“Come with you where?”
“To my home in Artimé, where we will keep you safe.”
“Safe from what? And who is ‘we’?”
“We are the Unwanteds. And safe from General Blair’s son, Will, who wants to kill you and take your place.”
Aaron sat for a long minute, then turned toward the wall, lay down, and closed his eyes. “Will Blair is dead. He was Unwanted three years ago.”
“Aaron?”
“Stop torturing me. I am not allowed to be having all these dreams. I’m not the one who killed you—it’s not my fault you couldn’t follow the law. Now go away and never come back.”
“Aaron, don’t be an idiot. I’m not a dream. See?” Alex hauled off and punched Aaron in the shoulder.
“Great cats!” said Aaron. “What did you do that for?”
“To prove to you that I’m real and alive and sitting here. Why do you keep thinking I’m a dream? Have you been having the dream too? The one where we are together again, and I show you magic?”
“No,” Aaron said too quickly. “I have forgotten all about you. You are dead. We don’t remember the dead.”
Alex stared into Aaron’s eyes. “I’m not dead. And I am happy, for the first time in my life. You have no idea how happy you can be if you just come with me.”
“I don’t want to be happy. Happy causes infractions. I want to be intelligent and strong. And I am. I am Wanted, assistant secretary to the High Priest Justine! Now, get off my bed, Unwanted.”
“In Artimé there are no laws like in Quill. No infractions. And there, everybody has skills and talent. Everyone. You would too!” Alex felt the tears coming back again, and this time he cried openly, shoving the tears off his face as fast as they fell. “Quill is an evil place, Aaron. The High Priest Justine and the governors are telling you lies! And soon you will be killed, and I will be so sad.” Alex leaned over and hugged his brother’s stiff body. “I know you don’t understand yet. But I’m already so sad for you.” He stood up. “Will Blair is coming. He’ll enter Quill and kill you. The only warning you have is mine. Please, Aaron. Please come.”
Aaron sat up and shook his head. “No. Now go.”
Finally, dejected, Alex convinced himself he would get nowhere with Aaron, so he turned to leave. Aaron got out of bed and stood. “Why should I believe you?” he asked, his voice dull and even. “And where did that extra door come from?” he muttered, rubbing his eyes now.
Alex turned back to face his brother, memories flooding back to his mind. The tears poured freely down his face now, but he was not ashamed. He was proud. Proud to live in a world where people could express their feelings. “Why should you believe me?” he repeated. “Why should you believe me?” Alex’s voice turned raspy. “I should be the one to ask that of you, after all you’ve done—you reported Samheed, didn’t you?”
Aaron’s eyes flickered.
Alex watched Aaron carefully. And for the first time in his life he saw the depth of the chilling hardness in Aaron’s eyes. Alex broke into a cold sweat as new thoughts, new realizations surfaced. He whispered, “You reported me, too.” It was not a question. For Alex there was no question anymore. He stared at his brother, forcing Aaron to either hold his gaze or look away.
Aaron’s eyes filled with contempt. “Get out of my sight, you filthy, useless Unwanted.” He spat the words out like icicles. “I did my duty. You failed. I hold no blame for anyone else’s failures—not yours, not Samheed’s, not that Ranger girl, and especially not the general’s son. You are all deserving of your horrible fate.”
There was a terrible pause, the identical twins standing face-to-face in the tiny dormitory room, Aaron’s jaw squared harshly, his nostrils flared, and his dark eyes as lifeless as marbles, while his mirror image absorbed the insults, his deep chocolate eyes changing from anger, to hurt, to pity.
Alex spoke quietly. “You’re right about one thing. We are all deserving. Thank you,” he said. “You did us all a great favor.”
And with that, Alex turned to the magical door and stumbled blindly through it, into the brightly lit office of Mr. Today, before the shuddering, angry sobs broke loose.
And then large, warm arms enveloped him, the arms of the mage himself, who held Alex tightly and let him snivel on his robe and then patted his back, saying, “There, there,” until Alex could stop sobbing long enough to speak.
He looked at Mr. Today, all of the secrets of the past several months dancing around him, and he knew there was no way to lie around this mess.
“I’m sorry, sir,” Alex whispered.
Mr. Today nodded. “I know, my boy. I know. Let’s hear everything about it now, all right?” He patted a chair and urged Alex to sit, and then he moved behind the desk and sat as well.
They stayed for a moment in contemplative silence. And then the 3-D door creaked open once again, and a disheveled, dark-haired boy with eyes as round as saucers peered into Mr. Today’s office.
The Visitor
Mr. Today and Alex looked up at the noise. “Good evening,” Mr. Today said, standing up rather abruptly. He flicked his wrist, and the blackboards on the wall behind him went dead. “Do come in. Care for tea?”
Aaron nearly turned around and slammed the door, but he hesitated, looking from his brother to the stranger with him. “Who are you?” he asked in a disdainful voice.