Among the Hidden

'The same way they get it for themselves,' he said. 'We grow it. We have a garden-I used to work in it a lot, before, you know. And then, we have the hogs, or used to, and I guess sometimes we'd trade a butchered hog for someone else's butchered steer, so we'd have beef-'

Those were all shadowy transactions in Luke's mind. He had to strain his brain to remember overhearing Dad or Matthew reporting to Mother, 'Ready to cook some steak? Johnston up near Libertyville wants some ham…'

Jen dropped a plastic bottle full of brown liquid. 'You eat meat!' she exclaimed.

'Sure. Don't you?' Luke asked.

'When Dad can get it,' Jen said, bending to pick up the bottle. She poured a glassful for Luke and one for herself. Both drinks fizzed and bubbled. 'Even his clout isn't that great. The Government's been trying to force everyone, even the Barons, to become vegetarians.'

'Why?' Luke asked.

Jen handed him his glass.

'Something about vegetables being more efficient,' she said. 'Farmers have to use a lot more land to produce one pound of meat than to produce a pound of-what's it called?-soybeans.'

Luke wrinkled his nose at the thought of eating soybeans.

'I don't know,' he said slowly. 'We always fed our hogs the grain we couldn't sell because it didn't meet Government standards. But since the Government made us get rid of our hogs, Dad just lets that grain rot in the field.'

'Really?' Jen grinned as if he'd just announced the overthrow of the Government. She thumped him on the back just as he took his first sip of soda. Between the bubbly drink and her enthusiastic pounding, Luke started coughing. Jen didn't seem to notice. 'See, I told you you'd be a big help. I'm going to go post that on a bulletin board right now!'

'Wait-' Luke sputtered between coughs. He didn't know what she was talking about. But he couldn't let her get his family in trouble. He chased her down the hall, catching up just as she was sliding into the chair in front of the computer. She switched it on, and it made the be-be-be-be-beeep sounds Luke had heard the last time. Luke stood to the side, carefully out of sight of the screen.

'It's not going to bite you,' Jen said. 'Grab a chair. Sit down.'

Luke inched back.

'But the Government-' he said.

'The Government's incompetent and stupid,' Jen said. 'Get it? Believe me, if they were watching through my computer screen, I'd know by now.'

Meekly, Luke pulled over a padded chair and sat down.

He watched as Jen typed in, 'If the Government let farmers feed their animals the grain they can't sell, there'd be more meat.'

Luke was relieved that she hadn't mentioned his family. But, unless the Government was spying on them, he couldn't understand what difference it made for her to write that.

'Where'd that go?' he asked as the words disappeared. 'Who's going to see it?'

'I put it on a Department of Agriculture bulletin board. Anyone with a computer can find it now. Maybe a Government worker with half a brain will see it and actually think for the first time this decade.'

'But-' Luke squinted in confusion. 'Why does it matter?'

Jen fixed her gaze on Luke.

'You don't even know, do you?' she asked. 'You don't know why they passed the Population Law.'

'N-no,' Luke admitted.

'It's all about food,' Jen said. 'The Government was scared we'd all run out of food if the population kept growing. That's why they made you and me illegal, to keep people from starving.'

Luke suddenly felt doubly guilty for the potato chips he was still cramming into his mouth. He swallowed hard and lowered his hands to his lap, instead of back into the chip bowl.

'So if I didn't eat, my food would go to someone who was legal,' Luke said. But in his family, that would just be Matthew or Mark, and they were hardly starving. Matthew was even starting to sport the same roll of fat around his waist that Dad had. Then Luke remembered the tramp from long ago, saying, 'I ain't et in three days…' Was that Luke's fault?

Jen laughed.

'Stop looking so worried,' she said. 'That is what the Government thinks, but they're wrong. My dad says there's plenty of food, it's just not distributed right. That's why they've got to stop the Population Law. That's why they've got to recognize you and me and all the other shadow kids. That's why we're going to have the rally.'

As ignorant as he was, Luke could tell from the way she said it that the rally was important.

'Can you tell me about the rally now?' he asked humbly.

'Yes,' Jen said. She pushed away from the computer and twirled on her chair. 'Hundreds of us-all the shadow children I could track down-are going to march on the Government in protest. We'll go right to the president's house. We won't leave them alone until they give us the same rights everybody else has.'

Just my luck, Luke thought. I finally meet another third child, and she's absolutely crazy.

'And'-Jen said, as bubbly as the shaken soda-'You can come, too. Won't it be great?'

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

'I-' Luke said. He couldn't look at Jen's triumphant grin. 'I don't think I-'

He thought about how terrifying it was just running back and forth between his house and Jen's. Even this morning, on his third run through their yards, his heart had pounded so hard, he'd wondered if it could burst from fear. And in the yard at least, he was sure-or as sure as he could be-that no one was watching. How could Jen think he would dare go out in public, where he knew people could see him-people in Government, no less-and say, 'I am a third child! I want to be treated like everyone else!'

'Scared?' Jen said softly.

Luke could only nod.

Jen turned back to the computer.

'Well, I am, too,' she said matter-of-factly. She typed something, then looked back at Luke. 'Some. But don't you think it'll be a relief? No more hiding, no more pretending, just-being free!'

Luke wondered if he'd always misunderstood the meaning of the word 'relief.' Jen's rally sounded like his worst nightmare.

'You can think about it,' she said. 'You don't have to decide anything today. Now, ready to chat?'

Luke looked back at the computer screen, where rows of words were unfurling:

Carlos: It's 1:05 here, and my parents think it's a waste to run the a. c. during the day. Can you say heartless?

Sean: Why don't you just crank it up, then turn it off again right before they get home? That's what Pat and I do. They'll never know.

Carlos: Yeah, but my parents probably read their electric bill.

Yolanda: So what are they going to do? Ground you?

Carlos: Good point. I'm searching for the temp control right now.

Yolanda: Where's Jen?

Sean: You know she never gets up this early.

Carlos: Curses-my parents have the temp control locked somehow. Told you they were evil. Where is Jen? I can't wait for her sarcarstic comment.

Luke read the words Jen was typing: 'I'm right here, and, Sean, I do so get up early. I just don't always choose to see you first thing. And Carlos-what's wrong? Is there sweat in your eyes? There's only one 'r' in 'sarcastic.''