Forty-Six

The Burning of the Books

I'm sorry to say that spent the next day sulking in my makeshift home. It was a clearing inside a cluster of trees, which I'd equipped with blankets, food, etc. It also had a small pond. It was just on the fringes of the forest, for I'd figured out that the forest got thicker and more dangerous the deeper you went in.

I was no longer a scholar, and as far as The Team knew, I was dead, but Warren had given me a stolen electronic scribe, and I used it sometimes.

But all I did that day was sit in my pile of blankets and cry. It was pretty pathetic, I must say...

I felt the hot, salty tears stream down my chin. I hadn't cried since my parents'd died two years ago, and the grief surfaced painful memories. My parents, who were Banished before I even knew they were rebels. Their bodies, at the City Square limp and lifeless, dead from an unknown murderer.

Their pale faces, my father with...with...and my mother, with...with...

A fresh stream of tears came down as I realized I couldn't remember my parent's faces. I knew they both had straight, jet black hair, and my father had hazel eyes, my mom with the blue ones that I had. I tried to pictire them in my mind, to no avail.

I sobbed, drowning in my own woefulness.

"Um, Indie."

I shot up, wiping my tears away hastily. Did I mention that I HATE crying in front of people? Yep.

It was Lucas, which made he even more humiliated. But he ignored my state (nicest thing he's ever done). His expression was grim, and looked like he was trying to hold back rage. "The Team. They're burning books."

"WHAT?!" my sadness was replaced by anger.

"Yeah. Come on."

"Wait! The Team thinks I'm dead."

"They won't notice. Come ON!"

Brushing away my doubts, I sprinted after Lucas, who'd already started running out the wood.

We ran all the way to City Square, where the rest of Forty-Six already stood, all somber.

The City Square was a large place in the middle of Quiara, with a stage at the center.

On the stage today was a large stack of books from the Halls of Knowledge, flanked by four Team Members, dressed in identical uniform.

"No..." I muttered. "They can't! All that knowledge!"

But they could.

A monotonous chorus of voices rose from nowhere. It was impossible to tell if they were female, male, or even human.

"The Burning of the Books led to the end of the Rebel Scholars. The only books left were the ones that kept Quiara pure. Let this be a warning to all rebels. You cannot pollute Quiara any longer. All who are foolish enough will be banished. Let the burning commence."

I wanted to shriek, "NO!!" but the words stuck to my throat, and it was too late.

The four Team Members walked up to the books with identical thudding steps in the silent City Square. It was like the town was holding its breath.

The Team Members were holding torches that they pressed onto the books, and then stood back.

I watched in silent horror as the flickering flames ate away at the pages, spreading like a plague. Soon the once pile of books was a swirling inferno, deadly and yet beautiful at the same time, orange and red and yellow.

We watched for ten horrible minutes, until the fire receded and all that was left was a sad-looking pile of ashes.

"Have a nice day." said The Team.

(Always a ray of sunshine weren't they?)

I saw a silvery tear streak down Warren's face, the same color as his hair. It occurred to me I'd never seen the seventeen-year-old cry before. That was how terrible The Team's acts had become.

My own heart shattered into a million pieces as we walked back to the forest, slowly turning from broken glass to stone. Sadness to unfeeling anger.

I turned to Lucas. "You're right. The Team has gone to far. Let's do the raid."