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"Fair enough," he says, "but ere the Abnegation so concerned with finding the Divergent? It wasn’t to help Jeanine, was it?"
"Of course not," she says "But I’ation were reluctant to provide information that only serves to relieve curiosity They told us as e," he mumbles
"Perhaps you should ask your father about it," she says "He was the one who told me about you"
"About me," says Tobias "What about ent," she says "He was alatching you Noting your behavior He was very attentive to you That’s whythat’s why I thought you would be safe with hi
"I see now that I
"I wish--" she starts
"Don’t you dare try to apologize" His voice shakes "This is not so, or so"
"Okay," she says "Okay I won’t"
"For what purpose are the factionless uniting?" he says "What do you intend to do?"
"We want to usurp Erudite," she says "Once we get rid of theovernment ourselves"
"That’s what you expect overn some kind of factionless tyranny" He snorts "Not a chance"
"We don’t want to be tyrants," she says "We want to establish a new society One without factions"
My oes dry No factions? A world in which no one knoho they are or where they fit? I can’t even fathoine only chaos and isolation
Tobias lets out a laugh "Right So how are you going to usurp Erudite?"
"Soe requires drastic ine it will involve a high level of destruction"
I shiver at the word "destruction" Somewhere in the darker parts ofdestroyed But the word carries new ray-clothed bodies slung across curbs and over sidewalks, Abnegation leaders shot on their front lawns, next to theiron, so hard it hurts my forehead, just to force the memory out, out, out
"As for e need you," Evelyn says "In order to do this, ill need Dauntless’s help They have the weapons and the coap between us and them"
"Do you think I’m important to the Dauntless? Because I’m not I’esting," she says, "is that you beco to floor "I am sure you can find a way, if you want to Think about it"
She pulls back her curly hair and ties it in a knot "The door is always open"
A few ain I don’t want to ad, but I want to tell him I don’t trust Evelyn, or the factionless, or anyone who speaks so casually about dee to speak, his breaths become even, and he falls asleep
CHAPTER TEN
I RUN MY hand over the back of my neck to lift the hair that sticks there My entire body aches, especiallyAnd I don’t sood I need to shower
I wander down the hall and into the bathrooroup of women stand at the sinks, half of them naked, the other half completely unfazed by it I find a free sink in the corner and stickcold water spill over my ears
"Hello," Susan says I turn my head to the side Water courses downtels: one white, one gray, both frayed at the edges
"Hi," I say
"I have an idea," she says She turns her back toh with relief Privacy Or as rab the bar of soap next to the sink
"How are you?" she says
"I’ because faction rules dictate that she does I wish she would just speak to me freely "How are you, Susan?"
"Better Therese told ees in one of the factionless safe houses," says Susan as I lather soap into ain, this tiet the soap out "Are you going to go?"
"Yes," says Susan "Unless you need my help"
"Thanks for the offer, but I think your faction needs youoff the faucet I wish I didn’t have to get dressed It’s too hot for denirab the other towel from the floor and drybefore I don’t want to put on soain, but I have no other choice
"I suspect some of the factionless woht Okay, your turn"
I stand with the towel as Susan washes up My arnored the pain for me, so I’ll do the same for her Water splashes on my ankles when she washes her hair
"This is a situation I never thought ould be in together," I say after a while "Bathing fro, on the run froht ould live near each other," says Susan "Go to social events together Have our kids walk to the bus stop together"
I bite my lip at that It is my fault, of course, that that was never a possibility, because I chose another faction
"I’ret that I didn’t pay more attention If I had, h I acted selfishly"
I laugh a little "Susan, there’s nothing wrong with the way you acted"