I stand there, staring at nothing.
I have failed.
Completely and utterly.
The moment the other Rewinders who survived the changing of worlds show up here, the institute will know everything and I will surely be put to death. It’s a fitting sentence for erasing two worlds, albeit one was reinstated.
Iffy.
I’ve taken from her the experience of life, and yet, if I close my eyes, I can still feel her arms around me.
Remember.
The Los Angeles Central Library. Marilyn’s house in Hollywood. The pier in Santa Monica. The Venice Boardwalk. Disneyland. Iffy’s parents’ home in San Diego.
I know it’s all gone.
I’m lying on the mattress when the surface of the door clears again, revealing Sir Gregory and several security men standing behind him.
“Good morning, Denny.”
Morning? I’ve been here overnight already? I don’t remember sleeping but then again, I don’t remember much of anything since arriving except the horrors playing through my head.
“Please get up and come with me.”
I rise, pretending I haven’t heard the tone of disappointment in his words.
“I need to use the toilet,” I say.
“No one’s stopping you.”
I wait a second, expecting the door to go opaque again, but it remains clear. So I relieve myself in full view, the humiliation another deserved element of my actions.
The door opens as I approach and I’m surrounded by security. Sir Gregory leads our group through several basement corridors to a white door with a red light above it.
As he opens it, he says to me, “Go in and take a seat, please.”
There are two tables in the room. At the farthest sit Lady Williams and Sir Wilfred, both on the same side. A third chair is next to them, but I know this is not the empty chair I’m supposed to take.
That chair sits at the other table, facing the two institute leaders. There are two empty chairs side by side. Perhaps Sir Gregory is to sit next to me.
My security escort walks me over to the empty chairs, and one of the men indicates I’m to take the chair to the right. As I do, Sir Gregory heads over to join his two colleagues.
After we are all settled, all lights but the ones aimed at my table dim.
The three lean together and whisper among themselves, making me feel as if they’ve forgotten I’m here, and I think if not for the guards standing a few feet behind me, I could just get up and leave.
I’m entertaining this fantasy when Lady Williams says, “Denny Younger. You have been with us for just under eleven months, is that correct?”
My mouth is suddenly dry. “Correct, Lady Williams.” My voice sounds like it’s been dragged across the desert and stomped on by a thousand feet.
“You are from…” She looks at a paper in front of her. “New Cardiff.”
I nod, not sure I can get another word out.
“An Eight.” It’s hard to see, but I think she shoots a quick look at Sir Gregory.
I nod again.
She studies the paper some more. “You had a remarkable test score. One of the best we’ve ever seen.”
In any other circumstances, I would feel proud, but not here. Not now.
“And your training reports — stellar also.”
I remain silent.
“Mr. Johnston reports that your fieldwork has been all we could hope for, and only a week ago submitted the forms requesting you be promoted from junior status and allowed to work on your own.” She leans back. “From all of this, I would assume you’re familiar with institute procedure and policies. Am I wrong to think that?”
I spread what saliva I have around my mouth and say, “No, you’re not wrong. I’m very familiar.”
“Then tell me, why were you outside the walls of the institute?”
“I, uh, I…”
Sir Wilfred leans forward. “Was there a problem with your Chaser?”
“Um…”
“Were you traveling unlinked?” he asks.
“No. No, I wasn’t,” I reply truthfully.
“So why didn’t your companion home you in here?”
The only thing I can think to do is shake my head.
“Could it be because your companion’s attention was divided?”
They know the answer so there’s no reason for me to reply.
Sir Wilfred motions to one of the men behind me. I hear the door open and more people enter. When they’re almost to the table, I look over and see three guards and one prisoner.
Me.
I’m not shocked, but my other self clearly is. He freezes next to the empty chair and stares at me. He finally tears his gaze away and looks toward the other table.
“What’s going on?” he asks. “What is this?”
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Sir Wilfred says. “Mr. Younger, please take a seat.”
As Other Me sits, he keeps glancing in my direction as if I’m a ghost.
“To avoid any confusion,” Lady Williams says, “we will refer to you as Younger A.” She looks at me, then turns her gaze on Other Me. “And you as Younger B. So which of you wants to tell me why there are two of you here?”
“I have no idea,” Other Me says. “I…um, there’s no—”
He must realize I’m the Denny who stopped him outside the Three Swans Tavern and sent him back here. I poke his thigh and hold my hand out flat where only he can see, hoping to shut him up. It seems to do the job. For the moment.
My life might be sacrificed but I still have the chance to save his. It’s a long shot, but if he can play the dummy, he might be able to ride it out and I will have survived. Not the me that knows Iffy and her world, but a version of me nonetheless. That seems worth fighting for.
“I’m waiting,” Lady Williams says.
Sir Wilfred growls, “If you don’t want to voluntarily tell us what happened, we will find out another way.”
From the looks on their faces, I can tell they have no idea what occurred. Which means none of the others have returned yet. I can use this to my advantage.
“He doesn’t know anything,” I say, nodding to my double. “It’s my fault. I’m the one who shouldn’t be here. I created a break but was able to fix it without him knowing.”
Other Me’s right leg begins to bounce softly. It’s a nervous tick I get sometimes when I’m stressed.
Just hang on. I’ll get you out of this.
“Is that right?” Sir Wilfred says. “And what was this break?”
I need to be careful. The only power I have is the information in my head, and until I’m sure Other Me will be okay, I need to be judicious about how much I share. “I unintentionally affected the timeline of a subject I was observing.”
“That’s amazingly vague,” Sir Wilfred says. “How about you fill in the details?”
“I will, but only under certain conditions,” I say with far more confidence than I feel.
“Conditions? This isn’t a negotiation. You are in no position to—”
“Sir Wilfred, I’m very clear about my position. I will never leave this level alive.” I stare at them, daring them to contradict me, but no one does. “Here are my conditions. One”—I gesture toward Other Me—“he’s immediately released. Two, he is in no way to be punished for my actions. He knows absolutely nothing about this and should not pay for something he didn’t do. And three, he’s given the free choice to either stay here and continue as a Rewinder or return to New Cardiff and be placed in a position appropriate for his status as a Five.”
For the first time since he retrieved me from my cell, Sir Gregory speaks, his voice surprisingly calm. “You understand, Denny, um, A, that we can’t just take your word that he wasn’t involved.”