Clayne shook his head stubbornly. “Be that as it may, my feelings have nothing to do with it. He’ll be caught, and the Major won’t be as lenient with him as with Clifford Cameron. Eric will be executed.”

“I know,” she whispered, “ and yet what he’s doing is right.”

“Adrienne!”

“Well it is, and you know it.”

“That’s treason talk, and I won’t hear any more of it. The Major is not playing. He’ll stop Eric and anybody who tries to help him. Now that’s enough.”

“What if Eric asked you to join him?”

“Adrienne!” Though he had meant to whisper, his voice was so sharp that both Sarah and Timothy looked up, their eyes wide. Clayne leaned closer to his wife. “Adrienne, I mean it,” he said in a fierce whisper. “No more!”

“I have a right to ask that question, because whether the answer is yes or no, it profoundly affects me and the children. So I want to know, Clayne. What would you do if Eric said, ‘Clayne, come with us’?”

“I’d whip his fool tail into custody so fast he wouldn’t know what hit him.”

“Would you?”

“You’d better believe it. The man’s insane to try this.”

“Is he?”

Clayne leaped to his feet. “Woman, what’s the matter with you tonight? You’re acting as crazy as he is.”

Once more her eyes swam with tears. “You know as well as I do that even if you were to catch Eric tonight, the Major will never remove our implantations. He’s losing his grip on the city, and even killing Eric won’t change that. Not ever. He can’t risk decontrolling us again.”

“That’s not…” His voice trailed off, and he looked away.

“Your children and your wife are very soon going to be just like everyone else in Shalev. Is that what you want?”

He put his hands on the table and leaned forward, his eyes stricken. “Adrienne, the Major implanted you and every other family member of a Guardian officer precisely for this reason. One misstep and he will terminate you or one of the children. There will be no more mercy.”

“I know that.”

“I waited ten years to find you and start a family. I would rather have you and the kids implanted and alive than—” He broke off and shook his head angrily. “No, Adrienne. The risk is too great.”

“Eric has freed almost two dozen people now. Not one has been either punished or caught.”

“Except for Dr. Clifford Cameron.”

“All right. One. And that was only because he stayed behind to cover Eric’s escape. Whole families have been freed, Clayne. Whole families.”