Among the Enemy

Matthias couldn't be sure of anything, but he held the bug behind his back and, under the cover of the blanket, peeled off an adhesive strip. Then he stuck the bug under the desk.

Oh, please, Matthias thought, and it was pretty much his first prayer since witnessing Tiddy's death. But those two small words carried so many hopes: He was praying that the bug would stick, that it'd work, that no one would find it, that he'd hear something that would help him and Nina and Trey.

And maybe he was even praying that the laughing Population Police Officer Tidwell somehow now understood the evil he'd done.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Matthias put on his headphones and switched on his radio as soon as he woke up the next morning. At first all he heard was the rustle of papers, presumably as the commander moved them across his desk. He was just ready to give up and go down for breakfast when a sharp voice burst through his headphones: 'Commander, my report!'

'Go ahead,' the commander said.

'We are ninety-five percent done with Project Exchange,' the voice said.

'Very good,' the commander said. 'When do you anticipate completion of the project?'

'Next week.'

'Wonderful,' the commander said. 'Carry on.'

Matthias kept listening, but that was all. He wrote down Project Exchange 95 % done — finish expected next week on a scrap of paper and handed it to Nina in the cafeteria a few minutes later when she handed him a bowl of Cream of Wheat. He knew what a dangerous thing he was doing. If the bug was found — if he was caught — he'd probably have no chance to pass along stored-up information to Nina. So he'd have to tell her everything as he learned it.

He had nothing new to report by lunchtime, but Nina surprised him by slipping a note into his hand along with a mug of cider.

That's very bad news, the note said, when Matthias had a chance to read it back in his room after lunch. The 'very' was underlined six times. We have to hurry. Keep listening!!!!

Matthias put his headphones back on immediately, but it was frustrating to sit around straining to hear silence. And it was maddening not to know what Nina, Trey, and the mysterious 'others' were hurrying to do.

Samuel, am I doing the right thing? You didn't believe in getting involved in politics. Is this politics? All I want is to get that food to the starving people. What if there's something bad in Nina's plan?

Once, when he'd first met Nina, she had risked her life because she thought that was the only way to save Matthias's — Matthias's and Percy's and Alia's. But just because Nina was trustworthy then, was she still trustworthy now?

God, why isn't life as simple as Samuel always made me think it was?

The headphones crackled to life.

'Sir?' This was a young voice. 'Officer Jason Barstow reporting to demonstrate the test for Project Authenticity.'

'Of course. Come in.' The commander practically purred.

There was a thud, as if something heavy had been placed on the desk.

'Gotta protect your furniture.' It was the young voice again — Officer Barstow's.

'I appreciate that,' the commander said, an edge of sarcasm in his tone.

'Now, these cards both look absolutely identical, correct? Both absolutely authentic?' Officer Barstow asked.

'Yes,' the commander said. Several others must have come in to watch the demonstration with him because an echo came through the headphones: 'Yes… Yes… Yes… Yes…'

'If you had to guess, which one would you say is fake?' Officer Barstow asked.

A long silence followed. Finally the commander said doubtfully, 'This one?'

'Other opinions?' Officer Barstow asked.

Are they looking atl.D. cards? Matthias wondered. The commander said he was in charge of the identification program. ..

The others in the commander's office made their choices quickly.

'Ah, so everyone agrees with the commander,' Officer Barstow said. 'Let's see.'

Matthias heard a sizzling sound, then a string of 'ooh's' and 'aah's.'

'So we were all wrong,' the commander said, a steely tone in his voice. 'Try it again on different cards. Ones I know are fake or real.'

Matthias could picture the commander reaching into his own drawer, throwing down a pile of identity cards on his desk, like a challenge.

More sizzling.

'Yes,' the commander said. 'That's correct. It works. It works perfectly.'

He sounded like he was grinning. A burst of applause roared out of Matthias's headphones so loudly that Matthias had to pull them away from his ears. But he still heard Officer Barstow's final words: 'It's absolutely fool' proof.'

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Matthias's head spun. He took off his headphones, but his ears still rang with the sound of the officials' applause.

Why are they so excited? Matthias wondered. They've been able to find fake I.D.'s before. His weeks in Population Police prison proved that.

'Absolutely foolproof,' Officer Barstow had said. He'd sounded smug and overwhelmingly happy, like he'd just found enough food to feed everyone or figured out a way to end all disease.

No, Matthias reminded himself. This is the Population Police. They'd be overjoyed over some absolutely foolproof way to kill third children.

Third children. Matthias. Nina. Trey. Lee. And all the others.

It wasn't anywhere near dinnertime yet, but Matthias tore out of his room and raced for the cafeteria. The doors were locked, and a guard stood before them, looking bored.

'I'm hungry,' Matthias announced. 'Think there's any way I could sneak in there and get a snack?'

'Of course n—,' the guard started to snap. Then he looked at Matthias more closely. 'Oh. You're Tiddy's friend. Sure, go ahead. They'll do anything for you.'

The guard opened the doors and Matthias slipped inside.

What if Nina's loaned out to housekeeping detail this afternoon? What will I do then?

But Nina was in the kitchen, chopping carrots alongside several other girls. How was Matthias supposed to get her away to talk to him alone? They should have worked out a code word, he realized. They should have worked out a whole coded language.

And then Matthias knew what to say.

'Excuse me.' He tried to sound childish and innocent, like the little kid he'd been back when Samuel was alive. 'I saw this really neato, interesting bug outside, and I don't know what it was, and I thought if someone could come look at it with me. . It's the kind of thing Tiddy could have helped me with.'

He saw the girls exchange glances at Tiddy's name.