That the Holts and Kenners had never gotten along was no secret. Not that we followed that kind of gossip in the Pit—it was just common knowledge. The engagement of Leisel and Jack had come as a surprise to everyone. Maybe that’s why they were making such a big deal of the wedding. The Holts were finally forgiving the Kenners for their past mistakes.
I thumbed through the rest of the magazines but didn’t find anything more about the Kenners. One headline dated early February 2024 read, “Are We on the Brink of World War Three?” I wondered why our ancestors were smart enough to ask that question but not smart enough to avoid a war. Reading about nuclear war was depressing. I already knew how we all ended up living in the Dome. What I wanted to know was when we could get out.
I abandoned the depressing news magazines for the ones on nature. Seeing images of the outside world always lifted my spirits. I selected a few and shut the cabinet doors. As quietly as I could, I returned to my spot in the bedroom and curled up to read. I still felt safer tucked away in the corner with my food tray close at hand.
But reading about nature turned out to be no more uplifting than the news magazines. Most of the featured articles were about global warming and how extreme droughts and vicious storms had wiped out more than a third of the earth’s population. Food production had become a global issue since the countries that received most of the rain were the northern countries that didn’t receive enough sun to grow the food. The world had become unbalanced. Even if there hadn’t been a nuclear war, the human race had seemed doomed anyway.
Feeling hungry again, I took off the gloves and ate some of my leftover food. Then I replaced the lid and got up and washed my hands. As soon as I turned on the faucet, I shut it off, alarmed at how loud it sounded in the silent apartment. I held my breath for a moment, straining to hear if someone was coming. But when no one rushed in to arrest me, I felt more confident and turned the water on again to take a good long drink. Then I returned to my spot and fell asleep.
The pressure of a hand on my shoulder jerked me awake. At first I thought I’d been caught in Jack Kenner’s apartment, and my heart jumped into my throat.
But it was Jack. “Fall off the bed again?” he asked with a sarcastic grin.
I placed a hand over my chest. “You scared me.”
“It’s time to get up. Leisel wants you in her apartment to get ready for the wedding.”
“The wedding? How long have I been sleeping?”
“You were asleep when I got in last night. I decided to leave you that way.”
The magazines were gone. I felt ashamed at being caught with his personal things. He had asked me if he could trust me, and I had said yes.
“I thought you and Leisel were both coming back last night. I thought we would all get the chance to talk again.” I was still looking for a way out of the plan.
“Leisel decided to go straight back to her apartment last night. I think she was angry with me for trying to talk her out of this little farce.”
“And did you? Talk her out of it, I mean.”
“No. But she promised me that she told her father. We should be safe.”
What did he mean by “we?” I was the one not only taking the risk of being caught impersonating the bride but also of playing decoy for an assassin. “Did you ask the president? You know, just to make sure she really did tell him?” I had no right to question him, but I was desperate.
“If Leisel said she talked to her father, then I believe her.” His tone brooked no argument. “Now we really are running out of time.”
“I have nothing to wear.” I was still in his bathrobe.
He hardly looked at me. “That will have to do. You’re ready then?”
“I guess so.” I didn’t have any more excuses.
“Just give me a minute.” He picked up his computer tablet and tapped away on the screen. “Okay, that should give us enough time. Let’s go.”
Jack tentatively checked up and down the hall before he opened the door wide enough for me to exit. Putting his finger to his lips, he gave me the “ssshhh” sign, and we quietly walked down the hall and into the elevator. Leisel lived on the tenth floor, the highest floor in the Dome. The ride was short, and within seconds we were exiting onto the tenth level. I expected Domers to be guarding this level, but the hall was empty.
The layout of this floor was a little different than the eighth floor where Jack lived. Instead of hallways feeding off the elevator lobby, there were four large ornate doors, and above each door four family names stood out—Holt, West, Powell and Forbes—the four most powerful families in the Dome. No one should be on this floor without a formal invitation.
Jack led me to the door with the name “Holt” above the entrance. He waved his hand over the scanner, and a click sounded as it unlocked. He opened it hesitantly and made sure the hall was clear and then waved me through. I was so scared of being caught that my stomach was in a tight knot.
We made our way down the hall, hurrying as much as we could without making noise. Then we heard a door opening. We stopped dead in our tracks. There was nowhere to hide. A figure stepped out into the hall, and I held my breath for a second. Then I saw it was Leisel. She motioned for us to hurry up, and we rushed inside her apartment.
“I’m so relieved you’re here, Sunny! I kept torturing myself with thoughts that you went back home—that you decided not to help me and I’d have to make that walk myself. Thank you so much for staying.”
“I’d better go,” Jack said. “The guards will be back soon.” I wondered where the guards had gone, but thought it best not to ask. They seemed to have it all worked out.
“I’ll see you soon, my love,” Leisel said, wrapping her arms around him. “Everything will turn out just fine. I can’t wait for us to be married.” She gave him a long, passionate kiss, and I busied myself staring at the wall.
“I’m still worried, but I trust you, Leisel.” He gave her one more kiss and then slipped out the door.
Leisel laughed when she took in my appearance. “I see you’re still wearing that bathrobe. Let’s get you into the shower. We have a lot of work to do to get you ready for the wedding of the century.”
Chapter Eight
Leisel’s apartment was luxurious, and I had never felt more out of place. She led me through to her bathroom and gave me a warm, plush towel. When she left, I disrobed and stepped into the shower. The set water temperature felt hot, but its warmth helped to relax my tense muscles. I scrubbed myself from head to toe then reluctantly turned the water off.
I put on the clean bathrobe Leisel had laid out for me. Its silky softness felt light against my skin after wearing Jack’s rough terry-towel robe.
Leisel sighed when I emerged from the bathroom. “You look much better. How are you feeling?”
“Scared to death. But I know I’m doing the right thing helping you, so I’ll get over it.”
“You’re so brave, Sunny. What you’re doing for me is huge.” She walked over to me and took both my hands in hers. “I’ll never forget it. Now, let’s get to work! I’ve told everyone I’d rather get ready alone, so no one is going to disturb us. And I’ve already ordered up food. We only have a few hours.”
The morning passed more quickly than I would have liked. Leisel started by combing my wet hair into a tight bun at the base of my neck and then fitting a wig—an exact replica of her own hair—over my head. She tweezed my eyebrows to make them look more like her own. Then she applied makeup on my face in exactly the way she wore it. When she finished, she turned me around so I could look in the mirror. I was amazed at what she had achieved. My face was thinner than hers and my eyes had the large, black pupils so common among people from the Pit, but we would look the same from a distance.