The rest in the room begin to go back to their business. Panic bubbles. That can’t be it. They can’t just leave.

“And when will that be?” The words burst out of me. “Do you really think there will be a magical day when people are ready to hear the truth?” I hold up the dictionary as Spine turns back toward me—anger hot in her eyes.

“There’s a reason the Engineers don’t want people your age to be part of this.” She takes slow steps toward me. “Young is easy to influence. Young makes impulsive choices. And they speak about things they don’t understand.”

“I understand that hiding out waiting for the right moment to spread the truth hasn’t worked all that well. People have forgotten the words that were taken. Every day that passes takes them farther away from the ideas those words would give them and makes it harder for them to believe. There will never be a good time to tell the truth. It is never going to be easy. We have a plan, but we need more people for it to have a chance of working, and if it is going to help Atticus, we need to do it now. If we wait . . .”

“‘We?’” Spine barks a mocking laugh, and my stomach curls as she stares down at me. “You just got here. Now you’re telling us we should abandon the mission we’ve been following for years?”

“No.” My heart pounds hard and loud in my ears. “I want you to ask yourself what you’re waiting for. I want you to stop hiding and fight for the truth you claim to believe in. I want the Steward mission to be fulfilled.”

“And you think you’re ready to lead that fight?” she asks quietly. When Atlas starts to speak, Spine cuts him off. “Not you. I know what you can do. If this child thinks she can lead people who have risked their lives for years, I want her to make me believe it.”

The room goes still.

I look at Spine, who is tall and muscular and confident. She is what a leader is supposed to look like. But I’ve faced Marshals. I was scared, but I didn’t freeze, and I survived. “Yes,” I say in a clear voice. “I am.”

“Then prove it,” she says. Spine kicks her leg out and hooks mine. My feet slide out from underneath me and I land flat on my back on the gravel. The dictionary drops with a thud beside me as laughter echoes.

I gasp for breath as Spine looms above. Her lips spread into a thin, satisfied smile. “Do you really think we should follow your lead?”

“This isn’t necessary,” Atlas says, holding out his hand to help me up.

But I ignore his offer of help, and my eyes never leave Spine’s as I pick up the dictionary and climb to my feet. “Yes,” I say. “I do.”

This time I’m ready when she launches at me. I dodge the punch she throws and swing the dictionary down on her arm with both hands. She stumbles. Pride flares for a split second before her leg once again sweeps mine out from under me. Breath kicks out of my lungs. My head cracks against the gravel. My heart thunders as I roll to my side, get to my knees, and shove slowly upright. The dictionary is still clutched in my hands when I set my feet under me and face Spine again.