“I don’t know. I think a lot of other people in this city are just like Chester Abernathy. Most have accepted what is because the alternative carries too much risk. But a lot of people would join us in a moment if we can show them we’ve beaten the system. We’ll have to pick them carefully at first—not only to protect ourselves, but to find those who can be of the greatest help to us.”

“But we’ve got to get my family free.”

“Your family is the family of man, and you can’t just abandon that larger family.”

“But what about Mother and Stephanie and—”

“They must be freed too, but—” Cliff’s hand came up and rubbed at his eyes. “But Eric, while they may be more important to you and me, in the greater perspective they are no more nor no less important than the seventy thousand slaves living around us.” He waved his hand. “Or the hundred and thirty thousand others living out their lives of programmed existence in the Alliance of Four Cities.”

The iron quietness in Cliffs voice shook Eric deeply. “Do you know what you’re asking of me?” he whispered, his eyes stricken.

Cliff sighed. “And of me. Your father and your family are the only family I’ve ever had. But Eric, if we free the others, we’ll free Madeline and the children. If we don’t free them, freeing the four who mean the most to us will never justify us before God or our fellow beings.”

“The longer the implantations are in, the more permanent the conditioning will be,” Eric said. “I can’t just forget them.”

“We won’t forget them. But we can’t just forget the others either.”

For almost a full minute, Eric stared out into the darkness, his fist clenching and unclenching. “Can we do it, Cliff? Can we pull all of this off?”

“I don’t know. We face terrible risks, tremendous obstacles. But the greater question is, can we not try and ever face ourselves as men again?”

CHAPTER 16

Nicole picked up the phone, expecting that her dinner engagement with Travis was about to be cancelled. “Yes, this is Nicole.”

It was Shirley Ferguson, the afternoon tracking monitor who had taken over for Nicole at four o’clock.

“Nicole, cancel the alert. Eric isn’t headed for the Museum of Remembrance.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. When he entered Alliance Square, we assumed that was his destination, but actually he’s coming here.”

She frowned. “To Central Control?”

“Yes. He’ll be inside the building in another minute or two. Which surprises me a little. Isn’t this his day off?”