?

"Stop it! David, I’ face-up on the floor, Guilder straddling her, one hand holding her by her collar The other was balled into a fist, pulled back, ready to strike Lila’s arh this effort would co; Guilder’s fist would crush her face like a battering rausthis hands on his shirt Lila was sobbing uncontrollably Blood bulged fro her cheekbone More was in her hair Guilder flicked his eyes toward Sara, dis, his eyes said You’re a character in a ga

Then he stor on the floor She knelt beside her, reaching for her face to exay, Lila shoved Sara’s hand away and scampered backward

"Don’t touch it!"

"But you’re hurt-"

The woman’s eyes ith panic As Sara moved toward her, she waved her hands in front of her face

"Get away! Don’t touch my blood!"

She leapt to her feet and ran to the bedroo the door behind her

6:02 AM

The vehicles ates flying open as they passed At the head of the line, like the point of an arroas the sleek black SUV of the Director, followed by a pair of open trucks, full of unifor clots of dirty snow froe observed by the workers filing fro roll-weary faces, weary eyes, dully noting the vehicles sailing past But their glances were brief; they knew better than to look So to do with me At least, it better not

Guilder watched the flatlanders froer , full of conteents, the ones who defied hih their lives like brute ani beyond the next square of earth to be plowed Another day in the dairy barns, the fields, the biodiesel plant Another day in the kitchen, the laundry, the pigsties

But today wasn’t just another day

The vehicles halted before Lodge 16 The eastern sky had softened to a yellowish gray, like old plastic

"This is the one?" Guilder asked Wilkes

Beside hiht-lipped nod

The cols disembarked and took up positions Guilder and Wilkes stepped clear of the car Before them, in fifteen evenly spaced lines, three hundred flatlanders stood shivering in the cold Two more trucks pulled in and parked at the head of the square Their cargo bays were draped by heavy canvas

"What are those for?" Wilkes asked

"A little extrapersuasion"

Guilder strode up to the senior HR officer and snatched the aphone from his hand A howl of feedback; then his voice booio?"

No reply

"This is your only warning Who can tell ave his attention to a wo nor old, she had a face so plain it could have beena filthy scarf around her head with hands covered by fingerless gloves black with soot

"You What’s your na into the folds of her scarf

"I can’t hear you Speak up"

She cleared her throat, stifling a cough Her voice was a phlegmy rasp "Priscilla"

"Where do you work?"

"The looms, sir"

"Do you have a family? Children?"

She nodded weakly

"So? What do you have?"

Her knees were trehter and two sons"

"A husband?"

"Dead, sir Last winter"

"My condolences Co the hymn yesterday It was the others, I swear"

"And I believe you, Priscilla Nevertheless Gentlemen, can you assist her, please?"

A pair of cols trotted forward and grabbed the woman by her are of fainting They half-carried, half-dragged her to the front, where they shoved her onto her knees She made no sound; her submission was total

"Who are your children? Point the pitifully "Don’t make me"

One of the cols lifted his baton over her head "Thisto bash your brains out," Guilder said

She shook her bowed head

"Very well," Guilder said