But if he obeyed… if he played a role in her death…

Oh, Trey, why didn't you think about something like this happening, back when you said we should sabotage the Population Police from within? Luke agonized.

"Pick her up now!" Officer Houk shouted. "Do it!"

Luke stumbled forward and scooped the woman into his arms. Her body was incredibly light, like chicken bones. He thought about running out the back door to carry her to safety, but Officer Houk had the gun pointed at both of them now. Luke couldn't ever run fast enough or far enough.

Luke lowered his head, putting his face against the woman's cloud of white hair.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'll try—"

The woman gave no sign that she'd heard him.

Officer Houk guided them out the doorway. Luke tripped over the broken sidewalk, and barely managed to keep from dropping the woman.

"Watch it!" Office Houk hissed.

"It's because of my leg," Luke tried to explain. "When the door hit—" His leg was throbbing now, and even the woman's slight weight seemed too much of a burden.

"Put her down here, then," Officer Houk said, pointing to a spot on the ground in front of a gathering crowd.

It seemed wrong to just drop such an old woman into the mud. But she surprised him by sliding down and standing on her own two feet. The crowd took in the sight of the regal old lady being held at gunpoint and fell silent.

"This woman," Officer Houk shouted at the crowd, "refused to obey a direct order from a Population Police officer. This is treason. This is punishable by death. I hereby proclaim her sentence. Do all of you understand her crime?"