still pumping hard, but only from the exertion and the surprise of the crow. “We’re safe after all.”
Gideon didn’t pause even to take a breath. He strode directly to the window. He stared out it, horror spreading across his face.
“No, no, no!” he screamed. He pounded his fist against the concrete wall. “There can’t be this many lies!”
CHAPTER
23
Tessa rushed over to see what he was screaming about.
The field of grass lay peacefully before them. Off in the distance she thought she could make out the round hump of the top of their airplane, but it looked totally undisturbed. Far beyond that there were woods, and, even beyond that, a glimmer of water.
Tessa saw nothing that was the least bit upsetting.
“What’s your problem?” Dek asked, in the exasperated tone that people used with tantrum-throwing toddlers.
“It’s all wrong!” Gideon exclaimed, shaking his arms for emphasis—his hands-in-the-air surrender pose transformed from showing meekness to signaling fury. “Everything in sight! I
know
where we are! This should be the main air-traffic control tower for the largest military air base in Shargo. Outthere”—he gestured wildly toward the field of grass—“there should be dozens and dozens of runways. One huge square of concrete after another. And over there”—he pointed at the woods—“that should be on-base housing for hundreds of pilots. And beyond that”—he gestured more broadly, indicating a farther distance—“we should be able to see skyscrapers. Skyscrapers! Do either of you see any skyscrapers?”
“No, but … don’t you think that means you’re probably … confused?” Tessa asked hesitantly.
“I’m not confused! Something’s really, really wrong here!” Gideon screamed back at her.
A bird starting to fly in the window saw his waving arms and flew back out.
“Keep your voice down,” Dek hissed at him. “And—tell us why we should believe you and not believe what we see with our own eyes.”
Gideon pointed toward the curve of water near the horizon.
“That’s Lake Mish,” he said. “And over there—see that line of blue leading to the lake?—that’s the Shargo River. I
know
this landscape. That’s exactly how Lake Mish and the Shargo River
are
. I’ve looked at this area a million times on spy satellite footage. I’ve done hundreds of simulation attack plans flying over it. I’ve done simulations dropping bombs on this very tower!”
“Simulations,” Dek said. “Not real.”
Gideon glared at her.
“In simulations,” he said, “everything is as real as they can make it, without actually having the planes in the air.”
Tessa was staring out at the field of grass, thinking aboutthe weird way the gravel was scattered all over it. She gasped.
“What would happen,” she said, “if people just abandoned a bunch of runways? Or—any area where there’s a lot of concrete? After a while wouldn’t it crack? Wouldn’t grass start growing up in the cracks?” She could remember seeing this back home in Waterford City, the way untended parking lots always sprouted weeds. “And then, wouldn’t the roots of the grass start breaking up the concrete? Until … eventually … it’s nothing but gravel?”
“You think the enemy would abandon their biggest airfield?” Gideon asked incredulously. “You think they’d abandon
Shargo
? Why?”
“Hey,” Dek said, “maybe our side’s really winning. Maybe we’ve already won.”
Tessa thought about everything they’d seen flying over enemy territory.
“Maybe they just show you old footage for simulations,” she said. “Just for your practice. Remember back on the plane, when you were getting all upset about seeing nothing but trees? There was one spot where I thought I saw something brick alongside one of the trees—like an old chimney, maybe?”
“There was a bombing raid there
yesterday morning
,” Gideon reminded her. “A tree can’t grow out of a chimney in one
Gideon didn’t pause even to take a breath. He strode directly to the window. He stared out it, horror spreading across his face.
“No, no, no!” he screamed. He pounded his fist against the concrete wall. “There can’t be this many lies!”
CHAPTER
23
Tessa rushed over to see what he was screaming about.
The field of grass lay peacefully before them. Off in the distance she thought she could make out the round hump of the top of their airplane, but it looked totally undisturbed. Far beyond that there were woods, and, even beyond that, a glimmer of water.
Tessa saw nothing that was the least bit upsetting.
“What’s your problem?” Dek asked, in the exasperated tone that people used with tantrum-throwing toddlers.
“It’s all wrong!” Gideon exclaimed, shaking his arms for emphasis—his hands-in-the-air surrender pose transformed from showing meekness to signaling fury. “Everything in sight! I
know
where we are! This should be the main air-traffic control tower for the largest military air base in Shargo. Outthere”—he gestured wildly toward the field of grass—“there should be dozens and dozens of runways. One huge square of concrete after another. And over there”—he pointed at the woods—“that should be on-base housing for hundreds of pilots. And beyond that”—he gestured more broadly, indicating a farther distance—“we should be able to see skyscrapers. Skyscrapers! Do either of you see any skyscrapers?”
“No, but … don’t you think that means you’re probably … confused?” Tessa asked hesitantly.
“I’m not confused! Something’s really, really wrong here!” Gideon screamed back at her.
A bird starting to fly in the window saw his waving arms and flew back out.
“Keep your voice down,” Dek hissed at him. “And—tell us why we should believe you and not believe what we see with our own eyes.”
Gideon pointed toward the curve of water near the horizon.
“That’s Lake Mish,” he said. “And over there—see that line of blue leading to the lake?—that’s the Shargo River. I
know
this landscape. That’s exactly how Lake Mish and the Shargo River
are
. I’ve looked at this area a million times on spy satellite footage. I’ve done hundreds of simulation attack plans flying over it. I’ve done simulations dropping bombs on this very tower!”
“Simulations,” Dek said. “Not real.”
Gideon glared at her.
“In simulations,” he said, “everything is as real as they can make it, without actually having the planes in the air.”
Tessa was staring out at the field of grass, thinking aboutthe weird way the gravel was scattered all over it. She gasped.
“What would happen,” she said, “if people just abandoned a bunch of runways? Or—any area where there’s a lot of concrete? After a while wouldn’t it crack? Wouldn’t grass start growing up in the cracks?” She could remember seeing this back home in Waterford City, the way untended parking lots always sprouted weeds. “And then, wouldn’t the roots of the grass start breaking up the concrete? Until … eventually … it’s nothing but gravel?”
“You think the enemy would abandon their biggest airfield?” Gideon asked incredulously. “You think they’d abandon
Shargo
? Why?”
“Hey,” Dek said, “maybe our side’s really winning. Maybe we’ve already won.”
Tessa thought about everything they’d seen flying over enemy territory.
“Maybe they just show you old footage for simulations,” she said. “Just for your practice. Remember back on the plane, when you were getting all upset about seeing nothing but trees? There was one spot where I thought I saw something brick alongside one of the trees—like an old chimney, maybe?”
“There was a bombing raid there
yesterday morning
,” Gideon reminded her. “A tree can’t grow out of a chimney in one
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