Margaret Haddix - Among the Barons

Smits backed away from Luke. The two boys stared at each other, trying to fit back into the roles they’d been playing.

“So that’s all there was to your dream?” Luke said.

Smits nodded.

“So, see, it was just a nightmare. It wasn’t real. I’m right here. Nothing happened to me. No soldier shot me. I wouldn’t be skiing anyhow, this time of year.”

With every word Luke spoke, he could see more tears welling up in Smits’s eyes. Because, Luke knew, it was no comfort to Smits to have Luke there. It wasn’t reassuring to know that Luke was alive. The real Lee was still dead.

“Here,” Luke said roughly, patting Smits’s pillow. “Just go back to sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning.”

Smits obediently slid down lower in the bed. But he didn’t close his eyes.

‘What’s your favorite memory from when we were little kids?” Smits asked.

Luke hesitated. Then he said, honestly, “Having Mother tuck me into bed at night” He knew the real Lee had probably called his mother Mom, not Mother. But that didn’t matter. This was one time when telling the truth wouldn’t hurt.

Smits smiled drowsily. “Know what I remember? I remember when we got that big red wagon, and our nanny would pull us around in it, both of us together. Hour after hour. And then we got a little older, and you’d pull me in the wagon alone. Around and around the playroom. And I’d scream, Again! Again!’ But I never pulled you. I should have pulled you, at leas~ once…

“You weren’t big enough, stupid,” Luke said. Smits wasn’t his real brother; Luke had never even seen that red wagon Smits was talking about. But Luke still had chills listening to him. “Tell you what. Next time we’re anywhere near a wagon, you’re welcome to pull me in it.”

“It wouldn’t be the same,” Smits murmured. “It wouldn’t be the same.”

Mr. Talbot showed up the next day.

Mr. Talbot was the person who had helped Luke get his fake I.D. in the first place. Back when Luke was still in hiding, the Government had forced Luke’s family to sell the woods behind their farm to build fancy houses for rich people. When the houses were finished, Mr. Talbot and his family had moved into the one closest to Luke’s. Having other people so close by had terrified Luke’s family; they were afraid that someone would discover Luke’s existence. But instead Luke had discovered another third child in hiding: Mr. Talbot’s daughter, Jen.

For several wonderful months Luke had secretly sneaked back and forth between his house and the Talbots’~ Jen became his friend, and through an Internet chat room she introduced him to other third children in hiding. She also shared her dream with him, of a day when all third children could be free.

And then Jen was killed during a rally seeking that freedom.

Mr. Talbot had rescued Luke, given him Lee Grant’s identity, and brought him to Hendricks School. Luke had seen him only twice since then — both times when there was danger.

And now he was back again. Just seeing him made Luke worry.

But the way Mr. Talbot acted, Luke could have believed that Mr. Talbot didn’t have a care in the world. He breezed into Luke’s science class and boomed out, “I’m sorry to interrupt — so sorry. I certainly believe that science is important, of course. But would anyone in here want to skip class to have lunch with me?”

In another classroom, at another school, Luke could imagine such an invitation causing kids to wave their arms in the air, screaming out, “Ooh! Ooh! I will! Pick me!”

But in Luke’s class the boys froze. They stared warily at Mr. Talbot. Luke noticed that Smits was the only one who didn’t look terrified. He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head thoughtfully. But even he didn’t answer Mr. Talbot’s question.

Mr. Talbot laughed heartily.

“Don’t all jump at once,” he joked. He turned to the teacher and said, “I see you have them all so entranced with science that they don’t want to leave. I compliment you on the brilliance of your teaching.~~

The teacher, Mr. Nimms, looked every bit as frightened as his students.

“Well, I’m taking up too much of your time,” Mr. Talbot said. “Mr. Hendricks really only has room for two boys at his table, and I promised the Grants I’d check up on their sons while I was here. Come on, Lee. Come on, Smits. Let’s go have some gourmet food.”

Luke heard somebody mumble resentfully, “Smits has that every day” Luke had to hide a grin as he, Smits, and Oscar stood up to leave.

“Oh, wait a minute,” Mr. Talbot said. “You don’t need to come.” He was speaking to Oscar. “Mr. Hendricks has an excellent security system in his house, I assure you. Both of the Grant boys will be safe with me. You can take an hour off. I’m sure you’d be happy to have a break”

“My orders are to go wherever the boy goes,” Oscar growled. ‘Always.”

Luke had seen Mr. Talbot outsmart Population Police officers — not just once, but twice. He was sure Mr. Talbot would manage to twist Oscar’s words around, twist his plans around, so that Oscar suddenly found himself agreeing, “Oh yes, yes, right. I will stay here. You go with the boys. I trust you.”

But Mr. Talbot only shrugged.

“Your loss,” he said. “I’ll be sure to let your employers know how dedicated you are—"

Luke was acutely aware of the presence of Oscar and Smits behind him as he walked beside Mr. Talbot out of the classroom, down the hall, then out the door toward Mr. Hendricks’s house. Without them he could have been askir~g Mr. Talbot question after question: Do you know why Smits is here? What are the Grants thinking? Is Smits dangerous? Can I trust him? And how did the real Lee die? Mr. Talbot always had all the answers.

But today Mr. Talbot didn’t seem to care about the questions in Luke’s mind. He turned around and began talking to Smits.

“Have you adjusted to your new school yet?” Mr. Talbot asked. ‘Are you letting your parents know that everything’s okay?”

“Why would they care?” Smits asked.

“Well, you are their son,” Mr. Talbot said, still jovial.

“They liked Lee better,” Smits said.

Oh, no. Had he really said “liked”—past tense? Luke’s heart pounded as he panicked over what Oscar might have heard. He glanced over his shoulder. Oscar was trudging silently beside Smits, giving no sign that he’d heard anything at all.

“Oh, surely not,” Mr. Talbot said quickly. “Surely they love you equally.” Luke was grateful for the emphasis Mr. Talbot put on the present tense. “It must just seem like they prefer Lee right now, because Lee has done such a great job of turning his life around since he came to Hendricks. No more skipped classes, no more flunked courses — he’s really applying himself. As I’m sure you’ll apply yourself here, too.”

“Whatever,” Smits said.

They arrived at Mr. Hendricks’s house, and Mr. Hendricks let them in.

“We’re having a fine vegetable pot pie,” Mr. Hendricks said. ‘With some of the peas and carrots and beans grown right here at the school, thanks to Lee.”

Luke hoped that Smits heard the pride in Mr. Hendricks’s voice, that Smits knew what Lee had accomplished. But Smits seemed to be off in his own little sullen world.

With Oscar standing guard behind them, they sat down at the dining-room table. At first there was a flurry of passing plates and dishing out servings. Then an uncomfortable silence fell over the table. Everybody seemed to be waiting for somebody else to speak. Finally Smits put down his fork

“If you’re here as my parents’ messenger,” Smits said, staring right at Mr. Talbot, “you can tell them they can’t make me do anything.”