to escape. He knew this was life or death. If they’d captured him alive, they might have tortured him. He might have revealed our plans, betrayed our group. We might all be dead right now if Lee had talked.”
If Luke had been in Lee’s place, would Luke have been able to be so brave?
“But your plan,” Luke said. “You didn’t go through with your plan?”
“Do you see any sign that the Government’s gone? That
the Barons’ wealth has been given to the people?” Oscar clutched the arm of his chair—an exquisite leather chair—as if he really wanted to hand it to some poor person. “No. Without our allies in the north, with the Government suspicious after finding Lee, it wasn’t worth the risk.”
“Oh,~ Luke said.
All this had been happening while Luke was sitting at home wondering what had happened at Jen’s rally. What else had been going on in the country then? How many others wanted to overthrow the Government? Maybe if they all got together—maybe that way something would happen.
“Did Mr. Talbot know about your plan?” Luke asked.
“Who?” Oscar said.
TM Mr. Talbot. The man who came to school that one time. He had lunch with Mr. Hendricks and Smits and me, the day Smits ran off and said he wouldn’t obey his parents....”
A disgusted look was spreading over Oscar’s face.
“He’s a Baron. Barons can’t be trusted,” Oscar said.
“You trusted Lee,” Luke reminded him.
~Lee was a kid,” Oscar said. “He could be ... molded. Someone like this Mr. Talbot—bah!”
Luke felt honor-bound to defend Jen’s father.
“But he’s helped me,~ Luke protested. “More than once.” Did he dare tell Oscar that Mr. Talbot was a double agent, pretending to work for the Population Police
while he secretly sabotaged their work?
‘Are you sure?” Oscar snarled. “Are you sure he wasn’t just helping himself? Will he still help you when you no longer serve his purposes?”
And Luke couldn’t answer that. He trusted Mr. Talbot.Of course he trusted Mr. Talbot. But maybe it had helped Mr. Talbot to give Luke a fake I.D., to protect him at Hendricks School. Luke knew about Jen. Luke could tell the Population Police about Jen. Luke could get Mr. Talbot killed.
It had never occurred to Luke before that he had any power over Mr. Talbot.
He didn’t like thinking about Mr. Talbot in that way. He forced himself to stare back steadily at Oscar, so Oscar didn’t see how confused Luke was. Luke crossed his arms over his chest, trying to look certain, trying to look unfazed. Something in his pajama pocket jabbed into his arm—it was the fake I.D.’s he’d taken from Smits’s room at Hendricks after the fire. Did Luke dare ask Oscar about those I.D.’s now? Was it finally time to get an explanation?
No. Luke felt like he’d already made a mistake mentioning Mr. Talbot. It was better to wait and see what Oscar would tell him on his own.
After a second Oscar sighed and said, “Never mind. This Mr. Talbot, he doesn’t matter now. It helped everyone to have you become Lee Grant. It helped the Grants and it helped our cause. It protected us from the Government”
Luke could have added, ~And it helped me He could even have made it funny, like a joke. That would have defused the tension that had suddenly arisen between him and Oscar. But he couldn’t bring himself to do that He kept his lips resolutely pressed together, waiting.
“Yes, you helped us a1I,~ Oscar said. “But there have been problems....
“I know about Smits,” Luke said. That seemed to be a safe subject. “I know that he told people Lee was dead—n
Oscar waved away that concern. TM We can handle Smits. He’s just a little boy. And he has me to watch out for him.” Oscar grinned in a way that reminded Luke of a drawing of the Big Bad Wolf in the fairy tale book his mother had read to him when he was little. Hadn’t there been a story in that book about how stupid it was to let a wolf guard
If Luke had been in Lee’s place, would Luke have been able to be so brave?
“But your plan,” Luke said. “You didn’t go through with your plan?”
“Do you see any sign that the Government’s gone? That
the Barons’ wealth has been given to the people?” Oscar clutched the arm of his chair—an exquisite leather chair—as if he really wanted to hand it to some poor person. “No. Without our allies in the north, with the Government suspicious after finding Lee, it wasn’t worth the risk.”
“Oh,~ Luke said.
All this had been happening while Luke was sitting at home wondering what had happened at Jen’s rally. What else had been going on in the country then? How many others wanted to overthrow the Government? Maybe if they all got together—maybe that way something would happen.
“Did Mr. Talbot know about your plan?” Luke asked.
“Who?” Oscar said.
TM Mr. Talbot. The man who came to school that one time. He had lunch with Mr. Hendricks and Smits and me, the day Smits ran off and said he wouldn’t obey his parents....”
A disgusted look was spreading over Oscar’s face.
“He’s a Baron. Barons can’t be trusted,” Oscar said.
“You trusted Lee,” Luke reminded him.
~Lee was a kid,” Oscar said. “He could be ... molded. Someone like this Mr. Talbot—bah!”
Luke felt honor-bound to defend Jen’s father.
“But he’s helped me,~ Luke protested. “More than once.” Did he dare tell Oscar that Mr. Talbot was a double agent, pretending to work for the Population Police
while he secretly sabotaged their work?
‘Are you sure?” Oscar snarled. “Are you sure he wasn’t just helping himself? Will he still help you when you no longer serve his purposes?”
And Luke couldn’t answer that. He trusted Mr. Talbot.Of course he trusted Mr. Talbot. But maybe it had helped Mr. Talbot to give Luke a fake I.D., to protect him at Hendricks School. Luke knew about Jen. Luke could tell the Population Police about Jen. Luke could get Mr. Talbot killed.
It had never occurred to Luke before that he had any power over Mr. Talbot.
He didn’t like thinking about Mr. Talbot in that way. He forced himself to stare back steadily at Oscar, so Oscar didn’t see how confused Luke was. Luke crossed his arms over his chest, trying to look certain, trying to look unfazed. Something in his pajama pocket jabbed into his arm—it was the fake I.D.’s he’d taken from Smits’s room at Hendricks after the fire. Did Luke dare ask Oscar about those I.D.’s now? Was it finally time to get an explanation?
No. Luke felt like he’d already made a mistake mentioning Mr. Talbot. It was better to wait and see what Oscar would tell him on his own.
After a second Oscar sighed and said, “Never mind. This Mr. Talbot, he doesn’t matter now. It helped everyone to have you become Lee Grant. It helped the Grants and it helped our cause. It protected us from the Government”
Luke could have added, ~And it helped me He could even have made it funny, like a joke. That would have defused the tension that had suddenly arisen between him and Oscar. But he couldn’t bring himself to do that He kept his lips resolutely pressed together, waiting.
“Yes, you helped us a1I,~ Oscar said. “But there have been problems....
“I know about Smits,” Luke said. That seemed to be a safe subject. “I know that he told people Lee was dead—n
Oscar waved away that concern. TM We can handle Smits. He’s just a little boy. And he has me to watch out for him.” Oscar grinned in a way that reminded Luke of a drawing of the Big Bad Wolf in the fairy tale book his mother had read to him when he was little. Hadn’t there been a story in that book about how stupid it was to let a wolf guard
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