Margaret Haddix: Among the Betrayed

Mr. Talbot and Mr. Hendricks exchanged glances in such a way that Nina felt like she was back with Percy, Matthias, and Alia.

"So that's enough for you?" Mr. Talbot asked. "It doesn't matter that Jason was trying to get other kids killed? You don't care about the evil he did as long as he loved you?"

Nina's smile slipped. Why did Mr. Talbot have to con' fuse everything again?

"No, no," she said. "That's not what I believe. This just means — he wasn't all bad. He's dead anyway. So I can. . hold on to the good memories and let go of being mad at him." She wondered what had made Jason the way he was. She remembered how desperate she'd felt in the jail cell when she'd been so tempted to betray Percy, Matthias, and Alia. What if Jason had been even more desperate? What if he hadn't wanted to betray anyone, either, but had been too weak to resist?

It was odd to think of Jason as weak. She could actually feel sorry for him now. She could hold on to that forever, the way she held on to memories of Gran and the aunties.

"Nina," Mr. Talbot said. "Jason isn't dead. I thought they had executed him, but… it turns out that another faction of the Population Police thought he might still be useful.

I've only recently found out that he's working for the Population Police in some top secret project. Something we who oppose the Government are very concerned about." He paused for a second, as if waiting for the news to sink in. "So, what does that information do for you? Are you going to rush to his side, to help him, because he loves you?"

Nina stared at Mr. Talbot in amazement. "He's alive?" she whimpered. "He's alive?" Strangely, this seemed like bad news. If Jason were dead, she could go all misty-eyed remembering him, daydream' ing about what might have been, just like Aunty Zenka mooning over one of her books. But with him alive and working for the Population Police—"I have to stay mad," she said aloud. "I can't ever forgive him." "Bitter is a bad way to live," Mr. Talbot said. Nina remembered that he had lost Jen, that he had rea-son to stay angry at the Government forever. She sank down onto one of Mr. Hendricks's couches. This was all going to overwhelm her. She was just a little girl who'd spent most of her life hiding, listening to old ladies' fool' ish stories. Or had they been foolish? All the fairy tales Gran and the aunties had told her were about people staying true to what was right in the face of great adver-sity. She'd heard the wrong part of the stories if she thought she was just supposed to sit around like a princess, waiting for some prince to fall in love with her.

She looked straight at Mr. Talbot.

"I don't want to stay bitter. But I want to help you— what can I do to make sure Jason's project fails?"

Mr. Talbot almost smiled. Nina felt like she'd passed another test.

"We'll see," he said. "We'll see."

Nina went back out toward Lee's garden to finish pick' ing corn. The sun was setting now, casting long shadows over the path. Just about every step Nina took alternated between sunlight and dark. Nina's thoughts bounced back and forth just as dramatically.

Jason did love me. That's what really matters…. But he was still evil…. Why did I say I'd help Mr. Talbot oppose the Government?… How could I not have said that, after everything Mr. Talbot did for me?… What can I possibly do, anyway?

As Nina approached the garden she saw Lee waiting for her there. Whatever she did for Mr. Talbot, she realized, she would not be alone. Lee would probably be involved, and so would Percy and Matthias and Alia.

Nina remembered how alone she'd felt in her jail cell, all those months ago. Feeling abandoned and betrayed was worse than hunger, worse than cold, worse than the hand-cuffs on her wrists. But she hadn't been abandoned; she had only accidentally been betrayed.

"Well?" Lee said as soon as she got close enough to hear. "Was I right?"

It took Nina a moment to remember what he was talk-ing about: the tape. Jason's betrayal.

"It's a long story," Nina said. "And it's not over yet."

But part of her story was over — the part where she was innocent and stupid and useless. She'd been so worried before that people might not remember her as Elodie— sweet, loving, little girl Elodie. But she'd outgrown Elodie. She'd outgrown Nina the ninny, too. She was ready now to make whatever name she carried one that people could respect and revere.

Like Jen Talbot's.

"I think… I think I just volunteered to help Mr. Talbot and Mr. Hendricks fight the Population Police," she said.

Lee's gaze was steady and unfailing.

"Good," he said. "Welcome to the club."