Among the Brave Read Online Free PDF Page B

insane. He hates third children beyond all reason,” she said. “He was always complaining that General Terus didn’t devote enough resources to hunting them down. And now—now there’ll be house-to-house searches. Traffic stopped on every street. Identity records scoured for fakes, again and again. No third child will be able to survive.
    Mrs. Talbot’s words chilled Trey so thoroughly that he almost missed her whispering, at the end, “Maybe it’s good that Jen is already dead.”
    On the TV screen, Aldous Krakenaur was smiling.
    .... And together, we will make our country great again,” he said.
    Mrs. Talbot threw the remote straight at the screen. The pass shattered and sparks flew. Then the screen was dark and dead, finally matching the rest of the destroyed room.
    “Why did you do that?” Trey complained. “Now we won’t know what’s going on.”
    “I don’t want to know,” Mrs. Talbot said. “I know too much already.”
    She collapsed onto the nearest couch and stared vacantly at the broken TV Trey remained standing, awkwardly. He wasn’t exactly adept at interpersonal relationships under the best of circumstances. What in the world was he supposed to do now?
    He closed his eyes briefly, and everything he’d witnessed that day seemed to replay in his memory. Mr. Talbot coming to the door, failing to recognize Trey....
     
    Or did he recognize me after all? Was he really just trying to warn me away—me and the rest of my “team”? The
     
    thought made Trey feel a little better, even though the warning hadn’t helped. There hadn’t been time to do anything before Mr. Talbot was whisked away...
     
    A new thought occurred to Trey
    “Mrs. Talbot?” he said. “I don’t blame you for being upset and all over Aldous Krakenaur. I mean, I’m glad you don’t want him in control. But isn’t this good for your husband? I mean, he works for the Population Police, and Aldous Krakenaur’s in charge of the Population Police.... Mr. Talbot was taken away before the Government changed. Wouldn’t Aldous Krakenaur set him free 7 Maybe this Krakenaur guy’s already heard about what happened to Mr. Talbot and already sent him home. Maybe Mr. Talbot’s on his way here, right now.”
    Slowly Mrs. Talbot turned her head to stare up at Trey.
    “AJdous always hated George,” she said. “The only thing that kept George in power at the Population Police headquarters was his friendship with General Terus.”
    “Mr. Talbot was friends with the president?” Trey’s voice actually squeaked, he was so amazed.
    “He pretended to be friends,” Mrs. Talbot said. “But now if General Terus is gone. . . Trey probably arrested George this morning so he wouldn’t warn the president what was coming.”
    “Well, he can’t warn him now—looks like the coup is over,” Trey said. “So maybe they’ll set Mr. Talbot free because there’s no point in holding him any longer.”
    Mrs. Talbot went back to staring at the broken TV.
    “You’re just a little boy, aren’t you?” she said in an eerily calm voice, as if nothing really mattered anymore. “All the thirds—so naive. So sheltered. Don’t you know? The only way they’re going to release George is in a coffin.”
     
    Trey gulped.
    “No Trey aren’t,” he said, arguing with more conviction than he felt. “You can rescue him. I’ll—I’ll help.”
    What was he saying? What if Mrs. Talbot took him up on his offer?
    “I don’t know where they’re holding him,” Mrs. Talbot said, still in the same dead voice.
    “Then find out,” Trey said. He wanted Mrs. Talbot to stop acting so strange. He wanted her to take control and fix everything. “Don’t you have any friends in the Population Police?” he asked. “Anyone you can trust?”
    At first, Trey thought Mrs. Talbot hadn’t heard his question. Then she slowly answered, “I don’t trust a single soul in this country right now. I don’t even trust you. How do I know you weren’t lying to me