The dark woman gestured to her right and, suddenly, I saw the raspberry-haired English Teacher was with her. The Teacher’s curls frizzled about her head like magenta feathers. “I’m meeting with Teacher Saxon about her technology course proposal,” the dark woman said.

Teacher Saxon smiled weakly, twisting her fingers together in an anxious knot.

Headmistress Jones glared openly, her eyes hard with hatred.

The dark-skinned woman didn’t flinch. “Teacher Saxon!”

Saxon jumped. “Yes, Senator.”

“Take this student to the infirmary.”

My mouth fell open. I looked around, confirming what I knew. I was the only student present. I gazed back at the woman as Teacher Saxon hurried me away. Her bedecked neck, dark and strong, went on. Inch after inch. She was tall enough to look down on all of us.

When we were out of earshot, I whispered. “Who was that?”

“That was Senator Osprey,” Teacher Saxon said.

“A Record Keeper?”

“More—she is a Kongo Senator.”

So, she was Kongo—like me! “How—how did she—?”

Teacher Saxon bent so our eyes were level. “After Director Kumar,” she said, “Senators are the most powerful people in the Kongo.”

My breath caught. Power, immune to reclassification—safe forever. “Could I?”

She shrugged. “If you excel in your studies, then yes, one day you can aspire to a seat in the Senate. But—”

“I can do it,” I said, bullishly.

She shook her head, making her bright spirals shimmy.

“You’re behind, Arika. And Teacher Jones—”

“I can do it,” I repeated. “I’ll be the best student ever.”

Saxon’s hand lingered on my cheek as she straightened. We never spoke of Senator Osprey again.

The Gamble

THE GAMBLE

Ignoring Hosea’s shout, I ran from the village, ripping the hobbled skirt of my aura as I crossed the meadow. I stopped at the Schoolhouse gate just as the sun peeked over the horizon on Sunday morning. Heaving for breath, I crawled under the loose fence post and circled the porch. I was sweaty and dirty, and I took the stairs two at a time. At my desk, I withdrew the black book and sat down to write.

Minutes later, I cleaned myself and dressed properly. Book in hand, I left my room and wound my way around the Schoolhouse to Teacher Jones’ office. It opened just as I stopped, before I could knock! Terrified, I froze. All the light in the world seemed to flicker on and off. She’d known I was coming.

* * *

“Come in, girl.”

Seeing that I wasn’t followed, she shut the door. “You were to contact me tomorrow,” she hissed.

I forced myself to meet her stare. “I came to give you this, Teacher.” I held up the black book.

“You fool. I told you Monday. Monday, not Sunday.”

“Yes, Teacher, but the matter is imperative.”

Her eyes bored into mine.

I didn’t dare blink.

“Hand it here.”