Maddie received a temporary reprieve from house arrest to attend Augustus's funeral. Even Ray requested to come.

"Surprised to see you here for a suicide," Maddie muttered.

"Ain't no suicide. Do you know the logistics that goes into hanging yourself? If I'm next, make sure you remember that mine was no suicide, either."

With nothing to offer, Maddie turned her sights on Gus's memorial again. "He thought he found a cure. I'm sorry that he didn't."

Ray snorted out a laugh. "A cure? The only reason the Inner City'd want a cure is to hide or destroy it. There's no profit in cures but there's big money in treatments."

At Maddie's silence and annoyance, Ray said, "Ask yourself, what was the last thing we ever cured? Honestly cured? We can cut and replace nearly every organ. Mold and shape our world to fit us...but cures? You never just figure we can't cure anything because there's no money in it? Cures are final. Treatments can feed a company forever."

Lately Maddie entertained Ray's theories but this wasn't the time. Not on a day like this—not with so few from Gus's block in attendance. There was no honor in giving up, so it was natural for Ray to make a theory, but Gus was ill, and the fallout from his actions which nearly resulted in a disaster was swift and severe. Gus weathered it, holding his head high each morning but who could weather it forever?

Maybe he did give up.

Their supervisor held up a chart and read, "This one man was giving till the end. From the parts of him volunteered for donation, not much could be offered. He originally signed for a full harvest, though, as any loyal Volunteer would."

Ray leaned in and whispered, "Remind me to relook at my donations."

Maddie cut her a glance and she shut up.

The service was somber and short, but Maddie stared on long after the mandatory officials left.

"Shame about Gus," Andy said, walking from behind them.

It was a chilling effect, made worse by that gentle smile. Andy appeared harmless. Maddie started to doubt Ray's tales.

"If you don't mind, Five, I'd like to talk to you privately. Come to my office."

As he walked away, Maddie yelled out, "Sir, what time should I arrive?

Andy didn't turn back.

When Maddie caught Ray's gaze, she shrunk away. "What?"

"Nothing. Just be careful."

She shoved past Maddie without looking back. Lately, Ray was getting unstable.

Although Maddie doubted some of Ray's rantings, a part of her was counting on that support when visiting Andy.

The man was harmless. She concluded that. Still, she went armed.

Andy returned to his office after three hours, a female Volunteer on his arm. When he spotted Maddie, he hurried to open the door for her.

"Please have a seat, Five. I'll be right with you."

He closed the door and a tentative knock followed. Andy answered, "What?"

"Sir," the muffled voice said, "May I be excused?"

Andy gave no answer. Instead, he turned his attention to Maddie.

"You're looking good, Five. Starting to show a little now, I see."

Maddie glanced back at the door but managed to look away when Andy asked her something.

"Beg your pardon?"

"What does Priest intend to name it?"

At the silence, Andy's expression softened.

"I guess it's too soon to talk about that. It's a big decision. I won't take much of your time."

Except for the three hours spent waiting, Maddie thought.

"I need you to talk to Ray," he said.

Maddie steeled herself. "Yes, sir."

"She's getting louder now and it's provoking others. Did you know she gathered six other females in the 500 block into her conspiracy fold?"

No. Maddie didn't know that. She wondered how Andy knew it, though.

"I'll talk to her," Maddie promised.

"Good. But what can we expect from someone who routinely takes off their mask on the field? We're lucky the brain damage isn't all that strong. And she must be fooling herself. With the way she obsesses about that sleazy politician, Richter, from that radio show and his every word, people know she's not a stable voice, anyway. I'd hate to have to recommend something harsh," he said, "for either of you."

This time when Maddie nodded, her chest felt tight.

"Now let's talk about you." Andy leaned forward, his forearms on the desk. "And your health." He gathered thin sheets of electronic paper that fluxed with the flick of his wrist. "Augustus was a liar but you, oh, you are a different story. Not a single bit of the tumors once lodged in your throat. And I can see deep scar tissue in your abdomen but nothing on the surface." He gave her an eager smile. "Why?"

Maddie blinked at him. "Sorry?"

"Why is that? Why are you so healthy?"

Healthy. Was she healthy? She swallowed hard and with that, she noticed the burning sensation was gone. She hadn't thought about this illness since Daniel. A part of her felt she deserved it—she deserved to die. But this.... At this moment she felt breathless. She was healthy.

Whatever Daniel had done for her...gave her a cure. And this man wanted it. Her eyes settled on Andy's eager smile. He wanted a cure. What would he do with it? He came on the harvests to ensure a good bounty. That tightness in her chest returned, strangling her. She needed to trust Ray, but not at the risk of sounding crazy herself. She tried something else.

"It's thanks to good living. I take my A-CAN doses each and every day. Even now," Maddie lied. "That's why I'm so fit."

The way Andy's smile fell was startling. He worried his bottom lip for some time and said, "Well, of course. Of course, that's it, but...maybe you took something else. Something from...from the Old City?"

"Oh no." Maddie tried to sound convincing. "I'd never do that."

"Well, you fell in that water."

"And my suit melted from the pollutants, yes."

Andy spoke through gritted teeth. "You were gone for days. What'd you eat?"

Maddie shook her head. "Nothing."

The sigh followed a weak smile. "Listen to me, you rodent. Start answering or I'll extract that information from you the hard way."

Eyes wide, Maddie sat back in her chair. "I...I don't know what you're asking."

"You left here with enough tumors to kill you in a matter of days. You come back cured. I want to know how and why." When she didn't answer, he smiled again. "Listen, that information could save lives."

Not the lives of those people down there in the Old City minding their own business, though.

"You'd be a hero. If you can find and figure out what you took.... Well, that would be an amazing discovery for our people. It'd change the world."

Maddie thought of something Ray said, "Nothing cures the tumors, and if it did, would medicine go to the poor? And at what cost? There's no profit in cures."

Andy stared at her, stunned. He needed time to stumble through a response. "That—that is an immoral thing to say. Of course, we would want to save everyone. Even those in your precious Outer Limits."

The Outer Limits. Maddie decided to let go—to believe all Ray said. People of the Outer Limits needed food, they needed air, not medicine. And yes, on occasion she'd heard whispers of illegal harvests in the Outer Limits. That was why she jumped at the chance to catch ferals instead, even though she doubted the rumors. If these politicians intended to bring A-CAN there.... No more tumor-free harvests. Even Gus's body donations couldn't be fulfilled.

Andy sat up. "You're a smart woman, Five. We all know that. You're dedicated and gentle in your own way. You see Ray. Reckless, classless, stupid and meandering. But you, you're different. I'm asking you to help us."

"And you would have no need for the Vagrants if there was a cure?" The words left Maddie's mouth before she had time to realize what she'd said. "I—I don't know what you're referring to. I don't know what you think I know."

The stone-cold expression on Andy's face came with a warning, "Don't test my patience."

But Maddie knew, sick and unharvestable Vagrants meant more missions.... More Daniels being scooped up.

And what would happen if by some miracle there was a cure? What was the alternative?

"I'm due in some months," Maddie said. "After that, I can lead a team back down there and try to figure out what I might have touched."

Andy eyed her. Finally, he slid an electronic sheet of paper her way.

"Oh, we need not wait months. Find what I want and you might make it to Cypress. Don't find it, well, I'll get it some other way."

A chill ran through Maddie when she picked up the paper.

"I will give you another few days to think long and hard on it," Andy said, "And I suggest you be quick to write everything that happened to you down there. You'd better have something interesting to report. Don't want that rodent inside your belly arriving without any air, now do we?"

Maddie took the shaky steps needed to exit that room. When she opened the door to find the Volunteer still waiting for a dismissal, she felt like the bigger fool.