Eric took the statue, turning it over in his hands as he looked at it carefully. Finally his eyes lifted to meet hers. “I told myself it was to throw you off, to confuse you, but I really think it was because I wanted you to understand me. I wanted you to know why I had to do what I did.”

Once again her eyes were glistening. “Is freedom so precious?” Before he could answer, she went on quickly, talking to herself as much as to him. “I guess having always had it, I’ve never thought about it much. Implantation never appeared that horrible in others. They seemed happy. I kept telling myself it was really for their good. But as I’ve watched you and the others—” Her voice caught for a moment. “Cliff saluting the crowd—I…How can I go on supporting the very thing that denies that freedom to tens of thousands of people? How could I ever have been part of that?”

“Nicole,” Eric said, his own voice husky with emotion. “Come with us.”

“And if I say yes, then what happens?”

“I’ll take you with me right now. We’ll cut your wrist computer, and as soon as we get Cliff free, we’ll go back to base camp. You can meet Mother and my sisters.”

“I’d like that very much.”

“And—”

“But that’s not the answer, is it?”

He looked startled.

“You don’t need me in the mountains. Not really. What you need is someone in Central Control.”

“No. That would be too dangerous.”

“Eric,” she pleaded, “for the past week I’ve been agonizing with myself, wondering what to do, not wanting to face what I feel has to be done. Now you’ve given me another option. I don’t like it. I don’t want it. But if I’m going to join with you, then put me where you need me.”

“After what you’ve told Travis, it’d be very dangerous.”

“I know, and I’m frightened to death. I’ll have to tell him the threat of implantation changed my mind. But Eric, do you really need me?”

He stared at her for several moments, then slowly handed her the eagle, putting his hand over hers as she took it from him. “Yes, Nicole, we really need you. Will you join us?”

She smiled, a strange mixture of relief and sadness. “I joined you up there in the mountains. I just needed you to come and let me know that I had.”

CHAPTER 28

Nicole was in the cafeteria on her afternoon break when it began. She had forced herself to go with Shirley Ferguson, though her stomach was tied in knots. With tremendous effort she managed to smile and respond at the proper places and tried to avoid looking at the clock a dozen times a minute.

“Nicole?” Shirley’s voice penetrated her thoughts. “Are you all right?”