Among the Impostors

Luke no longer goes to the woods alone, accompanying jackal boy to join the group a few times each week. While Luke savors the fresh air each time he goes out, he notices that many of the others are scared, including Trey. Trey explains that it’s because he lived in the same room for 13 years. Luke realizes that for a third child, his situation at home hadn’t been so bad. He tells Trey about how Jen got fake passes to go out and he thought that was normal for third children. He tells Trey that Jason must’ve been more like Jen given that he’s fearless. Trey explains that Jason claims he’s overcome his fears and has only been at the school a few weeks more than Luke, which Luke finds surprising. The rest of the group started the previous fall and only began talking to one another when Jason arrived.

With this information, Luke sees the group as much less experienced than he originally thought and views their conversations as more like role playing or trying to act like “normal” children. At one meeting, Luke asks what the purpose of the meeting is, and Jason tells him they are planning to figure out how to subvert the Population Law. Jason tells Luke that everyone isn’t as prepared as Luke for such a drastic, courageous step, which Luke finds flattering. Jason then asks Luke if he’s ready for finals, which sends Luke into a panic. Luke explains he’s not even sure he’s going to the right classes, but Jason tells him he’ll take care of everything.

The next day, Jason brings Luke his class schedule. When Luke asks him where he got it, Jason asks, “you think your only computer hacker friend is dead?” (113). Luke remembers how Jen had set up a chat room for third children and hacked into the police records so people attending the rally wouldn’t be caught ahead of time. Luke follows his class schedule and decides to pay attention and take notes. After he learns about prime numbers, poetry, and gasoline motors, he brags to Jason that he won’t need his help with grades. Jason responds by making fun of Luke, insisting he can’t learn the whole term’s work in a week and will probably come begging Jason to help him.

Luke spends all week studying for finals. Trey wonders why Luke worries, since Jason can just fix his grades. Luke explains that he wants to learn and thinks that he’s possibly trying to prove that he’s not just a dumb lecker or that his fake identity wasn’t a waste of time. Luke finds some of his classes fascinating and wonders if some of his teachers might have phobias themselves, since some of them don’t make eye contact with their students. Luke skips going to the woods the night before finals to study. When Jason makes fun of him, Luke tells him to leave him alone and Jason complies. Luke briefly senses that Jason might even fear him, but then decides it’s just in his head. Hearing a bed creak and footsteps in the night when he can’t sleep, Luke finds that Jason’s bed is empty.

Luke decides to find out where Jason went, taking one of his textbooks along so he can claim to be studying if he’s caught. In the hallway, hears a voice below him and quietly heads down the steps to find out who it is. Inching closer, Luke hears Jason talking. When he looks over the bannister, he sees Jason is alone talking on a portable phone that he’s only ever seen in textbooks. As he listens to the conversation, Luke wonders if Jason is making plans against the government without him. As he’s ready to speak up and tell Jason he wants to be part of the action, he hears Jason giving out the real names of four of the boys in their group. Just as Luke moves in to grab the phone, fearing it might be bugged, Jason says into the phone that the others don’t know he works for the Population Police.

Luke continues to grab for the phone, taking it out of Jason’s hand, and throws it on the ground, stepping on it. Luke then confronts Jason, calling him an “informer” (123). Luke immediately worries that he should have pretended not to have known what was going on. As Jason begins moving toward him, Luke hits Jason in the head with his textbook. Jason stumbles and tries to regain his balance. Before Jason can approach Luke again, Luke takes another swing with the book, sending Jason down the stairs and knocking him unconscious.