Imposter Read Online Free PDF Page B

everything.”
    “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    The doctor offers me a reassuring smile as I regain control of my emotions. “I know this is difficult for you, Will, and I’m sorry for your pain.”
    The blood rushes to my face, and black spots appear in my vision. He has no idea how I feel. How could he?
    “Come.” The doctor gestures toward the fountain gurgling near the stream. 
    Stiff-legged, I sit next to him on the edge of the fountain. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out an EG, just far enough so I can see its silvery side before he pushes the button on the bottom and slips it back inside. Instantly, a sound-free bubble expands around us, making the air wavy as though we’re underwater.
    “How’d you get one of those? I thought only Firsts and some of the president’s most trusted advisors were allowed to carry them.”
    My new companion shrugs. “It doesn’t matter. You’re lucky I have it, though. You seem like you’re about to kill someone. We don’t have long, because eventually someone will notice they can’t hear our conversation and will start to wonder. That is a risk we cannot afford to take.” He pulls his hand from his pocket and holds it out to me. “My name is Dr. James Scoffield.”
    He’s lying. I can tell. It’s in the way his eyes shift away from mine as he’s talking. When I take his hand, he palms me something slim and soft. I stop, mid-handshake, but he shakes his head almost imperceptibly in warning. I shove my hand and the object into my pocket. “Is that really your name?”
    “Does it matter?”
    I decide to play along. “I’m Will, but you knew that already, didn’t you?”
    “Yes, I’ve heard quite a lot about you.” James studies my face.
    “From who?”
    He tucks a stray lock of hair behind his ear. “I’m Socrates’s doctor, remember? The man loves to talk.”
    He’s lying again, even though I’m not sure about what. This time I don’t argue with him. Instead, I say, “You don’t look like a doctor to me.”
    James’s mouth quirks up at the corners. “I’m many things to many people.”
    “Right. Another non-answer. Why are you here?”
    The doctor makes a show of admiring our surroundings. “This is a beautiful place to relax, is it not? Safer than the wilderness and much more private than the rest of the Smith.”
    I frown. “What are you talking about?”
    James’s attention strays from me to the distant wall of the garden. I follow it. Through the glass, the city’s tall spires encircle us. Even here, in this apparent oasis, we are surrounded.
    He turns back to me, and some emotion flashes across his face so briefly I almost miss it. “Nothing important, I suppose.” He shakes himself free from his reflection. “What is important is that you’re careful. You’re slipping, and I’m not the only one who has noticed. You’re letting your anger and pain get the better of you, and that’s dangerous.”
    Irritation bubbles up inside me. “I won’t screw up. I’m not an idiot, you know.”
    “Of course not. Nobody ever said you were.” James holds up his hands, attempting to placate me.
    “It’s a delicate line we walk, trying to both make a difference and keep those we love safe. Sometimes we have to take risks.”
    Evie’s tempestuous smile and dark, daring eyes come to my mind. Am I risking her too much? If I were caught, would that put her in danger? Guilt crashes through me. I can’t do that to our child, regardless of what kind of relationship Evie and I have. The child is an innocent in all this.
    “What if the risk is too great?”
    James stares off into the distance. “I suppose it depends on what you determine is worth fighting for.”
    “I want to live,” Mira says. “But this is the right thing to do. If Socrates can free us, how can I stand in his way?”
    My hands itch to wipe her tears away and my lips to kiss her, to make her forget about this stupid Exchange. Forget about Socrates and just be with