“I believe they do. Unfortunately, I cannot be certain which rebels are to be trusted and which would claim they are on our side in order to remove us. And since you say Michal’s position in this office was orchestrated, most if not all of my staff’s loyalty must also come into question. It is impossible to know which are loyal to Symon’s purpose or to me.”

She’s right. Tension builds as the president falls silent and stares into the fire. Her lips purse—the only sign of the magnitude of the problem that faces her. It is in this moment that I understand why she was chosen to lead.

She nods. “Symon will be wondering about this meeting. I have to go downstairs. Remain here. Someone will bring work to occupy you so those who are watching will not question your continued presence. I will be back soon.”

“But—”

President Collindar strides out the door and into the hallway, from where I hear her say, “Someone will be back with a project for Ms. Vale to work on. At least then her time here will not be completely wasted.”

I hear the door shut and I rise from my chair. Despite the relief I feel, I cannot sit still. Pacing the length of the floor, I think about President Collindar’s reaction to my words. Her quick acceptance indicates that she had concerns about the trustworthiness of the rebels already. Yet despite that, she continued to work with them. Michal once told me that though she holds the top government position, President Collindar has less power than Dr. Barnes. I think I finally understand how this can be true. The title of “leader” only brings authority if the officials and citizens you work with follow you. The term “president” is meaningless if people turn to someone else for leadership. With so many Commonwealth officials allied with Dr. Barnes, possibly even those in this office, President Collindar has been forced to work with those she might not have full confidence in to regain the control she needs to keep the country unified. Not only do presidents have to be smart enough to understand the problems that come before them, they have to find potential solutions and a way to inspire others to follow their lead.

President Collindar took office less than five years ago, after President Wendig died. He served in the office for thirty-four years. My Five Lakes teacher called President Wendig one of the greatest leaders history has ever known. When I studied the huge advancements in clean water, power, food sources, and colonization that were made under his leadership, I had to agree. Now I have to assume that President Wendig knew about The Testing and what was expected of the students who passed through The Testing Center’s doors. How many of the accomplishments he presided over were made possible because of students who were forced to sacrifice their lives? Did he actively support Dr. Barnes’s program? If so, does that diminish the advancements that came under his guidance? My uncertainty about the answer disturbs me deeply.

There is a knock at the door. Moments later, a young red-clad official appears, loaded down with several large folders filled with paper. Behind her is another female official also laden with paperwork. The two place the stacks of papers on the table. The second turns and leaves as the first says, “President Collindar asked that you organize these reports on University graduates based on where they grew up. Once you do that, she requested that they be alphabetized.” Her sympathetic smile says that she believes I am being punished with busywork for not providing more useful information during my meeting. Walking toward the door she adds, “A lot of us are going to be working late tonight. If you’re still here when the president leaves, we’d be happy to help.”

Clearly, the president’s plan to make people think I wasted her time has been successful.

While I know the papers are not part of a real assignment, I choose to organize them anyway. If nothing else, having something tangible to focus on keeps me from worrying about the president’s meeting with Symon. I assign areas of the table and nearby floor to the city and each of the colonies. Then I pick up the first stack of papers and get to work. Not surprisingly, since Tosu City was the only established concentration of people for the first twenty years after the United Commonwealth was founded, most University graduates have come from the city. Although, looking at the paperwork, I can see that there were fewer students at the start than there are now. Probably because more people were needed then for the physical labor involved in restoring the city.

As the first colony, Shawnee has the next largest concentration, immediately followed in number by Omaha, Amarillo, and Ames. Not surprisingly, the space I reserved for my own colony sits empty for a long time before I find the first student from eighteen years ago. Seven years after Five Lakes was created.

Dreu Owens.

Magistrate Owens’s son? My father once said she had a child but that he was no longer with us. I assumed he meant that the child had died. Instead, he was selected for The Testing and survived to attend the University. According to this file, he studied Biological Engineering and was assigned an internship with a research team working on techniques designed to reverse mutations in plants and animals. Putting the paper in the section I designated for Five Lakes, I wonder what job he was assigned after he graduated and if he is still in Tosu.

The stack of unsorted papers grows smaller as I continue my work. I am starting on the last stack when President Collindar walks in holding a gray folder. Gone is the muted sense of concern I saw when she left to meet with Symon. In its place are strength and confidence.

I scramble to my feet as she says, “I apologize for the delay. Symon had a number of thoughts on this week’s activities. Letting him talk gave me time to come up with a plan.” She crosses the room to the table where I sit, looks directly at me, and says, “I cannot cancel the Debate Chamber vote. Not without raising Jedidiah’s and Symon’s suspicions. But tomorrow morning a member of my staff will be reported as missing. No one will question a postponement while my team dedicates all its resources to finding him. I believe Symon will outwardly applaud the decision, all the while sowing dissention among the rebel factions and pushing them to schedule an attack. I can convince them to hold off while we search for Michal. If I am lucky, I might be able to postpone their actions for a week. I only hope it will be long enough.”