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Sandrye followed Amin down the cold streets of the city. Fall was ending quickly now, and even more people would need help from the government to get things like food. The city was that poor.

He hadn’t meant to share his dreams with anyone, but he had to know if the government had found the real Knot House, and more importantly, if they’d found the tunnels.

He also had an excuse to go to the Knot House location and warn the rebels about the elimination plan from the other government. Hopefully, the Knot House was already evacuated and Beta 7.9 and the others would be waiting in the tunnels for the meeting.

Hopefully. It seemed Outopia was relying on hope a lot lately. It was the only way to survive.

As they passed the library, Sandrye realized that they were only a few blocks from the Knot House. Even if the government hadn’t found its location yet, though would soon. He had to get away somehow.

“Hey, d’you know where we’re headed?” Sandrye asked Amin casually.

“A little past Widow’s Window, I think,” Amin said. “Rin said he’ll meet us there, along with the other people in the sector.”

“Why there?”

“I don’t know,” Amin said. “If you happen to meet the rebels, you can ask them why they’d put their base there.”

“Are you sure it’s there?” Sandrye asked.

“You ask a lot of questions,” Amin told him.

“I have to,” Sandrye replied. “It’s the only way to get information from people, so I can make decisions for myself.”

“You have no trust.”

“It’s gotten me far enough.”

Amin whistled. “You’re so quick to backtalk. It almost seems like you’re planning each conversation ahead of time.”

“Maybe I am. Otherwise the silence would be awkward, and we’d have to get a couple of crows to fill it.”

“Was that a joke?” Amin asked. “I feel like I’m missing something.”

“It’s nothing,” Sandrye said. He took his knife from his pocket and waited until Amin wasn’t looking. Then he tossed it down one of the dark alleys. It hit something metal with a sharp clang.

“What was that?” Amin wondered. He walked closer to the alley curiously.

“I think we should check it out,” Sandrye suggested. “It could be important.”

“Right,” Amin agreed, starting to run.

Sandrye waited a second, then headed the other way, towards the Widows Window. He probably should’ve felt bad for ditching the friendly and trusting government official, but he honestly didn’t.

“Maybe I’m not trusting enough,” Sandrye mumbled. “But Amin, you’re too trusting, and that’s even worse. For you. I mean, it worked out in the end. And you can’t even hear me, so whatever.”

He turned the corner and hesitated for a split second, then shook his head.

Trust is overrated, he decided. From now on, we all have to decide for ourselves what’s the best thing to do. And after this, there’s no turning back.