Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

smiled. “Sometimes there are Special Circumstances.”
    â€œSo, you guys are like minders, but for the whole city.”
    Dr. Cable nodded. “Other cities sometimes pose a challenge. And sometimes those few people who live outside the cities can make trouble.”
    Tally’s eyes widened. Outside the cities? Shay had been telling the truth—places like the Smoke really existed.
    â€œIt’s your turn to answer my question, Tally. Did you ever meet anyone in the ruins? Someone not from this city? Not from any city?”
    Tally grinned. “No. I never did.”
    Dr. Cable frowned, her eyes darting downward for a second, checking something. When they returned to Tally, they had grown even colder. Tally smiled again, certain now that Dr. Cable knew when she was telling the truth. The room must be reading her heartbeat, her sweat, her pupil dilation. But Tally couldn’t tell what she didn’t know.
    The razor blade slid back into the woman’s voice. “Don’t play games with me, Tally. Your friend Shay will never thank you for it, because you’ll never see her again.”
    The thrill of her small victory disappeared, and Tally felt her smile fade.
    â€œSix of her friends disappeared, Tally, all at once. None of them has ever been found. Another two who were meant to join them chose not to throw their lives away, however, and we discovered a little about what had happened to the others. They didn’t run awayon their own. They were tempted by someone from outside, someone who wanted to steal our cleverest little uglies. We realized that this was a special circumstance.”
    One word sent ice down Tally’s spine. Had Shay really been stolen ? What did Shay or any ugly really know about the Smoke?
    â€œWe’ve been watching Shay since then, hoping she might lead us to her friends.”
    â€œSo why didn’t you . . . ,” Tally blurted out. “You know, stop her!”
    â€œBecause of you, Tally.”
    â€œMe?”
    Dr. Cable’s voice softened. “We thought she had made a friend, a reason to stay here in the city. We thought she’d be okay.”
    Tally could only close her eyes and shake her head.
    â€œBut then Shay disappeared,” Dr. Cable continued. “She turned out to be trickier than her friends. You taught her well.”
    â€œ I did?” Tally cried. “I don’t know any more tricks than most uglies.”
    â€œYou underestimate yourself,” Dr. Cable said.
    Tally turned away from the vulpine eyes, shut out the razor-blade voice. This was not her fault. She had decided to stay here in the city, after all. She wanted to become pretty. She’d even tried to convince Shay.
    But failed.
    â€œIt’s not my fault.”
    â€œHelp us, Tally.”
    â€œHelp you what?”
    â€œFind her. Find them all.”
    She took a deep breath. “What if they don’t want to be found?”
    â€œWhat if they do? What if they were lied to?”
    Tally tried to remember Shay’s face that last night, how hopeful she had been. She’d wanted to leave the city as much as Tally wanted to be pretty. However stupid the choice seemed, Shay had made it with her eyes open, and had respected Tally’s choice to stay.
    Tally looked up at Dr. Cable’s cruel beauty, at the puke-yellow-brown of the walls. She remembered all the tricks Special Circumstances had played on her today—how they’d kept her waiting for an hour in the hospital, waiting and thinking she would soon be pretty, the brutal flight here, and all the cruel faces in the halls—and she decided. “I can’t help you,” Tally said. “I made a promise.”
    Dr. Cable bared her teeth. This time, it wasn’t even a mockery of a smile. The woman became nothing but a monster, vengeful and inhuman. “Then I’ll make you a promise too, Tally Youngblood. Until you do help us, to the very best of