remained in the first. Pathik and Rachel convinced the adults to let them sit just outside.
“It’ll look more normal if we’re not all huddled inside,” said Pathik. “And we’ll have a chance to watch, see what people are doing.”
And so they sat, on a bench Pathik pulled up from one of the nearest work areas. Rachel thought there seemed to be less activity in the cave than normal, though as soon as she had that thought, she realized they’d been there too short a time to know what normal was. People were working, cooking, mending tools, but there was a tense feeling in the air. Nobody chattered back and forth, and everyone seemed to be avoiding eye contact.
“Cheerful bunch.” Pathik said the words under his breath, without looking at Rachel.
“Yes.” She didn’t look at him either. “It’s like . . .”
“Like they’re ashamed.” Pathik spat on the ground in front of him, something Rachel had never seen him do. “They should be, too.”
One of the nearest workers—the same girl who had been sharpening knives before—looked up from her strop when Pathik spat. There was no glaring today. She glanced at Pathik, then at Rachel, and quickly lowered her eyes back to her work.
“I think Nandy might be right.” Rachel watched the girl as she sharpened a pitted blade. “I think some of them aren’t onboard with the whole thing.”
“Then they should have stopped it.”
Rachel thought about Nandy, sitting down in the office after she’d heard that Nipper was captive, about Daniel, stuttering on the platform at the assembly. She thought about Hannah, pulling away from Tom, walking like a robot up the stairs to Filina. She thought about the look on Filina’s face, all those times. “They should have. I just wonder—”
“Company.” Pathik nudged Rachel, a gentle warning.
Sarah strode up, her cheeks flushed. She stood in front of them, breathing fast as though she’d just been running. “Are your parents inside?”
“They are,” said Rachel. Neither she nor Pathik moved from the bench.
“I need to see them.” Sarah looked behind her at the people nearby, checking to see who was noticing. When she turned back, she took in Pathik’s unimpressed expression and Rachel’s stony gaze. “You don’t have to like it. But I’m in a bit of a hurry.”
“Feel free to knock.” Pathik tilted his head toward the unit doors.
“I need to see the two of you, too.” Sarah looked behind her again. “Now.” She walked to the closest unit and tapped on the door. When it opened she didn’t look back, she just disappeared inside.
“I’ll get Malgam and Nandy.” Pathik rose from the bench. “See you back inside.”
Sarah waited until they were all assembled around the table again. She didn’t sit with them. Instead, she stood near the door of the unit, tense, her arms crossed in front of her. When all eyes were on her, she spoke.
“We need your help.”
There was silence from the table. Everyone stared up at Sarah; nobody said a thing. Finally, Malgam grunted. “What makes you think we’re interested?” He narrowed his eyes, waiting for Sarah’s response.
“You’re all a part of this now.” Sarah held Malgam’s gaze. “And it needs to end.”
“A part of what?” Daniel shifted on his stool so that he faced Sarah head on. “You might want to fill us in on what’s going on if you want our help.”
Sarah checked the door. She looked at each of them in turn, stopping at Rachel. “You’ve figured some of it out, I think.”
Rachel nodded. “We know about Celebration.” She stared at Sarah, her eyes dark. “We know about . . . Hannah.”
“Then you know we need to stop it.” Sarah’s jaw tightened. “We need to stop Filina.” She whispered the name, as though she feared someone outside might hear.
“You’re asking us to help you stop Filina?” Pathik sounded incredulous. “You’re one of her cronies, aren’t you? You helped take Rachel, you were there in the
“It’ll look more normal if we’re not all huddled inside,” said Pathik. “And we’ll have a chance to watch, see what people are doing.”
And so they sat, on a bench Pathik pulled up from one of the nearest work areas. Rachel thought there seemed to be less activity in the cave than normal, though as soon as she had that thought, she realized they’d been there too short a time to know what normal was. People were working, cooking, mending tools, but there was a tense feeling in the air. Nobody chattered back and forth, and everyone seemed to be avoiding eye contact.
“Cheerful bunch.” Pathik said the words under his breath, without looking at Rachel.
“Yes.” She didn’t look at him either. “It’s like . . .”
“Like they’re ashamed.” Pathik spat on the ground in front of him, something Rachel had never seen him do. “They should be, too.”
One of the nearest workers—the same girl who had been sharpening knives before—looked up from her strop when Pathik spat. There was no glaring today. She glanced at Pathik, then at Rachel, and quickly lowered her eyes back to her work.
“I think Nandy might be right.” Rachel watched the girl as she sharpened a pitted blade. “I think some of them aren’t onboard with the whole thing.”
“Then they should have stopped it.”
Rachel thought about Nandy, sitting down in the office after she’d heard that Nipper was captive, about Daniel, stuttering on the platform at the assembly. She thought about Hannah, pulling away from Tom, walking like a robot up the stairs to Filina. She thought about the look on Filina’s face, all those times. “They should have. I just wonder—”
“Company.” Pathik nudged Rachel, a gentle warning.
Sarah strode up, her cheeks flushed. She stood in front of them, breathing fast as though she’d just been running. “Are your parents inside?”
“They are,” said Rachel. Neither she nor Pathik moved from the bench.
“I need to see them.” Sarah looked behind her at the people nearby, checking to see who was noticing. When she turned back, she took in Pathik’s unimpressed expression and Rachel’s stony gaze. “You don’t have to like it. But I’m in a bit of a hurry.”
“Feel free to knock.” Pathik tilted his head toward the unit doors.
“I need to see the two of you, too.” Sarah looked behind her again. “Now.” She walked to the closest unit and tapped on the door. When it opened she didn’t look back, she just disappeared inside.
“I’ll get Malgam and Nandy.” Pathik rose from the bench. “See you back inside.”
Sarah waited until they were all assembled around the table again. She didn’t sit with them. Instead, she stood near the door of the unit, tense, her arms crossed in front of her. When all eyes were on her, she spoke.
“We need your help.”
There was silence from the table. Everyone stared up at Sarah; nobody said a thing. Finally, Malgam grunted. “What makes you think we’re interested?” He narrowed his eyes, waiting for Sarah’s response.
“You’re all a part of this now.” Sarah held Malgam’s gaze. “And it needs to end.”
“A part of what?” Daniel shifted on his stool so that he faced Sarah head on. “You might want to fill us in on what’s going on if you want our help.”
Sarah checked the door. She looked at each of them in turn, stopping at Rachel. “You’ve figured some of it out, I think.”
Rachel nodded. “We know about Celebration.” She stared at Sarah, her eyes dark. “We know about . . . Hannah.”
“Then you know we need to stop it.” Sarah’s jaw tightened. “We need to stop Filina.” She whispered the name, as though she feared someone outside might hear.
“You’re asking us to help you stop Filina?” Pathik sounded incredulous. “You’re one of her cronies, aren’t you? You helped take Rachel, you were there in the
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