Child of Lies

by Eric Kent Edstrom

  “Where did Belle go?” Bethancy asked. She crossed her arms over her chest and pasted a bored look on her face. “And why didn’t Mr. Justin send Leslie up here, too?”

  “I don’t know,” Humphrey said. He blew out a long breath and pulled a chair out. Collapsing into it, he put his elbows on the table and rubbed his temples. Now that these Scions were confronting him with all these questions, he wished he and Jacey had just told them everything from the start. But Jacey hadn’t wanted to panic everyone with the truth. “Give me a moment. I need to think this through.”

  Why had Mr. Justin sent this particular group to the hacienda . . . ?

  He looked at each in turn, trying to put together the puzzle. Wanda and Elias at sixteen years old were Eagles. But so were Leslie and Sang, and neither of them were present.

  The rest—Bethancy, Dajeet, Horace, and Tytus— were all Snakes, fifteen years old.

  Humphrey himself was the only remaining Shark on Campus. So here were all of the older Scions, minus Leslie and Sang. What did that signify?

  Footsteps pounded down the hall. Humphrey turned just as Sang burst into the room.

  Breath heaving, he came to an abrupt stop, eyebrows bunched with worry. “Did I miss it?”

  “Miss what?” Wanda asked wryly. “Humphrey doesn’t even know why we’re here. Where were you?”

  Sang’s face relaxed with relief. “I was searching for Summer on the east path. I came back and found the quad empty. Leslie came out of Girls’ Hall and sent me up here. She said Mr. Justin wanted to tell us something. She was not happy about being excluded.”

  “Have a seat,” Dajeet said. “Humphrey is thinking through how he’s going to tell us he doesn’t know anything.”

  Sang took a chair next to Elias, which drew an odd look from Elias. The two had been good friends when they were little, but since Elias had excelled so much in the martial arts, Sang had been a bit jealous. The two rarely spoke, and never spent time together if they could avoid it.

  “Where’s Mr. Justin?” Sang asked.

  “He stopped at the medical ward,” Wanda said. “It’s been a while.”

  Humphrey wondered if Mr. Justin was talking to Senator Bentilius. The thought worried him. Had the butler decided to switch sides? Maybe he was telling the old woman how the man she thought was Dr. Carlhagen was just a seventeen-year-old boy wearing a big suit.

  But no. The senator’s bodyguards would already be there if Mr. Justin had done that. Or maybe not. Maybe they had all gone off in the helicopter in search for Summer and Jacey.

  Humphrey met Wanda’s eyes. She nodded encouragingly, making her opinion clear. She knew a bit more than everyone else here. She knew that the Scions were clones and probably thought that was all Humphrey had to tell. “There’s more to it than that, Wanda.”

  Her head shot back, chin going down. “I suspected as much.”

  “What are you two talking about?” Bethancy hissed. “Why does Wanda know something the rest of us don’t?”

  “Because Jacey ordered her not to tell. But Jacey’s not here, so I’m going to tell you what I know.”

  He had never seen such intent looks on his fellow Scions’ faces. They’d certainly never been this interested in anything he’d had to say before. He couldn’t help but relish the attention a little bit.

  So this is what it felt like to be Vaughan.

  Except, Vaughan had gotten this all day, every day. Jacey too, though to a lesser extent. It felt odd.

  “A few days ago, Jacey, Vaughan, and I learned that the graduating Scions met their parents in the medical ward just after the Birthday ceremony.”

  “We knew that already,” Tytus said under his breath.

  Humphrey gave the boy a sharp look and received a sullen sideways stare in return.

  “We were wrong. The people that Dante, Ping, Vin, and Sarah met were not their parents.”

  Shock and disappointment gave way to disbelief, laughter, and finally stunned silence as Humphrey related all he and Jacey had learned about the cloning and mind transfer process. He marveled at how he’d already moved beyond his own disappointment. But then, he was in a unique position among the Scions.

  “Clones,” Sang said, shaking his head. “And we’ve been raised just so we could serve as new bodies for these Progenitor people? That’s . . . horrific.”

  Wanda’s face flushed bright red and her nostrils flared. “Why did you keep this from us? We deserved the truth as soon as you learned it.”

  “Jacey thought it best to keep things calm due to the hurricane coming. She meant to tell everyone the truth as soon as we’d figured out what to do.”

  “As soon as you figured out what to do.” Wanda shouted, jabbing a finger in Humphrey’s direction. “What gives you the authority to make those decisions? Do you think just putting on Dr. Carlhagen’s suit makes you the headmaster?”

  “No. I’m wearing this in order to keep those on the outside from learning that Dr. Carlhagen has been deposed. I’m doing that because if the wrong people learn of it, we’ll have more armed guards on campus. And that will make it impossible for us to escape.”

  That silenced them. But only for a few moments. Horace had finally begun to really think about what was being said. “It’s stupid to think that anyone would believe you are Dr. Carlhagen. You’re too young.”

  A moment after his words were out, true understanding transformed Wanda and Dajeet’s expressions. The latter showing a look of disgust, the other softening into a warm compassion.

  Wanda spoke first. “I understand now. Humphrey is Dr. Carlhagen’s clone.”

  So the truth was out. Humphrey had expected the revelation to overwhelm him with shame. And even though Dajeet was repulsed by the idea, Humphrey didn’t care. He actually felt lighter all of a sudden.

  He put on his Dr. Carlhagen impersonation, smiling and chuckling. “Right you are, my dear. Right you are. And since the people I’ve been speaking with know what the Scion School is all about, it was easy for them to believe that a ninety-two-year-old man had decided to transfer into his Scion a year early.” He patted the table and leaned back in his chair. “Now. I’ve got more to tell you. We have a guest on the island. A Progenitor who also seeks to transfer early.”

  “Into Summer,” Wanda said, voice cold with certainty.

  “Exactly!”

  He dropped the Dr. Carlhagen bit, which had made Dajeet’s eyes go wide with horror. “I’ve been being Dr. Carlhagen so much, it’s become second nature. Ha ha!”

  “So Jacey and Belle helped Summer escape?” Elias asked.

  “Jacey did. As for Belle . . . I need to step back a minute and talk about what happened to Vaughan. You see, Dr. Carlhagen is not exactly dead.”

  29

  Starving For Another Kiss

  It was midmorning by the time Belle rolled into Mother Tyeesha’s compound. By then she’d decided to put Jacey in one of the little villas where the nursery and assistant teaching staff lived. That would keep her out of Vaughan’s sight.

  She turned off the engine and shook Jacey’s shoulder.

  “What’s going on?” Jacey said, sitting bolt upright. “Where are we?”

  “Mother Tyeesha’s.”

  “Why did we move? Why did you . . . “

  She was looking through the passenger window toward Mother Tyeesha’s villa. Belle followed her gaze and groaned. Standing there, hand on a support column of the front porch overhang, stood Vaughan. His uniform was bedraggled and clung to him from sweat.

  Jacey opened the door and stepped out. She took slow steps toward Vaughan. Belle hurried out and ran to Vaughan’s side. He ignored her. His eyes bore into Jacey’s.

  “I see you are upright, Dr. Carlhagen,” Jacey said. “Belle led me to believe you were unwell.”

  Belle stepped between them and pointed toward a villa across the square. “You can rest over there, Jacey. Leave Vaughan and me alone.”

  “You’re welcome to Vaughan,” Jacey said, “b
ut this is Dr. Carlhagen. Just look at his eyes.”

  Against her will, Belle looked over her shoulder at Vaughan’s face. His eyes were strange, but it was because of his feverish drug withdrawal. Jacey continued to move closer.

  “So tell me, Vaughan,” she said, emphasizing the name, “after Humphrey left us alone together in the bell tower, what did we talk about?”

  “That’s not a fair question,” Belle said. “He was kicked in the head shortly after that.”

  “Okay. Let’s go back further in time. At the Birthday celebration, Dante gave you a signal. What was it?”

  “Jacey,” Belle warned.

  “Okay, let’s go further back. When we were Snakes together on kitchen duty, what did Dante put in the chili?”

  Belle knew the answer to this one. She had been there. Dante had been put on kitchen duty with the Spiders as punishment for attempting to swim around the fence line. Though he’d nearly drowned, Sensei didn’t think that sufficient discouragement. Dante, who had always been up to no good, thought it funny to put in five times the recipe’s amount of habanero peppers. Vaughan had thrown out the batch after nearly choking on a test bite.

  Vaughan didn’t answer. And why should he? Jacey’s disgusting accusations didn’t merit a response.

  “Let’s go further back,” Jacey said. “What was the name of your stuffed animal? The one Dr. Carlhagen forced you to burn in the barrel?”

  Vaughan didn’t answer. But Belle knew. It was Leroy, a stuffed seal.

  “Let’s go further back. Who did you get into a fight with right behind that building?” Jacey pointed at the schoolroom. Belle knew the answer. Vaughan had gotten into a fight with Humphrey, though she didn’t know over what.

  “You see, Belle?” Jacey said. “He doesn’t know any of the answers because he isn’t Vaughan at all.”

  Vaughan wavered and sagged to his knees.

  Mother Tyeesha bustled out the door. She saw Jacey and stopped, mouth open, eyes wide. She sighed and lowered her head as if she couldn’t keep it up under the weight of events.

  Jacey stared back at the woman. And then the spell broke. In three rushed steps, she ascended to the porch, skirted around Belle and Vaughan, and embraced Mother Tyeesha, engulfing the tiny woman in her arms and letting out a long, laughing sob.

  “Oh Mother, it is so good to see you.”

  Belle knelt by Vaughan, fumbling with the pill bottle. She popped the lid, dumped a pill into her hand, and thrust it under Vaughan’s nose. His eyes slowly focused on the tablet. With trembling hands, he brought her hand to his mouth and pulled the pill away with his lips. He swallowed and released her hand.

  She pressed her palm to her cheek, relishing the faint dampness he’d left there.

  Vaughan shifted his weight to rest his back against the column. “How did I get outside?”

  That explained why Vaughan hadn’t answered Jacey’s hateful questions. He hadn’t even known where he was. He probably hadn’t even realized what Jacey was asking him.

  A strange twisting feeling remained in the back of her mind. She gave herself a shake. The truth would be easy enough to assess. Once the pills kicked in, Vaughan would be lucid, and she could ask him all of Jacey’s questions. He would prove to her that he knew everything Vaughan did.

  Not that she needed proof. It was just that Jacey was so good at creating doubt. She was always manipulating people with such tricks.

  Vaughan’s eyes cleared, and he got to his feet. He swayed. “Jacey? How did you get here?”

  Jacey released Mother Tyeesha and stepped away. “Mother, is there someplace we can talk alone?”

  “Yes, dear. Follow me.”

  As Mother Tyeesha passed Belle, Mother nodded back to the door. “Get him inside and put to bed. And if I were you, I’d block the door.”

  Jacey followed Mother Tyeesha, who led her toward the nursery. Belle guided Vaughan back inside and down the little hall to Mother Tyeesha’s bedroom. He collapsed onto the bed with a groan.

  “Oh Belle, thank you so much. I hate being in the grip of this drug. I was sure I was going to die.” His eyes went to the door. He stared hard, as if he could see far beyond it. “What’s Jacey doing here? What’s happening with Summer and the senator?”

  “Summer is still missing. Now get some sleep.” Belle drew the thin sheet back over Vaughan, but as she started to step away, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her close. He looked into her eyes. Gone was that strange haunted look he had given Jacey. His face was full of softness.

  “Thank you,” he whispered. His eyes dropped to her lips, making her throat and face flush with heat.

  “You’re welcome,” she said. It came out a whisper. Her throat was suddenly very dry. She closed her eyes and leaned closer, starving for another kiss.

  But Vaughan didn’t rise to meet her. “Do you have more?”

  She opened her eyes. The strange, fevered look had returned.

  “I have more,” she said. “But I’ll be doling them out as I see fit.”

  His lips pulled back in a snarl. His fingers tightened on her wrist, and he yanked her onto the bed. In a second he had rolled her over. He sat astride her, one hand still crushing her wrist, the other searching her body. “Where are they?”

  Reflexively she twisted and flailed her legs. A lucky blow to his stomach curled him into a ball, and he fell away. She scrambled off the bed and darted through the door, slamming it behind her. She put her weight against it, but Vaughan didn’t try to open it. From the groaning coming through, she figured she had immobilized him.

  She turned away from the door and studied the knob. It locked from the inside. With stiff, jerky steps, she collected one of the chairs from Mother Tyeesha’s small kitchen. She carried it back down the hall and tucked it under the doorknob, hind legs firmly wedged against the wood planks of the floor.

  Leaning against the corridor wall, she lifted the back of one hand to her mouth to stifle the sobs bubbling in her chest. Why couldn’t she be in control of herself? Why did emotion always explode in her and ruin everything and make her feel so utterly alone?

  In that moment, she hated Jacey more than ever. Not because of Jacey’s ruthless questioning, but because Jacey had been right.

  Belle had been fooled by Dr. Carlhagen.

  And she had fooled herself. She had used her own rationality to convince herself of things that weren’t true. She stumbled into the living room and collapsed onto Mother Tyeesha’s tiny sofa.

  And there, curled into a ball and sobbing, she gave vent to a lifetime of disappointment and loneliness.

  30

  Raindrops on Rocks

  “Mother, I need to tell you something.” Jacey walked alongside the old woman, twisting her thumb in her fingers.

  “If it’s about Vaughan, you can save your breath. Belle told me how Dr. Carlhagen tried to overwrite him. She says that’s why he behaves the way he does.”

  That wasn’t what Jacey had wanted to talk about at all, but she stopped and stared at the little woman, muscles tensing. “So you knew? All this time, you knew what was happening to us?”

  “Of course not,” Mother Tyeesha said. “I only found out when Belle filled me in.”

  “Oh.” Jacey’s shoulders relaxed, and she heaved a sigh.

  Mother Tyeesha took her arm, and Jacey was reminded how much the old woman had changed. For one thing, she had shrunk.

  “Are you feeling okay, Mother?”

  “I’m fine. Just old. And it feels like I’ve aged ten years in the past twenty-four hours.” Her eyes went to the schoolroom and then to the nursery. “I thought I was doing something good here, something the world needed.”

  “If it hadn’t been you, it would have been someone else,” Jacey said. “And for my part, I’m glad it was you. Besides, we didn’t turn out all that bad.”

  Mother Tyeesha gave a non-committal grunt. “I can’t say I’m surprised about Belle,” she said after a long pause. “Such a closed up little girl. Whip-s
mart, gifted in many ways, but I don’t think I ever once saw her smile. Let alone giggle. Even when she played, it was serious business.”

  “She’s an unhappy girl,” Jacey said. “She always has been. She takes it out on everybody, especially me. You know, she once—” Jacey cut off. There was no point in telling Mother Tyeesha that Belle had lashed her with the thornskipple branch.

  “I have a confession to make,” Mother Tyeesha said. “When the Jeep arrived just now, I was filled with dread. I knew Belle was searching for Summer. When I saw that she had found you instead . . . I was relieved.”

  They continued winding through the buildings, Jacey marveling at how small everything had gotten. “There has to be a way off the island for all of us. Some way to protect all of the Scions.”

  “If you could get off the island,” Mother Tyeesha said, “and land somewhere relatively safe, it might be possible to use the news media to create a scandal. There are billions of people on Earth, most struggling just to get by. I don’t imagine they would relish the idea of the richest and most powerful being able to live another life by murdering teenagers.”

  “That’s the thing,” Jacey said. “I don’t know anything about the outside world. Until a few days ago, we’d all been told it was a wasteland. You told us that yourself.”

  “I did, I did.” Mother Tyeesha squinted and shook her head. “Dr. Carlhagen instructed me to. He said it was very important for your education that you believe you were special and had an important destiny to fulfill. I didn’t like it. But he told me it was all part of a great experiment to produce people who were fundamentally good and extraordinarily gifted, who would selflessly go out into the world to fix what was broken. I was fooled.”

  She slowed and tilted her head toward the nursery. “Would you like to see the babies?”

  “Yes,” Jacey said. “Of course.” She needed to tell Mother Tyeesha about the boat and Mr. Justin’s plan to steal the Scions. But at the same time, she didn’t want to spoil this reunion.