Siri walked forward. She peered into V-Davi's cupped hands. 'It's a humming peeper.'
Obi-Wan stepped forward. V-Davi must have been hiding the tiny bird in his pocket. It perched in his cupped hands, a lovely creature with bright yellow and blue feathers.
V-Davi's eyes darted fearfully from Obi-Wan to Siri. 'It has a hurt wing. I found it in the yard. I was going to turn it in. I swear I was!'
Siri reached out a finger and stroked the bird. 'He's cute.'
'l-l just rescued this one creature,' V-Davi stammered. 'I would never break the rules of The Learning.'
Suddenly, Obi-Wan saw a tiny quivering nose stick out of V-Davi's other pocket.
'And what's that?'
V-Davi's eyes were wide. 'That's a baby fer-bil,' he whispered. 'Please don't turn me in, V-Obi.'
'Of course we won't turn you in,' Obi-Wan assured him. He stroked the furry creature's head.
'Is having pets against the rules?' Siri asked.
'Of course. There are no domestic pets allowed on Kegan,' V-Davi said.
'It is contrary to the General Good to lavish attention on a subspecies.
They are used for food products and cultivation only.' His gray eyes studied them, suddenly fearful. 'You are outsiders, aren't you?'
'Yes,' Siri said. 'But we're also your friends.'
A relieved smile spread over V-Davi's face. 'Students of The Learning are not encouraged to form personal attachments. If you make a close friend, you find he or she is moved to another Learning quad. So we must be careful.
But you must call me Davi now. When one forms a bond on Kegan, the title letter of your name is dropped.'
'Then you can call us Obi-Wan and Siri,' Obi-Wan said.
Davi reached out and put one hand on Obi-Wan's forearm and one on Siri's. 'You are my first friends. Maybe it does not add to the General Good. But I am happy. Now, since you are my friends, on Kegan we believe in trying to help our bonded friends achieve their hearts desire.' He took a deep breath. 'Therefore, Obi and Siri, I will help you escape. Tonight.'
The constant buzzing noise should have alerted him. Instead, it had become background, and Qui-Gon had ceased to notice it. That was what they counted on, he supposed. A constant presence can be easier to ignore than a random one.
There was complete surveillance on Kegan. The skyhoppers overhead had to be equipped with listening and watching devices. It was the only explanation.
V-Nen and 0-Melie had asked for their help in the only way available to them: with glances and hints.
Qui-Gon and Adi did not dare speak, even in the open air. Without another word, they started toward the Communications Circle.
Qui-Gon's keen gaze swept across the round buildings in the Circle. He saw one open window in the building to his left. He indicated it to Adi with a tilt of his head. She nodded.
They walked into the building and quickly made their way through a maze of corridors toward the room with the open window. They were sure V-Nen and O-Melie would be waiting.
The door was slightly ajar. Qui-Gon hesitated outside.
'Come in quickly please,' V-Nen whispered.
'And please close the door,' 0-Melie added.
'This is a safe room,' V-Nen said as soon as the Jedi entered and shut the door behind them. 'Melie and I have installed anti-surveillance devices.
The skyhoppers you may have noticed overhead are actually unpiloted auto-hoppers that contain audio and visual surveillance devices. Everything we say and do is recorded. There are transmitters in our homes that beam up to them.'
Qui-Gon and Adi exchanged glances. 'We thought that might be the case,'
Qui-Gon said. 'How did the citizens of Kegan allow this?'
'It began as an anti-crime measure,' 0-Melie explained. 'Society was stable, but petty theft and pilfering was common after we changed to a bartering system. V-Tan and O-Vieve proposed we use autohoppers as security devices, and we all voted on it. Originally they were supposed to patrol the market only. Then it was extended to the Dwelling Circle and beyond. No one expected that it would be used to monitor conversations and activities. It happened slowly, and now we are watched all the time.'
'But if every citizen on Kegan gets a vote, couldn't you vote them out?' Adi asked.
V-Nen shook his head. 'Every citizen gets a vote, but V-Tan and O-Vieve decide what we should vote on.'
0-Melie gave a sad smile. 'We have the illusion of democracy. Not the reality.'
'Tell us how we can help you,' Adi said gently. 'What do you think happened to O-Lana?'
0-Melie and V-Nen exchanged a frightened glance. 'We are worried about her safety,' V-Nen said quietly. 'There are whispers and rumors about children who vanish.'
