but it’s better if we don’t know too much. If someone is captured, they have nothing to tell.’
The two men look at each other, before glancing back to me. ‘I know you were scared by the coverage I showed you last night,’ Knave says. ‘But we also think it could be an
opportunity. We are slowly getting organised but people are worried for their families and themselves. It isn’t easy standing up against the King.’
I shake my head, missing their point.
Vez leans across the table, his voice low. ‘You’re the person who can bring us all together.’
‘How?’
‘Everyone thinks you tried to kill the King.’
‘But I didn’t.’
They glance at each other again before Knave replies. ‘No one else needs to know that. As soon as we tell the other rebel cells that we have Silver Blackthorn on our side, they’ll
know that we stand for something.’
I look from Knave to Vez. Their eyes are fixed on me expectantly. ‘I’m not who you want me to be. I’m a sixteen-year-old girl.’
Their excitement is unaffected. ‘You’re already who you need to be just by being here,’ Knave replies.
The red dots on the screen blink hypnotically as I sense Vez and Knave’s expectation.
‘I’m not going to do it,’ I say as firmly as I can.
For a moment, neither of them says anything but I look up to see the same fire in Vez’s eyes that I saw before I knew his name. The danger from when he was in the woods, asking who I was.
‘Why not?’ he asks.
‘Because I don’t want to. I didn’t come here for me – I came because I wanted everyone else to be safe. You haven’t told me a plan, all you’ve said is that
you have people who want to fight. But what’s the point in fighting when the King has men and weapons that can wipe out entire towns and villages? This isn’t a war you’re going to
win by fighting. I thought you’d have a plan that was . . .
different.
’
Vez starts to speak but Knave cuts him off. ‘Do you have a better idea?’
I pause, thinking, wishing I did. ‘Not yet.’ I don’t want to give either of them time to contradict me, so add quickly: ‘What’s the problem with your
communications?’
Vez is angry but trying to hide it and Knave answers. ‘We don’t know. We usually have test signals once a week, which are designed to let each other know we’re still here.
We’ve not heard anything in four weeks. Sometimes there are glitches and certain pockets are cut off but we haven’t heard anything from anyone.’
‘Did you say everything was centralised in Middle England?’
Vez turns to Knave, apparently annoyed he has given up the information, but the blond man ignores him. ‘We have a contact in the North building at the Middle England junction. Their code
name is Rom.’
‘You don’t know who it is?’
‘No, it’s safer that way. They help our groups talk to each other but we’ve not been able to contact them either. We think there’s a problem in Middle England, as opposed
to with the other rebel groups, but we don’t know for sure.’
‘I’m good with electrical things. If I go to Middle England, I can try to fix it after finding your Rom.’
Vez laughs dismissively but Knave remains silent.
‘Where I grew up, there were all sorts of abandoned electrical items,’ I add. ‘I learned how electronics worked and built things of my own. In the castle, I set up that
broadcast and helped to get everyone out.’
They don’t seem as impressed as I’d hoped.
‘Do you trust me?’ I eventually ask.
They both shake their heads. ‘It’s not about trust,’ Knave replies. ‘A lot of lives rely on people like Rom. We don’t know who he or she is, so why would you be
able to find them, let alone sort out our problem? For all we know, Rom is dead.’
I’m not sure how to reply but Vez cuts in. ‘If she can’t be who we need her to be, then an enemy’s enemy . . .’
He could be saying that we should be allies but I understand what he
The two men look at each other, before glancing back to me. ‘I know you were scared by the coverage I showed you last night,’ Knave says. ‘But we also think it could be an
opportunity. We are slowly getting organised but people are worried for their families and themselves. It isn’t easy standing up against the King.’
I shake my head, missing their point.
Vez leans across the table, his voice low. ‘You’re the person who can bring us all together.’
‘How?’
‘Everyone thinks you tried to kill the King.’
‘But I didn’t.’
They glance at each other again before Knave replies. ‘No one else needs to know that. As soon as we tell the other rebel cells that we have Silver Blackthorn on our side, they’ll
know that we stand for something.’
I look from Knave to Vez. Their eyes are fixed on me expectantly. ‘I’m not who you want me to be. I’m a sixteen-year-old girl.’
Their excitement is unaffected. ‘You’re already who you need to be just by being here,’ Knave replies.
The red dots on the screen blink hypnotically as I sense Vez and Knave’s expectation.
‘I’m not going to do it,’ I say as firmly as I can.
For a moment, neither of them says anything but I look up to see the same fire in Vez’s eyes that I saw before I knew his name. The danger from when he was in the woods, asking who I was.
‘Why not?’ he asks.
‘Because I don’t want to. I didn’t come here for me – I came because I wanted everyone else to be safe. You haven’t told me a plan, all you’ve said is that
you have people who want to fight. But what’s the point in fighting when the King has men and weapons that can wipe out entire towns and villages? This isn’t a war you’re going to
win by fighting. I thought you’d have a plan that was . . .
different.
’
Vez starts to speak but Knave cuts him off. ‘Do you have a better idea?’
I pause, thinking, wishing I did. ‘Not yet.’ I don’t want to give either of them time to contradict me, so add quickly: ‘What’s the problem with your
communications?’
Vez is angry but trying to hide it and Knave answers. ‘We don’t know. We usually have test signals once a week, which are designed to let each other know we’re still here.
We’ve not heard anything in four weeks. Sometimes there are glitches and certain pockets are cut off but we haven’t heard anything from anyone.’
‘Did you say everything was centralised in Middle England?’
Vez turns to Knave, apparently annoyed he has given up the information, but the blond man ignores him. ‘We have a contact in the North building at the Middle England junction. Their code
name is Rom.’
‘You don’t know who it is?’
‘No, it’s safer that way. They help our groups talk to each other but we’ve not been able to contact them either. We think there’s a problem in Middle England, as opposed
to with the other rebel groups, but we don’t know for sure.’
‘I’m good with electrical things. If I go to Middle England, I can try to fix it after finding your Rom.’
Vez laughs dismissively but Knave remains silent.
‘Where I grew up, there were all sorts of abandoned electrical items,’ I add. ‘I learned how electronics worked and built things of my own. In the castle, I set up that
broadcast and helped to get everyone out.’
They don’t seem as impressed as I’d hoped.
‘Do you trust me?’ I eventually ask.
They both shake their heads. ‘It’s not about trust,’ Knave replies. ‘A lot of lives rely on people like Rom. We don’t know who he or she is, so why would you be
able to find them, let alone sort out our problem? For all we know, Rom is dead.’
I’m not sure how to reply but Vez cuts in. ‘If she can’t be who we need her to be, then an enemy’s enemy . . .’
He could be saying that we should be allies but I understand what he
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