Joan Undone

Chapter 12

In spite of the unrest in the city, classes at Seattle Secondary resume two days after the attack on the Evolved police station. I skip my morning Costumes and Makeup class, not ready to attend yet without Ken there to irritate me. I shove the thought down, into the growing pit inside of me of horrible feelings and memories that there's no time to deal with.

Harriet, Marie, Sun, and I converge outside the Little Theater on our way to Remedial Acting class.

"Elizabeth has officially dropped out of school," Harriet says as we enter the dark theater.

"Sacajawea, too," Marie adds.

My stomach twists. "It's wrong that they're taking more risks than I am. I should quit and focus on our mission full-time."

"Lexi isn't following their every move," Sun counters. "You and Harriet are both on her radar already."

We enter Professor Wilde's basement and find our teacher lying on his back in the center of the stage.

"Ah, we few, we happy few, we band of brothers!" Professor Wilde exclaims as he rises. "It goes against my grain to quote anyone other than the late, great Oscar Wilde, but I make the occasional exception for Shakespeare."

"Shouldn't we wait for everyone else before we begin?" Marie asks.

"Alas, your brethren have dispersed, to where, we may never know. In my brief tenure as headmaster, we have lost all of the Historical students except for you four. We've had a death, and six of your more genetically gifted peers have left as well. Which leads me to wonder why the four of you remain, rather than spending all of your time plotting in your underground bunker."

Marie takes a step backward, like she's going to bolt, and I step in front of my friends. Professor Wilde grins, delighted by our reactions.

"Worry not, young rebels. Your secret is safe with me. In fact, you are the reason I took a job at an institution dedicated to training young men and women to become live puppets for the Evolved."

"I knew it," Sun breathes. "You've been playing a part this whole time."

Professor Wilde gives a dramatic bow, and I'm reminded of one of Leo's first lessons to us. He told us to create a public persona that was so knit into our souls that we could hide our true identity from the world.

"But, why?" Harriet asks, her voice grounding me.

"I could tell you, but I'd rather show you," he says. "Wills! Come out here, sweetie-pie-head!"

Marie's eyebrows rise, and she takes another step backward. A little boy around five years old with a mop of shiny brown curls that match Professor Wilde's comes out from the hall that leads to the library.

"Daddy, I ate all the chocolate. Can I have more?"

Professor Wilde sweeps him up, his whole face changing as he smiles. "Daddy Isaac will never forgive me if I ruin your appetite for dinner! But if you wait for a few minutes, I promise to give you an enormous dessert, whether you eat your broccoli tonight or not!"

Wills squeals and jumps out of his dad's arms. He then begins running around the room in an impressive imitation of an airplane.

"You cloned yourself?" Marie asks, her eyes following Wills.

Professor Wilde's grin is back. "Boooooring! My husband, a brilliant Isaac Newton clone with perfect skin, if you must know, has done the impossible. He has discovered a way to rebuild Throwback DNA and render it fertile. Our son, Wills, is my true son. The donor egg was from an Evolved friend."

Marie is gaping. "Wills is half Evolved...half Throwback?"

"Indeed. And even better, Wills has a new baby sister who is Isaac's biological daughter. It's expensive and time-consuming, but possible."