The Unwanteds [Unwanteds #1] by Lisa McMann

Author:Lisa McMann
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2011-08-10T16:34:08+00:00

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The Unwanteds » 198

A Glimse of Quill

At the end of class Alex, whose mind was now occupied with things other than Lani, slipped away from the others as they headed to lunch. He bounded up the marble staircase and stepped cautiously into the secret hallway, making sure no one was around. And then he crept down the hall toward Mr. Today’s office, knowing that the mage always had lunch with the students on Tuesdays.

When he got to the place where the glass wall had been, he put his hands out, determined not to run into it again, but as he inched forward, it became apparent that the wall was not in place. “There’s a bonus,” Alex whispered under his breath.

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199 « The Unwanteds

He slipped into the office, his ears tuned for any noise, and stared at the row of blackboards on the wall.

The three on the left showed various parts of Artimé, flashing from one scene to another every ten seconds or so. Alex waited until he saw the dining room, and noted that Mr. Today was walking about cheerfully, stopping and chatting at each table.

The remaining six blackboards showed moving views of Quill. Alex was horrified by how gray and desolate it looked—

it was so much worse than he remembered. He watched each blackboard, intrigued. One blackboard showed repeating views of the four quadrants, where all the houses and farms stood. He strained to pick out his parents’ house from the vast expanse of rows and columns, but the picture changed too quickly for him to even come close to finding it.

He moved on and watched the Quillitary grounds for a moment. Soldiers and officers moved about mechanically, their faces expressionless. Some of them worked on tanks and other vehicles, and others toiled in a windowless room lis

filled with sheets of rusty metal and a few cutting tools. Still a mcmann

others painstakingly poured liquid from a dented tin pail into a vehicle’s engine, careful not to spill a precious drop.

The Unwanteds » 200

On the last two blackboards were flashing shots of government buildings and the palace of the High Priest Justine. Alex’s heart fluttered as he recognized the university grounds on one blackboard, and he waited anxiously for the scene to change, hoping against hope that he’d catch a glimpse of Aaron. Just to see him once, he thought. Just to know he’s okay.

While he saw many university students sitting rigidly at lunch, he didn’t see his brother. Disappointed, he turned to the palace and watched with slitted eyes as the scene showed the governors in a small meeting room, and then it flashed to the high priest herself, alone in her office. Alex scowled and turned back to the university blackboard, which now flashed from the cafeteria to an empty dormitory room to a classroom.

Alex shook his head sadly. Not only did the scenes of Quill depress him, but they also made him feel like he was so close to actually seeing Aaron, which made the results more disappointing.

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