Island of Silence (Unwanteds) by Lisa McMann Read Free Book Online Page A

witnessed more than once, and he is loyal to the end.” He gave a wry smile and added, “You may have noticed that Simber cannot perform magic, though many of my other creations can. I didn’t think of it at the time, him being my first, and now it’s too late, but he hardly has need for it. The only other thing I didn’t anticipate was that he would grow. I created him life-size, but he grew as if he were a newborn on that first day. I’m grateful for it now, but there was a time when I wondered if he’d ever stop.”
    “Wow,” Alex said. “And did he? Stop, I mean? Or is he still growing?” He couldn’t imagine Simber getting any bigger.
    “Oh, he’s stopped,” Mr. Today said, laughing. “Thankfully.”
    “And you created Ms. Octavia too? Is she also made of sand?”
    “Oh, Octavia’such a delightful creature,” Mr. Today said, his hands clasped together. “No, she’s not made of sand. She was a different sort of sculpture experiment. Simber is of the earth, Octavia is of the water. Clay, seaweed, lily pads, shells. That sort of thing.”
    “So her parts aren’t . . . aren’t real? Like, not from a real octopus and alligator?”
    “Good heavens, no. I’d never behead a living creature to create something magical. How heartless.” Mr. Today clutched his robe dramatically. “No, she is purely fabricated. But I’m honored that you can’t tell.”
    “I can’t! Honest. She’s amazing.”
    “Don’t tell her I told you, but her eyeglasses are purely for show. She’s quite vain about them.” He chuckled.
    Alex grinned. And then he grew thoughtful. “Why can’t Ms. Octavia or Simber or Florence be the next leader of Artimé?” Alex asked.
    Mr. Today was taken aback, as if the answer was obvious. “Why, because my dear boy. They were created by me. They exist only at my command.”
    Alex furrowed his brow. “So how do they die? Or don’t they?”
    “Aha! Another excellent question,” Mr. Today said, smiling.
    Alex waited, and when Mr. Today didn’t speak, he said, “Aw, another secret?” Alex grinned in spite of his disappointment. He was glad Mr. Today wasn’t mad at him for turning down the job. But now he wondered whom Mr. Today would choose instead’who would get to know the answers to these secrets? And he had to admit, the thought of one of his peers getting this information, getting to spend so much time learning from this most amazing person who created all of these incredible things, and who was getting ready to hand over the key to this world . . . well, that brought the slightest twinge of jealousy to Alex’s heart. Like maybe he was missing out on the greatest opportunity of his life.
     

Thinking Like a Necessary
    W hen Aaron left the Ancients Sector, full of newfound bitterness, his mind swimming with ideas, he realized what was the biggest, dumbest mistake he’d made so far. Now he walked with purpose, straight for the Favored Farm. How could he have forgotten his own creation? It must have been the disconnection between creating the idea of the farm, and actually doing the physical work of growing and harvesting. Wanteds were the thinkers, the creators, not the mindless pluckers and deliverers. If Aaron was going to be forced to walk for days with no one bringing him food or drink, he’d have to start thinking differently. He’d have to think like a Necessary. He shuddered at the thought.
    But at least he would eat.
    It took him quite some time to get there. And he had forgotten about the wooden fence around the crops. But then he saw a soldier standing by the gate that led into the farm. Aaron mustered up as much authority as he could. “The high priest told me to pick my own corn if I wanted corn,” Aaron said, repeating the complaint he’d heard days ago on the street outside the university. “So I’m here to pick my own food.”
    The Quillitary soldier eyed Aaron suspiciously for a moment, and then he stepped aside. “Limit is four items. Total,