Except for lvft Hendricks, all the staff at the school were a little strange. If Luke hadn’t known better, he would have wondered if they’d all spent their childhood in hiding as well. But the Population Law had been in effect for only fourteen years; Luke was among the oldest kids to come out of hiding. IvW Hendricks had just hired odd people on purpose.

“If Ms. Hawkins ever tried to turn any of you in,” he’d told Luke once, “who would believe her?”

That was true of the teachers, too, and the school nurse. It was even true of the school janitor. Luke understood Mr. Hendricks’s reasoning, but sometimes he longed to be around normal adults. He wasn’t sure now what to believe of Ms. Hawkins’s instructions. What if she was just confused? Shouldn’t Smits be here playing games with the other boys, instead of pulling Luke away, too?

“Didn’t you hear me?” Ms. Hawkins said threateningly.

“Um, sure,” Luke said. “I mean, yes, ma’am.”

He turned and walked toward the door.

“Trey, can you organize the games tonight?” he called to his friend on his way out.

“Wha — how do I do that?” They asked. He sounded as panicked as if Luke had asked him to attack Population Police headquarters.

“Get John to help. And Joel,” Luke said.

Joel and John glanced up from the table they were folding, They looked every bit as stricken as They

Luke had no confidence that they’d manage without him. But he pushed his way out the door anyhow.

The hall outside the dining room was quiet and dimly lit Luke rushed past dark classrooms and offices. He’d just tell Smits to get lost — that’s what he’d do. Smits had no right to order him around.

But when Luke got to the front hallway — an echoey place with ancient-looking portraits on the walls — his resolve vanished. Smits was standing there alone. He had his back to Luke, and for the first time Luke realized what a small boy Smits really was. From behind he looked like the kind of kid you’d pick last for a baseball team.