Already, Kai was climbing down the side of the spire, feeling out handholds in the cracks. Already, Andromeda was rummaging through the boot of the sun-cart for a piece of rope. Up on the tower ledge, Donovan was shouting directions down to Kai, easily spotting then notifying him about footholds and loose stones.
"She"s not moving!" Horatio cried. "She"s not moving!"
Elliot wrapped her arms around her friend. "Shh. Don"t look." She squeezed her eyes shut, her previous outrage all but forgotten in the moment. Please, Olivia, please. Don"t be dead.
When she opened her eyes again, Kai had reached the girl. He held her head in his hands, and even from here, Elliot"s merely human eyes could see the red that stained his skin and the rocks beneath Olivia"s body. Andromeda returned to the cliff edge with her rope and tossed it, easily, to Donovan, who caught it just as easily. Their movements were the same as always-graceful as a cat"s, precise as a machine"s.
It was horrifying.
Below, Kai bent his face close to Olivia"s. "She"s breathing," he shouted, and the words reverberated across the chasm. Horatio shuddered in relief. Donovan lowered the rope, which Kai tied to Olivia. With Donovan"s help, he climbed with her to the top of the tower.
"Can you make it across while carrying her?" Andromeda called.
Kai looked at Elliot as he answered. His tone was flat. "Yes."
Of course he could. He was a superhuman.
"Don"t look," Elliot said softly to Horatio. "Don"t watch this part." She wished that she, too, could avoid it, but even if she didn"t watch, there was no denying that it was done. Kai jumped across to the cliff again, and this time he did it with a full-grown person in his arms. It was impossible. It should have been impossible.
Oh, Kai, how could you?
But there was no time, no time to even contemplate what had happened to the Cloud Fleet Posts. No time to do anything but offer a quick prayer that Horatio was too overcome by worry for his sister to think about the abomination before his eyes. Donovan leaped back to the mainland and they laid Olivia out on the gra.s.s. Andromeda wrapped bandages around her bleeding head. She was unconscious, but breathing. And every moment, she was losing more blood. Elliot felt her limbs for broken bones. Her leg was bent at a funny angle, and there was clearly something wrong with her collarbone, but the biggest damage by far was to her head. Elliot pressed cloths against the wound, hoping to slow the flow of blood.
"We have to get her home," Horatio said.
"No," said Elliot. "Take her to the Boatwright house. It"s closer, and Felicia Innovation can help her." Indeed, Felicia might be the only one in two hundred kay who could. She"d known about their eyes that day in the cavern. What"s more, she"d apologized for taking away the wonder of the sanctuary"s stars. Felicia had been the one to do this to them. She"d doomed them all.
Elliot looked up at Kai, who was standing over them, breathing hard. His glittery, inhuman eyes were wide with fear, but they widened even more at her words.
"Felicia," she repeated. There"d be time later to give in to her shock. "Perhaps it would be best to send one of the carts down there as quickly as possible. You can explain the situation and she can get ready. We"ll have to drive slowly with Olivia so as not to jostle her too much."
"Great idea," Andromeda said. She turned to her brother. "Take Horatio and Wentforth and go. Elliot and I will take Olivia."
"I can"t leave my sister," said Horatio.
"The ride will be smoother with less weight," said Andromeda. "I can drive it, and Elliot seems to have a handle on what Olivia needs, medically."
"I"ll drive Olivia and Elliot," Kai blurted. Elliot cringed at the sound of her name in his mouth.
"No." Andromeda"s tone was firm. "You drive quickly. I drive carefully. Now go. Every second we waste might be her last."
Horatio seemed appeased by this, and they helped load the unconscious girl into the cart. Then the boys all piled into the second cart and took off. As Andromeda steered carefully down the path toward level ground, Elliot cradled Olivia"s head from the worst of the b.u.mps.
"That was smart," said Elliot. "Sending Kai down first." He"d bristled with energy he needed to race off.
"Well, I"m smart," Andromeda answered simply. After a moment, she spoke again. "Though you wouldn"t be able to tell it from my behavior today."
She didn"t, Elliot noticed, correct her about using Kai"s old name.
The ride seemed to go on forever. Soon they lost sight of the boys" cart, though Andromeda was still driving as fast as she dared. Now that Elliot knew the appalling truth, she marveled that she"d never noticed it before. She"d never suspected how Andromeda could have driven like a maniac through the woods the previous evening. She"d never wondered how it was that she could so skillfully steer around every dip in the path. Or if she had, she"d simply chalked it up to the Fleet"s skill as pilots.
Elliot felt sick to her stomach. She wanted to scream, to leap out of the cart, but what good would that do? She could act like a model Luddite if she wanted, run away, denounce Andromeda then and there, and it wouldn"t help save Olivia"s life. Like it or not, she must not show anyone what she knew until the younger girl was safe. No matter how wrong it was, right now she needed these people to keep Olivia alive.
After an age, they finally arrived at the Boatwright house. Felicia Innovation ran out to greet them. "Bring her inside, quickly," she cried. "I have to see to her head. Are there any broken bones? Has she stirred at all?"
Elliot answered the questions she could as Felicia got Olivia situated on a bed and began tending to her wounds. The Posts gathered around, their faces ashen. Horatio stood like a statue at the door.
"Olivia," he moaned. "Wake up, please. Please wake up."
Elliot went over to him and squeezed his hands. "She"ll be all right. Felicia will help her." After all, the woman could work miracles.
Dangerous ones.
AT LAST THE BLOOD stopped seeping from Olivia"s head. At last Felicia set the final broken bone. At last the young girl"s breathing stabilized, and Felicia emerged from the sickroom and told Horatio that nothing more could be done, that they would have to wait to see if Olivia would wake up.
The if seemed to break him all over again, and he buried his head in his hands.
Both Elliot and Andromeda helped him to a chair. Donovan stoked the fire, and Kai stood, frozen, like he"d been ever since they"d arrived at the Boatwright house.
"I can"t lose her," Horatio said. "She"s the only family I have."
"Don"t say things like that." Elliot stroked his arm. "She"s only asleep. We don"t know anything yet."
"I"m so sorry," said Andromeda. "I should have warned her. I shouldn"t have let her think she could make the jump."
"It"s my fault," said Kai. "I shouldn"t have jumped at all. She never would have been tempted to try if she didn"t see me out there."
Horatio raised his head and forced a smile in Kai"s direction. "Look at us. You look like death, my friend, and I"m sure I do, too. We"ll never stop blaming ourselves. I guess that"s the price of love?"
Kai"s abnormal eyes widened and Elliot nearly cried aloud. "I should go," she blurted. "I"m of no use to anyone here." She touched Horatio on the shoulder. "As long as you can spare me?"
Horatio nodded. "I think I"ll be fine. The Innovations have offered me a room here so I can stay close to my sister tonight. Thank you, Elliot, for all your help today. Your quick thinking in bringing her here probably saved her life."
Elliot shook her head. "It was nothing at all." She longed to be gone from this house, away from the Posts, whose odd eyes and precise movements now made her skin crawl. She needed to get her thoughts together. She needed to figure out what she was going to do next.
"I"ll drive you back to the North estate," said Kai.
"No."
"I insist." He stared at her, and this time Elliot was the one to turn away.
"No. I"m fine. I need to walk. To clear my head."
"Elliot-" Kai"s voice curdled the tones of her name. She could not bear it from him now.
"Leave her alone," Andromeda snapped. Kai glared at the older girl. Andromeda glared back. Elliot noticed the lights refracting in their eyes and felt bile rise in her throat.
She needed to run, or she would scream their secrets for all the world to hear.
FIVE YEARS AGO.
Dear Elliot, There was a reason I didn"t wait for you yesterday. There was a reason I didn"t want you to come with me to visit my da at the healing house. Do you think you can b.u.t.t in wherever you like just because you"re a North?
Kai Dear Kai, I"m sorry! I didn"t realize you wanted to be alone with him. I have gone to visit him other times-you know that. Why should yesterday have been any different?
Your friend, Elliot Dear Elliot, It just is. When I go with you, it"s not about me and my da. It"s about everyone staring at you because you"re a Luddite. We can"t help but look at my da, at all the people in the healing house, and think that when your family is sick, you don"t go there. Your grandfather gets round the clock nursing. Your grandfather gets medicine my da doesn"t.
For what it"s worth, my da doesn"t want your medicine anymore. It won"t fix him. It just prolongs his suffering.
Your friend, Kai Dear Kai, I just want to help. You don"t have to be mean. If I had medicine for everyone in the healing house, I"d give it to them. It"s not my fault that all I can do is sneak you things meant for my grandfather. I"d fix everyone if I could.
Your friend, Elliot Dear Elliot, Would you? Would you really?
I get so angry sometimes, Elliot, thinking about all the people stuck in there. Reduced sent there to die because their hands or legs don"t work. Something as simple as that. There are Reduced who have been in the "healing house" for thirteen years. That"s as long as I"ve been alive. If they were the tractor, I could change their tires, but because of the protocols, we can"t fix them. We"re not allowed. How does that make sense?
Your friend, Kai Dear Kai, It doesn"t always make sense to me, either. Is that what you want me to say? But it must be true. Everyone believes it. The protocols are there for our protection. We broke them once, and we got the Reduction. Isn"t it better that a few people die, as G.o.d wills it, than we risk destroying humanity all over again?
Humans tried to play G.o.d once, and we failed. We tried to make over humanity in our own image. It"s forbidden. We have to accept that.
Your friend, Elliot Dear Elliot, Not everyone believes it. That"s all.
Your friend, Kai Dear Kai, I heard about your father. I"m sorry. Please let me come see you tonight.
Your friend, Elliot Dear Elliot, I"ve thought it over, and I"ve decided I don"t care how much trouble I get in. Not now. My father is dead, and the rest of the people in the healing house are going to die, and they are going to die even though we know how to fix them. We know how to save them. And we don"t?
No, not we. You. Luddites.
I don"t believe in the protocols! It"s not right to let people die for them. You can use technology without risking another Reduction. There has to be a happy medium. And if we never challenge the protocols, we"ll never know if we even need them anymore! It"s like I said years ago-I"m a Post. How do you know I"m not immune to the Reduction? How does anyone know that every Post in the islands wasn"t born immune?
Here"s what I think: The Luddites use the restrictions to make sure the Reduced stay that way. If it weren"t for the protocols, humanity might have found a cure, long before the Posts ever came. That"s human nature-to make our lives better. But the Luddites would rather let people die than risk giving up their control of the world. They"d rather let my father die.
You say that the protocols are to keep us from playing G.o.d. But I think you have it backward. When we have the ability to save someone"s life, and we decide they aren"t worthy of being saved-isn"t that playing G.o.d as well?
Your friend, Kai Dear Kai, I have tried and failed to write this letter four times now. Your father was a good man, and everyone here cared for him. He raised you, and that makes him a great man in my eyes.
I know things are bad right now. I have heard from the servants at the house that all the Posts on the estate are getting together to hold a memorial service. I would like to attend, if no one thinks that is odd. My mother has given me permission.
I am so sorry for your loss, Your friend, Elliot Dear Elliot, Honestly, Elliot? I"d rather you didn"t come. Everyone will stare. But after it"s over, I would like it very much if you came and visited the pyre with me. We can bring Ro as well.
Is there any news about where I"ll go?
Your friend, Kai Dear Kai, I understand. My mother told me that you will stay in the barn. We all want you to take your father"s place as a mechanic. My mother knows you are young, but you were your father"s apprentice, and you"re the closest thing we"ve got right now.
I am so sorry, Kai. I"m so sorry about everything.
Your friend, Elliot.
Twenty-four.
AS SOON AS SHE could, Elliot escaped to the barn. She could not avoid discussing the accident with Tatiana, nor Benedict, nor her father. In her version, Olivia had accidentally slipped and fallen down the cliff face, though she doubted her ruse would last more than an evening or two, as the story spread.
And when it did spread, how long would it be before people started to wonder how the Posts had done it?
As she entered, Elliot"s gaze slid to the knothole in the door and she reprimanded herself. Would the ritual never die? For four years she looked, though she knew Kai was gone. And now she looked, even though he was home and he hated her. The habit had been imprinted on her brain for all of her life-she was doomed to stare at empty knotholes for eternity.
Elliot went to the loft and sat before her work desk, but couldn"t push away the thoughts in her mind. Those two years she"d spent developing her strain of wheat, she"d deluded herself into thinking it was all right. It was safe. That what she"d created was not as bad as the abominations of the Lost. Tonight, she reread all of her notes on the wheat-each indefensible, aberrant, heretical page. In every line, she read hubris; in every word, she read defiance. She"d convinced herself she was only defying her father. But that wasn"t true. She was defying nature itself. She was doing exactly what Kai and the other Fleet Posts had done.
She was courting death.
What had she been thinking? It wasn"t worth it. It wasn"t worth it, even to save a single life. The protocols were in place for a reason. Yes, it could make lives easier. Yes, it could save people when nothing else could. But it wasn"t worth it. Humans were not meant to play G.o.d. They couldn"t play G.o.d, or they"d wind up as something less than what humans were meant to be. They"d be Reduced.
Her father had been right to trample her wheat if he suspected what she"d done. She was surprised he hadn"t gone further. He could have turned her in to the Luddite tribunal for reprimands or worse. After all, she was eighteen. Granted, it was just wheat, but even that-who knew what it would become inside the humans who ate it? Who knew if it would never grow back, or if it would infect the other crops with a plague, or if it would turn to poison? Before the Reduction, the Lost had enhanced crops to use them as weapons. They could make enemies sick or destroy countries" entire ecosystems.
And not always on purpose, either. Long before the Reduction, people had killed off entire species of food by attempting to improve it, just like Elliot had done. The ways of the Lost had brought only death and destruction. Elliot knew that. She was a Luddite, charged with protecting the survivors of the Reduction-human, animal, and vegetable-from the horrors that lurked in the heart of their own twisted DNA.
Only G.o.d could make a tree.
And only G.o.d could make a man. Only G.o.d had the right to decide how far a man might leap, or how well a man might see. If these Posts had done what she suspected . . .
Never mind all that. She knew they"d done it. She"d looked into Kai"s eyes-eyes she"d once known as well as her own-and she"d seen the truth.
And he knew it, too.
At last, she left the room. She locked the door behind her. She walked back down the hall and descended the stairs, and she wasn"t the slightest bit surprised to see Kai waiting for her at the bottom.
He stood in darkness and didn"t even squint when the lantern hit his eyes. Now that she finally saw the truth, it was all she could see. His pupils didn"t contract in the glare of the lantern, and strange lights danced in his irises. His face was utterly flat.
"I need to know," he said. There was no Elliot this time. And why should there be? He hadn"t come to apologize.
"How is Olivia?" Elliot asked instead. "Has she woken up yet?"
But Kai didn"t answer her question either. "The knowledge I suspect you possess can be very dangerous."
"I suspect the thing you bear is more dangerous still."
"So you do know."