“And after all you’ve seen, you still believe it?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know what to believe.”

“Well, figure it out, Cobane! You’re the one that wanted to know.”

My heart drummed against my ribs. “If you’re implying that I have something to do with the Omen, you’re mad. I can’t wield the Helix to save myself, let alone save the Kongo.” Tears burned the back of my eyes. “Hosea,” I whispered, “what’s wrong with me?”

He didn’t ask my meaning—he knew. “Something inside you is stopping the flow of your breath. You’ll have to remove it in order to see improvement.”

“Yes, a block, you said that before in lecture,” I said. “How can I remove it?”

He shrugged.

My frustration boiled over and I confronted him physically, butting him with my chest. “Don’t shrug, Hosea! Don’t shrug. Time is running out. Help me!”

Our eyes locked. We stood, with my chest to his middle. He took my shoulders. “Believe me, Arika, I would help you if I could. No one can help you do this. Whatever it is, is between you and your own demons—your own God, if you claim one.”

“Then tell me more. What is a block? Explain it.”

“The explanation depends on the problem. If it’s here,” he touched his chest, “it’s an emotional block. Or, it could be in your head. Breath is like water, it needs to flow. And right now, something is stifling you, sapping you of the strength you need to wield the sword. It’s like you’re trying to swim with a boulder around your waist. You can’t get far.”

“Whatever this block is, how do I find it?”

“You have to ask yourself, Cobane.” He turned and went to the stream to wash.

I waited a few moments and followed. I walked straight to the water, letting the moon, high in the sky, fall over me. “I need to see the Director,” I said.

Chest-deep in the stream, he cupped his hands and lifted water, scrubbing vigorously before answering. “What for?”

“I have information for him, regarding Jones.” The lie came easily. Once I accepted escape was impossible, I had tested several methods of deceiving him. In the end, I’d decided keep it simple. Once I was face to face with the Director, I would find some way of manipulating him into revealing his plans for the New Seed vote. I would take that information to Jones in exchange for her protection.

I waited impatiently as Hosea continued to wash. He was as meticulous about cleanliness as he was about everything, and he took his time. Finally, he moved to the waterside.