They took her to the library. It had been transformed into aheadquarters for the invasion, the long tables filled withportable workscreens manned by Specials, its usual quietreplaced by a buzz of clipped exchanges and commands.
The razor voices of the cruel pretties set Tally’s teeth on edge.
Dr. Cable waited at one of the long tables. Reading anold magazine, she seemed almost relaxed, at a remove fromthe activity around her.
“Ah, Tally.” She bared her teeth in an attempt at a smile.
“Nice to see you. Sit down.”
Tally wondered what was behind the doctor’s greeting.
The Specials had treated Tally like an accomplice. Hadsome signal from the pendant reached them before she haddestroyed it?
In any case, her only chance of escape was to playalong. She pulled out a chair and sat down.
“Goodness. Look at you,” Dr. Cable said. “For someonewho wants to be a pretty, you’re always such a sight.”
“I’ve had a rough morning.”
“You seem to have been in a scrape.”
Tally shrugged. “I was just trying to get out of the way.”
“Indeed.” Dr. Cable placed the magazine facedown on thetable. “That’s something you don’t seem to be very good at.”
Tally coughed twice, the last bit of pepper leaving herlungs. “I guess not.”
Dr. Cable glanced at her workscreen. “I see we had youamong the resistors?”
“Some of the Smokies already suspected me. So when Iheard you guys coming, I tried to get out of town. I didn’twant to be around when everyone realized what was happening.
In case they got mad at me.”
“Self-preservation. Well, at least you’re good at something.”
“I didn’t ask to come here.”
“No, and you took your time, too.” Dr. Cable leanedback, making a steeple of her long, thin fingers. “How longhave you been here exactly?”
Tally forced herself to cough again, wondering if shedared lie. Her voice, still harsh and uneven from inhalingthe pepper, wasn’t likely to give her away. And although Dr.
Cable’s office back in the city might be one big lie detector,this table and chair were solid wood, without any tricksinside.
But Tally hedged. “Not that long.”
“You didn’t get here as quickly as I’d hoped.”
“I almost didn’t make it at all. And when I did, it wasUGLIES 305ages after my birthday. That’s why they suspected me.”
Dr. Cable shook her head. “I suppose I should havebeen worried about you, out in the wild all alone. PoorTally.”
“Thanks for your concern.”
“I’m sure you would have used the pendant if you’dgotten into any real trouble. Self-preservation being yourone skill.”
Tally sneered. “Unless I’d fallen off a cliff. Which almosthappened.”
“We still would have come for you. If the pendant hadbeen damaged, it would have sent a signal automatically.”
The words sunk in slowly: If the pendant had been damaged. . . Tally gripped the edge of the table, trying not toshow any emotion.
Dr. Cable narrowed her eyes. She might not havemachines to read Tally’s voice and heartbeat and sweat,but her own perceptions were alert. She’d chosen thosewords to provoke a reaction. “Speaking of which, whereis it?”
Tally’s fingers went to her neck. Of course, Dr. Cablehad noticed the pendant’s absence immediately. Her questionshad been leading to this moment. Tally’s brain racedfor an answer. The handcuffs were off. She had to get out ofthere, to the trading post. Hopefully, her hoverboard stilllay on the roof, unfolded and charging in the morning sun.
“I hid it,” she said. “I was scared.”
306 Scott Westerfeld“Scared of what?”
“Last night, after I was sure this really was the Smoke,I activated the pendant. But they have this thing that detectsbugs. They found the one on my board—the one you putthere without telling me.”
Dr. Cable smiled, spreading her hands helplessly.
“That almost blew the whole thing,” Tally continued.
“So after I activated the pendant, I got scared they’d knowa transmission had been sent. I hid it, in case they camelooking.”
“I see. A certain amount of intelligence sometimesaccompanies a strong sense of self-preservation. I’m gladyou decided to help us.”
“Like I had a choice?”
“You always had a choice, Tally. But you made the rightchoice. You decided to come here and find your friend, tosave her from a life of being ugly. You should be happyabout that.”
“I’m thrilled.”
“So pugnacious, you uglies. Well, you’ll be growingup soon.”
A chill went down Tally’s spine at the words. To Dr.
Cable, “growing up” meant having your brain changed.
“There’s just one more thing you have to do for me,Tally. Do you mind getting the pendant from where you’vehidden it? I don’t like to leave loose ends lying around.”
Tally smiled. “I’d be happy to.”
UGLIES 307“This officer will accompany you.” Dr. Cable lifted afinger, and a Special appeared at her side. “And just to keepyou safe from your Smokey friends, we’ll make it look likeyou’ve been a brave resistor.”
The Special pulled Tally’s hands together behind herback, and she felt plastic bite into her wris............