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"This friend, was he involved with George in any way? How close of a friend was he?"
"No Not that I know of Look, if it’s a big deal, don’t worry about--" Lukas wanted to simply ask, to ask why he’d done it But Bernard see at all
"It’s a very big deal," Bernard said "George Wilkins was a dangerous man A man of ideas The kind we catch in whispers, the kind who poisons the people around him--"
"What? What do you mean?"
"Section thirteen of the Order Study it All insurrections would start right there if we let them, start with men like him"
Bernard’s chin had lowered to his chest, his eyes peering over the ri freely without all the deceit Lukas had planned
Lukas never needed that folder; he had found the travel logs that coincided with George’s death, the dozens of wires asking Holston to wrap things up But now he saw he never even needed to ask for the folder at all There was no shae Wilkins hadn’t died; he’d beento tell him why
"What did he do?" Lukas asked quietly
"I’ll tell you what he did He was achatter fro, ideas for expanding the s are forbidden--"
"Yeah, obviously" Lukas had a h andminers fro chat with the old head of Mechanical put an end to that nonsense, and then George Wilkins ca doard He and some others drew up schematics for a level one-fifty And then a level one-sixty"
"Twelve in with That was the talk, anyway Just whispers and sketches But some of these whispers landed in a porter’s ear, and then ours perked up"
"So you killed him?"
"Solasses with one hand The other stayed in the belly of his coveralls "You’ll have to do these things one day, son You know that, don’t you?"
"Yeah, but--"
"No buts" Bernard shook his head slowly "Soue break out, you inoculate the silo against them You remove them"
Lukas remained silent
"We’ve removed fourteen threats this year, Lukas Do you have any idea what the average life expectancy would be if eren’t proactive about these things?"
"But the cleanings--"
"Useful for dealing with the people ant out Who dreaht now is full of people like that, but it’s just one sort of sickness we deal with The cleaning is one sort of cure I’m not sure if someone with a different illness would even clean if we sent them out there They have to want to see e show them for it to work"
This reminded Lukas of what he’d learned of the helmets, the visors He had assuinning to wish he’d read acy
"You’ve heard this latest outbreak on the radio All of this could have been prevented if we’d caught the sickness earlier Tell me that wouldn’t have been better"
Lukas looked down at his boots The trash can lay nearby, on its side It looked sad like that No longer useful for holding things
"Ideas are contagious, Lukas This is basic Order ht of Juliette, wondered why she hadn’t called in forever She was one of these viruses Bernard was talking about, her words creeping in hishim with outlandish dreams He felt his entire body flush with heat as he realized he’d caught some of it too He wanted to touch his breast pocket, feel the lu, the ID He had taken them to remember her in death, but they had beco that she was still alive
"This uprising hasn’t been nearly as bad as the last one," Bernard told his were eventually sether, the peoplewill happen here Are we clear?"
"Yessir"
"Excellent Noas that all you wished to know from this folder?"
Lukas nodded
"Good It sounds like you need to be reading so else, anyway" His o
"It was you, wasn’t it?"
Bernard stopped, but didn’t turn to face hiht?"
"Does it matter?"
"Yeah It matters to-- To me-- It means--"
"Or to your friend?" Bernard turned to face hio up yet another notch
"Are you having second thoughts, son? About this job? Was I wrong about you? Because I’ve been wrong before"
Lukas sed "I just want to know if it’s so for--"
Bernard took a few steps toward him Lukas felt himself back up half a step in response
"I didn’t think I rong about you But I asn’t I?" Bernard shook his head He looked disgusted "Goddammit," he spat
"Nossir You weren’t I think I’ve just been in here too long" Lukas brushed his hair off his forehead His scalp was itchy He needed to use the bathroom "Maybe I just need some air, you know? Go home for a while? Sleep indo I need--?"
"You want out of here?"
Lukas nodded