The Unwanteds (23 page)

“Though,” Mr. Today continued as an afterthought, “it appears to me you’ve been quite horrible to him at times. But we’ll reserve judgment, won’t we, Alex?”

“Of course,” Alex said softly. After nearly a year in Artimé, and facing his twin on Alex’s own turf, Alex felt self-conscious and could think of nothing more to say. He remembered his own immersion into this world, and was glad now for the fairly ordinary office environment Aaron was taking in. Perhaps this would help Aaron ease into it more slowly.

Aaron glanced suspiciously from Mr. Today to Alex and back to Mr. Today again. “What do you want from me?”

Mr. Today chuckled. “Good heavens, we want nothing that you have, Aaron. But I suppose we could offer you sanctuary, so to speak. A new life, if you want it.”

Alex added, “And safety from Will Blair, who wants to kill you.” He glanced at Mr. Today, who raised an eyebrow at Alex. “It’s true, Mr. Today. I heard him talking. He and”—Alex hesitated,
and then went on—“he and Samheed. They’re making a door too, like I did, and they’ve almost got it done. Will is going to use magic to look like Aaron and then kill Aaron and dispose of him so that no one knows what happened, and then he’s going to take Aaron’s place. Though I’m not sure Samheed knew all that before today,” he said.

Mr. Today listened with interest and concern, and then looked back at Aaron and shrugged. “Sounds horrifying. I’d listen to your brother, if I were you,” he said. “Additionally, I worry about you getting very uncomfortable standing there by that door forever. You won’t get to see the grounds that way. Plus, Will Blair will find you easily enough if we leave that door up.”

Aaron shook his head. “I can’t even understand what you are saying.”

Alex, in spite of the dire situation, could not hide the small smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I know how you feel, Aaron. None of us could understand a thing until we saw it for ourselves.”

“None of you could?” Aaron asked. “How many of you are there?”

Alex glanced at Mr. Today, wondering how much information he should give to Aaron. Mr. Today nodded and smiled. “I’m not fond of secrets. You may tell him everything you wish to, Alex.”

Alex took a deep breath. “I don’t know where to start.” He sighed and looked into his brother’s eyes, searching for anything but the cold hardness that had filled them only moments before. “We are the Unwanteds,” he began. “Hundreds of us. And this is the magical world called Artimé.”

Aaron the Wanted could hardly believe his eyes or ears. Every moment he stood there, he felt more and more overwhelmed. This office was far more beautiful than even the High Priest Justine’s. Everything looked shiny and new. Magic? Spells and art and all sorts of other words Aaron had never heard before? His brother certainly seemed convinced about the Will Blair character, and the old man seemed to believe him, but Aaron wasn’t buying it. Still, he wondered if all of this could be true. And slowly he realized that if it were true, if all the Unwanteds were truly here, and he had been the one to discover them,
he would be greatly rewarded by the High Priest Justine.

It all was too crazy to be true.

It was likely the craziest dream he’d ever had.

And he didn’t like it one bit. These dreams were getting way out of control. After what felt like an hour or more, Aaron grew tired of standing by the doorway.

“Come on, Aaron, let me show you Mr. Today’s mansion,” Alex said.

Aaron looked at his brother and felt a small blip of something deep inside, but within a moment it was gone. “No. I’ve got an early appointment at the palace,” he said brusquely.

Alex gripped the edge of the desk. “What?”

“I follow the law, and I do my duties. You’ll never learn that, will you?”

“But—but—,” Alex sputtered. “But you should stay here! You’ll be safe here. Don’t you understand what we’re trying to tell you?”

Aaron stared at Alex, and the identical twins stood motionless, facing each other. Finally Aaron spoke. “I have never understood you, and I never will. Please leave me alone.”

And with that, Aaron swiveled around and pushed open the 3-D door, stumbled a bit on the unnatural threshold that was made by the painting not quite reaching the floor, and slammed the door behind him.

Alex smashed his hand down on Mr. Today’s desk. “No!”

I
’m sorry, sir. I—I made such a mess of everything,” Alex said as he dropped into a chair. Mr. Today snapped his wrist again, and the scenes reappeared on the black- boards behind his desk. They watched Aaron shake his head and flip the light out on the blackboard that showed his room.

The old man sat behind the desk and pressed a finger to his lips, looking disappointed and perhaps angry, but saying nothing, as if he were waiting to hear more.

“I mean … what was I thinking? I’ve ruined everything.” A look of pure agony washed over Alex’s face as he realized
the extent of the trouble he had created. “Oh,” he groaned, “I should have talked to you, or Ms. Octavia, or someone. But I was so sure I could convince him to come, and that would be that, you know? Quill would wonder where he went, but they’d never guess.… Then I just found out tonight what Will was planning to do, and, well, I went a little crazy. I had to beat him to Aaron, and I didn’t think … I didn’t think it through. I mean, he’s close, Mr. Today—really close.” He rubbed his temples and let his head sink back in the chair. “And I know I shouldn’t have done it. I just was so sure. I mean, we’re twins! I know him. Or at least … I thought I did. I really thought I had him there. For a split second there was just a flicker of something—like he wanted to believe me. But back when I was in his room, he said—he said—” Alex relayed the entire conversation, starting from the beginning.

Mr. Today just listened and waited for Alex to finish. The look on his face changed as the story came out.

“And you know what?” Alex asked. “He’s right. He did his duty to Quill, and I failed. And now I failed to do my duty for you, too.” Alex slumped back in his chair, miserable.

They sat in silence for a moment.

“Are you quite finished?” Mr. Today asked kindly. “I don’t wish to interrupt until you’ve gotten it all out. Every last nasty bit.”

Alex looked up. “He reported me. It was him, way back when we were nine. He was already turning people in back then. Not just me. Meghan, Samheed, and Will Blair, too. I never knew anything could hurt like this.”

Mr. Today nodded. “I know. You weren’t the only ones. He turned in a great deal more than that.”

“He did?”

“Yes. Every year before the Purge I meet with Justine and go over the reports. Aaron has had his sights set on the palace for some time now.”

Alex shook his head sadly. “All this time,” he said. “I had no idea. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because it’s hurtful. And you wouldn’t have believed me. I guess you needed to see it for yourself.” Mr. Today sighed. “And once I saw the door and figured out what had happened, I, too, hoped you might have been able to change his mind. Alas.” Then his face brightened a little. “I’m glad
to have
you
here, though. Aren’t you glad to be here?”

“Yes,” said Alex. “But it still just kills me—how could he be so horrible? How could he be so evil without me knowing it? He was my closest … my closest everything! And I feel so stupid. I should have known, back in the mud.…” He sighed. “And what happens now?” His voice grew fearful.

“We’ll never know until it happens,” Mr. Today said. “But it’s likely that Aaron will report having seen you, even though he promised he wouldn’t. And it’s likely that Will Blair will succeed eventually in getting his door finished. Which one of them acts first … only time will tell.”

“I’m really sorry.”

“Come now, Alex. Let’s be done with the apologies,” Mr. Today said. “Let me tell you, my boy. I admit to holding out the slightest hope for the twin connection in getting him to stay here, once he walked in the door. I’ve witnessed that power before. But I should have known better.…” Mr. Today trailed off, deep in thought, and it was quiet in the room for several minutes.

Alex, who was completely spent, drifted off to sleep in the chair during the silence, but he startled awake when he heard
a growl at the door. Standing there was a most enormous gray wolf.

“Hello, Marcus. Claire said you wanted to see me?” The wolf’s gravelly voice was as deep as a bassoon.

Mr. Today rose to his feet and smiled warmly. “Gunnar. How good of you to come. I’m sure you recognize Alex Stowe. Alex, this is Gunnar. You may have seen him a time or two on your treks through the jungle.”

“I—yes,” Alex said, remembering. He was a bit nervous having the wolf so close, but he swallowed his fear and said, his voice shaking only a little, “It’s nice to meet you.”

The wolf nodded politely. “Marcus, is everything all right with … the children?” The wolf’s bright blue eyes shifted toward Alex briefly, and he left the rest of his question unasked.

Mr. Today looked puzzled, and then his face brightened. “Oh! Oh, yes, quite fine. No, I wanted to speak with you about matters of Quill, which continue to change by the minute. Aaron Stowe knows of our existence now. Do what you can to keep him in sight. I fear he’ll share the knowledge with Justine within days, if not immediately.”

The great wolf nodded. Alex lowered his head, feeling fully responsible for it.

“And a favor, if I may,” Mr. Today said.

“Of course.”

“I think you should alert the jungle creatures to what’s happening. If we should come to war, I will surely offer my protection for those that wish it. But if any feel inclined to fight with us …” Mr. Today’s voice was humble. “I would be grateful for their help if it comes to that. Would you let them know?”

The wolf regarded Mr. Today thoughtfully. “It would be better, I think,” he said carefully, “for them to hear it from one of their own, rather than from me.”

Mr. Today tapped his lips. “So it would,” he murmured. “I’ll speak to Arija.” He roused himself briskly and nodded, then pulled the 3-D painting from the wall. He rolled it up swiftly and touched one end, and an iron band with a lock grew around it, holding it firmly closed. Mr. Today put it in a cupboard near the door and locked that as well. Alex knew it was for the best, but it was hard to see all those hours of work get locked up in a cupboard.

“You should probably do that immediately,” the wolf said.
He glanced out the big picture window in the lounge just outside Mr. Today’s office.

Alex followed his gaze and saw it was nearly dawn. He yawned despite his best intentions, but it had been a long and sleepless night.

“Very well,” Mr. Today said. “Alex, perhaps you’d like to catch a few hours of sleep before training begins?”

Alex jumped. “Oh—yeah, of course.”

“I must go as well,” Gunnar said.

Mr. Today smiled and followed the two into the hallway. Gunnar kept walking across the lounge, past the small kitchen, and into the room where all sorts of monitors and gadgets whirred softly. He hoisted himself on his hind legs and stood in the tube in the corner.

“Take care, Gunnar,” Mr. Today said.

“You also.” Gunnar’s body shimmered and blurred before it disappeared.

Alex blinked and rubbed his eyes, not quite sure what he had just seen. “There’s a tube to the jungle?”

Mr. Today put his hand on the boy’s shoulder as they walked down the hall toward the balcony. “No,” he said.
“That tube is quite different from any other. Please don’t ever use it. It goes places you wouldn’t want to go.” He turned around, pointed to the ceiling, and murmured, “Glass.” Liquid glass shimmered down and froze into place, sealing the area.

“Mr. Today,” Alex said, “why don’t you protect your office more carefully? I … I could still see the blackboards when the glass was in place. And sometimes the glass isn’t up at all, you know.”

“I know. I’m growing forgetful.” The mage sighed. “Alex, I have nothing to hide. I am the same as anyone here. I hold few secrets, and those that need protecting are personal and I keep them inside me, where no one can get to them—just like everyone does.” He chuckled softly. “I hesitated to put up the glass shield at all, but my most trusted friends overruled me. The glass isn’t there to protect my office. It’s there to protect the most creative students, like you and others, who are able to see this hallway. And to give me a little peace and quiet. My sleeping quarters are connected to my office, you know. That’s how I heard you when you went through the magical door.”

Alex’s eyes widened. He shook his head, amazed, puzzled, not at all sure what to say. And since he was sleep-deprived after
the emotional, eventful night, his thoughts were completely jumbled.

They stepped out on the balcony, and Alex turned to go down the boys’ hallway to his room. “I have so many questions.”

Mr. Today smiled warmly. “I have answers. But for now,” he said, “you and I will be better off getting some sleep.”

Alex nodded and stumbled down the hall and into his room. “Hey, Clive, you ol’ curmudgeon, you,” he grumbled. “Wake me up in time for breakfast.”

Clive surfaced and glared. “You look like crud.”