Utterly magnificent . . .

gripping, accomplished and dark

Marian Keyes

A dark dream. A vivid nightmare. The world ONeill imagines is

frightening because it could come true. She writes with a scalpel
Jeanette Winterson

4365.indd 1 12/05/14 10:05 AM

4365.indd 2 09/05/14 8:06 PM
4365.indd 3 12/05/14 3:59 PM
 First published in Great Britain in 2014 by
Quercus Editions Ltd
55 Baker Street
7th Floor, South Block
London
W1U 8EW

Copyright Louise ONeill 2014

The moral right of Louise ONeill to be identified as the author of this work
has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents
Act, 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or

transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval
system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

A CIP catalogue reference for this book is available from the British Library

Paperback ISBN: 978 1 84866 415 9

Ebook ISBN: 978 1 84866 416 6

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations,

places and events are either the product of the authors imagination or are
used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events
or locales is entirely coincidental.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Typeset in 12/15 Perpetua by IDSUK (DataConnection) Ltd

Printed and bound in Great Britain by Clays Ltd, St Ives plc.

4365.indd 4 09/05/14 8:06 PM

 For Michael and Marie ONeill, with all my love

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4365.indd 6 09/05/14 8:06 PM
 In the beginning,
Man created the new
women, the eves.1

Audio Guide to the Rules for Proper female Behaviour, the Original Father
1

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4365.indd 2 09/05/14 8:06 PM
 Chapter 1

September
Ten months until the Ceremony
The chastities keep asking me why I cant sleep. I am at the
maximum permitted dosage of SleepSound, they say, eyes
narrowed in suspicious concern.
Are you taking it correctly, freida?
Are you taking it all yourself, freida?
Yes. Yes. Now, can I have some more? Please?
No more can be prescribed. Not safely anyway, they say.
They warn of muscle spasms. Internal bleeding. The corrosion of
vital organs.
But I cannot see these vital organs in the mirrors. All
I can see are dark circles under my eyes, a grey pallor like a
dusting of ashes over my face. The hallmarks of too many nights
spent burrowing a hole in my mattress, tossing and turning,
yearning to join the perfectly synchronized breathing of my

4365.indd 3 09/05/14 8:06 PM

 sisters. I can hear them now, sucking artificial heat into their
lungs greedily, oblivious to me lying in my cot buzzing like an
exposed wire.
I am a good girl. I am pretty. I am always happy-go-lucky.
The robotic voice spills down the walls and crawls along
the floor, searching for a receptive ear. And we eves are more
receptive when sleeping. We are like sponges, absorbing beauty,
becoming more and more lovely as we dream. More and more
valuable.
Except for me.
Night after night I lie awake, nothing but the Messages to
distract me from my clamouring thoughts. chastity-ruth says
thinking too much robs you of your beauty. No man will ever
want a companion who thinks too much. I do try to be more
controlled. I try to shape my mind into nothingness. But when
night falls in the dorms the demons stir, their eyes flashing white
in the dark, looking for something to feed on.
I am a good girl. I am appealing to others. I am always
agreeable.
Its the heat, I know it is. Its pumped in at night to detoxify
our pores, rolling in waves through the dormitory, moulding to
my skin. The SleepSound can disguise the fire in my lungs only
for so long before I jerk awake, gargling steam. I blink as my
cubicle flickers in the subdued light. A single bed with snow-
white sheets. A locker crouching beside it, the black paint peeling
off in ribbons. It is a small house made of mirrors, every surface
papered in glass.

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 And there I am. And there. And there. I am imprisoned in
these walls.
I watch in the mirrored ceiling as I spread my body out like
a starfish, bending my knees away from the sticky sheets. My
hands hit the clammy mirrored wall behind my head, the black
silk nightdress gathering around my waist. I turn on to my right
side, my forehead pressed against another mirrored wall, a heavy
sigh misting the glass. I etch my fingertips over my high cheek-
bones, watching as I trace circles around my almond-shaped eyes.
My skin feels crpe thin, as if its slowly dissolving into my bones.
Before us, they counted sheep to help them fall asleep.
Before us, there were sheep to count.
I fumble under my pillow for my ePad, its square corners
reassuringly solid in my hands. I update my MyFace status, whis-
pering into the screen, I cant sleep again. Anyone out there
awake? A shiver of satisfaction runs through me as the video-
status uploads, as if this somehow proves that Im real. I exist.
freida?
Am I dreaming of her again?
Shes like an apparition, standing in the arched doorway
between the corridor and my cubicle, her full-length pink
dressing gown glowing in the shadows. She tilts her head, shifting
her weight from one foot to the other, waiting for me to say
something. I nod and her tense face softens as she creeps into my
narrow bed, aligning her body with mine, our limbs interlocking
like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. We are reflected in all of the
mirrors, splintering into parallel images, echoed from the ceiling

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 to the walls and back, multiplied over and over again. Her milky-
white legs entwined with mine, her white-blonde hair bleeding
into my dark brown waves.
isabel.
I was afraid you were a chastity.
Sorry.
If she catches us breaking Isolation, well get in trouble.
It will be fine.
Still . . .
chastity-ruth isnt on duty, she replies, reading my mind as
always.
We breathe in unison. I rest my head on her shoulder,
inhaling lavender, counting heartbeats. She shifts, pulling her
arm from under me, and my head drops on to the damp
sheets. She inches back, away from me, until shes hovering
on the edge of the bed, one foot planted on the ground for
support.
Good idea. Its too hot, isnt it? I say quickly.
She came in, after all this time, I tell myself. You didnt ask
her to. She came in by herself.
Hmm. She taps her toes against the base mirror, her neon-
pink nail polish matching her robe. I seem to be the only person
affected by the heat.
So, I blurt out. Where have you been hiding?
I havent been feeling well.
I sent you chat-requests . . . I trail off, thinking of her
room, the corrugated steel door rolled to the floor and bolted

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 down like a portcullis. Ive sent her countless messages in the
last two months. All unanswered.
I cant sleep.
Nervous about tomorrow?
She shrugs apathetically.
Have you asked chastity-anne for more SleepSound?
It interacts badly with my other meds.
What are you taking? I prop myself up on my elbow
to look at her. Im on the maximum dosage and I havent had
problems.
gisele broke out in hives when they mixed her dosages. She
looked ugly for a week, she says, as if I hadnt spoken, as if I
dont exist. Shes been doing that a lot lately.
Can you stop kicking the mirror? Its really annoying, I
snap, and her foot slows to a still. I feel guilty at the flicker of
hurt on her face but somehow satisfied as well, savouring the
sense of being seen by her.
How do you know that about gisele anyway? You havent
been at Organized Recreation or the Nutrition Centre all
summer, I say, watching our reflection in the ceiling. Im
squashed against the wall, isabel skirting the edge of the mattress,
a sliver of white flashing between us. Fat women are ugly. Old
women are ugly. But gisele? Honey-hued gisele, with her honey-
blonde hair, honey-flecked eyes, honey-coloured skin? Ugly?
So thats where she was last weekend, I say when
she doesnt answer. She told us she was in quarantine with
suspected flu.

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 Hives, isabel repeats. Hives the size of eggies all over
her face.
Pity it was off term, I joke weakly, tasting a bubble of
nausea. Her rankings wont be affected.
Be nice.
Thats easy for you to say, Miss #1.
Youre #3. And we were all designed equally, she replies
mechanically.
Yes. But some eves were lucky enough to be designed
better than their ugly sisters. I hold my breath, waiting for her
to disagree with me like she always used to.
Youre not ugly, freida, she sighs. Shes tired of me, tired of
my constant need for reassurance. None of us is.
I am compared to you. I can hear the need stitched through
my voice and I hate myself for it. My skin is so tired-looking. I
stroke the contours of my face in the ceiling mirror, searching
for cracks. What if my ranking is affected?
Better tired-looking than fat. Her voice is flat, as if someone
has let the air out of her lungs.
I turn to face her, our noses almost touching. I breathe in
deeply, as if I could suck in her mesmerizing beauty and steal it
from her. I looked up her chart online once, hoping to find an easy
formula to copy. PO1 Metallic Silver hair, the computer chanted,
#76 Folly Green eyes. Muted gold-coloured skin, frosted-pink
lips, a few small freckles over a neat nose. I wish I looked like you.
Everything would be easier if I looked like you. Ive been thinking that
since I was four years old. What are you talking about, isabel?

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 She rolls on to her back and points at the ceiling, waiting for
me to copy her. I watch as she loosens the silk tie around her
waist, unwrapping the dressing gown, laying her body bare. A
thickening at the waist, a roundness at the thighs. In the dark, my
sharp intake of breath sounds like a scream.
I know. She pulls the dressing gown closed, hiding her sins.
Have you tried throwing up?
Of course, she says impatiently. It doesnt always work,
you know.
What about the extra meds youre taking? Are they
helping?
They did at the start. They dont seem to be working any
more, she whispers.
Maybe it wont be so bad. I want to sound consoling but
I dont know how.Thats always been isabels role in our relation-
ship. Maybe you wont be the only one. Lots of eves gain weight
over the holidays.
We both know this isnt true. Not this year.
I dont understand how it even got this far. Surely someone
must have noticed in your weekly weigh-ins? You havent even
stepped foot in the Nutrition Centre for
She holds her finger to her lips to forbid me from speaking
further and I swallow my thoughts. Just one more secret between
us. I close my eyes but all I can see is her flesh spreading, threat-
ening to engulf her bones.
I was thinking the other day about your obsession with
monkeys.

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 isabels voice is so low that for a moment I wonder if she
said anything at all, if my desire for us to be close again is so
desperate that I have started imagining her speaking to me.
Remember? she says, reaching her hand out to touch mine.
The monkeys?
They were a fascinating species.
Im sure they were. Did you have to pretend to be one
though?
I was four!
No excuse.
Thats exactly what chastity-ruth said when I fell out of a
tree in the garden and broke my leg. What a witch.
She clamps a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles.
Excuse me. It was extremely painful, I say in indignation,
but Im smiling too.
I thought she was going to kill you when you had to take
your Monday foto with that massive cast, she says, her voice
rising.
Shh, isabel, youll wake the chastities.
Who cares?
Ah yes, princess isabel never gets in trouble! I tease,
bowing my head in mock salute. It must be nice to be so
special.
I wait for her to laugh, to tease me back, but theres nothing.
Her body stiffens beside me. The silence is overwhelming,
jamming into my eardrums, and I search blindly for the trail of
our conversation.

10

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 But the thing about the monkeys was
Im tired, isabel cuts across me and the words fizzle in my
throat. I always take it a step too far, chastity-ruth says.
We shift apart in the bed, space yawning between us again.
I am pretty. I am a good girl. I always do as I am told.
The Messages continue, as if nothing has changed.

Dawn slowly pours out of the light-lamps, chasing my dreams

away. Unfolding my body, I stretch out, claiming the entire
mattress. isabel has gone.
I get out of bed, tossing my hair back to scan my face in the
mirrored wall. I do this every morning, a part of me hoping that
Ill have been magically transplanted into a different body during
the night isabels, or megans maybe. That Ill wake up and be
paler, thinner, different. Better.
On the wall opposite my bed, an outline of a handprint is
etched into the glass in pink plastic. I press my hand to it, feeling
heat prickling my palm until the glass coating thins to transpar-
ency and I push through, grimacing as what feels like thousands
of sticky fibres dissolve against my skin. Inside, mirrors cover
every surface again, even the floor. At the top of the room there
is a narrow steel changing cupboard with grey rubber tubes
curving from the top into the ceiling. I slump in the fuchsia
armchair beside the cupboard, drumming my fingers on the
onyx marble vanity table. A semicircle of coral light bulbs around
the mirror casts my face in a rosy glow. I tap the glass and it turns
milky, then opaque, dissolving to reveal a computer screen, a

11

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 cartoon graphic of a woman laden down with shopping bags
popping up.
Good morning, freida, the Personal Stylist Program says in
a staccato voice. How are you today?
Nervous.
I believe that is to be expected on the first day of term, it
says. How do you want to improve yourself today?
A complete re-design would be nice, I mutter, chewing
on my lip until I catch a glimpse in the mirrored wall of how
unattractive it looks.
How do you want to improve yourself today? None of the
PSPs understands sarcasm.
Maybe something in white? Stream Fashion TV. I need some
inspiration after the holidays.
A catwalk appears on the screen, a long strip of wood
suspended mid-air in a black vacuum, pounded by a torrent of
fashion models. They have been designed primarily for this
purpose, hundreds of them falling off the factory line with their
gaunt bodies and featureless faces.
White looks good with my skin tone. I picture megan in
something similar, her complexion turning like gone-off milk,
and I feel a brutal thrill.
Wait. That ones perfect. On my VoiceCommand the
screen freezes on a model wearing a sheer white round-neck tee
embroidered with appliqu lace flowers, a white lace skirt falling
in ruffles to knee length.
Is that OK?

12

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 Yes, the PSP concedes. I will request the appropriate
items from the fashion closet now. Step into the changing
cupboard.
The screen snaps back into a mirror. S41 Delicate Iced
Chocco hair. #66 ChindiaYellow eyes. Thats me.Thats what people
see when they look at me. I peel off my nightdress and throw it into
a trapdoor implanted in the wall underneath the vanity table.
The cupboard opens, beeping loudly until I step in, the steel trap
closing like a greedy mouth around me.
You have gained weight. The voice fills the cupboard. You
are now 118.8 pounds. I will recommend in your weekly report
that you are to take extra kcal blockers until your weight stabi-
lizes between 115 pounds and 118 pounds.
Do I have to take more? I hate the kcal blockers, which
always leave me doubled over with stomach cramps. I guess I
should be grateful theyve improved since the early days when
exploding colons were reported. Its embarrassing.
You are the only person who is informed of your medica-
tion requirements.
I snort rudely at this. In theory, yes, our prescriptions are
private, but nothing stays that way for long in the School. By break-
fast my sisters will know that Im weak, that Im greedy, that I cant
control myself. And I thought I had been a good girl last week.
The lasers crackle to life, scraping against the steel walls of
the cupboard as the infrared hoop descends from the ceiling,
tickling as it inches down my body. The box then inhales, a
whooshing gulp of air, sucking up any dirt and pumping it

13

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 Underground to be disposed of. The lasers rise again, spraying
make-up on to my naked skin, and gently pulling my hair into a
bun at the nape of my neck. We are only allowed to use this
machine twice a day, in the morning and at bedtime. Its too
expensive, chastity-ruth says, so the maintenance of hygiene and
make-up is our own responsibility during the day. Within two
minutes Im spat out, todays outfit and matching accessories left
in the open trapdoor at the base of the wall. I grab them, the
portal disappearing as soon as I do so.
This doesnt look like it did on the model. I pull at the
faded T-shirt, the floral embellishment crumpling beneath my
fingers.
It was as close a match as I could find within the Schools
fashion closet.
Back in my cubicle, I examine my body from every angle in
the mirrored wall, swallowing disgust.
Lets go.
Its freja at the doorway, her collarbones spiky in a beige
crocheted top and canary-yellow skirt.
Im ready, I say, pushing my feet into the faux snakeskin
slingbacks and falling into line, hurrying to catch up with daria in
front of me.
The dorm is bursting with the sound of thirty pairs of high
heels scraping against the black and white diamond tiles. We
march together in silence, the same as we do every morning.
Outside the main entrance of the dormitory, a free-standing
fotobooth has been reassembled for the start of the new term.

14

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 daria forces the rickety sliding door open, her toffee-coloured
hair artfully dishevelled, indigo-blue eyes sparkling with plea-
sure. Why is she pleased? Did she take the perfect foto? A better
foto than mine will be?
freida.
freja prods the small of my back with her knobbly fingers and
I stumble into the empty booth, sliding the door shut behind me.

1. Turn partially to the camera, one foot in front of the

other.
2. Weight on the back foot.
3. Left hand on hip.
4. Dazzling smile.

There is a flash of light, my foto uploaded instantly to the School

website for the Euro-Zone Inheritants to judge, determining my
opening ranking for the year. Im left in the darkness. I should
leave, but just for a moment I want to stay in here. I want to hide,
fold into the shadows and become invisible so no one can look
at me any more.
I hope the foto was perfect.

15

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 Chapter 2

Our new classroom, freja announces, throwing her arms wide

open. I waited in the Nutrition Centre for her to finish pretending
to eat her breakfast so we could go to class together. I didnt
want to walk in alone.
Wow. Its so different, I say drily. Like last year, and all the
years previous to that, the majority of our classes will be held in
a large room painted entirely in black, the obsolete windows
boarded up with black wooden panes. The wall at the front of
the room is sheeted in mirrored glass from floor to ceiling. In
front of that is the chastitys desk, a weathered oak with dull
brass knobs, two upstanding glass boxes flanking it, one on
either side. Rows of tiered seating and desks with mirrored tops
are squeezed into the centre of the room, a narrow set of steps
covered in threadbare black carpet running up the middle. The
summer holidays feel like a distant dream already.
freida! You look amazing! cara squeals, her dark blonde
hair fanning around her face as she rushes to hug me. freja,

16

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 waiting in vain for a similar compliment, falters for a second,
then smiles at me with disproportionate enthusiasm and says,
Totally.
No, I dont, I reply automatically. We throw our handbags
on to the broad window sill on the far side of the room before
climbing up ourselves, the perfect position to observe everyone
else coming in.
Dont take all day, cara jokes, brushing dust off her plaid
cotton shirt and acid-wash skinny jeans as freja and I struggle in
our heels. Once were sitting, freja takes out a pocket mirror
from her clutch and scans her face, as if shes afraid it might have
disappeared. Snapping it shut with a sigh, she leans back against
the wooden board and tuts with disapproval as heidi walks in,
her cerise halter-neck dress slashed to the navel. heidis head
snaps in our direction. After sixteen years in School, we have all
developed a sixth sense for judgement.
freida, you look great. daria has floated over to join us, her
eyes skimming over my body.
Totally, freja says, far more convincing now that she has
had time to prepare. I love that skirt. I dip my head, smiling.
Did isabel pick it out for you? she continues sweetly, and my
smile freezes. She has such good taste.
Where is she, by the way? cara asks, her thick eyebrows
knitting together. They have asked me this every day for the past
two months. Her VideoChat has been off all summer.
Shes not feeling well, I reply yet again. I dont want to
admit that I know as little as they do.

17

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 The room is filling up. gisele swaggers through the door in
a draped navy vest top over snug white jeans, her hips swaying as
she walks towards us and links her arm through darias. The
twins, jessie and liz, follow her, exact replicas in matching
turquoise playsuits, moving as if their limbs are attached to
one body. Golden-blonde hair frames heart-shaped faces, aqua-
coloured eyes staring vacantly at us.
Wheres isabel? gisele asks immediately, setting my teeth
on edge. Her skin looks perfect. Shes obviously fully recovered
from that allergic reaction.
Her door was still down this morning, jessie says. And
locked. I checked.
Are you sure? liz gasps, pretending that she doesnt already
know. If jessie checked the door was locked, then liz was there
with her, checking it too. Our doors are never locked.
Weird, they say together, as if the rest of us are unaware of
this fact after sixteen years in School.
She hasnt been at the Nutrition Centre, freja says. She has
complained about the injustice of this at every meal for the past
two months.
I havent seen her at the gym either, gisele offers, placing
a hand on her toned stomach. freja, watching her closely,
sniffs and draws her shoulders in towards her chest to make her
razor-sharp clavicle even more prominent. And Ive been at the
gym a lot.
megans here, daria interrupts, running her fingers under-
neath the frayed edges of her bleached denim cut-offs and pulling

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 them down her tanned muscular thighs. megan! Over here! She
waves her over to us. Now she really looks amazing.
I look at her sharply. Is that supposed to mean I dont?
megan, you look beautiful! daria says as megan air-kisses
the twins, smacking loudly, her painted red lips inches away
from their skin. Beautiful, I mutter, wishing I was lying. A thin
sheath of sea-green silk clings to her perfect body, a one-
shouldered full-length toga. 3.0 Brown Black hair is styled in
coiled plaits at the crown of her head, #214 Arsenic Green eyes
seared into her luminously pale skin. Shes perfect.
Is there room for one more? She points at us perched up
on the windowsill and smiles again, her eyes watchful as cara,
freja and I look at each other in unspoken challenge. Finally freja,
the lowest ranked of us three, jumps down, proclaiming she was
tired of sitting there anyway. megan flicks her hands and cara
and I move apart to make space for her. She springs up as easily
as if she was wearing sweatpants and sits between us.
freida! Her shriek pierces the din of chatter, causing heads
at the other side of the classroom to turn around. Look how
dark you are compared to me! She grabs my arm and presses it
against hers. Isnt she so dark?
Yeah, but your skin is beautiful, megan, the twins say on
cue.
I jerk my arm back and huddle it into my chest, grinning to
show how little I care.
And so smooth, cara says, rolling up the sleeve of her shirt
to compare.

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 They should be. I got a full-body wax from chastity-hope in
Beauty Therapy yesterday. A shadow passes over her face. I dont
understand why we cant have laser treatment like the eves in the
Americas do.
Or better yet, be designed without body hair at all, like in
the Chindia-Zone, daria says, fiddling with a hole in her black
crepe T-shirt.
Hmm, yes, megan replies, her eyes drifting towards liu,
sitting with christy at the other side of the room. I suppose some
good things have come out of Chindia.
It was worth it. You look great, cara says, and megan tilts
her head, accepting this compliment as her due.
Where is isabel? Obviously our opinion is not enough. She
needs to compare herself with the #1 eve, see how she measures
up. Why wasnt she at breakfast again?
I told you this morning. And the morning before that, and
the morning before that again. Shes sick. But megans not
listening to me, shes staring at the entrance to the classroom.
Sick? she repeats gleefully, and I follow her gaze, my heart
sinking when I realize what is causing her such delight. An ill-
fitting striped T-shirt tucked into high-waisted flares only empha-
size isabels weight gain, her tangled hair pulled into a high
ponytail away from her make-up-free face. She walks slowly up
the central steps, as if the extra pounds of flesh are weighing her
down. Heads are turning to stare, watching as she takes a seat in
the back row on the left-hand side, as far away from the rest of us
as she can get.

20

4365.indd 20 09/05/14 8:06 PM

 Clearly being sick hasnt affected her appetite, megan says.
And there we were, worrying about her missing meals.
liz and jessie giggle again, but a bit nervously this time. Ive
never heard megan say anything overtly nasty about isabel before.
Ive never heard anyone say anything nasty about isabel.
Quieten down, eves.
At the sound of that voice the three of us jump down from
the windowsill. cara and I stumble, grabbing hold of one another
to balance, but megan lands gracefully, smirking at our clumsi-
ness. chastity-ruth waits behind the wide oak desk, her hands
lost in the cavernous depths of her black robes. The recessed
ceiling lights are bouncing off her shaved skull, her ash-grey eyes
narrowed at us, traces of prettiness fading away in her fine-boned
face. We didnt hear her come in. We never do.
Take your places.You may choose your own seating arrange-
ments as a privilege of being in 16th year, she says, and we hesi-
tate, fearing a trap.
Now, she says, her voice chillingly quiet.
The others scramble for position. cara calls me, patting the
empty chair next to her in the front row. Before I would have
refused without thinking, my natural place being with isabel, but
now I dont know what to do. I wait for a second too long and
gisele claims the seat, stretching her long legs out in front of her
as cara pulls an apologetic face at me. I climb the steps towards
isabel, burrowed into the corner of the room.
Here are your new rankings for the first week of final year.
chastity-ruth taps the board behind her and the mirror dissolves

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4365.indd 21 09/05/14 8:06 PM

 to expose a huge computer screen as she gives VoiceCommands
to upload our rankings.
In first place, we have chastity ruth clears her throat
twice and takes a sip of water from the plastic cup on her desk
eve #767.
megans face fills the screen. megan? I stare at the foto, her
green eyes triumphant, as if she knew her time had finally come.
This is the first time in twelve years that isabel hasnt been #1.
I dont dare to look up. Im afraid that megan will see my doubt
and remember it. Im afraid that isabel will somehow see within
me, see my secret regret that I wasnt the one who finally beat
her, the embers of resentment over sixteen years of living in her
shadow smouldering inside me.
In second place . . .
Please let it be me. Please let it be me.
. . . eve #701.
jessies foto flashes on the screen and I smile to hide my
disappointment.
At #3 . . .
lizs face where mine should be. And I forget how to breathe.
cara is at #4.
And, dropping two places, I see, we have eve #630 in fifth
place.
My fingers tighten over my kneecaps, boring into the bone. I
stare at my reflection in the desktop, willing my face not to betray
me. My eFone vibrates against the desk, a foto of megan appearing
on the screen. I crouch out of view to listen to the message.

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 You look so tired in your foto. I can lend you some of my
new concealer if youd like. Its supposed to work miracles.
I straighten up. Shes watching me from the first row, patting
imaginary bags under her eyes.
. . . And, finally, in last place, we have eve #700, chastity-
ruth finishes, agyness coming last as always. The tabletops
shimmer to form an updated grid, our faces displayed in order of
rank.
isabel, will you please accompany me to my office? the
chastity says, baring her teeth in a facsimile of a smile. I half
stand in my seat to allow isabel to pass, whispering to her, Good
luck.
She gives no sign of having heard me and fear prickles in my
stomach. Is she angry with me? Did she see my momentary regret
that it wasnt me who had beaten her? The chastity waits until
isabel reaches her before escorting her out of the door, barking
back at us, Make your way to your next class immediately.
Everyone filters out slowly, chatting loudly about the new
rankings, a jumble of words with isabel, isabel, isabel like a drum
beat underneath the chorus, until it is only our group remaining.
I grab my bag and walk down the steps towards them, pushing
past liu, standing at the edge of our seats.
Bye, liu-liu, megan says sweetly, wiggling her fingers in fare-
well. Didnt you hear chastity-ruth say to get to your next class?
Did you see? daria bursts out once liu has slouched out,
closing the door behind her with a bang. There are only twenty-
nine faces. isabel isnt ranked.

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4365.indd 23 09/05/14 8:06 PM

 I scan the grid on the table before me, tracing a crack in the
screen that is scratching into caras foto. Shes right. isabel is missing.
That is weird, liz and jessie chorus, scrunching their
faces up.
How is that even possible? gisele asks.
Its probably because of her weight gain, daria says.
But christy gained weight as well, gisele points out. Id say
at least 2.4 pounds, if not 2.7.
I wrap my arms around my stomach, trying to hide that
extra pound of flesh with which my body has betrayed me.
Not as much as isabel, daria argues, ignoring freja dry-
heaving at the mere thought of weight gain. There is no way they
would want anyone in the main Zone seeing that. Standards must
be upheld. What will the Inheritants think when they arrive?
But who knows when their visits will start? They might not
come for months!
They start arguing among themselves, their voices getting
louder and louder. Only megan and I are silent.
This is boring, megan snaps, her face pinched with annoy-
ance. Why are we wasting our time talking about her?
Totally, the twins say, sensing danger.
Congratulations, megs, daria says smoothly, draping an
arm around megans shoulders. You deserve to be #1. Youve
always been the prettiest in our year.
Yeah, the Zone has always been biased towards blondes. Its
stupid, freja says, delighted at this excuse for her lower ranking,
ignoring the twins as they hiss simultaneously.

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4365.indd 24 09/05/14 8:06 PM

 Well, I have a feeling that isnt going to be the case for
much longer, megan says, stretching her arms into the air in a V
for victory, shrugging darias arm off her roughly. daria simpers
with embarrassment but she doesnt say anything, not like she
might have before. I feel as if something is shifting beneath my
feet, disturbing my balance.
Welcome to final year, girls.

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4365.indd 25 09/05/14 8:06 PM

 Chapter 3

December
Seven months until the Ceremony
For the love of the Father, eggies for breakfast again?
When megan is annoyed, her already irritating fake
Americas-Zone accent takes on a nasal quality. Unfortunately
megan gets annoyed a lot. Mainly at mealtimes. I have a theory
that she views her need for food as her only flaw.
Im sick of eggies. Theyre disgusting. Why isnt there any
other lo-carb option available? she argues with the buffet, as if it
could talk back. liz and jessie are murmuring encouragement,
ignoring the line of hungry girls behind them waiting to be
served.
Im starving, a tiny girl in front of me whispers to her
friend. Shes about four feet tall, waist-length butterscotch hair
tied neatly at the nape of her neck with a cerise ribbon, skinny
elbows poking out of a cerise-and-navy striped polo dress.

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 Im sorry, did you say something? megan spins around and
places her hands on her knees, bending until she is eye level with
the younger girl. Whats your name then?
l-l-l-lena-rose, the girl stutters, her arms quivering in fright.
Do you have something you would like to say, l-l-l-lena-
rose?
lena-roses head darts left and right. The friend has angled
her body away, staring at the ground, the shuffling feet and
disgruntled sighs of before falling silent. The delay has been
noticed. chastity-ruth snaps to attention at the mere suggestion
of trouble, her shaved head almost spinning on her shoulders.
Swooping through the symmetrically laid out tables in the
Nutrition Centre, she descends upon us, her rubber-soled shoes
mute against the tiled floor. I am suddenly eager to find my
digi-cam in my bag. That she has an ability to turn us to stone is
improbable, but I wouldnt rule it out.
Is there a problem, #767?
No problem, chastity-ruth, megan says, arching her back
so her strapless minidress climbs up her supple thighs. She lets
her loose black curls spill fetchingly over one shoulder. No
problem at all. Little lena here asked me about some School
rules. I was making sure she understood them.
Running a hand over the bones of her skull, chastity-ruth
nods tersely before returning to the supervision desk at the back
of the Nutrition Centre. megan, instantly forgetting about the
trembling lena-rose, collects her meds from chastity-anne and
moves on, allowing the rest of us in the ever increasing line for the

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4365.indd 27 09/05/14 8:06 PM

 BeBetter buffet to finally be served. When its my turn, I look at
the display. Its been divided into three sections, all stacked with
identical silver tureens. Above the lo-carb section there is a foto
of a bread roll with a red X running through it, the tasty/healthy
section has a foto of a froot and veggies pyramid and the 0-kcal
section has a foto of a weighing scales. I grab a 0-kcal tureen,
placing it on my chipboard tray without bothering to inspect the
wonders that are hidden beneath the lid. The smells drifting from
the Fatgirl buffet are making my mouth water and I try not to
think about the toast made with brioche and drizzled with syrup,
the chocolate-chip pancakes, the plump soyburgers in fluffy white
baps smothered with relish. I have to be good this week.
Good morning. chastity-anne briefly peeks up from her
apothecary table. She looks similar to chastity-ruth, both clad in
the all-encompassing black chastity robes.
I have VoiceNotes of your morning weigh-in. She fumbles in
the drawer, searching for the test tube with my foto burned on
to it. Ive been instructed to up your dosage of BeautyTabs.
Hopefully the extra collagen will repair some of the damage
caused by your continuing resistance to SleepSound. She glares at
me, as if Im deliberately metabolizing my meds incorrectly. The
usual VitC, Zinc, Mag, Aloe, Flax, Chlorophyll, Q10, Multi-
Omegas, Lipoic, Carnosine, Acetyl-L-Carnitine Arginate, COX-2
and 5-LOX and DHEA. She lowers her voice. And your anti-
womenstruation meds are included, of course.
She rattles this speech off every morning. I think it makes
her feel important, although we all know shes just a glorified

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4365.indd 28 09/05/14 8:06 PM

 drug dispenser, doing whatever the Doctors in the Euro-Zone
tell her to.
Has isabel collected her meds yet? I ask. She wasnt at gym
this morning so I was just wondering if . . .
She shoves the test tube of meds at me and gestures at me to
move on. If chastity-ruth thinks about us in terms of design
numbers, chastity-anne differentiates us by our med prescrip-
tions. She could tell you the exact day and time that I first received
my curse, but I doubt she remembers my name most of the time.
The Nutrition Centre seems to expand as I turn around to
search for isabel, beams of light shining from the hundreds of
light bulbs planted in the mirrored walls and ceilings. Row after
row of mirror-plated desks, occupied by faceless girls. Where is
she? We agreed to sit together. Although why I agreed to do so is
beyond me; yet another uncomfortable meal to endure, each
unspoken word a brick in the growing wall between us.
freida. Over here.
Hi, girls, I say, relieved that someone has claimed me as
their friend, that I dont look like a total loner.
The unholy trinity, all carefully tousled hair and bee-stung
lips, are in their usual seats by the food distribution counter so
megan can monitor our food choices, note who is being a good
girl or a bad girl. Shes taking her role as #1 eve very seriously.
What an extraordinary outfit, freida, megan says, her gaze
travelling from the crown of my head to my toes as I fight the
urge to adjust my clothes, to cut off my hair, to ask if I can apply
for a complete re-design.

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4365.indd 29 09/05/14 8:06 PM

 Um, thanks. I like your outfit too! Black suits you!
Its navy. She arches an eyebrow at my enthusiasm and the
tips of my ears start to burn.
Do you want to sit with us? liz and jessie chorus, wearing
matching turquoise bustier dresses today, the chunky metal
straps cutting into their shoulders, their hair set in loose waves.
Id love to, but I told isabel Id eat with her. The twins lose
interest at once, drawing circles in blueberry-speckled porridge
with their spoons. But maybe we can both join you?
isabel? megan says slowly, cocking her head to one side.
Shes even more gorgeous up close, her dark looks accentuated
by the bland prettiness of the twins.
Yes. isabel, I repeat myself, swallowing twice in case excess
saliva is making me slur.
Isnt that isabel at the Fatgirl buffet?
And it is. Dressed in a loose black tank over grey leggings,
she is the only one there, steam from the hot bar curling around
her face, obscuring her features. Seemingly oblivious to the girls
in the BeBetter line openly pointing at her, she loads her plate
with fried chick-chick and noodles, white bread rolls, soup and
pasta. She dispenses a hot chocco from the silver beverage tap
and covers it with mounds of whipped kream, sprinkling chocco
flakes generously over the top until shes buckling under the
weight of her laden tray. I turn away, knowing that she will return
to chastity-annes desk to pick up a portion of ipecac syrup, and
I dont want to see it. I sit down at once, banging my tray on the
mirrored desktop.

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4365.indd 30 09/05/14 8:06 PM

 I cant believe shes eating Fatgirl food again. Who eats
from the buffet? Everyone knows its only there to tempt the
weak. megan doesnt bother to lower her voice. Unlike the rest
of us, shes not afraid of being overheard.
Shes sitting right by the Vomitorium. It must smell so bad,
jessie says, craning her neck for a better view.
It would put me off my food. liz shudders, pushing her
bowl away.
It would take more than that to put isabel off, jessie snig-
gers as I lift the lid off my breakfast, finding a glass full of a lurid
pink liquid underneath.
I dont know why she is even bothering to use ipecac,
megan says.Its not working. She must have gained at least twenty
pounds. She stares at me intently. What do you think, freida?
How much weight has she gained? She reaches out to touch my
hand and I want to pull away. If I pull away, will she be insulted?
It must be so difficult for you, freida, watching a friend degrade
herself like that. I mean, shes eating pasta. She grimaces. Has
she said anything to you? What was her weigh-in like today? She
wasnt in gym so she must be on probation, right?
I wish she would tell me what she wants to hear. Ill say it.
Ill say whatever she wants if shell just stop. I drop my gaze,
pretending to fix my hair in the desk before stirring the straw-
berrie SlimShake with my straw.
Maybe you could give her some dietary advice, freida. She
clearly needs help. Thats what friends are for, right? megan
continues sweetly.

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4365.indd 31 09/05/14 8:06 PM

 Yeah, jessie says. If anyone needed to try some SlimShakes,
its that fat bitch. Am I right, girls? She cackles, her voice
corroding my will to live.
But what do you think, freida?
Theres an ugly silence. I meet megans eyes and see the
challenge there. Shes drawing a line in the sand and its my deci-
sion which side I want to be on.
I guess youre right, I answer, the betrayal tasting like bile
in my mouth, and she smiles at me.
I should be more understanding, she sighs. I have such a
fast metabolism I actually struggle to maintain regulation weight.
I look at the barely touched eggies on her tray. For someone
who struggles to maintain weight, she certainly has an aversion to
eating full portions. She and the twins start to fotogram their food,
bickering about cassie and carries latest adventures on Chilling with
the Carmichaels as they upload the fotos. I rack my brain for some-
thing witty to say, something that will make them think that Im
interesting and funny, that will make them want to invite me to sit
with them again but my brain is frozen, as if Ive gulped down an
iced slushee too quickly. Im itching to find isabels reflection in the
wall beside me. I want to make sure that shes OK, that shes not
going back for second helpings and thirds and more.
I throw the meds into my mouth and take a sip of SlimShake
to force them along. They slip down my throat, falling into this
black hole inside me. I know theyre making me better. Even if
they taste of emptiness. Even if they taste of my weakness.

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 Chapter 4

I leave the Nutrition Centre early, hoping to find isabel so I can

speak with her in private, but the classroom is empty when I
arrive. I sit and wait, wondering what Ill say to her, trying to
remember when I first had to start planning our conversations in
advance.
Wheres isabel? cara asks, sitting next to me.
She wasnt at the gym so Im guessing probation.
Did she get the chamber?
Im not sure. I havent seen her since breakfast.
I saw her at breakfast too. I think everyone saw her at break-
fast. If shes on probation, why was she eating from the Fatgirl
buffet?
Ipecac syrup. I give her an inane smile, putting both thumbs
up like the girl in the TV ad does. For easy, predictable regurgi-
tation!
After every meal? cara wrinkles her upturned nose while
taking her eFone from her neon-yellow satchel. MyFace foto?

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 Without waiting for an answer, she extends the digi-cam to
arms length, pressing her head against mine as we both smile,
our foto faces always ready. She taps twice on the mirrored
tabletop and scans the digi-cam barcode.
Upload and tag.
The image develops on to my desk as well, caras dark
blonde hair and thick eyebrows complimenting my tanned skin
and delicate features nicely. Moving my thumb and forefinger
apart on the screen, I zoom in, making the dark circles around
my eyes even more obvious. Is she prettier than me? Blondes
tend to rank higher, megan being the exception of course. I close
down the image. It feels like fat cells are swelling like blisters on
my body, growing and growing, ready to burst. I pull at the
waistband of my skirt, loathing breaking out like goosebumps
across my skin.
You look cute! cara says, staring at her desktop.
I dont even want to imagine how awful I must look the rest
of the time if thats what I look like when Im cute. The others
begin to arrive, throwing their bags on the ground with a clatter.
I know Ive gained about twenty pounds since breakfast.
Im not going to eat anything for the rest of the day.
Im not going to eat anything else for the rest of the week.
Settle down, girls, chastity-theresa grumbles, the black
robes swamping her skinny frame as she ushers the remaining
girls into the classroom. She sighs heavily. Your personal data
from this mornings weigh-in has been analysed, she begins, but
chastity-ruths voice blares over the intercom, interrupting her.

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4365.indd 34 09/05/14 8:06 PM

 Attention, all 16th years. Please note that two of your
classmates are on probation. #727 has gained five pounds in the
last two weeks. She now weighs 125 pounds.
125 pounds. None of us has ever been that heavy before.
christy, sitting in the second row on the other side of the steps,
blushes furiously, embarrassment bleeding into her skin.
And isabel is also on probation, chastity-ruth finishes, the
intercom breaking up into a high-pitched tinny screech.
But whats her weight? I hear megan demand as the door
scrapes open, the old timber frame groaning loudly.
isabel, chastity-theresa says. Please take your seat, dear.
She doesnt move, standing at the door looking at us looking
back at her, all of us weighing her as accurately as any body
scanner. She pulls her tank down to cover her thighs and hurries
in, heaving herself into a free seat at the front. liz and jessie aim
their eFones at her, stifling snorts of laughter, and within seconds
a wave of beeps breaks out throughout the classroom.
If youre quite finished behaving like 10th years, chastity-
theresa says, her dark skin flushing with frustration. Put that
away, liz.You too, jessie. I think theyre about to ignore her until
megan shakes her head at them in warning and they reluctantly
put their fones into their bags.
Today instead of our usual Social Graces instruction, the
chastity says, Im pleased to announce that the Father of the
Euro-Zone has released a Public Address for final-year students.
At the mention of the Father the silence is instant. We
havent had a Public Address since His annual School visit on our

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 design-date in July, just before the holidays. chastity-theresa taps
the mirror-board behind her to reveal the computer screen.
Upload the digi-vid.
I grab lipgloss from my clutch and apply it generously,
inspecting myself in my desk. This is ridiculous as the Father
cant even see us. The video was probably pre-recorded days ago.
But Im not alone. The rest of the class are preening manically
too, almost falling into their mirrors. The only person unmoved
is isabel, colour leaching from her cheeks as she hunches over
her desk. She looks as if she wants to disappear.
Quiet, girls. chastity-theresa dims the lights. I breathe in
deeply, rubbing my palms against my knees. The strobe lighting
explodes and then disappears, and our faces are swallowed by
the darkness.
The clashing cymbals and drum roll of the Euro-Zone anthem
rips through the room. The screen burns to life, showing the
symbol of the thirds, the triquetra, three triangles woven together.
The ivory of the companions, the scarlet of the concubines, the
ebony of the chastity robes. Separate entities, but inextricably
linked. The screen flashes with images.
A girl. A girl. A girl. A girl.
Fotos of the #1-ranked girls from the last ten years rush on
to the screen, one girl quickly replaced by another, and another,
always a newer, better version to follow. A foto of the best legs
winner, long, perfectly shaped, clad in the highest of high heels.
The screen on our desktops splits in two, a foto of the perfect
legs to the left, a foto of our own legs appearing to the right of

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4365.indd 36 09/05/14 8:06 PM

 our respective screens. A voice roars from the ceiling, ROOM
FOR IMPROVEMENT.
I massage my thighs violently, wanting to tear strips off
them as I feel the skin dimpling underneath my fingers. The
room is inky black and I am glad. I am glad. I dont want the
others to see me, to see how wrong I am.The screen flashes again,
the strobe lighting skewering my vision. kate, the legendary #1
from seven years ago, so perfect she was awarded her own TV
show, What kate Did Next. Her hair is wet, slicked back from that
delicate face, cheekbones popping. Her image emerges on the
left of my desktop, my MyFace profile foto appearing alongside
for easy comparison. The voice roars again, but this time its
inside me, speaking in my bones. Room for Improvement. Room for
Improvement. Room for Improvement.
The lighting settles, the drum beat calming and then
petering out. I peek at isabel, the images on-screen flickering on
her pale, sweating face. Her head sags, causing a little pocket of
fat to bulge under her chin. A shameful relief slashes through me.
Im not the only one who isnt perfect. Im not the worst.
A trumpet sounds, drawing our attention back to the main
screen, and like puppets we move in unison, crossing our feet at
the ankles, hands resting gently in our laps. All that exists now is
His face. His sharp blue eyes peering into my soul, His mouth
opening, about to speak, about to fill my empty brain with His
wisdom.
Good morning. His voice is strong and deep. He pauses,
slicking His distinguished grey hair away from His pale face.

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4365.indd 37 09/05/14 8:06 PM

 Once again it is time to give my Public Address to the eves of
final year. I must impress upon all of you how crucial the coming
months are to your future. This is the decisive moment, the
moment you have spent the last sixteen years preparing for. It is
time for you to make a contribution to the society that has
created each of you, whether it be as a companion or a concu-
bine. There is an indistinct mumble off-camera, the Fathers
forehead wrinkling in annoyance at the interruption. Or a
chastity of course.You must all play your equal part. Remember,
you may be perfectly designed, but there is always room for
Improvement.
We blink feverishly as the lamps explode with light and the
main screen returns to its mirrored state.
Stop that! chastity-theresa barks at us. Squinting causes
wrinkles.
jessies hand jerks up instinctively to the skin around her
eyes. She grabs a little tube from her clutch bag, squeezing pea-
sized droplets of white foam on to her fingertips, and massages
it into her eyelids.
His Address was short, wasnt it? liu bites her lip so
hard that she leaves an impression in the flesh. He didnt even
mention when the Inheritants would be coming. Why was it
so short?
The Father is a busy man, the chastity says wearily. He has
more important things to do than recording lengthy sermons for
your enjoyment. liu slumps in her seat, a sheet of ebony hair
covering her face. Anyway, as the Father said, it is your duty to

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 provide value for your existence, whichever third you may be
assigned to. Of course I doubt there will be many eves with a
vocation for the hallowed third of the chastities in this group.
Her gaze falls upon agyness and her mouth softens. Well,
maybe one.
agyness blushes with inexplicable pride and megan makes a
vomiting motion. I like agy, but we all know becoming a chastity
isnt a vocation. Its just a way of dealing with any eves whom, for
whatever reason, the men find unappealing but who havent
done anything bad enough to warrant being sent Underground.
Inductions into the third of the chastities are so rare we dont
even receive instruction in School about chastity-life. The chasti-
ties have their uses, of course the School could not run without
them but they are not wanted like the concubines are. They are
not necessary like the companions.
I spend the rest of the class daydreaming, tuning out chastity-
theresas lecture on the difference between the Social Graces
required by the concubines and the companions. All I can see
in my minds eye is the image of my face next to kates, a grid
forming over the foto, breaking it down, showing my inadequa-
cies in perfect detail. The bells ringing startles me and cara
laughs and squeezes my shoulder blades, her hands cool on my
perspiring skin.
Dont dawdle, chastity-theresa says as she shepherds the
other girls out, turning the lights off when she leaves.
I can barely make out her outline in the row opposite me.
Whats going on with you, isabel?

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 Im on probation.
I heard. You cant keep eating at the Fatgirl buffet. Its
making things worse. My voice is rising. If you keep gaining
weight, youll never become a companion. You wont even be
good enough to be a concubine.
No man likes a fat girl. We have been told this since design.
Why are you getting so angry? she asks. Its not your body.
Im not angry, I say, breathing to calm myself, to control
these Unacceptable Emotions. Im afraid . . . Im afraid for you.
Afraid of what?
I cant say the real words out loud so I just say, Im afraid
theyll make you become a chastity.
Would that be so terrible?
Dont be ridiculous.
Why is it ridiculous? It sounds . . . she breaks off, searching
for the right word, peaceful.
But . . .
But weve always wanted to be companions, I want to say.
This is what we have wanted since we were in 4th year, learning
how to change nappies on our training dolls in Little mama
classes. We were going to raise our sons as best friends. Dont
you remember?
But I do not say this. If I remember and she doesnt, it
seems like I care more than she does. And that would make me
vulnerable.
Did you go to the chamber? I ask instead.
Yes. Just two-pound weights. But the humidity was crazy.

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4365.indd 40 12/05/14 9:59 AM

 What was your Improvement soundtrack like?
I didnt have one.
You got off lightly, I reply, surprised.
Ive only been in the chamber once, after I broke my leg
when I fell from that tree in the garden when I was four. I gained
five pounds and while I ran on the treadmill I had to listen to Fat
girls must be made obsolete on a loop for two hours every day
for three weeks until I was back in control. I had assumed the
chastisements became more demanding with each term. Its for
our own good, I suppose. I know.
How long will you have to attend for?
Until my weight is acceptable. Theyve upped the kcal
blockers as well.
I thought they said it wasnt safe to do that.
No choice, I guess.
Her voice cracks, as if she swallowed back a sob mid-
sentence. Is she crying? She knows we are not allowed to cry and,
unlike me, isabel has never had a problem obeying that rule, her
easy smiles the touchstone of my childhood. I freeze, glad of the
dark so that I can pretend I didnt notice. I listen to her laboured
breathing and I want to shake her, Im so exasperated by her
sudden inability to follow the rules like the rest of us. What does
she want from me? Does she want me to comfort her? Am I
supposed to care after months of silence, isabel ruthlessly
unknotting any ties of friendship between us. But I do care.
Thats the problem.Years of our shared memories are steeped in
my blood. It would take leeches to suck them out.

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 I move towards her, crouching down beside her to take her
limp hand in mine. She pulls it away, rejecting me again, and my
stomach clenches with hurt. But theres anger there too, anger at
my stupidity at ever having allowed someone to get close enough
to have the power to hurt me.
So, what happened at PE? she asks, inhaling deeply.
Nothing, I reply sullenly, my knees cracking as I stand up.
We had better get to class.

The Monday votes from the Euro-Zone have been counted and
your updated rankings are now available online.
There is a scurry of activity as eFones are snatched from
bags and pockets to check how valuable we are this week. megan
is first again, followed by liz and jessie in second and third place.
I scroll down and down until I find my face. Ive dropped from
#8 to #10.
Its not too bad, cara says kindly. The top ten are still defi-
nite companions.
Easy for her to say, steady at #4. daria and gisele commis-
erate with me, saying theyre soooo sorry and that they hope I
wont be mad that my falling to tenth place has bumped their
rankings up. Maybe I should bribe chastity-anne to mix giseles
meds again. See how high she ranks with another rash of hives.
isabels face is still missing from the ranking tables, but for
some reason I cant explain I still dont say anything to her about it.
Are you all right, isabel? I ask instead as we trudge back
to the classroom for Organized Recreation. She nods wearily

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 and we fall into our now familiar pit of silence. I look at where
megan is sitting, the twins, cara, gisele and daria taking up the
rest of the row. Some of the lower-ranked girls are sitting on
the floor, congregating at her feet like shes a deity, screaming
with laughter. It used to be isabel at the centre of everything,
me by her side, made safe by her affection. cara catches me
staring.
What do you think, freida? She smiles, trying to
include me.
Sorry, cara, I didnt hear what you said.
I said
Look! megan cries, shoving an eFone blaring the Dome
Dudes latest music video in caras face, and Im left on the
outside once more. I want to go over, to reclaim my position, but
I feel shackled to isabel. I look at her, slumped in the seat beside
me, seemingly unconcerned by the fact that her belly is folding
into rolls of fat beneath her thin vest top. My skin itches with
irritation at the sight.
Alphabetical order, chastity-anne orders, materializing out
of thin air. Its time.
We have Organized Recreation daily and its always the final
class of the day. It was devised to combat female hysteria syndrome:
any hysterical, overemotional girl behaviour is deliberately
induced in a controlled environment until the urges dissipate.
We need extra sessions on the weekends or during the summer
holidays, whenever we have more opportunity to infect each
other.

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 We line up and approach the desk to collect our meds from
the chastity. The doors of the two glass boxes on either side of
the desk swish open, allowing one girl in at a time before disap-
pearing into the ground. I hold my breath as the doors close after
me. What will happen if chastity-anne programmes the elevator
incorrectly and it goes too far?
Are you crying, #630?
No, chastity-ruth.
Good. Because you know what we do to girls who break the rules,
dont you?We send them Underground. Do you want to go Underground,
#630?

The elevator opens into the Organized Recreation Space. It

looks like an empty swimming pool lined with numerous pipes
snaking their way Underground. Thirty individual glass coffins
are lined up in five rows, six in each row. I climb into the box
with my design number on it, picked out in baby-pink sequins.
The glass door shuts and I wait anxiously for the other boxes to
fill so that we can begin. chastity-anne nods and I swallow my
meds.
Hush. Hush. A shiver begins at my feet, swelling, spiralling
up and down the core of my body. A beat pulses through the box,
a melody throbbing in my ears, in my mind, in my heart. My
spine undulates until I am boneless. A wave of rapture surges and
I am engulfed by it. I am free. I am free of all this. My mind tears
for a second and I fall back into the room, the edges of my anxiety
sharpening again. I can see the lid of the glass box, can see the

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 road map of ducts and wires crawling over the ceiling, can see
the other girls staring out with sightless eyes. The mist chokes
me again, smothering me until I feel nothing, nothing at all.
The bell rings and we are switched off simultaneously, the
doors springing open. I climb out, my legs wobbly. My mind is
wired but lethargy is sucking at my body, the two parts of me
cracking apart.
The others look similarly exhausted. We half smile at each
other as we shuffle back to the dorms, but we avoid conversation
of any kind. I throw myself on my bed, praying for
sleep, but I know its useless. Turning on my side, I press my
fingertips into the glass wall, watching that girl in the mirror.
Her features float off her face, swimming in the air before rear-
ranging themselves in the strangest way. Her eyes are too big,
black in her pallid skin. Her lips are bloodless, gloopy bits of
dried spit forming in the cracks, her jaw jutting out.
The emptiness in my body is vast, wide open spaces with
nothing to hold on to.
I wont remember any of this tomorrow.

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 Chapter 5

We are wound up and wound down, like mechanical dolls. They

turn the lamps on, they turn the lamps off. And another day
is done.
I wish I could just stop time until Im ready, I told isabel
some night last year when neither of us could sleep. We sat on
the floor in her cubicle, our backs against the mirrored wall, legs
stretched out in front us, and I tried not to compare the size of
my thigh gap with hers. Do you ever feel like that?
No, she said, and I felt illogically betrayed. I pulled away
from her a little, loneliness burying itself deep within me. She
shifted closer, refusing to allow me to sulk. Dont worry about
the future, she said. Things are only going to get better. I
promise.
She promised me.
The dorms are hazy with steam tonight. Its crawling into
my mouth, gathering in the back of my throat.
I need to breathe.

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 I pause by isabels room on my way out of the dorms, see
her platinum hair spilling over the pillows. Its been a long time
since she has come into my room at night.

I follow the floor tiles, black to white, black to white, until I reach
the cloisters, walking the long nave with its curved window frames
on either wall, each one sealed up to block out the dead outside.
The windows are covered with giant paintings, seven on each side,
all depicting images from life before us.The Empire State Building,
the Grand Canyon, the Great Wall of China, the pyramids, the
Coliseum, the Taj Mahal. I imagine them now, baking like clay in
the blistering heat. Or maybe theyre swimming underneath the
Great Ocean, only fishbones left to keep them company.
The others think its weird that I love watching the Nature
Channel to see what the world was like before us. They dont
understand why I would want to know about the life cycle of
frogs or watch the sea roaring, throwing its spittle on to thou-
sands of grains of sand. Fields of corn waving in the breeze,
mountains capped in glittering ice, millions and millions of
people living in the big cities, all performing their part in an
intricate dance, weaving in and around each other unthinkingly.
The only nature they show us in class is in the authorized
Destruction series. The ice melting, the seas reconciling their
differences and drowning the doomed low-lying countries,
never to be seen again. There was relief at first, the hope that
they had found an organic solution to the population crisis, but
that soon turned to fear. The remaining people moving inward

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 and inward and inward, until the Zones were formed to protect
the remaining few from the scalding sun and the rising waters.
The Noah Project. Two by two the humans entered, all marching
forward to create a new world. They got rid of anything we
would not need, like animals, and organized religion. They got
rid of anything that would weigh us down.
I reach the giant wooden doors guarding the entrance, each
one engraved with the white, red and black triangles of the
triquetra. I twist the brass handle to release them, my sweating
hands slipping, leaving a mucus-like residue behind. The gates
stand sentinel next, rusty metal arches reaching into spikes,
waiting for intruders that will never come.
In the garden I walk along the circular concrete path looping
our living quarters, stepping off the path into the grass, the
synthetic blades scratching my bare feet as I weave my way
around the army of trees. Each one is positioned at an equal
distance from the next, their plastic limbs extending into painted
leaves embellished with crystals, stuffed birds glued on like
feathered tumours. I think of the videos on the Nature Channel
of the vast orchards in Old England, the gnarled branches heavy
with natural food. They must be dead now, those trees, like
everything else. Rotted away, decaying like female babies in the
uterus. Decomposing from the inside out.

You are fortunate, chastity-ruth told us as we were formally

inducted into the School in 4th year. I still remember how
strange the new clothes felt, how heavy my lips were with the

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 coating of unfamiliar lipstick. We were in the Hall, watching as
she gave her speech on the stage, our bodies so little they were
nearly consumed by the cushioned velvet seats.
Fortunate, she repeated sternly. I pulled down the cropped
T-shirt with glittery lips embroidered on it, the gap between it
and the new denim hot pants too bare for comfort. Her lip
turned up in a snarl when she saw me fidgeting, her eyes fierce,
and I felt afraid for the first time. And then she showed us the
video.The infamous girl Graves, thousands of unwanted daugh-
ters disposed of in an ever-expanding hole, their heads crushing
against each other like broken china dolls. Drugstores with
shelves upon shelves stacked with gender-specific fertility drugs,
as easy to buy as chewing gum. And the body learned. It learned
that a female baby was an invader, come to steal her mothers
beauty. A female baby was dangerous.
There was concern of course, chastity-ruth told us, her
serene voice at odds with the horror of her words, when years
passed in the Zones and no female babies were born. Soon there
was only a handful of the original women left, all past child-
bearing age, and the threat of extinction seemed far too certain.
Genetic Engineers were forced to create women to ensure the
survival of the human race. And since they had the opportunity,
it would have been foolish not to make necessary improvements
in the new women, the eves. She coughed delicately. And the
Schools were formed to house them.
Why didnt they give the girl babies to the companions to
raise as their own?

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 She stared at me after I said this, identifying me as trouble.
Who would have wanted you? she said. Who would want you
until you could be of some use?
I didnt understand what she meant by of use, not then.
isabel slipped her hand into mine, anchoring me. And I knew she
could protect me.

I blink twice, my vision blurring. Pushing my way through

the tinselly plants, I arrive at the outer limits of our world, my
hands reaching out to meet the shell that keeps us all in here, safe
from the wastelands. It has been tinted an inky black tonight,
twinkling flakes precisely pencilled in, a huge white moon
drawn like an unblinking eye. I get as close as I can, flattening
my body against the glass, feeling its solid resistance meeting
me. I can see nothing beyond this, everything swallowed up by
the night.
What are you doing?
I flinch, my right knee screaming as it hits the sky. She looks
perplexed, her hands folded across her chest. Her black robes
are strange against the colours of the garden, the light from the
moon surrounding her bald head like a halo.
You scared me, I say, and I sit heavily on the lime-green
lawn, squashing some poppy flowers as I do so. chastity-magdalena
comes closer, arranging her robes around her as she sits next to
me. Her skin is still smooth, with only the beginning of faint lines
forming around her copper-coloured eyes. Shes the youngest
chastity, but still old in her mid-thirties, I think.

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 Do you want to talk about it? She hesitantly pats my
shoulder and we both flinch. The chastities never touch us. Is
this to do with the Ceremony, freida? Its OK if it is. Its normal
to feel apprehensive.
Im not sure if that is the reason. I dont know what this
thing is, twisting in my gut, thirsting for something I cant name,
but I nod my head. Its easier.
What third do you want to be chosen for?
I want to be a companion.
Not a concubine? she asks, her cheeks colouring at the word.
If that is the third the Inheritants think Im best suited to,
then of course, I say, although I would rather die than become a
concubine.
No interest in joining the chastities?
As if anyone would want to become a chastity, faced with a
lifetime of caring for newer, more nubile students as you grow
old and decrepit, without the luxury of a Termination Date
appointed to preserve your beauty. My eyes are drawn to the
laughter lines scoring into her skin. I imagine her at forty, at fifty,
at sixty, and I shiver.
I didnt think I would be a chastity, at first, she says, obliv-
ious to my thoughts. But, well she looks sad for a moment.
Anyway I liked spending time with the younger children, and I,
well, I didnt think I would be able to fulfil the duties of the other
thirds so it was for the best, in the end.
We both look away, the suggestion of sex looming between
us. I felt safe in the School, she adds hurriedly. Its peaceful here.

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4365.indd 51 09/05/14 8:06 PM

 Thats what isabel said. Maybe shell join agyness, I joke.
Imagine! Two chastities in one year. I bet that has never happened
before.
Oh, isabel will never be a chastity. There are much greater
things in store for her, she says, her voice oddly sad.
But you thought it was an option for me? Why arent there
much greater things in store for me? Why does everyone always
think isabel is so much better than me?
I touch the poppies at my feet, rubbing the fabric petals
between my fingers. In the centre of each flower is a miniature
mirror, big enough to hold your eye if you lean in close. I crush
it, the cloth tears easily, the glass bud shattering, breaking my
reflection.
Time for bed, freida.
We walk in silence back to the dorms. The others are still
sleeping deeply, my absence unnoticed.
May you get what you wish, freida, she whispers as I lie
down on my bed, turning in the doorway as she leaves. May you
be the mother of a hundred Sons.

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 All eves are created to
be perfect but, over
time, they seem to
develop flaws.
Comparing yourself to
your sisters is a useful
way of identifying
these flaws, but you
must then take the
necessary steps to
improve yourself. There
is always room for
Improvement.2

Audio Guide to the Rules for Proper female Behaviour, the Original Father
2

4365.indd 53 09/05/14 8:06 PM

4365.indd 54 09/05/14 8:06 PM
 Chapter 6

January
Six months until the Ceremony
I loved Fridays as a child. I remember being obsessed with these
ancient picture books we had in our dorm, which we were only
allowed to look at on weekends. I spent hours constructing
detailed plans to make sure I got my hands on them before the
others. Not that they ever wanted them anyway, preferring the
interactive ePad games. Every Friday evening I would sneak into
one of the blocked-up window frames in the cloisters, leaning
against a painting of sea cliffs or the pyramids, pretending the
windows were merely closed, that I could look out if I chose to.
That the world outside still existed. While the other girls were
playing Be a Stylist and Plan a Party! on their ePads, I was poring
over fotos of princess sparkles, a skinny lady with big breasts,
long legs and blonde hair. She had a pink car and a pink house and
there were little pink buttons on the page you could press to
make her speak in an Americas-Zone accent. Pinks my favourite
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 anna go shopping? Then
colour. Y oure my best friend. Math is hard. W
I made the mistake of asking one of the chastities what math was
and they confiscated the books. Weekends were never the same
after that. All we seem to do is burn through the hours between
Organized Recreation sessions as fast as we can, listening to
celebrity gossip on Artificial.com or updating our MyFace
photos, trying to forget about what happened in that Fridays
Comparison Studies class.
#755 and #734, please leave your desks and come to the
front of the room.
The rest of us exhale in relief as the chosen two walk to the
top of the room as if their feet are made of lead. They step into
the glass boxes flanking the chastitys desk, and magnified fotos of
the two girls are projected, side by side, on to the mirror-board
behind them, each image eight feet tall. Within seconds they
appear on our desktops. caras image is on the left, her dirty-
blonde hair skimming past her elbows, full eyebrows framing
sky-blue eyes. naomi is on the right, cheekbones contouring her
dark skin, her black hair cut in a thick fringe, drawing attention
to her eyes, cat green and almond-shaped like mine.
So, girls, let us begin, chastity-ruth says, walking up and
down the centre steps dividing the rows of seating. At the end of
each section, I will ask you to record your VoiceNotes. Please
make these comments as detailed and thorough as you can, to
help #755 and #734 to explore their weaknesses. Remember,
your voices will be disguised to maintain anonymity, so you may
speak freely.

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 Your skin is too dark, naomi, I hear someone say. I think
that you should ask about some lightening cream.
cara, your hair colour washes out your skin tone, someone
else whispers. I think you should ask about a tanning cream.
We have undertaken this task every Friday since our first
Comparison Studies class in 4th year; two different victims each
time. I always start off wanting to be kind, but somehow, once I
start speaking too, I cant stop. I guess it does sort of make me
feel better, in the moment, a faint feeling of superiority swelling
inside me like a balloon, but afterwards my tongue feels bitter,
like a hole has burned through it.
What did you say about her? I asked isabel when we were
in 14th year, watching agynesss eyes turn glassy with unshed
tears, wondering if my comments had been the cause. Did you
say anything about her being flat-chested?
I willed her to agree, to collude with me, to follow me
down into this dark rabbit hole.
No. isabels eyebrows shot up in surprise. I never say
anything like that. I usually just recommend they get their hair
trimmed.
In that moment I loved her for her basic decency. And I
hated her too. Because once again, without even trying, she was
better than I was.
naomi and cara take their seats, shoving their earbuds in.
We are all the same when its our turn. Maybe we hope this time
itll be different, that this time everyone will agree that were
beautiful. Or maybe not. Maybe on some level its actually OK

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 when the distorted voices whisper in our ears, telling us were
ugly, were vile, and everyone knows it. We may be perfectly
designed, but really our eyes are too close together and our
thighs are too big.
caras face is ashen. What was it I said about her? Im sorry.
Im always sorry.
As you know, girls, there is always room for Improvement.
With every year since your design date, you are getting older,
losing your bloom, depreciating in value. Standards, girls!
Standards must be upheld. Im sure #755 and #734 are
grateful.
I look at cara again, holding her face together in a smile. She
doesnt look very grateful.
An easy way to ensure equality of standards is to create
consistency, chastity-ruth continues, pointing at the board
behind her. Its still split in half but with two new images. On the
left there is a foto of a woman from before us, and on the right a
foto of liu.
This woman from Old Japan is the prototype for #783. All
variations have been regulated.
I would never say this aloud, but I sometimes think the modi-
fications have left lius features almost bland, so diluted that they
are almost interchangeable with mine, or megans, or naomis. All
that is different is our skin tone and hair colour. But at least we still
have some diversity, however marginal. Its rumoured that nowa-
days only blonde, blue-eyed girls are designed in the Afrika and
Chindia Zones, their past literally whitewashed.

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 As you can see, girls, the contrast between women today
and the women before is vast. More and more images emerge of
the women before as chastity-ruth continues her lecture. Please
note the lack of symmetry in the face, the bulbous noses, the
dilated pores over the forehead and chin. Undesigned, natural
women.
The screen updates with new horrors and I feel as if I
might vomit. I have to close my eyes when she starts presenting
examples of the obesity epidemic. I can only endure so
much.
There were theories before us that obesity had roots in
emotional or psychological problems. There is something
excited about her, her shoulders tense with expectation, her fists
clenching. This is nonsense. It is laziness that causes fat. Laziness
and greed. And it will be your downfall if you allow it. But you
wont let it, will you?
No.
Will you?
No.
WILL YOU?
NO, we scream, whipped into a frenzy.
But one of you has. Her voice drops to a whisper. We look
at each other, searching for the culprit. Who? Who is it? isabel. It
has to be isabel.
Look in the box! liu yells, pointing at a figure ascending
slowly into the glass box on the left of the chastitys desk,
emerging through the trapdoors from the Organized Recreation

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 Space. Its christy. My heart is thumping so loudly in my ears I
cant hear chastity-ruth, I cant hear the other girls. All I know is
that shes standing there, ready to be crucified for her sins. This
is going to look amazing on MyFace, megan says, pointing her
fone at christy.
Step forward, #727.
The glass doors part. She stands before us.
Remove your dressing gown.
Theres silence. christy unties the white towelling robe and
lets it fall to the ground. Shes wearing pink lace underwear,
small lumps of flesh spilling over the knickers, the inner edges of
her thighs close to touching.
#727 has been lazy. She has been lazy and she has
been greedy. She deserves to be punished. Dont you
agree?
Flashes from digi-cams and eFones are exploding like flares.
My hands are clammy, fear crawling up my spine bone by bone,
unfurling in my throat.
Dont you agree, girls? A note of warning has entered her
voice.
Yes, chastity-ruth.
I cant hear you. Does #727 deserve to be punished?
YES, chastity-ruth. We have to give her what she wants.
We will give her whatever she wants.
She reaches into the pocket of her robe and retrieves a
marker, someone behind me gasping at the rare sight of a writing
implement. Wielding it like a blade, she walks around christy,

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 once, twice, three times, before cutting into christys fair skin,
drawing vivid red circles on her body.
What is #727, girls? What is she?
We dont know, we dont know, we dont know.
Shes fat, girls. Shes fat and disgusting. Say it with me. Shes
fat. Fat. Fat.
Some of the girls sing with her, more and more people
joining in until it seems the ceiling may shatter with voices. It
looks like a lightning storm now, camera flash after flash bursting
through the room.
My eyes drift from christys thighs to isabels, and I cant
help but measure the difference. It should be isabel up there
instead of christy. I look up and isabel is staring at me, under-
standing shimmering between us. She knows what I am thinking.
Im sorry, I tell her with my eyes. Im so sorry. She looks away.
She doesnt care what I think any more.
Fat. Fat. Fat.
Amid the hysterical chanting, chastity-ruth holds her hands
together, as if shes praying for inspiration. Her robes swish on the
ground as she squats beside me. Fat. Fat. Fat, she whispers in my
ear. My heart feels too big for my body and I look at her in panic,
her washed-out grey eyes burning into mine. She can see into my
soul, just like isabel can. She can see, and she hates me too.
She bangs her fist on my desk so hard that the screen flickers
and dies, a large crack splintering the middle. Her odour is
invading my nostrils, the unfamiliar smell of the marker pen
mixing with a sour hint of sweat.

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 I look at my broken desk, my reflection warping, split into
two halves, both sides of my lips mouthing the word.
Fat.

That was intense.

Back in the dorms, cara answers my request to VideoChat
almost immediately and we fall into an uneasy silence.
Intense.
But obviously it had to be done. christy should have known
better, she says quickly, paranoia kicking in.
Obviously. My own fear beats in my body like a second
heart.
cara chews on the ends of her hair, golden strands peeping
out of her mouth. Look, freida, Ill talk to you later. Before I
say something I regret, her eyes seem to add. Im about to turn
the VoiceChat off when she speaks again, her voice quieter this
time.
Do you think my nose would be better if it was straighter?
What are you talking about?
In Comparison Studies. Someone said I should get it
re-designed when we leave School.
No, cara. Her gorgeous face fills the screen, delicate
freckles sprinkled over an adorable nose. Your nose is
perfect.
She grins and waves goodbye, christy forgotten. I request
isabel to VideoChat, staring at her profile foto as the beeping
tone stretches out into nothingness.

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 Maybe she has her ePad on silent.
Maybe shes taking a nap.
Maybe she hates me.

The MyFace newsfeed is clogged. I listen to megans status, then

darias, then giseles. All are the same, blow-by-blow accounts of
what happened in Comparison Studies, accompanied by count-
less fotos of christy in her underwear. I know I should update my
status, put something generic like Fat women should be made
obsolete, but I dont have the energy.
Stream TV.
The Americas-Zones Next Top Concubine is playing, newly desig-
nated concubines participating in tasks to select the one who will
be chosen as the American Fathers personal concubine for a
year. I watch as one of the finalists bows before the American
Father, his hands gripping her curly auburn hair. I think Ive seen
this episode before.
An advert for vaginal bleaching cream.
One for a new laser treatment that promises to remove any
unsightly body hair. If only amber had known about this! amber,
a member of girl band the slutz, has her hand held high, waving
to a friend. The camera zooms in, a red arrow pointing out the
shadowing of stubble across her armpit.
I keep flicking, allowing the drone of the TV to wash over
me, wash away these thoughts.
Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.
Hey, megan, I say, accepting the VideoChat request.

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4365.indd 63 09/05/14 8:06 PM

 Hey, girl. Whats up? Shes not even pretending to look at
me, totally focused on her own video-feed.
Nothing much. Whats up with you, girl? Pathetic. Im
better than this in my head.
Well, obviously Im in shock after what happened today. It
was awful. Poor christy. I feel so bad for her.
So bad that you took thirty-seven fotos and posted them all
on MyFace.
I would kill myself if I got that fat. I bet no one in the
Americas-Zone ever gets fat.
Apparently in the Chindia-Zone the eves are so well
designed they dont need kcal blockers at all. I sigh at the
prospect of unlimited access to the Fatgirl buffet, free from
shame. Its physically impossible for them to go above target
weight.
Hmm. Its funny how she cant see beyond the Americas. I
can understand her wanting to leave the Euro-Zone, with its
four thousand inhabitants and increasingly limited budget, but
most of the worlds money is in Chindia now. It may have been
the Americas who came up with the idea for the Noah Project,
but it was the Chindians who funded the development and
construction of the Zones. No one else could afford it.
I wonder why it wasnt isabel.
What do you mean? I pretend to misunderstand her.
Come on, freida, she says, those green eyes boring into
mine through the screen. isabel has gained about three times as
much weight as christy. Shes enormous.

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 Thats not very nice. My guilt that shes articulating my
thoughts is making me defensive. Since when did megan and I
agree on anything?
No need to be cranky. Im only asking because
Yeah, I know, Im sure you feel really bad for isabel too, I
say, and her face starts to turn a rather alarming shade of purple.
Sorry.
I wish I was brave enough to turn off my ePad and let her get
back to giving her hair one hundred brushstrokes, or whatever it
is she does to make it so shiny. I want my hair to be that shiny.
Ugh. Why am I so useless?
Sorry, I say again, and she smiles at my apology, tossing
ebony waves down her back.
Its OK. I know youre struggling. Ive noticed that there
have been some she pauses meaningfully difficulties with you
and isabel.
Paranoia turns my stomach over. Can everyone else see
it too? Do they talk about it behind my back, say that they always
knew isabel would dump me in the end? They must have
wondered why isabel, the #1 eve for so many years, would
choose to be best friends with someone as inconsequential as
me. I knew I was never good enough to be her friend; I wasnt
pretty enough or funny enough and I didnt even have great taste
in clothes. Everyone else probably knew it too.
isabel can be strange, cant she? megans tone is conversa-
tional but her eyes are sharp, taking in everything.
In what way?

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 Shes always been secretive, dont you think?
isabel?
Yes, isabel, megan says impatiently. I dont trust secretive
people.
Yes! I say, falling on the excuse with indecent haste. She
has been, I guess.
Not about everything. Most of the time she was the most
honest person I knew. But, yes, sometimes she could be guarded,
cagey even, if I asked her a question she didnt want to answer.
There was a part of herself that she kept hidden, that she didnt
trust me enough to show me.
But its no excuse to fall behind in the rankings, freida, she
says, wagging her finger at me. You started this year at like,
what, #5? As if she doesnt know. Our rankings are chiselled
into our souls. And now youre #10.Youre hanging on by your
not very well manicured fingertips. I mean, when was the last
time you went to chastity-hope for Beauty Therapy? You had
better not be pulling an amber.
Im going to get that new laser treatment done when I
become a companion . . .
If you become a companion. If, she says, holding her hand
up to shush me. And you will have to rank in the top five if you
want to be guaranteed one of the richer Inheritants. And thats
not exactly looking definite right now, is it? She stares at me
with unconcealed impatience. Do you want to be a concubine?
Is that it? Weve spend the last sixteen years in this School
surrounded by girls. Do you really want to spend the rest of your

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 life in a harem, surrounded by yet more girls? If youre a
companion, youll only have to share a house with some man and
however many sons youre lucky enough to birth. Its freedom.
For girls like us, being a companion is the only option.
A warm feeling spreads in my stomach at being included
with megan in girls like us. She leans in to the camera to fix her
make-up, wiping away flakes of mascara from underneath her
eyes. They seem greener on the screen, little specks of emerald
fanning out from her pupils.
When are they going to figure out a way to ensure our
morning make-up lasts the whole day? she asks, rubbing at a
small smudge on her browbone. Im so sick of having to reapply
mid-morning. Anyway. What was I saying?
For girls like us, being a companion is freedom, I prompt
her, thrilled at the opportunity to say girls like us again.
So, yeah, whatever. Its not like I care or anything, but I
think you need to start considering your future. Stop being such
a girl and drop the deadweight. And in isabels case, thats like
150 pounds of deadweight. Her face screws up with revulsion.
So disgusting. Id kill myself before Id let that happen to me.
Yeah, I suppose you . . . I begin but Im talking to myself,
the screen going black as megan hangs up without saying
goodbye. She never did that to me when isabel was #1.

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 Chapter 7

February
Five months until the Ceremony
How about the one on marine life?
Seen it.
Rainforests?
Seen it. Three times.
Youre in a strange mood. agyness scratches the new
haircut that megan said makes her look like a cancer patient.
Im bored. This weekend is lasting forever.
Im going to watch the marine one. Call me back if you
change your mind.
agyness? I say before she turns off VideoChat. Dont
mention this to the others. I dont want them to know that I still
watch the Nature Channel.
But you do watch the Nature Channel, she answers slowly.
Yes, but I dont want anyone else knowing that.

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 Who cares? She rubs her head again. Her hair is so short
now you can see the pink of her scalp peeking through. Shell
have to check that attitude at the door when she becomes a chas-
tity. You should just be yourself, freida.
I switch the chat off and stare at my reflection in the blank
screen. I was myself with isabel.
Breakfast, Gym, Organized Recreation, Lunch, Gym, Organized
Recreation, Dinner, ePad, Bed.
Breakfast, Gym, Organized Recreation, Lunch, Gym, Organized
Recreation, Dinner, ePad, Bed.
To break the monotony, I sneaked into caras room after
dinner on Saturday, but I was swiftly hunted out by chastity-
theresa. I dont understand how isabel and I got away with
breaking Isolation for all those years. The chastities always
seemed to look the other way when she was involved, but now,
without her, I am vulnerable. My anger with her thickens in my
chest, as heavy as a rock.
By Sunday afternoon I feel as if I am drowning in boredom.
Ive seen all the nature shows they are streaming on TV and all
thats left are reality-show repeats.
Wives of the Euro-Zone.
Wives of the Americas-Zone.
Euro-Wives versus Americas-Wives, Battle to the Death.

Im yo King, yeah Im yo King. Suck it down, coz Im yo King.

The newest rapper from the Americas, Lil Petes video is
on Rap TV. Hes standing on a huge gold-plated throne, a crown

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 on top of his spiky red hair. He has numerous leashes in his hands,
like reins, extending to diamond-studded collars wrapped
around the neck of each of the five naked blonde concubines
at his feet. Theyre kneeling on all fours, glossy mouths slack
until its time to sing the chorus. Youre my king, Lil Pete, you
my king.
I upload the video on to MyFace. Within minutes I can hear
other girls joining in, voices floating out of open cubicles. Youre
my king, Lil Pete, you my king.
megan comments under the video that Lil Pete looks sooo
like cintia, and cintia thanks her, bravely pretending that it was
a compliment. Ten minutes later cintia uploads a slew of new
fotos, her thick red hair cut in uneven layers, her chest barely
restrained in a floral bikini top.
Oh my Father, look at how fat I am! she squeaks.
The screen starts flashing, video comment after comment
popping up, denials oozing like tar.
Please! freja comments, pulling up a silver mesh sweater
to display a concave tummy. If you think thats fat, Im practi-
cally obese.
This is the same girl who told me at dinner yesterday that
shes lost five pounds.
I cant help it, she sighed, throwing her napkin over an
uneaten pig chop. I just cant stand the taste of in-vitro meat.
As if weve ever had any other kind. Its just another excuse
for her to limit her kcals. I said nothing, silently planning a
restricted kcal menu of my own.

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 cintia is so skinny in these fotos, her hip bones jutting out
through her porcelain skin. She is only ranked #24 though.
There is no way she is going to be a companion.
Thankfully, megan said when the subject came up before.
All that red hair is so unnecessary, dont you think?
I jump to my feet with barely contained anxiety, pacing back
and forth. I pull poses in my mirrors, turning to one wall, then
the next, reaching into my locker to grab my digi-cam. A foto of
me reclining on the bed. A foto of me in high-waisted PVC
leggings and a cropped top. A foto of me in a metallic silver
bikini.
Welcome to Your Face or Mine.
Upload. I scan the digi-cam barcode against the
screen.
Complete, the ePad says. Would you like to play?
The screen splits in two, a face on either side. They look a
lot younger, maybe about eight or nine. I dont recognize them.
We try not to pay much attention to the younger eves coming up
after us, with their fresher skin and their brighter eyes, snapping
at our heels. The one on the left has light brown hair, dip-dyed so
that the ends are blonde. I prefer the girl on the right, her smile
whittling dimples in her smooth black skin and making her
bronze eyes glint with naughtiness.
You are the first person today to choose thandi as
your preference. jessicas face has been preferred fifty times
today.
Of course it has.

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 I stare at myself in my mirrors, imagining taking a grater to
my skin, peeling off the top layer. My bones might be white
enough.

So after that I experimented with a smoky eye using gold shades.

Then I tried a grey smoky eye instead, daria says as we line up
for the BeBetter buffet in the Nutrition Centre. I think it looks
better than the normal black smoky eye. I took fotos if you want
to see them?
Did you? megan asks, although daria updated her status on
MyFace an hour ago telling us this, accompanied by said fotos.
She looks critically at her. I think I prefer a black smoky eye
personally. No offence.
She grabs her tray and goes to chastity-anne to collect her
meds. darias hand darts up as if shes going to wipe her eyes
clean, before she forces her face into a neutral expression.
I went onYour Face or Mine today, I say, watching as megan
takes her usual seat and swerves to admire herself in the mirrored
wall. I came third out of one hundred faces!
Thats great, freida! cara says, her face lighting up in a
genuine smile. Why didnt you post it on MyFace?
Probably embarrassed, jessie cuts in, throwing a dish from
the 0-kcal section on to her chipped tray. I was on Your Face or
Mine today too. I didnt even bother uploading a foto.
Because the fotos were lame, liz says, lifting the lid of her
tureen and gagging at the putrid smell of cabbage soup. Kids in
8th year dont count.

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 cara and daria are holding their breath, waiting to see how
Ill respond, but my mind goes blank. The twins snicker as they
walk away to join megan.
It does too count, I call after them, hurrying to catch up.
They sit next to megan, filling her in on our argument. I can feel
my temper start to rise and I breathe deeply to control myself.
Only weak girls show emotion.
meg, I love that bag. cara changes the subject hastily as we
sit down.
Thanks, megan says, stroking her snake-patterned tote.
Its only fake though. What do you think, freida?
Yeah. Very nice, I say, glancing up from my salad.
isabel has a clutch, doesnt she? Real snakeskin, I mean.
megans face turns thoughtful when I nod yes. They are so rare.
Where did she get it?
I shrug, taking a bite of the tasteless greens. I surreptitiously
scan the room till I find her, sitting by chastity-ruths desk. All of
isabels meals are supervised now, yet her body is still swollen
beneath her baggy black dress. Shes staring blankly at the soli-
tary apple on her plate.
You should prove it, freida, megan says, catching me off
guard.
Prove what?
That the results of todays Your Face or Mine are
valid.
How am I supposed to do that?
Well have another contest. Tonight.

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 Where? jessie asks, shaking her hair out of its ponytail and
nudging liz to do the same so that theyre identical again.
Not in the dorms there isnt enough room for all of us to
fit into one cubicle. megan bites her lip in concentration. I
know! Well do it in the garden.
What about Isolation? I ask.
chastity-bernadette is on tonight.
chastity-bernadette is rarely on night duty, because as soon
as the lamps are turned off she starts dozing. You can hear her
snores rumbling through the dorms within an hour of bedtime.
Were sorted, right? megan says as I silently plead with
one of the others to object. freida, you send out the invite on
MyFace. Send it to all of final year.
Me?
Im sorry, do you have an issue with that, freida?
She emphasizes my name, drawing out the syllables, making
it sound like a curse. I want to say no, I want to say no so badly,
but shes looking at me and theyre all looking at me now, a
mixture of disdain and pity in their eyes. They dont think I have
the courage to do it; they think Im the most boring person in
our class. Theyre probably wondering how isabel managed to
put up with me as long as she did.
megan rolls her eyes to heaven, jessie and liz immediately
copying her. cara is doing her best not to get involved, scanning
through fotogram. freja discreetly spits out her chewed-up
veggies, placing the napkin next to her plate, the sticky mess
seeping on to the table. My chest swells with fear and I can hear

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 my voice saying, Yeah, yeah, of course Ill send it, and I know that
Im really saying, Please like me, please like me, and I hate myself
so much but theyre all smiling again, and I feel relieved and
stupid all at the same time. Itll be fine. I will just write the
message in code. If I dont use the words party, gathering or
unsupervised, the eFilter shouldnt pick up on it. liz and jessie
get to their feet squealing, running to wrap their tanned limbs
around me, giving me one of their infamous twin sandwiches
for the first time. Warmth spreads through my limbs as I
realize everyone is watching us. Theyre jealous of me, like they
used to be.
Quieten down, girls, chastity-theresa calls without enthu-
siasm, and the twins skip back to their seats.
So invite everyone, yeah? megan continues in a low voice.
Except isabel, obviously.
Obviously! The twins giggle uproariously.
But if we get caught it might be useful to have her there,
cara points out.The chastities love her. She never gets in trouble.
No. A thick vein pulses in megans forehead. I dont want
her there.
Yeah. We dont want her there, liz and jessie repeat.
Is that going to be a problem? megan asks me, raising one
eyebrow.
No. I feel an awful excitement at being the favourite for
once, the thrill of being preferred to isabel squirming in my
belly. Of course not.
*

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4365.indd 75 09/05/14 8:06 PM

 I am a good girl. I am appealing to others. I am always happy and
easy-going.
Every nerve in my body is fizzing as I listen to the Messages
drone on. chastity-bernadette has been snoring since ten forty-
five, but I warned everyone to wait until midnight. Or the
witching hour, as I hinted in my stupid message. Some of the
girls werent keen, but once I told them it was megans idea any
doubts disappeared.
11.58 p.m.
I steal out of bed as quietly as I can, wrapping my lilac
dressing gown around me. I peek my head out of my cubicle and
see other girls doing the same, a row of floating heads. megan is
at the main door to the dorms, signalling for the rest of us to
follow. We scurry like mice after her through the cloisters until
we fall into the garden, laughing breathlessly. She leads us around
the plastic trees to a patch of lime-green grass enclosed by a ring
of the poppy flowers. We gather in a circle just inside the poppy-
flower border, twenty-nine girls in sheer kimonos, like geishas
from Old Japan.
Its freezing out here, freja complains, goosebumps
mottling her skin. She rubs her thighs vigorously, her fingertips
dipping into the hollows above her knees. I swing my legs in
front of me too, but they still dont look as skinny as hers. I
shouldnt have finished all of my tofu-burger tonight. I wasnt
even that hungry. liz ate her tofu-burger too. But she didnt have
any relish. I had two dollops of relish. megan ate most of her
chick-chick and noodle broth. Is that more or less kcals?

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 What was that voice? Saying I am a good girl, over and over
again? jessie and liz ask, in turquoise robes that match their eyes.
Youve never heard the night-time Messages before? I say.
They shrug, a lock of blonde hair emerging from both messy
topknots at exactly the same time.
I dont know why Im surprised. Theyve probably never
had a disrupted nights sleep in their vapid lives.
megan claps her hands and we all fall silent. So, everyone,
welcome to my little midnight feast. She subtly emphasizes the
my but not enough that I can call her out on it. Not that I would
anyway. I take a deep breath, trying to remember what we
learned in Unacceptable Emotions class. Anger is ugly. Nice girls
dont get angry. I picture my irritation as a big red balloon bursting
through my stomach, leaving a gaping hole behind.
To celebrate, I have a surprise for you, girls! megan rifles
through her shoulder bag, the same peach colour as her kimono.
She looks particularly beautiful tonight, her hair piled in a thick
top-knot, that pale skin luminous in the artificial moonlight. She
pulls out a large bar of chocco with a Ta-da! and some of the
others spontaneously applaud.
Put those away, megan says as jessie and liz aim digi-cams
at her. This cant go on MyFace.
Not on MyFace? But
No. megan cuts them dead, glaring until they put the digi-
cams back into their pockets. It must be like tonight never
happened. She brandishes the chocco bar. Now, christy, youre
not to eat it all. Its to share.

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 christy attempts a weak smile as she tugs her kimono down,
pretending she cant see freja staring at her soft thighs with open
disgust. No one stands up for her, not when its megan making
the joke, and especially not after what happened with chastity-
ruth in Comparison Studies. I pick a cotton flower from the ring
of poppies surrounding us, noticing a little caterpillar drawn on
a single petal, in a red-and-black leopard print. I hold it closer to
find my reflection in the mirrored bud. I want to see if my skin
is as incandescent as megans in the moonlight.
megan unpeels the wrapper, the smooth brown bar
emerging tantalizingly slowly. I can feel myself salivating. I cant
remember the last time I had chocco. I know some of the other
girls occasionally treat themselves at the weekend, ipecac syrup
at the ready, but after what happened with isabel Ive been trying
to be a good girl. In some ways we are as much associated with
one another as the twins are, and I dont want the others to see
me eating chocco and thinking that Im disgusting too. After
megan has bitten off a tiny piece, she passes it to jessie on her
left.
No. Sugar is poison, jessie says, holding it by the tip as if its
burning her fingers. She tuts loudly as liz takes a nibble. jessie
must be on the starvation cycle of her diet. Next week shell be
shovelling cakes down her throat, two at a time, before clawing
her way back on the wagon the following day. On the chocco
bar goes around the circle, passed reverently from girl to girl.
freja takes a bite, chews it for a few seconds, then spits it into a
tissue, some of the slime leaking on to her fingers. She wipes it

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 absent-mindedly on her robe, brown streaks smudging the faded
rose print.
Ooh, freja, you look like agyness after she had that accident
in the chamber. liz claps her hands in delight as freja tries to rub
the chocco off, leaving an ugly smear across the silk.
At least freja didnt actually shit herself. daria smirks.
agyness flushes to her peroxide-blonde roots, drawing
her knees to her chest as if to protect herself. It wasnt my
fault. chastity-anne prescribed too much ExoLax in Weight
Management that day, she protests, her words lost in the
laughter. And I was only six.
Can we just get on with it? I grab the chocco from freja
and crack off a piece before passing it to agyness. I force it down
my throat, barely tasting it. I lean back on my heels, my mind
stirring with images of frejas hollowed thighs, looking at the
ceiling covered with a star-filled navy digital wallpaper, a full
moon painted in an odd mustard colour. The edges of the sky
bend into the thick steel walls, curving in to air ducts and the
ventilation pipes that suck in and pump out all the air in the
school, recycling our oxygen. I can feel their breath now, inside
me. We are part of each other. The chocco bar is still on its
journey around the circle and we watch each other carefully,
comparing the size of our own bite to each others. When it
returns to megan, half the bar is left and she offhandedly throws
it down in front of her.
Now that our naughty treat is done, she says, ignoring our
hungry eyes glued to the remaining chocco, I think its time to

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 begin the main event. She reaches into her tote bag again and
takes out an empty bottle of EuroCola, placing it in the middle
of the circle. As you know, the reason were here is because
there was some controversy over the reliability of todays Your
Face or Mine.
Yeah, all those 7th years dont count, angelina says, pursing
her plump lips.
For the last time, I snap, they werent all
So were going to do a face-to-face version. megans voice
is cold at the interruption and I bite my tongue. Whichever two
people the bottle lands on, we go around the circle one by one
saying which face we prefer. Got it?
There is a current of edginess in the group, nervous at the
thought of being so openly honest. We make comparisons
constantly, of course, but in private, protected behind the
anonymity of our computers. isabel and I used to spend hours on
a Saturday afternoon VideoChatting, talking about which girls in
our year we thought were the prettiest, isabel frowning when
she thought I was being too mean.
Well, I think agyness has great eyes, she would say when
I called her cropped hairstyle masculine. freja is too skinny,
she would agree, when I would gripe about her flaunting
those gaunt arms. isabel was being genuine she thought
freja was too thin unlike me, who secretly envied her.
Every popping bone felt like an affront to my own lack of
discipline.
Yeah, its gross, isnt it? Id say eagerly.

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 Hmm, shed answer non-committally. She has great taste
in clothes though. That feathered skirt she wore today was
awesome.
isabel could always find the best in every situation. When I
was ranked #3 to her #1, she would insist that I was just as
pretty as she was, listing all the things about my appearance that
she liked. Id examine myself in the walls after our VideoChats
and I would feel a tiny glimmer of hope. Suddenly I miss her so
much that my chest feels as if it might rupture with grief. What
did I do that was so bad it made her give up on me?
The bottle lands on rosie and alessandra and we cast our
votes in turn.
rosie . . . rosie . . . alessandra . . . rosie . . . rosie . . .
Im dying, rosie gasps when she is announced the winner.
Youre so much prettier than me.
No way, alessandra says. I would kill for your lips. And
blue eyes are cuter, everyone knows that. megan raises an
eyebrow. Blue and green eyes.
Yeah, but Id much prefer your nose. Its straighter than
mine, rosie says, squeezing the tip of her own perfectly straight
nose.
Well, at least youre not fat like me.
What? Have you seen my thighs? Im practically veering
into isabel territory, rosie says, pinching non-existent thigh fat.
She waits, hiding a tiny smile as the garden bursts with dissenting
voices.
You are so not fat. Im fat.

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 Im so fat I should be made obsolete.
Ive gained at least three pounds since dinner, I know it.
How many kcals were in that chocco bar? Its 555 kcal per
100 grams, but it was a large bar, which is 250 grams approxi-
mately. I only had a small bite. How many kcals in that? I need to
pay more attention in Calorie Calculation class. My blood feels
itchy with the compulsion to vomit the chocco back up, see it
splash on the ground before me, leaving me clean.
megan spins the bottle again, covering her face with slim
fingers and exclaiming, Im so embarrassed! when it lands on
herself and angelina. Ive always thought she and megan look
alike, with their masses of dark wavy hair and milky pale skin.
angelina would be my personal choice however; her feline-
shaped blue eyes are gorgeous.
The twins can start it off.
They both choose megan, of course, each girl that follows
regurgitating her name without hesitation. Were shape-shifters,
forever peeking over our shoulders to see what everyone else is
doing in order to base our performance on theirs. freja opts for
megan too, turning to me with an expectant face.
angelina angelina angelina, a voice is screaming inside my head,
but my tongue feels swollen, absorbing the words I want to say.
Sorry, what did you say? I didnt quite catch that. megan
plays coyly with the silk tie of her kimono.
megan, I repeat in defeat. I turn to agyness. Shes making
a necklace from some poppy-flowers, tongue lolling out in
concentration.

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 Hey,Augustus, its your turn, megan says, throwing contemp-
tuous looks at the others. Augustus. Wake up, Augustus.
I nudge agyness, pointing to megan when she frowns at me
for disturbing her jewellery making.
I was calling your name, you dumb bitch, megan says in
exasperation.
But you didnt say my name.
I did. I called you Augustus.
But my name is agyness.Why would you call me Augustus?
agyness isnt being awkward. She honestly doesnt get that
someone would call her by a mans name because she has short
hair.
Whatever, megan sighs in the end, obviously deciding it
isnt worth explaining it to her. My face or angelinas?
What?
What is wrong with you? megan says, losing her cool. Did
they drop you on your head when you were designed? Why do
you think were all out in the garden at midnight? Did you expect
us to sing songs and braid each others hair? Were playing Your
Face or Mine. The bottle landed on angelina and me. Which one
of us do you think is the prettiest?
agyness looks from megans face to angelinas, then back to
megans again.
angelina. She refocuses on her necklace, grabbing another
poppy from behind her to intertwine in it.
Silence fills the domed garden, no one daring to look at
anyone else.

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 What? megan isnt even attempting to disguise her
disbelief.
I said I choose angelina. Irritation colours agynesss
voice at this further disruption. I prefer her lips. You have great
lips, angelina, she says, and angelina smiles gratefully at this
unexpected victory, however small. But, um, you have a nice
personality, megan.
She must be worried that she has hurt megans feelings.
Thats the only explanation I can think of for the blatant lie. That
warning vein is throbbing in megans forehead again, her lips so
white they look as if theyve disappeared.
Nice? Nice? NICE? megan shouts. I try to shush her but
shes beyond reason.
Yes. Youre nice, agyness lies again, looking perplexed at
this reaction.
Who cares about nice?
I do. I think personality matters.
Are you brain dead? Personality does NOT matter. All that
matters is being pretty, you . . . she stammers with rage, you
feminist. Theres a horrified gasp. Well, its true, she says
defiantly. Being pretty is all that matters.
I quite agree, #767.
We freeze as she moves out of the shadows cast by the plastic
trees. Her black robes make her look like a huge crow, about to
scavenge through the debris for something to eat. Behind her is
chastity-bernadette, sleepily rubbing her eyes.
Oh shit.

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 Being pretty is whats most important. Although, I have to
say, I feel using the F-word was a little excessive, she continues,
wearing her calmness like a mask. I cant breathe, terror
constricting my lungs.
Im sorry, chastity-ruth, I
Since you know how important being pretty is, Im sure
youre aware of how important sufficient sleep is to keep your
skin in good condition. Especially coming up to the Ceremony.
Yes, chastity-ruth, we whisper.
Words fail me, girls. And Im not often short of words, am
I? We make submissive noises. Now, let me see. There must be
a ringleader. I wonder who it could be.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Did you really think you were going to get away with this?
Get up right now and walk in single file back to your dorm. You
will not speak to each other.You will not look at one another. I will
expect you in my office in the morning to receive your chastise-
ment. She gestures at a quaking chastity-bernadette. Escort them
back to their dorms if you can manage to stay awake that long.
Wait, #630, she says as we eves scramble to our feet, eager
to escape. I would like a little chat with you.
I stop, my heart thumping painfully in my chest. I try to
grab hold of megans kimono as she passes, but the silk just slips
through my fingers. chastity-bernadette closes the gate tightly
behind them, locking me in here. With her.
Have you anything you would like to say, #630? She loops
around me again and again until I start to feel dizzy.

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 What do you mean?
You requested a VideoChat with every girl in your year this
evening. Thats an interesting coincidence, isnt it?
She stands before me. Shes not tall, but it feels as if she is
towering above me, ready to wrap her black veil around me and
devour me.
Every girl except isabel. Didnt you used to be best
friends? Or did she get sick of you? she continues, the moon-
light glinting yellow in her grey eyes. I want to tell her that this
wasnt my idea, but I cant. My life will be a living nightmare if I
get megan in trouble, and I need her now. Im not brave enough
to do this by myself.
Do you have anything to say for yourself, #630?
No, I say, and she looks so angry that I draw back, afraid
she might touch me, hit me and leave a scar. But she would never
do that. The chastities are not allowed to damage the Fathers
investments.
I dont even want to look at you, you useless piece of
garbage. A malevolent grin stretches across her face, her teeth
like a row of tombstones. I will give you your chastisement
tomorrow, #630. I need time to think of something extra special
just for you.

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 Chapter 8

All final-year eves report to the chastities office.

Im lying face down on the mattress when the intercom
wakes me, my head smeared on to my arms, my mouth parched.
I stretch, my mind gluey with sleep.
Will all-final year eves report to the office immediately.
Except for isabel.
Obviously. The twins voices whisper in my head, and memo-
ries from last night smash into me.
I crawl out of bed. Even in the low lighting, my mirrored
cubicle is not kind to me today. I can see the wrinkles in my
kimono from every angle, a big lump of knotted hair bulging at
the nape of my neck. Peering closer at the wall at the base of my
bed I notice angry handprints on my cheek from where I fell
asleep.
Hurry up, freja hisses from the doorway, immaculate in
tapered trousers and an olive blouse with a pussy bow.

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 Throwing an agonized glance at the mirror, I pull my matted
hair into a bun and scurry to catch up with daria. We march
together through the cloisters, past the garden gate to the back
of the School until we have gathered in front of the chastity quar-
ters. A tall gold-plated gate shields their privacy, the large black
triangle of the chastities sculpted in the metal. There are five
different cameras pointing directly at us. This is the only area of
the School that still has functioning cameras. They cant afford to
replace the others.
megan forces her way to the front, slamming her hand on a
gold-plated box attached to the gate, the same black triangle
inscribed on that. A sorrowful note rings out and the gates part.
megan grabs my hand, her talons digging into my palms in
warning. A surge of hatred pulses through my body, so strong my
knees shake, and she lets go, smiling. She knows Ill do what she
wants.
We walk through the gates into a long murky passageway,
stopping at a large oak door with a brass peephole at eye level.
What do we do now? megan asks, jumping as the door
swings open.
Follow me, chastity-anne says with a disapproving shake of
her head, leading us through their quarters. The diamond tiles
give way to a black marbled floor. There are no light-lamps here,
only old-fashioned white candles in glass lanterns, six along each
side of the hall. Beside each lantern there is a single door, which
must be the chastities individual sleeping quarters. chastity-
anne leads us through another oak door into a dimly lit room

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 where every surface is covered in oak-wood panels, including
the ceiling. The big window at the far end of the room is sealed
with a huge print of the original Father, the man who led the
Noahs Project for the Euro-Zone all those years ago. The poster
is dotted around with star-shaped light bulbs.
Lining either side of the room are six wooden chairs, each
one underneath a lantern holding a white candle, the same as in
the corridor. Eleven chastities are sitting in the chairs, their
black robes draping to the ground, stitching brightly coloured
thread into linen frames. Theyre working in a perfect rhythm,
needles going in and out at the exact same time, the concentra-
tion on their faces clear to see even in the candlelight.
chastity-ruth is sitting at a large wooden desk beneath the
Fathers poster. She claps twice and the other chastities immedi-
ately stop their embroidery and stand up.With bald heads bowed
and needlework clasped in their hands, they glide silently from
the room. chastity-magdalena holds a finger to her lips as she
passes me, her face grave.
When they have left, chastity-ruth looks at each girl in her
turn, except for me. For all the times Ive wished I was invisible
to her, I cant help but feel this is a bad omen.
Im sure you are aware of how disappointed I am in
you.
Yes, chastity-ruth, we reply, heads hanging.
I have known for some time that chastity-bernadette was
perhaps ill-suited to night duty, but I never dreamed that you
would abuse her limitations in such an insolent manner. She

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 does look shocked. The chastities never expect us to disobey
them, to have the audacity to break the rules carved into us since
design. She shakes her head before adding, chastity-bernadette
shall also be punished of course.
I feel a pang of guilt at the thought of poor old chastity-
bernadette getting in trouble because of us.
Isolation is enforced to ensure that any incidents of female
hysteria which Organized Recreation has failed to drain from
you do not occur. Its for your own safety.
Yes, chastity-ruth.
I thought long and hard about a suitable chastisement for
you. I was considering banning you from make-up for a week . . .
daria catches her breath, blood draining from her face, but I
decided that would only be detrimental to the reputation of the
School. You may be perfectly designed, but there is always room
for Improvement. She scrutinizes us as a heaviness hangs in the
gloomy room. So, as your chastisement, your internet usage will
be banned for a week.
What?
No!
Thats not fair
That means, her cold voice slices through the protests, no
MyFace, no VideoChat, no TV. Nothing. I shall collect your eFones
and ePads at breakfast. Now get out of my sight.
We go to leave, stunned into silence.
Stay where you are, #630, she says as the others file out.
Sit down.

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 I grab one of the chastitys chairs and drag it so that I can sit
across from her, the desk a welcome buffer between us.
Why are you still in your nightclothes?
I look down at my crumpled kimono. Id forgotten I was still
wearing it.
Pathetic. She leans forward, digging her elbows into the
wood. I have to say, #630, Im surprised that youre the ring-
leader in all this. Youve always seemed more like a follower.
Wouldnt you agree? A sheep. Cannon fodder. Pretty, if you like
that sort of thing, but rather bland.
Its as if she has ripped my head off my shoulders and held it
to her ear like a seashell fossil, listening to the echo of my secret
thoughts. I bite my lip. Crying is ugly. No man wants a girl who
cries.
I would have presumed one would need to be more popular
to persuade the rest of the class to break the rules so flagrantly.
And so close to the Ceremony. She widens her eyes theatrically.
Will they be very angry with you, #630?
They wont blame me, will they? Everyone knows it was
megans idea; she said so herself in the garden.
Was this your idea, #630? Or was someone else involved?
Someone ranked higher than you, perhaps.
No, chastity-ruth. I stare into my lap miserably. I cant risk
it. It was my idea.
How touching your loyalty is, if rather misguided. I can
hear her wooden chair scraping back on the marble floor. Its a
pity you didnt show similar loyalty to isabel.

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 Yes, chastity-ruth.
Besides having your internet usage rescinded, as an extra
chastisement you are forbidden from using make-up or hair-
styling this week.
But what about standards being upheld? I blurt out in
desperation. I thought you said
Are you questioning me? Her eyes are like chips of ice.
No, chastity-ruth.
Glad to hear it. She peers closer at me. Those dark circles
under your eyes arent going to help your rankings. What is the
point of your taking SleepSound when its clearly so ineffective?
I must discuss it with chastity-anne.
I can feel my chin starting to wobble. Dont cry. Dont cry.
I am always happy and easy-going.
I hope youre not going to cry, #630, like some new-
design.
No, chastity-ruth.
And youre in detention for two weeks, she says. You will
report to the chamber every morning after breakfast. You are
dismissed.
I leave quickly before she can find a few more chastisements
for me, running away, the world blurring with my fear.

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 Chapter 9

Your weight is 115 pounds, freida, the PSP says. Please step
into the changing cupboard.
Can I look through some old fotos to reference first?
Outfit denied.
But I havent chosen an outfit yet.
Outfit denied.
I peer closely at the screen, tapping it repeatedly, but it
keeps saying, Denied. Denied. Denied.
Denied, the PSP says again. Please step into the changing
cupboard. Your outfit has been selected. The computer screen
vanishes and my face reappears. My eyes are bloodshot, purple
shadows smudged underneath them. I pinch my cheeks to draw
some blood into them, give them some colour. I could really use
make-up today.
Maybe a sneaky hint of lipgloss? I say as the trapdoors of
the changing cupboard open and I step in.
Close your eyes.

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 The lasers crackle, the top layer of my skin seared clean, hair
yanked into a tight ponytail. Back in my room I stare in disbelief at
the outfit that has been selected for me. Ochre velour sweatpants
have been matched with an oversized yellow T-shirt, yellow flip-
flops and a yellow backpack. I look like a stick of margarine.
Sometimes I fantasize about having a terrible accident, one
so awful that everyone would feel sorry for me and take care of
me until I got better. I wish that every bone in my face was
broken, my features disfigured beyond repair, so that a complete
re-design was unavoidable. I could flip through a catalogue of
body parts, hand-picking the new, improved me. I know every-
thing would be better then.
I take my place in the line for the fotobooths. daria passes,
nose in the air, and freja waits for me to walk ahead of her,
pretending to be engrossed by the floor tiles. I try my best to take
a good foto, dimming the lighting and turning slightly away so only
my side profile has been captured, but I know its no use. I can
imagine all the Inheritants looking at the foto, at my greasy hair and
my uneven skin, thinking how tired I look. I will be unwanted by
any man, utterly failing in my one role as an eve.
Conversations stop when I enter the cafeteria, continuing in
whispers as I pass. Even the younger eves nudge each other,
heads tilted in my direction. Everyone knows.
Morning, chastity-anne. She doesnt look up from her
desk as she hands me the test tube with my foto on it.
Wait, I say, talking to the top of her head, the rivets of blue
veins tracing around her skull. Where are the rest of my meds?

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 She shrugs and looks over her shoulder at chastity-ruth.
Shes perched at her desk, a big pile of confiscated ePads and
eFones in a wooden crate at her feet.
Fine. I give in. Ill see you at bedtime for my SleepSound.
She doesnt respond and my nerves begin to crackle. chastity-
anne?
Not this week.
What? I say in panic, my breath becoming shallow. But I
need my SleepSound.
Is there a problem? chastity-ruth murmurs in my ear,
sneaking up out of nowhere and making me jump with fright.
No problem, chastity-anne says, shooting me a warning
glance. She was just collecting her meds.
Very good. chastity-ruth unzips my bag A backpack.
How very utilitarian chic and removes my ePad, eFone and
make-up bag with a flourish. I watch in stunned silence as she
glides back to her desk.
Please, chastity-anne. Im begging you.
I cant help you with that, she says, as if Ive asked her for
an extra can of EuroCola.
Thanks, I say bitterly, picking up my tray, my hands clutching
the edges so tightly my knuckles are blanched of colour. megan and
the twins are at the top table, bags and sweaters piled on the empty
seats. Maybe they will slip me half a pill, just for tonight.
Did you see the latest update about the Carmichaels on the
Daily Tale this morning? megan says, examining her manicure
for chips.

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 Of course. I needed to watch as much as I could before
they took our ePads away, jessie says mournfully.
I cant believe cassie is saying Charles hit her.
Why didnt she say she walked into a door or something?
What happened to saving face? liz says and the others start
laughing at the unintentional irony. Oh, shut up! You know what
I mean.
Hes yummy, jessie sighs. He could hit me any day he
wanted.
Id let him make shit of me, megan says, the three of them
now laughing hysterically.
Hey.
They stare up at me as if they have no idea who I am. Its the
same way they look at liu, an air of bewilderment undercut with
exasperation.
You look as tired as I feel, jessie says, her head dropping to
examine the mirrored table. She looks at me again and then back
at her reflection. Thank the Father for make-up.
Were all tired today, megans tone is accusing and I want
to scream at her. This was her idea in the first place.
Can I sit down, megan? I ask, conscious of a table of 12th
years pointing and whispering.
She leans back in her chair, her black lace cropped top rising
a little above the high waistband of her black spandex pants. Her
hair has been styled with a severe middle parting, her eyes lined
in forest-green kohl, eyes that are working their way from my feet
to my greasy ponytail, lingering at my midriff.

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 Sorry. She shrugs. Those seats are saved for the others.
I can feel a lump form in my throat, threatening to
choke me.
iman. Over here.
iman, a pretty 15th year, is chatting loudly to a girl with
waist-length ginger hair and a doll-like face. She stops, pointing at
herself to verify that megan is speaking to the correct person.
Yes, you! And lily. Have breakfast with us! megan coos as
they sit down. Why are we not friends on MyFace? Ill fix that
once we get our ePads back, she lies. No one ever befriends
younger girls on MyFace.
freida. Wait.
Yes? I say hopefully, spinning around. Theres still space at
the table, after all.
You need a pedicure. I look down at my feet, at the chipped
nail polish, and I curl my toes. Youre welcome! megan calls after
me, iman and lily open-mouthed at this 16th-year drama.
The Nutrition Centre blurs before me. I know agyness and
cara would let me sit with them, but there isnt any room left at
their table. All the other girls seem to have handbags and empty
ePad cases placed resolutely on any spare seats. Even the younger
eves avoid eye contact with me.
No other seats left, #630? chastity-ruth says as I take a seat
by her desk. Her voice is so loud that everyone turns to watch as
isabel and I are reunited.
Be careful, I say tetchily as isabel reaches across the table to
grab her water glass, her arm bumping mine. I can feel her body

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 heat radiating against my skin. If you had been in the garden, I
wouldnt have got in trouble. If you were still my friend, I wouldnt have
to try to be friends with megan.
I take the tarnished silver lid off my tureen and stare at the
bowl of porridge, grains almost jumping out of the congealed
grey sludge. I take a bite. What weight did the PSP say I was this
morning? It said I was at target, but it was wrong, it was wrong, it
was wrong. I saw the way megan looked at my stomach; she could
see the blubber ripping through my skin. Im disgusting. I take
another bite of porridge but it slimily crawls back up my throat,
like a slug. I run, the blood roaring in my ears, and I make it just
in time to fall to my knees and see yellow bile spattering the back
of the toilet bowl.
The black and white tiles line the floors of the Vomitorium
too, the sinks carved from cream marble, the taps plated in
gleaming chrome. There is a private alcove tucked into the
corner and I trace my hand over the faded wallpaper a motif of
women from the Zones, unaware that their foto is being taken.
One woman is on a climbing wall at the gym, a red circle around
her sweaty face. Another is climbing out of a swimming pool, a
vivid red arrow pointing to dimpling cellulite on her thighs.
There are countless others, a map of red circles highlighting
their shame. The same pattern is replicated on the round woven
mat that Im standing on, staring at myself in the full-length
mirror hanging on the wall.
You are at an acceptable weight.
I jerk back, my heart racing.

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 Its the mat speaking. It weighs you. isabel is standing in the
entrance to one of the toilet cubicles, that shapeless black dress
doing little to disguise her increasing bulk. Its the first time she
has spoken to me in weeks.
Make sure to avail yourself of the facilities. She points at
the display of beauty products and bottles, neatly arranged on a
chrome-plated shelf above the three sinks. There are bottles of
mouth freshener, some sort of wash to make sure cavities dont
form in your teeth, ExoLax tablets, back-up supplies of ipecac
syrup to help with vomiting and some tubes of lipgloss. I gargle
with mouthwash, the sound of isabel retching in the toilet behind
me clearly audible. I creep closer until the tips of my fingers are
touching the door between us. How did we get here? How did
sixteen years of friendship disintegrate so fast and with such
ease?

Well be friends forever, freida.

But what happens if I dont make the companion third? W hat will
we do then?
You will. isabel was confident.And if you dont, Ill sort it out.
How? How can you sort it out?
I cant tell you. Its a secret.
But best friends tell each other everything, I said. Best friends
dont have secrets.
She turned away. It was yet another one of those moments where I
could sense the secrets bubbling inside of her, making no sound.

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 Chapter 10

As soon as I wake up I reach for my ePad. But it isnt there the

first morning or the second morning or the third or the fourth.
Access denied.
I do the splits perfectly in PE. I lose half a pound in two
days. I get the spinach and pig-meat frittata from the lo-carb
section for lunch. And no one else knows. I mentally construct a
MyFace status, polishing the memories carefully until they shine.
The need to record my life is as fundamental as my need to
breathe. Without MyFace, Im floating. I have nothing to anchor
me down, to prove I exist.
Its only one week.
I count the days in a week, then the hours, the minutes.
I find myself watching the clock, wishing the days away
until I can have something, anything, to distract me from
this frenzy of thoughts like a nest of wasps exploding in my
brain. Thoughts and thoughts and thoughts. I am possessed
by them.

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 Eggies again? Im so sick of eggies. megan is staring at the
BeBetter buffet selection.
Is there a problem, #767? chastity-ruth swoops down on
her.
No problem. megan, arching her back, her strapless mini
dress rising up her thighs, liz and jessie in rapt adoration by
her side.
Havent we done this before?.
The volume in the cafeteria is mounting. We fall on each
other, desperate to talk, words spilling out of our mouths as if
theyre too hot to swallow. Howre you? How are you? I dont care.
Listen to me. Listen to me. Mealtimes are stuffed with monologues
thrown at one another, each waiting for a pause in the conversa-
tion that we can claim for ourselves.
And then she said . . .
. . . I had to, dont you . . .
. . . same thing happened to me, only way worse . . .
That reminds me of when I . . .
Do you remember when I . . .?
chastity-ruth has increased Organized Recreation to three
hours every evening to settle our nerves. I crawl into my glass
coffin, cramming amnesia into my mouth.
Are you OK? isabel has stopped eating. I can see chewed
up chick-chick in her mouth. The bones of the chicken re-form,
re-creating his skeleton. He starts chirping but she swallows,
swallows the bird down, all the way into her stomach. Hes going
to lay eggs, so many eggs, and when all the baby birds are hatched

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 they will peck and peck and peck their way out of her stomach. I
cover my eyes with my hands. There are no animals any more.
They were all destroyed.
Are you OK, freida? isabel asks again.
Im tired.
Still not sleeping?
No.
I had thought my sleeping pattern was irregular when I only
managed four or five hours a night on SleepSound. That seems
indulgent now. When we return to our cubicles after evening
meal, we are in Isolation until breakfast the next morning, chastity-
ruth patrolling the dorms more vigilantly than I can ever remember.
I lie awake, listening to the night-time Messages play on and on. I
must be a good girl, I must, I must, I must.
I havent slept since the night in the garden.
You havent slept in four days?
I start laughing, convulsions moving through me.
That sounds dangerous. I can tell by isabels face she
doesnt find it as funny as I do. Maybe you should ask chastity-
ruth if you can skip the chamber session this morning. Youre in
no state to be exercising.
Thanks, isabel, I say. The gym keeps me skinny! Math is
hard. Pink is my favourite colour.Wanna go shopping? Y oure my
best friend.
Hey, girls. megan and the twins approach before isabel can
reply. chastity-ruth is distracted, leaving her desk to yell at a
group of 5th years for laughing too loudly. The three of them

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 have styled their hair in textured side plaits, eyes lined heavily
with black kohl.
Hey. isabel continues to chew her food slowly.
isabel. megans voice is like silk. Have you been watching
the Carmichaels? Whats happening with Charles and carrie?
She sighs. Its so typical that were banned from TV during such
a crucial period in their lives.
isabel takes a sip of water before placing the glass back on
the table. I dont watch that show.
The lights have caught fire in the twins hair and they merge
into one, then two, then one. Are they secretly the same person?
My mouth is dry. Little stars leak out of megans skin, replacing
her eyeballs with golden stars. My mouth is so dry. I grab isabels
glass and gulp down whats left in it. I drop it back on the table,
looking at the girl looking back at me. Greasy dark hair pulled
away from an ashen face. Is that the girl they keep calling freida?
You look like shit. Star-eyes is talking to me, the clones
nodding in the background.
But skinny! Youve lost five pounds at least. You could
totally create your own diet programme, the clones tell me.
They might be jealous. I didnt think machines could have feel-
ings.
Its true, I am skinny. My bones jostle underneath my skin,
fighting to be the first one to pierce my flesh.
Food tastes of nothing. I dont look the clones in the eyes.
They will turn me to stone.
Why is she slurring her words?

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 Shes fine, isabel answers abruptly.
I am fine, I am fine, I am fine.

Eggies for lunch? Im so sick of eggies. megan is bickering with

the stacks of silver tureens again and again and again.
Havent we done this before? Havent we done this before?
Havent we done this before?
What? megan stares at me.
What? I answer back. What? What? What? What?
Why do you keep repeating everything?
Someone is turning the volume controls on her voice up
and down and up and down. My eyes are turning inside and then
out, they are too big for the sockets, they are going to fall out,
fall to the floor like ping-pong balls, bounce, bounce, bounce.
What? Havent we done this before? Havent we done this
before? Havent we done this before?
Is there a problem here? chastity-ruth swoops down, black
robes billowing.
Havent we done this before?
Blackness swarms and I see nothing as the floor rises to
meet me, to be my dancing partner.

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 Chapter 11

freida?
Tiredness is pulling me under. Im trying to keep my head
up, claw my way out of this never-ending dream, but I keep
falling back. The world blinks once, twice. A bald head is floating
before me. I should nod to say that I am awake, but my skull feels
like a burden. I close my eyes again.
Ill wait here until she wakes up, chastity-magdalena.
Another voice, a girl.Younger.
Youre not supposed to be here.You might get in trouble.
Its me. Her voice cracks a little. I cant get in trouble,
can I?
Footsteps walking away. A hand on my forehead, brushing
away my hair.
freida, freida.
My name is freida.

I push the suffocating duvet off me.

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 There are two old windows in the wall facing me, blocked
up with square mirror panes surrounded by a mahogany border.
There is another, empty, bed next to me in this large, white
room.
I am not in my dorm.
Youre awake.
Shes sitting on a stripped wooden chair at the end of the
bed, so low that she has to semi-rise out of the seat in order to
see me over the bed frame.
How are you feeling? she asks, groping for the switch on
the wall, both of us blinking as she turns the light on. Her face is
knotted in anxiety but softer somehow, more like the isabel I
used to know.
What happened?
You fainted in the cafeteria. Youve been in Sick Bay ever
since.
I fainted? Did everyone see? Were people laughing?
We thought youd had a heart attack or something. They
had to bring a Doctor in from the Euro-Zone to examine you.
He was furious that an eve with a known sleep disorder was
deprived of SleepSound, accused chastity-anne and chastity-ruth
of neglect.
How do you know? Who told you all this? I ask, but she
merely shrugs before saying, Youve been out for two days now.
Out? Out as in unconscious?
Seriously, you need to calm down. chastity-magdalena
wont be happy if she comes in and finds you agitated.

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 Im not agitated, I say agitatedly.
She looks at me sceptically and pulls her ePad out of the
battered leather satchel hanging off the back of her chair.
freida, I think I know you well enough to know when
youre feeling anxious.
And in that moment there is so much I want to say to her I
wouldnt even know where to begin.
OK. Im agitated, I admit, and isabel throws her head back
in laughter. A braid is holding her silky white hair back from her
lightly freckled face, her eyes lit up with amusement. I try not to
look below her shoulders, but I cant stop myself. Shes in the
same black dress, but I can see the extra bulk collecting at her
neck, on her arms. When she moves, the material sticks to the
rolls of fat around her tummy. I can count them as easily as I can
count frejas ribs. I feel nausea, pity and, worst of all, a shiver of
glee. If there were photos of us in our bikinis on Your Body
or Mine, I would be chosen. For the first time against isabel, I
would win.
Its been strange on MyFace with everyone banned, she
says, fiddling with her ePad. My news feed is nonexistent.
At least you have access to it. I feel like my arm has been
hacked off with a rusty saw.
Lovely visual, freida. So dramatic, she pretends to scold
me. Come here, Ill give you a look at mine.
Oh, can we? Can we go on to Artificial?
isabel pushes herself out of the squat little chair and stands
at my left shoulder. She leans in so that I can see the screen

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 properly, her hair tickling my cheek. She still smells of lavender.
If I close my eyes, I could be five again, huddled with isabel after
yet another clash with chastity-ruth. A wave of affection for her
crashes over me, a weakness I thought I had defeated.
The big story is still the Charles and carrie Carmichael
story, she says.
What happened?
He thought she was being too friendly with another
Inheritant at his birthday party. He broke her nose and two of
her ribs.
He hit her in the face? I cant believe that.
Its true. They did a special edition on it Combating with
the Carmichaels.
Why didnt she deny it?
He did it on a live broadcast. They couldnt cover it up.
Hes yummy. Id let him beat me any day. I repeat megans
words.
Dont. isabel rebukes me sharply. Dont say that.
I look at the ePad. Charless arms are folded across his chest
defensively. I click on the video . . . and what happens between me
and my companion is my business. I reserve the right to do what I want in
my own home . . . I turn the sound off. His lips are still moving.
carrie is standing behind him, the thin straps of her cream slip
dress falling off her shoulders. Her face is beautifully made up
but you can see the shadowing underneath, her eyes huge with
defeat.
Did carrie release a statement too?

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 I doubt anyone asked her for one, isabel says, and I nod,
pushing the ePad away.
Are you feeling sick? Should I call chastity-magdalena?
Worry is etched on isabels face. Why is she being nice to me
again?
How come youre allowed to visit me?
Im not being chastised, am I?
But youre still breaking Isolation. Why havent the chasti-
ties kicked you out?
Just lucky, I guess. She picks at a spare thread in the duvet
cover, avoiding my eyes. Another secret.
Fine. Dont tell me.
Its not a big deal, freida. chastity-magdalena is being
amazing. She wags her finger at me. You know, I think youre
her favourite. For some reason.
Excuse me! I cant help but smile. What do you mean,
for some reason? Why wouldnt I be her favourite?
isabel makes a grotesque face, and we start giggling again.
Ive missed this, I blurt out before I lose courage. Its been
nice these last few days, sitting together at meals. Like the old
days.
Well, you were delirious from a lack of sleep . . .
And Im sorry about not inviting you to the garden. It
wasnt my decision.
Its fine.
She doesnt offer me an apology in return or explain
why shes been pushing me away all year. I wish I knew why I

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 didnt say anything to her about this before now. Why didnt I
catch it at the beginning? But it all happened so gradually.
A missed VideoChat request here and there, the night I lay
awake sizzling in the heat and realized she hadnt visited my
cubicle in weeks . . . There was nothing you could pinpoint
and say, This is the exact moment that we stopped being best
friends. She sits back on the chair, tucking her ePad into the
satchel neatly.
Anyway she folds over her lap like a ragdoll, wrapping
her arms around her knees youre just doing what you have to
do.
Thats no excuse.
freida. Thats what weve been trained to do. You have to
pull your rankings back up. Theres still hope for you.
And what? There isnt for you? I ask, annoyed.
She looks at me bleakly. Just promise me youll try, freida.
The door opens and megan and the twins stomp in, their
leopard-print platforms pounding on the wooden floorboards.
They still have their hair in messy side plaits, each of them in
leather shorts with a marl-grey tank top and knee-high socks.
I mean it. Go back and get changed now, megan barks at
the twins.
Well be late for dinner! liz and jessie whine.
Look at you, girls. They turn to stare at me. So coordi-
nated.
freida, can you just try and be normal for once? megan
tosses her head, her hair falling down her back like an ebony rope.

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 Is it her voice inside my head all the time? She always seems to say
the exact thing that Im thinking about myself.
Did you visit her just to be mean? isabel says.
Of course not! I was worried about you, freida, I wanted to
check that you were, you know, alive. She sits on the bed,
crushing my foot beneath her. I yelp in pain, but she doesnt
move, still smiling sweetly.
And we were bored in Isolation, jessie adds helpfully as
she and liz sit on the other side. She pulls a bag of sweeties from
her clutch, cramming one purple jelly into her mouth, then
another.
I thought you said sugar was poison? I say.
Everything in moderation, jessie mumbles, swallowing the
sweets without even chewing. Besides, she says, clearing her
throat, Im only eating purple-coloured food this week so these
dont count.
This room is weird, megan says, swivelling around to
take in the cream-painted walls, the old-fashioned wooden bed.
Her gaze rests on isabel. That chair looks strong, doesnt it,
girls?
What is that supposed to mean? isabel says.
Nothing. megan smiles. Dont be so sensitive.
You look so skinny, freida, the twins chorus.
Thanks.
Like sick-skinny, you-could-be-dying-skinny, liz says, and
jessie crumples the empty sweet bag in her hands, a guilty look
on her face.

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 Is that an ePad in your satchel, isabel? megan interrupts.
Have you been on the Daily Tale? Whats going on with the
Carmichaels?
Theres a long pause, so long my palms start sweating.
Ive no idea, isabel says eventually. I told you, I dont
watch that show. She takes lotion from her satchel and starts
rubbing it into her hands, the smell of lavender filling the room.
But dont worry. You only have one more day of chastisement,
right?
At the prospect of another evening in Isolation without
their ePads, the three of them burst into loud chatter. liz is
ranting about what a bitch angelina is. Or was it anya? jessie is
talking about how this new purple-coded diet should help her
lose fourteen pounds in two weeks. Shes wandered closer to the
mirrors, measuring her waist with her hands.
. . . purple cabbage . . . raisins . . .
. . . then she said that she had worn the blue top first when
everyone knows that I had . . .
. . . grapes . . . aubergine . . .
When I asked her, she actually laughed in . . .
. . . purple kale . . . figs . . . plums . . .
. . . and thats when the boys are going to be introduced.
Everyone stops.
What did you just say?
Its going to be announced tomorrow. megans eyes are
triumphant as she leans in closer to whisper confidentially.
I overheard some of the chastities talking about it.

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 Theyre finally coming? I ask. When? Are they going to be
the Inheritants that well be matched with? Are they going to be
here every day? Are they going to stay here or commute daily
from the main Zone?
Im firing questions at her, ignoring her air of self-
satisfaction. The Inheritants come every year, but their visits are
always shrouded in mystery. The eves of previous years refused
to discuss it with us, and even on TV, if women ever reminisce
about their Inheritant module at School, the sound goes dead so
all we eves can see are moving lips.
Its getting so late in the year, I was beginning to think
they had decided to scrap the Inheritant module, I say,
shaking my head. When are they arriving? Are you absolutely
sure?
megan mimes zipping up her lips and throwing away
the key, which means she doesnt have a clue. liz and jessie
are buzzing, talking loudly, clamouring over one another to be
heard.
Can you believe it? I say to isabel, and only then do I notice
how very pale she is.
Are you OK? I reach for her hand and find her skin clammy
to touch.
Awww, megan says. Are you scared at the thought of real-
life boys? I wouldnt worry, isabel. I doubt theyll pay you too
much attention.
The three girls scream with laughter, jessies mouth open so
wide I can see her purple-stained tongue.

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 Shush, the chastities will hear you, I say. I want to defend
isabel, but I know I cant antagonize megan and my head is
hurting with the effort to do both.
Yes, the chastities will hear you. Im not sure what you girls
are even doing here, considering the terms of your chastisement
state that when youre not in class, at Organized Recreation, or
having meals, you are required to remain in your cubicles. Alone.
Sorry, chastity-ruth. We were on our way to the Nutrition
Centre and we just wanted to wish our fellow eve a quick
recovery, megan says, as full of crap as ever.
I dont have time for excuses, #767, chastity-ruth says.
Leave immediately.
They get up to leave, megan ordering the twins to get
changed before dinner.
Maybe you can borrow isabels smock. The two of you
could fit easily in that thing.
Bitches, I say under my breath once theyve gone.
Ill pretend I didnt hear that, chastity-ruth snaps, before
continuing in a milder tone, isabel, dear. Its time for you to
leave too.
Im not hungry, isabel says. Ill get something to eat later.
I flinch, waiting for chastity-ruth to explode at isabels
defiance, but she just nods her head in agreement.
Fine. And as for you, #630, you are to report to me when-
ever you are in need of SleepSound. Ill ensure you receive an
emergency stockpile to keep in your cubicle. We cant afford any
further incidents, she says, her lips pinched.The Euro-Zone Doctor

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 must have really done a number on her. I shall expect you back in
class tomorrow.Youve missed far too much already.
She slams the door behind her. For someone who is so quiet
sneaking up on you, she sure likes to make an exit. I sag down in
the bed, my limbs feeling like dead weight. isabel clucks and
pulls the covers up under my chin, neatly tucking the duvet in
around me.
Dont worry about chastity-ruth. Ill handle her.
She always goes easier on you.Youre the special one.
I am not. isabel almost spits the words out in fury. Take
that back.
OK, OK. Calm down, I say, taken aback. Im sorry.
In the ensuing silence the tick, tick, tick of a clock fills the
room and I yawn, my eyelids becoming heavy.
Do you think megan is right? About the Inheritants coming
soon? I say sleepily.
She goes rigid, as if her bones are holding her hostage. I
want to ask her whats wrong, but the words are in my head and
I cant get them out, my tongue fat with drowsiness. She stands
next to me again, stroking my hair softly, soothing me to sleep as
if I was her own child, as if she loved me.
I dream of fields of lavender, of boys and of mothers. I dream
of things I know nothing about.

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 Chapter 12

Its pointless being here when Im not allowed to use the

machines, I moan, stretching out on the stationary treadmill,
hoping Ill feel cooler if I lie down.
Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?
isabel is pedalling furiously on a rusted exercise bike;
her hair is damp with sweat and sticking to her tomato-red
face. She slows down to look over her shoulder at me and
a warped robotic voice bellows from the bicycle spokes,
mangling every second word. Go faaaaaster, you . . . idiot.You . . .
but . . . but you . . . fat . . . fat . . . fat . . .Why . . . faa . . . GO FASTER.
She picks up speed, the steel weights wrapped around her ankles
blurring.
They really need to fix that bike, I say.
Were in the chamber for our morning detention. A menag-
erie of gym equipment is squeezed into the circular sauna. Its so
small that it can just hold a treadmill, an exercise bike and a
locker to store our bags. Glowing electric heating grids line the

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 ceiling. The walls are a 360-degree movie screen flashing inspira-
tional images of #1 eves from previous years.
Anyway . . . she says. The screen has melted into a
magnifying mirror, amplifying her reflection from every
angle. She stares at it as if shes trying to find her old self
underneath the excess flesh. . . . this is your last day on
detention.
I know. Ill miss you. Will you miss me?
I cant remember being in here last week, I say instead.
I should have known something was wrong when they
showed an old interview from What kate Did Next on the screen
and you kept asking kate why her hair was so shiny.
I did not.
You did! You even told her to answer quietly because you
didnt want the others knowing the secret too.
What others?
Exactly, you lunatic, she says with a wheezing laugh, and I
smile. Being sick was worth it if it means that we might be friends
again. And if she keeps working out like this, shell lose weight.
Shell be pretty again, and popular. We can go back to the way
things were before.
You sound better today, freeds.
I feel it.
Why wouldnt I? My SleepSound has been returned and
chastity-ruth has given me an extra stockpile of supplies to make
sure I dont become sleep-deprived again. Ive started keeping a
spare tablet in a silver locket around my neck, just in case of

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 emergencies. I didnt even have to take my weekly foto this
morning. I got to choose an old one from my archive to post
instead, so my rankings should be unaffected.
Less talking, girls. This is not a social group. A chastitys
voice fills the tiny room.
Sorry. We both squint at the mirror, wondering which
chastity is hidden behind it.
The Eternal Fat girl! I say in disbelief as the mirror
turns back into a movie screen. I use the frame of the treadmill
to pull myself up to sitting position. I havent seen this in
years.
Its not actually called The Eternal Fat girl, you know.
Im not listening, engrossed in the familiar story. The
Wandering Fat girl travels from town to town, stealing sweets
from Inheritants, shoving them in her mouth. She has no friends.
She is always alone, eating and eating. Fat girls are disgusting. Fat
girls are lazy. No one will ever love a fat girl, the voiceover
repeats over and over again.
It doesnt even make sense, isabel puffs, pedalling faster
and faster. Why isnt she in School?
How many times have we seen this? I ask her.
Every day until we were seven . . .
And then we started Organized Recreation instead. I finish
her sentence. You have a good memory.
She cant find the breath to answer as she crouches over
the handle bars. An oversized grey sleeveless tee is clinging
to her sweaty body, her thighs jiggling in black leggings. They

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 must be at least three sizes too small for her. Fat girls should
be made obsolete. I thrust the thought away and lie back down on
the belt of the treadmill, pulling my tank top up to the same
height as my bra. I feel the bones of my ribcage, resting my
fingertips in the cavities between them, holding my thinness to
me like a comforter.
isabel? I say in a wheedling voice.
Yes?
Can I borrow your computer?
Did you not get yours at breakfast? I saw chastity-ruth
handing them back.
Mine was the only one she managed to forget. Imagine
that. Our eyes meet in the mirror. She said shed give it to me
after class.
Fine. She gives in. Its in the locker. Keep the protective
cover on it though. I dont want the steam to damage it.
Theyre not toys, I say, mocking the chastities. Theyre
expensive. I crawl over to the locker, wading through the heat.
Grabbing the ePad, I droop back down on the belt, logging on to
MyFace.
Your inbox is at maximum capacity. Please delete some
private messages immediately.
Thats strange. I only had two saved messages when I
checked my account yesterday. I click on the inbox, my jaw
dropping as I scroll through icons for dozens and dozens of
messages, some from months ago. Most of the recent ones are
unopened and all of them have a grey blank box where the profile

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 foto usually is. Anonymous accounts. Who would send me
anonymous messages?
I put in the earbuds and click on the most recent one.
No one likes you. Everyone wants you to die. Why dont
you just kill yourself and get it over with? says the distorted
voice. I shut it off hurriedly, my heart pounding.
The profile foto at the top of the page. Its isabels face. I
steal a sneaky look at her, but shes engrossed in her workout so
I click on another message, and another and another, the same
grey profile image filling the screen, the same disembodied voice
like an ugly wound bubbling with pus.
You are lazy and vile and the ugliest eve in our year.
You make me want to vomit. You should do everyone a
favour and kill yourself.
Everybody hates you. You are disgusting. I wish you didnt
exist. I wish you were dead.
I turn it off. My face is pale in the black screen.
isabel . . .
Anxiety tightens my throat. Who could have sent those
messages? Theyre vicious, even for megan and the twins, and
they couldnt have been acting alone. The quantity alone negates
that possibility. Did cara send any? agyness? Why didnt isabel tell
me what was going on?
I go cold. Does she think that I sent one?
isabel, I say more urgently. I sit up, shuffling to the top of
the conveyer belt and swinging my legs over the edge, holding on

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 to the leg of the control panel. isabel, stop cycling and talk to
me for a moment.
I cant, she pants.
Why?
What is wrong . . . you? . . . so useless . . . cant even ride a biiiiiiike
prop . . . ly? . . . back . . . biiiiike . . . you stup . . . fat . . .
See? She picks up speed again as the stuttering exercise
bike screams at her.
Are you trying to lose weight before the Inheritants come?
Because who knows when theyll be coming? You cant trust
what they say, I say, emphasizing the they in an attempt to
distance myself from megan and the twins.
Her right leg slips, and she yelps out in pain as the pedal
spins around and bashes into the back of her knee.
. . . fat . . . stupid . . .
Youve got nothing to worry about! I desperately want to
be the antidote to all those poisonous messages. Youre beau-
tiful, isabel. Youre special. Youve always been special. Everyone
knows that.
Dont say that. She stops, ignoring the robotic shrieking.
(. . . get baaaack . . . bike . . . instant, you uuuseless fat . . .)
Dont say what? Im bewildered. What did I say?
Just stop. For once in your life, freida, cant you just
stop? Her voice cuts through me. I never get anything right. I
am like a faulty toy that no one will ever want. No one will
ever love.

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 I press my trembling lips together, fixating on the screen as
it transforms back into the 360-degree mirror, remaining clear
despite the steaming heat. I pull up my black running shorts and
stretch my legs out, displaying them to her as a reprimand,
wanting her to see how thin I am now, how my leg hollows
at the thigh now, like frejas. At least Im thin. isabel is staring
at herself in the mirror, at the sweat patches staining under
her arms and her crotch area. She clenches her fists, her jaw
jutting out.
Im going.
But the hour isnt up yet!
I know. She yanks the exercise bike lever off, silencing the
garbled abuse, and snaps off her ankle weights, chucking them to
the ground.
Ill come with you. I wince as I bash my head against
the control deck of the treadmill. Please, isabel, I
want . . .
She grabs her bag from the locker and throws that well-
worn black dress on over her workout gear. She comes towards
me, lavender muddled with sweat, and snatches the ePad, stuffing
it into her bag. And shes gone.
Another blast of cold air swashes through the room.
The alarm went off, chastity-bernadette says. Where is
isabel? She looks around the tiny room as if expecting to find
her hiding behind one of the machines.
She had to use the bathroom, I lie. The kcal blockers were
giving her cramps.

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 Oh, right. She focuses her attention on me, her hooded
eyelids drooping over violet-coloured eyes. Well, your hour is
nearly up, freida, if you want to run along.
She must have forgotten that were not supposed to use the
toilet when were in the chamber. Thats what happened to
agyness in 6th year. She had been over-prescribed ExoLax on the
same day she had detention, so she was trapped in the chamber
when the diarrhoea hit. I always wondered why she didnt run
for the toilet the doors arent even locked. I guess it was fear
that stopped her. Its always fear. The video footage of it got
leaked somehow and it was all over MyFace within minutes.
agyness, the pain imprinted on her babyish face as she tried to
control herself, the shame when she failed. I tried to look away
from the video but I couldnt. Some part of me had to see it for
myself. She ran and ran and ran on that treadmill, faeces trickling
slowly down her tiny legs, staining her polka-dot socks and
neon-pink trainers. But she was a good girl. She didnt cry, not
once.

As Im waiting for class to begin, I idly count messy side

plaits. megan has moved on already, of course, to a glossy
topknot, causing the others to pick fretfully at their freshly styled
hair.
Wheres isabel? cara whispers to me, winding her plait
into a low bun at the nape of her neck, and I shrug.
All final-year eves are to congregate in the Assembly Hall
immediately, the intercom shrieks.

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 Lets go, girls. chastity-theresa beams with delight at
having class postponed. We move as one down the corridors, in
the opposite direction to the garden, until we come to the Hall
foyer, a white pebble-dashed circular room. In single file we
walk through until there it is, space unfolding in all directions.
The Assembly Hall is the biggest room in the school, with its
high ceilings, expanse of floor, and a marble-lined stage extending
for what seems like miles. Supposedly it was designed to be
a replica of an opera house from Old-Europe, and it is very
beautiful, but rarely used; they cant afford to refurbish any wear
and tear.
Were whispering among ourselves, voices melting into the
noise and restlessness. chastity-ruth climbs the marble steps on
to the stage, the other chastities following and falling into a
single line behind her.
If youre quite finished . . . chastity-ruth calls out, standing
by the marble podium, but no one besides me seems to hear her.
The screen at the back of the stage flashes images: the traditional
triquetra of the thirds; the Father of the Euro-Zone lifting steel
weights as easily as if they were cardboard; another of him
surrounded by adoring women; murals of Adam and eve, the
first woman created for man; the design laboratories, the Genetic
Engineers looking up from their Petri dishes to wave at the
camera; rows and rows of newly designed babies incubated in
plastic wombs, waiting to hatch; a companion caring for her
husband and sons she is warm, loving, nourishing them with
her beauty; then a concubine, her head thrown back in ecstasy,

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 her lips and legs parted, ready to be ravished. We settle in our
red velvet seats, the flickering images anaesthetizing us into
silence.
Thank you, chastity-ruth says. The slideshow freezes on an
image of the original Father beside a bonfire of pet dogs,
hundreds of mournful eyes piercing the flames as ashes float
through the air like snowflakes.
Your Ceremony is mere months away. It is imperative that
the correct choices are made and that each of you is placed
within the appropriate third. All the theoretical knowledge that
you have been taught during your sixteen years in School must
now be put into practice. She pauses, knowing we are hanging
on her every word. Another element is to be added to your
timetable.You will be introduced to the ten Inheritants that were
born the same year that you were designed, the very men for
whom you were created.
At the mention of the word men, high-pitched chatter
and laughter fills the vast Hall.
Told you so, megan says to anyone who will listen, and I
swivel in my chair, searching for isabel.
Will you be nervous? The first time we meet the Inheritants?
No. isabel had just had a growth spurt, her legs and arms gangly,
like pieces of elastic that had been stretched too far.Why would I be?
Theyre boys.
Theyre just people, she reasoned. I bet they will be more nervous
than we are!
Maybe.

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 Dont worry, freida, she said softly. Youre great. Theyll all like
you. I know they will.
Dozens of hands fly up into the air, waving frenziedly at
chastity-ruth. She leans over to chastity-anne. You need to
control this. Up their Organized Recreation dosage today. The
other chastity nods in agreement.
I will answer a few select questions, chastity-ruth says.
You may go first, #767.
Will they be here every day? megan preens at being
selected first, any chance to draw attention to her #1 status
welcome. Will they stay in the School until the Ceremony?
No. They will travel via train from the main Euro-Zone on
randomly selected days. You will not be informed in advance of
either the day or the time of these visits.
And will we get to spend more time with the Inheritant
who matches our ranking? megan continues, ignoring the other
eves eager to ask questions.
No.The men do not know how you are ranked, and you are
forbidden to tell them. This is extremely important, girls.
Anyone caught breaking this rule will be swiftly and severely
chastised.Yes, #755.
Speaking of our rankings, how is this going to affect them?
Is the public vote on the Schools website still going to count?
naomi fidgets nervously with the ivory lace headband holding
her thick plait in place.
Excellent question, #755. How very intelligent of you to
ask, chastity-ruth answers. You can almost see her making a

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 mental note to examine naomis file for signs of previous
academic tendencies, and naomi hunches down in her seat.
The answer is no. The public vote will now be rescinded.
Your current rankings are null and void. She gives a spiteful
little laugh. They are meaningless, I guess you could say.
The Hall falls as still as a tomb, each of us mute with shock.
Its as if she has ripped our skeletons from our bodies, smiling as
the remaining flesh collapses in on itself. Meaningless? What was
the point then? What was the point of all those sleepless Sunday
nights, anxiety about the Monday foto writhing in our bellies?
Sixteen years of being told that the rankings are everything, that
they are our self-worth and the only indicator of our value.
Meaningless?
But why . . .? megan cries before clamping her mouth
shut. Her face has turned sickly pale. She has clawed her way to
the top and now she has been told its meaningless.
Why? chastity-ruth says. Because we can.
All of us ranked in the top ten look at each other in panic as
chastity-magdalena clears her throat. The Inheritants will select
their favourite eve, she says, pretending she cant see chastity-
ruth glowering at her, so its quite fair really.
daria turns to me with an uncertain hope that must be
echoed on my own face. Surely the Inheritants will choose from
the top ten? Theyre the ones who have been voting for us all this
time, after all.
Yes, chastity-ruth continues, as I was going to say before
I was so rudely interrupted chastity-magdalena dips her

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 head the Inheritants will choose their favourite eve to become
their companion. This will depend on how attractive you look to
the Inheritants and how you perform in certain challenges and
tests that will be set for you. She stares at us. The men must
have the right to choose. It is their future that is at stake.
But what if more than one of the Inheritants picks the same
girl? megan asks, clearly predicting that at least nine of them
will choose her.
The highest-ranked Inheritant will have first choice. A low
hum starts again and irritation crosses over chastity-ruths face.
Enough, she says. You will do as you are told. We fall silent
again and she nods with satisfaction. Thats better. Now, we are
going to watch a short introductory video about each Inheritant.
daria squeals and grabs my hand. We have grown so accus-
tomed to being seen but never seeing in return. These men will
have grown up judging our weekly fotos, comparing and ranking
us. Our faces are probably as familiar to them as their own, yet
they have always remained strangers to us.
The huge crystal chandeliers dim, an image of the Father
on-screen disappears and a skinny, red-haired boy takes his place.
Hes struggling to catch his breath, his chestnut-brown eyes
swinging from the camera to his feet.
Hi, Im Socrates Ortega, and Im the Inheritant #10.
Everyone claps and whoops and chastity-ruth freezes the
video. Socrates is caught at a rather unfortunate moment, his
mouth hanging open. I can see something green in his back teeth.

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 If you are not going to behave yourselves, I will turn off the
video and you will return to classes immediately.
chastity-theresa looks alarmed at this. We shut up and the
video resumes.
My father is a cobbler, in charge of providing shoes to the
people of the Euro-Zone and for the Accessories Closet in the
School.
A cobbler? megan groans audibly.
According to how many sons are born in a given year, three
times as many eves are designed to accommodate demand for
companions and concubines.You could be lucky and be designed
for a year when the Mayor and a Genetic Engineer and a Surgeon
all had sons. Or we could all have been designed to be compan-
ions for the sons of grocers, cobblers . . . the meat-grower, for
pitys sake.
Im going to take over the business when Im old enough.
Socrates face is turning as red as his hair. I like looking at old
shoes, rare ones that are made from real leather. I dont like the
material of the new shoes as much. Shoes are a really big passion
of mine . . .
Socrates ends his sermon on footwear and the rest of the
introductory videos continue. #9, Abraham Pinault, is the son of
the publican. He likes girls who do yoga because it makes them
nice and bendy. He also enjoys craft beers.
Mahatma, George, Isaac, William, Sigmund . . . Its funny to
see the differences in their heights and weights and facial features.

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 I look at the girls around me, at the uniformity in our perfection
in comparison.
Yes, so my father is a Doctor. A Doctor? My head snaps up.
A boy with mousy-brown hair in a severe centre parting is
speaking, his Adams apple bobbing up and down. Did he say his
name was Leonardo?
Is this the #1?
No, daria whispers back in delight. Can you believe it?
Hes only #3!
Im barely listening as the #2, Albert Branson, a heavyset
fair-haired boy with flushed cheeks, discusses his passion for
porn and three-way activities.
When Albert is finished, theres a drum roll, a deep voice
announcing, And here is your #1!
And then he appears.
Wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt that shows off muscular
arms, he looks straight into the camera as he runs a hand through
his mop of dark curls. His eyes are the brightest blue Ive ever
seen and he mustnt have shaved in a couple of days, stubble
shadowing his chin. Hes gorgeous. He looks like he was designed,
not born of a mere woman.
Im Darwin Goldsmith, he says. My father is the Judge in
the Euro-Zones courts. Im his only son.
I feel dizzy. Hes handsome and rich and is destined to
become one of the most powerful men in the Euro-Zone once
his father retires.

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 Im looking forward to meeting all of you. You look beau-
tiful in the fotos on the Schools website and it should be fun
getting to know one another. See you soon.
He rises to his feet, jeans slung low on narrow hips, and the
screen goes blank. The room erupts into light and chatter. I can
hear Darwin being mentioned, his name thrown from girl to girl
like a game of Pass the Parcel, stopping at megan. Shes surrounded,
all the girls folding in towards her, assuming that he is destined to
be hers. Darwin. Darwin. Darwin. Envy courses through my veins,
thick as soured milk.
Girls, please, chastity-ruth admonishes us. I would remind
you that the Inheritants are not to know of your previous
rankings. Im warning you, eves.
Yes, #767? she says as megans hand shoots up again.
Are you going to film introductory videos of us for the
Inheritants to watch? she says, her eyes sparkling with devilment.
Of course not. All they need to see is how you look. A foto
will suffice, chastity-ruth replies.
Then Im assuming isabel wont be submitting a foto.
isabel is none of your concern, #767. megan dips her head,
a small smile playing on her lips.Oh, and one last thing Please do
not discuss any details of the Inheritants module with the younger
eves; it might give them an unfair advantage when it comes to their
own final-year Interactions.You can see some of the girls are strug-
gling not to laugh. None of the eves in the years above us gave us
any help or advice. Why would we offer it to anyone else?

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 chastity-ruth dismisses us, turning to speak with the other
chastities. They form a circle, chastity-magdalena hovering on
the outside as punishment for her earlier insubordination.
But really, girls, do you think isabel should submit a foto? I
dont want her to feel embarrassed because of her megan
grimaces, the word sticking in her throat obesity. She makes
her way towards the exit, the rest of us trailing after her.
She stops at a large gilt-framed mirror at the side of the
Hall, pulling her grey Lycra dress down her thighs, and she
catches my eye in the mirror. I look away, staring at my
reflection next to hers. My hair is still perfectly set in pin curls,
my sleeveless orange wrap dress accessorized with chunky gold
chains at my scrawny wrists and neck. I look the same as I did
this morning. If I look the same, why do I feel like this? Why do I
feel as if there is limescale building up inside of me, clogging my
air supply?
What do you think, freida?
isabels been trying really hard to lose weight.
Well, shes obviously not trying hard enough, is she?
Everybody hates you, nobody likes you. Y ou are disgusting. I wish
you didnt exist. I wish you were dead.
The memory of those MyFace messages tears through my
brain, making me reckless.
And why shouldnt she submit her foto? I say. Some of the
guys might like girls who are curvier.
The tips of my ears are blazing as laughter breaks out at my
stupid comment. And . . . and . . . Im stuttering, desperate to

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 say something that will make them shut up. And she was #1 for
years and . . .
I stop myself just in time.
What are you implying, freida?
I look around at the others, looking for someone to accuse,
someone to throw in the firing line in front of me.
What is going on here? chastity-ruth says, barging into the
middle of the group, the other chastities walking in single file
behind her. For the first time in my life, Im relieved to see her.
I see a lot of cross faces here. Do you all have some strange
desire for an anti-age re-design by the age of twenty? chastity-
ruth says. No one likes an angry girl. Are you teaching them how
to manage their Unacceptable Emotions correctly, hope?
chastity-hopes moon-shaped face falls with embarrassment.
Nice girls dont raise their voices. Nice girls dont get angry.
Control yourselves. chastity-ruth gestures at us to get out of her
sight as quickly as possible.
Shes right, megan says as we walk back to class, closely
followed by chastity-theresa. Self-control is so important, dont
you think? However lacking it may be in some people.
Totally, jessie says. I havent even eaten dinner in two
whole weeks. Shes fingering her cream scalloped shorts, a
half-moon-shaped purple stain seeping though the satin fabric.
She sneaks a melted jelly from the pocket and pops it in her
mouth, licking her fingers.
Its a pity some people dont seem to agree, megan says as
we take our seats in the classroom. Its a pity some people seem

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 to think they can do whenever they want. We all get tired. But
not all of us skip class whenever we feel like it.
I had to miss class, I say through gritted teeth.I was uncon-
scious in Sick Bay, megan. What was I supposed to do?
freida, have you something that you would like to share
with the rest of the class?
No, chastity-theresa, I mutter, ears burning again.
Then lower your voice. She closes the door behind her and
limps to her seat. As we only have five minutes left in class, she
says, kicking her shoes off and reaching down to rub her feet,
you may quietly use your computers until the bell rings.
Im going to pretend you didnt speak to me like that,
freida, megan mutters, still facing towards the front of the
classroom.
Thats big of you, I say, keeping an eye on chastity-theresa.
Youre obviously under a lot of stress. And who can blame
you?
If you have something to say to me, megan, just say it to my
face. I sound a lot braver than I feel.
I wasnt talking about you. There is no need to be so
sensitive.
Who were you talking about then?
isabel. Surely when I said lacking in self-control you
could have guessed. She and the twins snicker, coughing loudly
to cover it as chastity-theresa looks up.
isabel has been trying to be good, I say quietly, pretending
to scan through images on-screen.

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 Oh, I dont know about that. Has she really been trying,
would you say?
Everyone else has put their earbuds in as if theyre listening
to music or watching digi-vids, but I know theyre all eaves
dropping, afraid to miss out on any drama.
Shes committed to getting back to target weight.
Thats not what I heard, megan says in a sing-song voice,
slicking some baby hairs at the nape of her neck into her bun.
Oh, megan. Always so cryptic.
Whats that supposed to mean?
Nothing, I reply, giddy with daring. No need to be so
sensitive.
Well, if you dont believe me . . . she says. You have that
video, dont you, liz?
Sure. liz pulls her fone from her pocket. There is an
outbreak of muffled beeps in bags, flashes of light, the buzzing of
eFones vibrating against wooden desks.
liz, megan says, I meant for you to send it to freida only.
Sorry? liz smirks, a conspiratorial look flashing between
them.
I fumble for my fone with shaking hands, a chill prickling
the back of my neck as I see everyone else in the class doing the
same.
Its a digi-vid, about three minutes long. I watch as chastity-
bernadette leaves the chastities quarters, hands wagging fussily,
forgetting to secure the gates. And theres isabel, sneaking in
behind her, still wearing that black dress over her gym leggings,

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 stringy hair clinging to her head. The camera cuts to the chasti-
ties office. There is a large tray on the desk, containing triangle
sandwiches with the crusts cut off. The camera zooms in on
isabels face as she stuffs the food into her mouth. She gags
slightly, bringing up a chunky fluid, some of it spraying on to
her leggings. She doesnt seem to notice, she just keeps shoving
food in, even swallowing back down vomit-encrusted bread.
Disgusted groans fill the classroom. Where did megan get this
footage?
Girls . . . chastity-theresa raises her voice, looking as if she
wishes she was anywhere else but here. Girls, please be quiet.
I can see them all, ecstatic horror in their eyes, updating
MyFace statuses on their eFones almost involuntarily, words
whispering. Disgusting . . . Obsolete . . . Worthless . . . Sickened . . .
As the bell shrieks, I break into a run, ignoring chastity-
theresa yelling, Come back right now, young lady. At isabels
cubicle Im faced with the corrugated steel wall and I grip the
handle at the base of the door and roll it up forcefully. Shes
sitting on the floor, stripped down to her underwear, her stomach
painfully distended. Shes shoving chocco bars into her mouth,
practically inhaling them. It looks like a rubbish pit in there,
wrappers and crumbs littering the floor.
Poor girl, isabel had sighed as we watched christy take a seat under
chastity-ruths desk for her supervised dinner and poke at a plate of salad
leaves.
Hmm. I wasnt really listening, staring at the piece of uneaten
chocco cake in front of me, taunting me.

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 I dont understand though, isabel continued, cutting up
her veggies. She keeps saying how fat she feels, yet every time I look
at her she has a chocco bar in her hands. Why doesnt she just eat
less?
Shes weak. I shrugged, pretending that I didnt understand how
the prickling of loathing at the sight of a spare pound of flesh in the
mirror could send you running for a comforting piece of cake. I under-
stood how sugar could numb the pain, but I didnt want to understand. I
didnt want to understand christys weakness.
Here, I said desperately.Do you want to share this piece of chocco
cake? I dont want to eat it alone.
No, thanks, she said, without even glancing at the plate. I dont
really like chocco.
Of course she didnt.
Yeah, I lied.Me neither.
isabel, I say to her now.
She looks at me, chocco smeared all around her mouth. She
grabs at the wrappers, as if she can hide it, as if I can un-see what
Ive seen. I hold her flailing hands and she pulls away, hiding her
face from me. Unsure what to do, I start picking up the empty
wrappers, wrapper after wrapper and wrapper. There are so
many of them.
What are you doing, isabel?
I took them from the Fatgirl buffet.
Oh, really? My voice is acerbic. Was this after you stole
from the chastities? She doesnt seem surprised that I know. We
saw the video footage. Everyone knows. Everyone. Ive got my

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 hands tangled in my hair, pulling at the roots, nearly ready to rip
it out of my head. Why would you steal from the one fucking
place in this School that still has cameras? Why, isabel? Did you
want to get caught?
Shes motionless and her stillness composes me, easing my
anger.
You have to get rid of it.
Ill do it later.
No, I reply. I dont trust her to do what needs to be done.
Well go to the bathrooms together now. She picks up the same
black dress from the floor and pulls it over her head. Dont you
have anything else you can wear? I say, pointing at the melted
chocco on it.
I only have this dress, she says quietly, picking at the stains.
They dont make a lot of girls clothes in my size.
We walk quickly to the bathrooms, ducking inside as I hear
the approaching clatter of footsteps. The two of us cram into the
toilet stall and isabel falls to her knees. Afterwards she wilts, her
face resting on the plastic toilet seat, her body totally limp. I rub
her back but all I want to do is to run away from her, pretend that
this has nothing to do with me. I feel her need like a black hole
trying to consume me. Shes going to make me weak too, even
weaker than I am already. I wont survive.
Why, isabel? Why are you doing this to yourself? To your
body?
And why are you doing this to me? is the awful, selfish thought
that is left unsaid.

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 Because I can, she answers, and I shiver as she uncon-
sciously echoes chastity-ruth.
But
Because its my body, she cuts in. Isnt it?
Neither of us moves. The silence is heavy, weighted with
fear.

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 Chapter 13

Come on, isabel. We cant stay here much longer.

Its been at least ten minutes since she has stopped throwing
up, but she just stays there, slumped over the toilet bowl.
The chastities will find us soon.
I assume the others have returned to class, although our
fones keep pinging with alerts, messages we both ignore. I drag
her up to a standing position. Her skin feels sticky, crusted with
sweat and food crumbs.
Hello, girls.
I swing the toilet door open, and its her.
Whats happening? My voice squeaks with fear.
Thats none of your concern, #630. chastity-ruth turns to
isabel. Come now, isabel, she says almost lovingly, and a chill
travels up my spine. Come now, dear. Weve talked about this.
I step in front of isabel.
Playtime is over, #630. Time to leave. She points at the
exit but I shake my head, refusing to go. isabel reaches out and

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 takes my hand in hers, pulling me into a hug that says everything
and nothing. I can see our reflection in the wall behind us, my
arms wrapped around her puffy pale body as she shivers in a grey
bra and knickers. She pulls away first, wincing as my bracelet
catches in her hair.
Just go, freida, she says. I dont need you.
But
I said, I dont need you here.
She knows me, the true me. She knows that I am just an
imprint of a real person. I am nothing.
I walk back to my room, alone.

Its been a week since she was taken and its all anyone can
talk about. Where did they take her, freida? Is she coming
back, freida? They refuse to believe me when I say that I know
as little as they do, and so the questions keep coming. Overnight
Ive become popular again, but I dont want it now. I didnt
appreciate how easily I could melt into the background
before, wrapping a fake social face over my head like cling
film.
I left her there. I left her behind.
I do not know what they have done with her. I do not know
where she has gone. The scene from the bathroom plays on a
constant loop in my brain as I lie in a haze of SleepSound, burning
my way through my emergency stockpile, taking one half tablet
from the locket around my neck, then another half, and another,
returning to chastity-ruth for refills whenever I run out. For

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 once, all I do is sleep and yet I never feel rested, every dream
stealing something from me.

Stream TV.
Im lying on my bed, flicking through channel after channel,
the flashing colours blurring before my eyes.
Re-designing! Gone!Wrong!
Theres a woman lying on an operating table. She looks like
an older, skinnier version of isabel. Pale blonde hair, seashell
cheekbones, pearly teeth.
Hello there! Her voice is reed thin. My name is natasha,
Im thirty-seven and Ive given birth to seven sons.
Seven sons? That must be some kind of record. As a reward
for her good behaviour, her husband has been offered a free
companion vaginal re-design. He signs a release form giving
permission for natasha to be shown on TV, smiling at the cameras.
The anaesthetist arrives into the operating room, jams a needle
into an available vein without warning and her eyes flop back
into her head. The camera zooms in on the Re-Designer as he
begins, his EuroCola visor holding back his sparse grey hair, and
I have to watch the rest through my fingers and with my legs
tightly closed. If I were a man, Id never be able to be a Medic.
The show cuts to natasha and the Re-Designer sitting in
oversized sludgy green armchairs around a polished mahogany
table laden down by cans of EuroCola. Shes crossing and
uncrossing her matchstick legs, pulling at her pink crocheted
skirt, her whole body shaking except for rock-hard breasts

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 straining against a pink T-shirt. Something tells me this isnt
natashas first re-design.
OK . . . the Re-Designer pauses to adjust his glasses and
peers at the computer screen in front of him, . . . natalia. Im
afraid there were a few complications . . .
Complications?
Please, natalia, no need to raise your voice.
natasha. My name is natasha.
He looks at her unsmilingly over the thin wire frames of his
glasses and she cringes. As I was saying, natasha, there were a
few complications. He beckons her to the corner of the office,
gesturing at her to stand on a raised wooden block in front of a
full-length mirror. He pulls her skirt up around her waist and
unravels the thick bandages swaddling her like a newly-designs
nappy. I blink once, twice, wondering if I am going crazy.
These things happen unfortunately. The Re-Designer
shrugs.
The camera zooms in on natasha as she leans closer to the
mirror, searching for something that she will never find again. A
hint of forbidden tears freezes over her pale green eyes, the fine
lines and wrinkles becoming more pronounced as her face crum-
ples with the effort to control her emotions. I turn it off. Shes
thirty-seven, I tell myself. Thirty-seven. She is only three years
away from her Termination Date anyway.
freida.
chastity-magdalena frowns as she takes in the debris of
clothes and shoes strewn around my cubicle. I turn away from

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 her, closing my eyes like a child playing Hide and Seek, hoping to
make her disappear.
Im not going away until weve spoken, she says, and I
blink at her reflection in the mirror behind me. Watching,
watchers, watched. Were all watching each other.
You look tired, freida.
That sounds like something megan would say.
Certain aesthetic standards must be upheld.
And that sounds like something chastity-ruth would say. I
draw my knees towards my chest and tuck my face in between
them. And anyway, its Sunday. Surely Im allowed to relax
on the weekends.
The bed sags as she sits next to me, her cool hand on my left
shoulder, pulling gently. Is this what the younger wave of chasti-
ties will be like, all touching and gentleness? Will agyness find
herself giving out hugs next year, embracing iman or lena-rose as
if shes their mother? chastity-magdalena is staring at my reflec-
tion in the wall, just another image of myself, one more image
out of thousands and thousands that Ive been presented with
during my life, told this image is real, now this is real, no, this
one and this one and this one. Im constantly trying to match all
the thoughts in my head with these images in front of me, trying
to put all the pieces of myself back together until Im complete,
until I can feel whole.
The body in the mirror is thin, so thin you can see her ribs
through her dirty tank top. Her hair is in a matted ponytail, dark
circles under sunken eyes that look as if they have been smudged

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 in with charcoal. Thats me, thats me, thats me. And a chastity has
her hand on me, touching me, as if shes my mother, as if she likes
me, as if Im worthy of being liked.
Something breaks inside me and I am bent over with the
cruelty of this grief, a grief so strong I dont even know who or
what it is for. Tearless sobs rack my body for a few seconds until
I breathe in deeply, swallowing the feelings back down to their
prison inside me.
Sorry. I slam the heels of my hands into my eye sockets.
I wasnt crying. I wasnt.
When did you last wash?
Friday.
Youve had meals looking like this? she says in dismay.
No. I havent left my room all weekend.
Attendance at all meals and classes is mandatory unless
youre ill. Have you been ill? Should you be back in the Sick Bay?
Im fine. Im just not hungry.
Have you spoken with chastity-anne? How have you been
getting your meds?
I have a stockpile of SleepSound. chastity-ruth gave extra
supplies to me after I fainted in the Nutrition Centre.
What? Her high-pitched yelp frightens me out of my
dreamy state. But SleepSound is supposed to be carefully moni-
tored at all times. She jumps to her feet, as if to leave and
confront chastity-ruth straight away.
Im sorry. Thats not what I meant. She cant take my meds
away. She cant. Im tired. Im talking nonsense. What I meant to

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 say was chastity-anne brings me my SleepSound at night, and if Im
still having difficulty sleeping I ask whichever chastity is on night
duty if I can be prescribed another dose. Its all very safe. She
doesnt look convinced. Youve done it yourself, remember?
She ignores this. chastity-ruth knows youve been in your
bedroom, alone, all weekend? And she hasnt insisted that you
attend meals or Organized Recreation?
Maybe they want to keep me away from the rest of the
eves, for fear I might contaminate them.
Dont be silly.
Why is it silly? Look what happened to isabel.
Believe me, you have nothing to do with isabels problems.
What do you mean by that?
Nothing. A smoothness melts over her face until she resem-
bles all the other chastities so precisely its eerie. I know what
happened with isabel is challenging for you, she says, ignoring
my snort, but I promise you shes safe.
Where is she? Shes not gone . . . my breath catches and I
whisper, Underground, has she?
Once they take you there, theres no coming back.
No, of course not. chastity-magdalena is aghast at the
mention of the word. Theyre going to fix her up. She will be as
good as new when you see her again.
Like shes a doll that needs her face repainted.
Please, freida, dont worry. Certain people are too invested
in isabel to allow her just to self-immolate.
What people? What are you talking about?

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 Stop. Her mouth is set in a determined line and I can tell
theres no point in pushing it further. You know shes safe. You
dont need to know anything else.
What did I think was going to happen? That we were going
to build a fort with my bedclothes and tell each other secrets?
For all of her attempts to be the nice one, shes still a chastity.
She reaches out her hand to pat me again but I move away, glaring
at her.
Im sorry I cant give you what you want.
I dont want anything from you, I lie again.
isabel wont be happy when she returns to find youve
fallen to pieces in her absence.Youre absolutely emaciated.
I doubt shell care. But thanks.
Its not a compliment, she says in exasperation. You need
to shower, change your clothes and you need to start on a weight-
restoration plan.
Im not hungry.
I dont care whether or not youre hungry, freida. If you
dont eat, youre going to die. And more importantly, men dont
find skinny women attractive. The target weights have been
specifically set for that reason.
Whatever.
Dont whatever me. The Inheritants will be here next
week. I doubt any of them will choose a walking skeleton as their
companion.
I thought we werent to know when the Inheritants
were coming. Arent you ruining the element of surprise,

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 chastity-magdalena? I taunt her, frustrated that she would tell
me this but refuse to give me any concrete information about
isabel. Anyway, I dont care about stupid boys.
Yes, you do, she says knowingly. You do.
I turn away, touching my locket necklace, starving for whats
inside, but I cant open it until shes gone. I curl up into a ball
again, screaming at her in my head to go. I feel as if someone has
hacked my hands off and the dying nerve endings are on fire,
twitching, searching for something that is just out of reach. Please
go. Please go. Please go. Please go.
And finally she leaves. I crack open the locket, cursing when
I find it empty. I rummage in my bedside locker, searching for
the bottle of SleepSound chastity-ruth gave me at the start of the
weekend.
But its all gone. Nothing left now, when I need it the most.
I throw the empty SleepSound bottle at the wall of my
cubicle in fury, wishing that it would break the mirrors into
millions of pieces. I would search among the shattered shavings
of glass for the perfect one, the sharpest one. I would open my
veins with it.

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 However many
Inheritants are born in
any given year, it shall
be necessary to design
three times as many
eves to satisfy demand.
Once of age, the
Inheritants will choose
the most suitable eves
as their companions.
The remaining girls
shall become
concubines. In the

4365.indd 149 09/05/14 8:06 PM

 uncommon event of an
eve failing to prove
attractive to the
Inheritants, said eve
will be inducted into
the third of the
chastities.3

Audio Guide to the Rules for Proper female Behaviour, the Original Father
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 Chapter 14

March
Four months until the Ceremony
. . . and from the top. One, two, three, four . . . chastity-
bernadette yells, clicking her fingers in time with the pounding
music as we do our final run-through. The others are brimming
with nervous energy, but I want to lie down somewhere, take a
nap and wait for all that food to digest. chastity-magdalena
escorted me to the Fatgirl buffet at lunch and handed me a large
plate of pasta in a chunky sauce, a hot fudge brownee for dessert
and a can of EuroCola to wash it all down. 500 kcals, 600 kcals,
700 kcals, more. I dont know how much longer I can stand this
weight-restoration plan.
Come on. freja nudges me forward and I stumble after
daria and attempt to pirouette at the front of the stage.
And five six, seven, eight . . .
freja, in a black thong bikini and black court shoes, comes
from behind me. Her make-up is perfect, tanned glowing skin
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 and iced-pink lips, but shes wearing her sash back to front and
you cant see her design number. I should tell her, I should, but
it seems like too much effort. She joins the rest of us on the
other side of the stage, chastity-bernadette still manically
clicking her fingers until all twenty-nine eves have been
presented. isabel has been excused, once again.
OK, girls, take a five-minute break.
I crawl down the marble steps as black clouds swirl
in my head, almost blinding me. Throwing myself on to a
velvet chair, I feign sleep until someone pokes my shoulder
roughly.
Hey. I straighten up, folding my arms across my distended
tummy. Theyre striking identical poses, right leg cocked out to
the side, left hand on hip, tousled hair falling over the left
shoulder. Theyre even wearing similar string bikinis, megan in
flaming red, the twins in pink with white polka dots.
Your legs are so skinny! liz says for about the hundredth
time today.
So skinny, megan agrees loudly, one eye on freja. You are
the skinniest girl ever.Youre by far the skinniest girl in our class
now.
Not for long, I say as freja looks suicidal at the thought of
someone stealing her identity as the thinnest eve in 16th year.
Im on a weight-restoration plan.You saw how much I had to eat
at lunch.
Pity isabel isnt here today, jessie says. You would be like
Little and Large. Right, megs?

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 Thanks for the suggestion. I smile brightly at jessie before
megan can respond. But isabel is going to be back soon. I pause.
And shell be thin again.
And the last time she was at target weight, she was #1.
Certain people are too invested in isabel to allow her to
self-immolate.
Whats that supposed to mean, freida? megans eyes
narrow.
Just something I heard.
What does self-momolate mean? liz asks, shaking her hair
out to give it extra volume.
Shut up, megan says, and liz falters, instinctively moving
towards jessie for comfort. Their bodies meld into one and jessie
wraps her arm around her twins waist and squeezes tight. It
must be nice having someone that you can trust.
The main lights in the Assembly Hall dim and a huge
spotlight illuminates the centre of the darkened stage.
OK, eves, get into formation. Its showtime! chastity-
bernadette yells over the high-pitched squealing, herding us to
stage right. We huddle around the Spy-Cam screen embedded in
one of the marble pillars backstage, watching as the gold-plated
double doors to the Hall open, allowing men, real-life men, into
our lives for the very first time. chastity-ruth leads the way, the
Inheritants following behind her in single file. Two of the boys
Leonardo and Albert, I think are trying to trip each other up,
mouths falling open in giddy laughter. I can tell chastity-ruth
is furious, fingers gripping on to the sides of her cloak, but

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 she doesnt say anything. Darwins lips move and they stop
immediately.
What did he say? miranda, one of the mid-ranking eves,
moans. Even when shes sulking, little dimples are still visible on
her heart-shaped face. I wish these stupid screens had sound!
They cant . . . megan begins, and we all finish her sentence,
. . . afford to fix them!
Stupid Zone. She frowns, then quickly touches her fore-
head and pulls it taut to stop any wrinkles forming.
The Inheritants take their seats in the front row, the Spy-
Cam moving slowly from Socrates all the way up to Darwin.
There is a collective sigh when his face fills the screen. The
camera falls back to encompass all ten of them and its obvious
how excited most of them are, squirming in their seats, talking
so loudly we can almost hear them backstage. But not Darwin.
He leans back in his chair, stretching, his black sweatshirt rising
so that I can see a flash of taut stomach, and a shiver of unfamiliar
heat runs through me.
The other eves begin limbering up, stretching their
hamstrings, practising their smiles. The whispers of the girls and
the booming echo of chastity-ruths introductory speech to the
Inheritants break like waves in my ears.
We can see each girl making her entrance on the Spy-Cam,
the camera then cutting to show the Inheritants reactions, all of
them fidgeting with scorecards on their eFones, ranking us once
again. abbey, adrianna, agyness, alessandra . . . Swaggering up the
catwalk, sashes perfectly in place across their pneumatic chests,

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 they pause at the end and pirouette as rehearsed. chastity-ruth
calls out their design numbers, struggling to be heard over the
Inheritants whooping cat-calls. christy, cindy, cintia, daria . . .
#630.
And then its my turn.
I cant move. A pair of hands shoves me roughly on to the
stage, and I blink in the spotlight. The sudden lull is deafening as
I walk unsteadily to the front of the stage, the stiletto heels like
shards of glass under my feet.
Im not into skinny girls.
You would cut yourself open on those hip bones.
Embarrassment is filling my lungs like water.
Dont cry, dont cry, dont cry.
Shut up, a low voice says.
But I was only
I said shut up, the voice repeats.
I cant see who it is, but Ive watched his Introduction video
enough times to recognize the voice.
I think shes cute.
I stumble into a heap at the side of the stage once Im safely
out of sight.
What happened? cara asks, pulling me back so that the
other eves can pass us. I cant answer her, adrenalin hammering
through my body. I sit up against one of the marble pillars,
folding my head between my knees and closing my eyes, willing
my heart to slow down. How am I going to explain what
happened to chastity-ruth? I can hear the loud screaming and

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 clapping, chastity-ruths voice like a scythe through it, then the
hustle of the Inheritants leaving, chattering about their favour-
ites. megans name is mentioned a lot. She will be pleased. A
hand jabs at my ribs.
What did Darwin say about you? megan says, her green
eyes glittering dangerously.
What?
Dont play dumb with me.You were like a corpse out there
until he said something.
You couldnt hear what he said on the camera?
You know they dont have sound.
I dont know, megan.
Are you trying to tell me you didnt hear what he said?
It was nothing.
Youre right. Im sure it is nothing. She reaches inside her
bikini top and pulls out an elastic hair tie, gathering her gleaming
mane into a high ponytail. Right, freida?
Right? I answer tentatively.
She squeezes my knee in response, so tightly it feels as if
shes crushing bone. I almost gasp in pain but somehow manage
to keep it in, hugging it deep inside me, nodding to show her that
I understand what shes trying to tell me.
I think shes cute.
That night as I lie in bed I replay the scene over and over in
my mind, repeating his words like a mantra until I fall asleep
without taking SleepSound for the first time in years.

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 Chapter 15

If liu asks how her stupid ass looked during her presentation one
more time, I will literally punch her in the face.Why does she even
care? Her rankings suck. megan slams her tray down, GreenClean
juice jumping out of the glass and slopping on to the table.
Please be more careful, megan.Those tables are expensive,
chastity-magdalena says as she floats past.
I bet in the Americas theyre not told to be careful of stupid
tables, megan mutters, taking a wet wipe from her make-up
case to mop up the spill. Anyway, liu is like, #27. Anyone lower
than fifteenth place is dead to me.
So much for the rankings being meaningless.
Oooh, you look amazing, megs! the twins scream, appearing
in a haze of perfume and swishing ponytails. megans hair is tied
loosely at the nape of her neck, a few curls falling around her face
and a slash of red lipstick on her lips. Her long-sleeved polo-
necked top is completely sheer, intricate black lace covering her
chest. Skin-tight pleather leggings complete the look. Evidently

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 Im not the only one taking extra care with my wardrobe choices
these days, examining myself from every conceivable angle, trying
to figure out what Darwin might see if he was looking at me.
I know, she answers complacently. Oh, sorry, liu, you
cant sit there.
liu hovers above the seat next to me, her tray already on the
table. A blush breaks out across her porcelain skin, her sloe eyes
uncertain.
But there are three seats free . . .
cara, wearing a tissue-thin white T-shirt tucked into a silver
chain-mail skirt, claims one of them, groaning when she lifts the
tureen lid and sees todays 0-kcal option is cabbage soup again.
liu stares at the remaining two seats and I start shredding my
bread roll into tiny pieces.
Were saving those for daria and gisele.
liu looks across the Nutrition Centre to where daria and
gisele are sitting behind a group of 14th years, huge platters of
salad in front of them, but she doesnt say anything. She gets up to
leave, knocking megans make-up bag as she does so, and it hits
the ground with a clatter. liu dives to rescue the make-up rolling
across the floor with a panicked, Oh my Father, megan, I am so
sorry. No one else moves. We all just watch as she kneels at
megans feet, gathering up the numerous lipsticks and eyeliners
and compacts of face powder as fast as she can. Finally she places
the little bag back on the table, her face on fire.
Thanks, liu-liu, megan says without looking at her,
smirking as the twins struggle to stifle their laughter.

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 You are such a bitch! jessie exclaims with relish when liu
has gone.
Whatever. I cant listen to her discuss her ass during my
lunch hour. Itll put me off my food.
Could be a useful diet aid, jessie says, making a big show of
replacing the lid over her meal even though she hasnt touched
it, waiting for someone to comment on her will power.
Are you saying I need to diet?
No, of course not, jessie says, aghast. Youre perfect.
I know, megan says again. Anyway, liu is so fake. She
doesnt have to worry about her weight. Everyone knows those
people cant get fat.
What do you mean, those people? I blurt out.
Its a compliment. She sniffs at my lack of understanding.
You are so sensitive.
In my reflection in the table, I can see patches of brown
breaking out through the pale make-up I requested to be layered
on this morning and I feel a rusty shame twist inside me.
Im glad that shes not sitting with us liz rushes to please
megan if that is all she can talk about. Right, megs?
Yeah, megan replies, eyes swinging like a pendulum from
the wall to the desktop, back to the wall again. Its as if we only
exist in the surface of a mirror. Can you believe that its been
three days since the Inheritants visit? she says, twirling a curl
around her finger. Do you think theyll be back soon?
I look at cara, swallowing a smile. liu isnt the only one
struggling to find other topics of conversation.

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 What the . . .?
What is it? liz asks, startled, but jessie just points towards
the door behind me. liz follows her gaze, her soup spoon falling
to the table with a loud clatter. I look behind me too, shock
kicking me in the stomach.
megan, engrossed in fixing any smudges of lipstick after her
lunch, is the last to see her. She sits up as if an electric current has
shot through her spine.
Its isabel.
She looks amazing, liz sighs. Well, she does, she says, as
megan glowers at her.
Shes standing at the door, talking with chastity-magdalena.
Her hair is longer extensions, I guess. Its blonder too, falling
in thick icy waves to her elbows, a messy braid across the crown
of her head. And shes slim, her bare arms and legs slender and
lightly tanned. She looks exactly like she looked last year, before
all the damage. For a minute I forget that its isabel. All I know is
that its another one. Another competitor.
isabel! megan yells, attracting the attention of every other
eve in the dining room. isabel is rooted in the doorway, and a
petite 4th year with tightly coiled brown curls leaps off her stool
and scampers over and pats isabels legs with one hand, the other
covering her jam-stained mouth. isabel crouches down, laughing
as the little girl strokes her hair with sticky fingers until chastity-
magdalena shoos her back to her table.
I love children, dont you?
Yes, I answered, as I had been trained to do.

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 Someday, freida, well have three sons each. And they will be the
best of friends forever. Just like us.
I get to my feet.
Its so good to see you, isabel, I say, wrapping my arms
around her. Her body is stiff against mine and I loosen my grip,
embarrassed.
You look great, I say. How are you?
I have so much I want to tell her. Ive missed you. Ive been
so afraid. I made a fool of myself in front of the Inheritants. Im
sorry that I felt jealous of you. Please, please forgive me. I want
us to be friends. The best of friends forever. Do you remember?
Three sons each, right? But its too much. The words fill my
mouth like marbles, crammed too tight for them to escape.
She moves away, grabbing a tray from the BeBetter buffet
and collecting her meds from chastity-anne. We walk together
towards the tables, just out of step.
isabel, welcome back! megan calls again. Everyone is
watching us. I sit down, using megan and the twins as a shield
against the stares, throwing my eFone into my bag so that isabel
wont hear the sudden outbreak of message alerts.
And what a coincidence, were practically twins!
I hadnt noticed, but isabel is wearing the same top as
megan, except with a tight black skirt and patent multi-buckled
spike heels.
We should upload fotos on to Who Wore It Best? megan
says with ill-advised confidence. Up close, isabel looks even
better than before. Theyve dyed her eyebrows a dark brown,

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 similar to caras, and her skin is dewy. megan, whom I thought
beautiful just five minutes ago, seems overdone in comparison.
Sit with us, megan says.
No, thanks. isabel moves to a nearby table, the only girl in
the Nutrition Centre sitting by herself. Theres a shocked silence
before megan recovers and says, Oh, no do you think shes
fighting with you, freida?
What?
Well, she didnt want to sit with you, megan continues
loudly.
isabel must be able to hear her, but she doesnt contradict
her. She just toys with her straw, covering the rest of her food
with the tureen lid as if the very sight of it sickens her.
Is that all shes having for lunch? liz whispers.
Surely she should to be back on normal portions by now,
right? jessie says.
My own tray is almost cleared, my soup and bread roll
demolished. How many kcals were in that?
isabel takes a half-hearted sip, grimacing as she swallows.
I bet shes sore from . . .
. . . stomach-pumping . . .
. . . I heard . . .
. . . no, I heard . . .
She stands, dumping her lunch in the large waste-disposal tube
on the way out, ignoring the pits of silence when she is near, the
outbreak of whispers once she has passed like a Mexican wave. The
door to the Nutrition Centre closes behind her.

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 Be quiet. chastity-ruth cuts across the sudden roar of
voices. Control yourselves.
Can you believe that? What the
Do you think I have fine lines under my eyes? megan inter-
rupts liz, pulling her temples taut in the mirror. SkinCare have
just released a new study in the Americas-Zone proving that they
form underneath the skin from age twelve.
What? liz screams, pressing her face down on the desktop
until she is about an inch away from the mirror. But I cant see any.
You cant see them yet, megan says. Theyre hidden
underneath your skin until you leave School and then they just
appear. Out of nowhere. They had to specifically develop a new
eye cream to fight it: Juveneyle. She pulls out a small tube in the
gold mosaic of the SkinCare range from her clutch.
I push my tray away.
Where are you going? megan demands.
Hopefully to the Vomitorium after eating all those carbs.
jessie wags her finger at me. Naughty, naughty.
Come on, cara says, fiddling with her charm bracelet.
freidas still recovering from being ill.
Yes, jessie. Im on a weight-restoration plan because Im
underweight at the moment. My gaze lingers just a little too
long on her tanned thighs peeking out from under the table. Its
something you couldnt possibly understand.
I grab my satchel and make an exit before the twins can find
a spare brain cell between the two of them to retaliate. My eFone
is still pinging persistently. Grabbing it from my bag, I quickly

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 log on to MyFace, ignoring all the VideoChat requests and voice-
mails. karlie has uploaded a video of isabels entrance, spliced
with the newest song from the slutz. Big girls . . . dont get the guy-
yi-yi . . . dont get the guy. karlies voice-over: Well, well, doesnt
look like shes such a big girl any more, does it?
I click on a foto of me hugging isabel, spindly arms creeping
out of my Breton-striped T-shirt dress, even more wretched in
comparison to isabels toned limbs. Looking hot, isabel, rosie
has commented. She didnt say anything about me.
isabel.
I can barely see her, the black outfit a perfect camouflage in
the dimly lit corridor, but I catch a flash of blonde hair as she
turns the corner towards the dorms.
isabel, I call as I chase after her. I reach out to grab her
arm, yanking her back.
Didnt you hear me?
Her eyes are clean, unseeing, and she moves away from me.
isabel!
What do you want? Her voice is glacial, the frost crawling
up her throat and hardening in her eyes.
I wanted to see you. Im flustered. Ive been so worried . . .
I trail off at the look on her face. Are you OK? I reach out to
touch her hand and she flinches. My voice drops to a whisper.
Did they do something to you? Im afraid to ask. Im afraid to
know.
Now? she spits, rubbing her eyes, and I want to tell her to
stop or shell get crows feet. Now you ask me if Im OK?

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 I dont understand . . . I dont . . . I stutter. I thought that
we were friends again. I dont understand why . . .
No. Her voice cracks. You dont understand.
Then tell me. How am I supposed to help you if you wont
tell me whats wrong?
Forget it.
Forget it? Im shouting now, my voice booming in the
empty corridor. So this is my fault, is it? Im not the one who
buried herself in her room for two months. Im not the one
who thinks that shes so important, so much better than everyone
else that she has to keep secrets all the time.
She laughs, a shrill joyless sound that scratches my heart.
She doesnt care. She doesnt care about me or our friendship.
I will make her care.
Its not my fault youre such a fat greedy bitch that they had
to put you into quarantine. Do you know what everyone was saying
about you? The words are spewing from my mouth, hot as vomit.
Everybody hates you; nobody likes you.You are so disgusting that
we all wish you didnt exist. We wish you were dead.
She starts, recognizing the anonymous hate message left on
her MyFace page and I see the real isabel behind the mask, my
isabel. She thinks I sent them, and shes looking at me as if shes
never seen me before in her life, like Im a total stranger. And I
cant take it back. I can never take it back.
isabel, Im sorry, I didnt
She shoves me with such force that I fall to the floor, invol-
untary tears springing to my eyes as she walks away. At the sound

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 of clacking heels approachings I jump up and lean against the
black wall, breathing deeply to compose myself.
Wheres isabel? cara asks me, arm in arm with megan,
jessie and liz following closely.
I couldnt catch her.
Have you been crying? jessie asks, her face brightening.
No. They look at me doubtfully. I havent! I just twisted
my ankle running in these stupid shoes.
Well, those shoes are pretty stupid. cara grins at me.
Come on, were going to be late for class, I say, making a
face at her.
You know, Im not trying to be a bitch . . . megan begins.
I mean this in the nicest possible way, but Im not that keen on
isabels new makeover. Like the eyebrows? Everyone knows
eyebrows are caras thing.
I dont mind, cara says with a shrug, ever the peacemaker.
Well, yours are nicer anyway, megan says, and cara goes
pink with pleasure.
Were nearly at the classroom when she turns to me. Maybe
you can talk some sense into isabel, tell her to start eating
her meals. Whats the point in going skinny this late in the year?
I nod, paranoia squeezing my smile. I mean, obviously youre
skinny, freida, she says, but youre trying so hard to get back to
target weight. Proud of you!
She gives me a hug to reinforce how proud she is and then
breaks away, staring into my eyes. But isabel shes just weird. I
mean, you know her better than anyone. Shes weird, isnt she?

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 With one word I can cast off my itching guilt like a snake
shedding its skin.
Weird, I agree, another word that can never be taken back.
She smiles, perfect teeth glinting.
As we walk into class, I see isabel seated in the front row and
I forget myself, pausing at her desk, like I always used to.
freida! Come sit with me!
The twins move seats obediently so that megan can snuggle
up to me, resting her head on my shoulder. Im instantly anxious.
Im afraid that my shoulder might be too hard or I might
be doing it wrong, that shell keep her head on my shoulder for
the whole of class or, worse, that shell stop and never do it
again.
I missed you! she coos. Yes. Those five seconds we were
apart must have been torture.
I watch the rest of the girls spilling into the room. There is an
almost imperceptible pause, their eyes darting between isabel and
the rest of us. Its like a documentary on the Nature channel, wild
animals sniffing the air to determine who is the alpha.They want to
know where they should place their loyalties.
megan waits until everyone has settled into their seats. I
hope you dont mind, isabel, but I uploaded our photos on to
Who Wore It Best. isabel stretches her arms overhead and
yawns. And I got eighty-seven per cent of the votes so far! I
think the pleather leggings look more modern, you know?
But how . . . agyness starts, and cara elbows her in the ribs
to shut her up.

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 Something to think about. Id hate for you to do badly with
the Inheritants due to poor clothing choices. megan is so sweet,
no one could accuse her of being nasty. Not that any of us would
be brave enough to do so anyway.
That is such good advice, jessie says, cocking her head to
the side and gazing at megan in admiration.
For sure, liz reiterates.
Yeah. For sure, I say, playing my new part. The classroom
expands with a sigh as the hierarchy is clearly defined. We dont
like uncertainty. Our rankings may have been deemed obsolete,
but somehow they have never felt more important. My stomach
shudders, bellowing flames of fear to my heart.
isabel.
If she just looks at me, even once, Ill know that she cares
and Ill be sorry and Ill apologize and Ill get up and walk over
and sit in that empty chair beside her. Anything would be better
than her indifference. Its as if she always expected this from me.
Look at me, isabel. See me. But her eyes remain fixed on the
tiled floor, avoiding the mirrors although they can hold no fear
for her now she is beautiful again.
A shadowy outline melts into the corner of my eye, black
robes swishing past. Once again we did not hear her arrive, the
rubber soles slithering silently, so different to the clatter of our
high heels. She casts her gaze around the room, noting our new
seating arrangements with a raised eyebrow. A shiver of numb-
ness runs its tongue up my spine and I tell myself I dont care
about isabel. I dont care either.
eves, chastity-ruth says, shall we begin?
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 Chapter 16

April
Three months until the Ceremony
After that, the Inheritants start visiting the School three times a
week, coming from the main Zone by train. Because were never
quite sure when theyll arrive, everything tastes of anticipation, as if
our excitement has bled into the water, the food, the air we breathe.
The Euro-Zone sends in a medical expert to examine us. He
spreads my legs apart, shoving a rod-like instrument deep inside
me, ignoring my gasp of pain. Better get used to it, sweetheart.
He winks at me, marks me as satisfactory and issues me with my
fertility certificate.
The Inheritants sit during our PE classes as we grind our
hips, gripping a steel pole with our thighs. They watch as we
cook dinner and as we sew a loose button back on a shirt, all
pointless tasks as we have machines to do them now, but appar-
ently it will give them clues to our nature, which third we are

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 best suited to. At the end of each visit we are ushered into a new
classroom, one we have never used before. Its a round room,
with walls covered in cream embossed paper and ten individual
stations dotted around in a semicircle. Each station has a small
wooden desk with two steel-framed office chairs on either side.
The Inheritants claim their places, their backs to the wall, while
we eves move from one desk to the next, a shrill bell signalling
the end of each Interaction.
How could you have said that?
What? rosie hitches her red PVC skirt up even higher in
the bathrooms full-length mirror until I see a flash of black lace
underwear. At least shes wearing knickers. Her black crocheted
tank clearly broadcasts her decision to forgo a bra.
I overheard your Interaction with Sigmund. He told you
that King Solomon fable and you said that you would have cut
the baby in half! Hes never going to want you to bear his sons
after that.
freida, my darling. She looks at me pitifully as she washes
her hands. Not everyone wants to be a companion. They get
terminated at forty. Do you know what forty looks like? Have
you looked at chastity-bernadette lately?
Thats just the chastities.With a shudder I picture the loose
skin sagging at chastity-bernadettes jawline. As a companion
youd get an Age Re-design. You might be forty, but you would
only look twenty.
But you would still be forty, she says, pouting at her reflec-
tion. You would still be old.

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 The classroom is breaking apart with noise now that the
Inheritants are here today, the eves getting louder and louder,
screaming over one another to laugh the hardest at the boys
jokes, but I have lost my voice in the din, my legs jittering with
adrenalin.
Hey, Mahatma says, grinning broadly as I sit opposite him
for our Interaction. He is brown-skinned, like me, his eyebrows
like two black caterpillars over deep-set brown eyes, small ears
sticking out at right angles. His prominent nose appears to have
been re-set badly after a break, veering to the left at the tip.
Hi. My mouth is already drying up.Yesterday I watched the
Introduction videos again, rehearsing relevant conversational
topics for each Inheritant, but now my mind is like a black hole.
Weve been sitting in silence for at least two minutes when
megan struts past in sprayed-on jeans and a cropped vintage
T-shirt, an inch of tummy flashing between. She looks as if shes
oblivious, but I can tell that she knows shes creating a stir, her
eyes trained steadily on a point in the middle distance. Mahatma
gulps, still dazed as the bell rings and I move on, heavy with my
inadequacy.
I just cant seem to forget that theyre not girls, as stupid as
that sounds. Their very differences seem so alien that all I want
to do is stare at them, take countless fotos to scrutinize later,
learn them off by heart. Can they tell how dry my mouth is? It
feels as if my lips are cracking as I drag them into a smile. I go
back to my dorm after each visit and practise. I look at myself
from every angle, trying to figure out what I would have looked

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 like from the left or the right. Did I look prettier when I was
smiling or when I was concentrating? What did my legs look like
in my leotard when I was hanging upside down from the stripper
pole? I play the Interactions over and over in my head, like a spin-
ning wooden top. But its always my Interactions with him that I
return to, taking my favourite memories out of their box to look
at, to admire.
Interaction 4: Darwin told me I looked pretty in my yellow
halter-neck dress.
Interaction 5: I felt dizzy when I stood up too quickly so
Darwin gave me the last of his can of Euro-Cola, watching in
concern as I gulped the drink down, a rush of sugar and shock
fizzing through me.
Interaction 1: Hi, Im Darwin, he said, and I fought the
urge to laugh. How could he think I wouldnt know his name?
Im freida.
Oh. His eyes crinkled. I know who you are. Ive been
excited about finally meeting you.
I couldnt sleep that night, thinking about what finally
could have meant. The other girls post detailed descriptions of
their Interactions on MyFace, wondering about the meaning
behind every sigh and flicker of eyelids, but for once I stay silent,
unwilling to share.

How fascinating, megan says. Were in the Interaction room

again and shes tapping her fingers against the wooden desk,
visibly bored. Alberts story of his most recent escapades with

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 two concubines must not be to her liking. He frowns and megan
pales, reaching her hand out to cover his.
I am so sorry, she says silkily. Im jealous, imagining you
with other girls. Im not normally this possessive.You must bring
it out in me.
He puffs his chest out, accepting her apology with a bow of
his head, and continues his story, megan appropriately rapt.
What do you think?
When Leonardo smiles, his oversized mouth and nose
spread across his face, dimples appearing in his cheeks and his
chin. I have no idea what hes asking me about.
I . . .
The bell clangs, rescuing me.
. . . will see you next time, I finish, waving idiotically at
him. At his bemused face I stop, my hand flopping down like a
dead fish. Is it possible to die of embarrassment?
Hey, Albert. He adjusts his considerable weight, excess flesh
trapped in the cut-out panel at the back of the chair. He fiddles
around in the pockets of his grey blazer, pulling out a bar of chocco.
Hey, freja, he says as I sit down.
Its freida.
Oh, right.
Thats OK, I say, heat rising in my face.Was correcting him
a mistake? Should I have just pretended my name was freja?
Id offer you some, but I know you eves have to watch your
weight! he says as he unwraps his bar. Smears of chocco melt on
to his fingers and he licks them with relish.

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 What about your weight, fatass? A nervous thrill runs through
me. I wonder what would happen if I said it, if I stood up right
now and screamed FATASS at him, grabbed the chocco bar off
him and smushed it into his face?
So, my dad . . . hes saying, hes a Genetic Engineer, you
know. Well, he bought me an hour with two concubines for my
birthday last year. He knows I need more than one woman to
satisfy me. Ha ha . . . I laugh weakly to keep him happy. Anyway,
one of them was . . .
That is such a wonderful way to explain it.Youre so clever.
At the table next to us, megan drops her head, looking up
at Darwin through lowered lashes. She might be my new
best friend but, my Father, is she ever insincere. But youre
the son of a Judge of course youre intelligent. You know,
Ive always felt like it was my destiny to be with someone
intelligent, someone high-ranking, because Im . . . chastity-ruth
glides past, fixing her with a vicious look. Enough about me,
megan says, her unerring instinct for self-preservation kicking
in. Tell me more about you, Darwin. Youre much more inter-
esting anyway.
I feel sick and not just because Albert is now opening a
second bar. He continues talking, mouth gaping open, a gooey
mass of chocco congealing on his tongue. Im trying to concen-
trate but its difficult with Darwin so close to me.
. . . and then the second girl put the ping-pong ball in . . .
Wow. If I ever had any doubts about becoming a concubine
Albert just confirmed them for me.

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 He sniffs, brushing a lock of curly blond hair off his forehead.
Uneasiness circles in my stomach. He doesnt seem to be enjoying
this Interaction as much as his one with megan. Maybe if I had
chosen a different outfit he would be more interested in me. I
should have worn my hair loose today. I thought the low ponytail
was cute, but soft waves would have been more flattering.
No, honestly, continue. Its fascinating, I say, a note of pleading
creeping into my voice. The bell tolls again, and rosie has barely
claimed my seat when I hear him launching into the same story.
Ive been practising with a few ping-pong balls myself, you
know, she says seductively.
I liked the ponytail, Darwin says as I sit opposite him,
shaking my hair out so that it fans around my face. megan is over
by the door, her mouth puckering with distaste when he compli-
ments me.
Please return to your room immediately, #767.
I was just getting my things! megan protests, toying with
the zip of her clutch.
Now, #767. chastity-ruth points at the door. You have
completed your Interactions with all ten Inheritants. Please
leave.
Phew. Darwin sighs with relief as the door slams behind
her. megan is intense, isnt she?
I giggle, stopping instantly in case one of the other eves will
overhear and tell megan I was making fun of her.
Shes a really good friend of mine, I say loudly to cover
myself.

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 Lucky you. He stretches out, his lean body rising off the
chair slightly. I want to see if his T-shirt will inch away from his
abs again, but I cant look; if he caught me looking at him like
that I would absolutely die of shame. On my left I can hear jessie
coaxing insults about the other eves from Leonardo.
naomi is lovely, dont get me wrong, but I think shes a bit
muscled. Dont you agree, Leonardo?
naomi, whose athletic limbs are clad in a cream lace play-
suit, keeps running her hands up and down her gleaming black
thighs, causing every Inheritant in the room to stare at her,
Leonardo included. I suppress a smile.
That megan girl doesnt seem like the kind of person you
would be friends with, Darwin says, drawing my attention back
to him.
Really? And what do you think my friends should be like?
I dont know. Maybe the blonde girl you keep looking at.
He gestures subtly at her. The one Interacting with Mahatma
now.
If you can call it Interacting. Every muscle in her body is
tense, her ankles wound around the legs of the chair as if to hang
on in case he decides to kidnap her. Not that theres much chance
of that. Mahatma is messing about on his fone, not even
pretending to be interested in talking with her.
Thats isabel.
Youre always staring at her.
Why dont you know her name?
Shes not on our report cards.

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 What? A few of the others look up, startled. chastity-ruth
walks towards us, only leaving when Darwin assures her that
everything is under control.
What? I say again, more quietly. She has to be on the
report cards.
No. Hes definite. There are only twenty-nine names. She
wasnt at that parade thing either, was she?
She was sick, I say, beginning to feel a little unwell
myself. But shes back. Theyll probably add her to the cards
now, right?
Yeah, probably, he says doubtfully. Hey, dont be upset.
He moves his seat closer to mine and touches my hand with his.
Im touching a boy. I take a deep breath, looking away to steady my
nerves, and I see jessie staring at me, one eyebrow raised quizzi-
cally. I shake my head, hoping shell understand that Im not the
one instigating this. The bell rings but neither of us moves.
You dont give much away, do you? he says, looking at me as
if Im a puzzle hes determined to solve. Do you know what? I
shake my head and he smiles slowly.You really intrigue me, freida.
rosie, standing behind me waiting her turn, clears her throat
faintly and I get to my feet, dizzy with this new feeling of need
muddled with heat. He refocuses his attention on her, on to the
next. The memory of our Interaction is already dissolving, the
way sandcastles used to crumble in an incoming tide. Is he
laughing as much with her as he did with me? Does he look as
interested in what she has to say? I stay there, searching for some
sign that Im his favourite.

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 You intrigue me.
I wish I knew exactly how I intrigued him so I could keep
doing it.
What was that all about?
megan is waiting for me outside the classroom door. The
abstract print of her dress is enough to give me a headache, and
theres so much of it, long sleeves and mid-calf length, the
clinging Lycra belying the modesty of the cut. She looks me up
and down, wrinkling her nose at the black velvet dress with the
see-through lace panel running down the centre. She gestures at
me to adjust it, to cover myself up, and I do so, feeling cheap.
What are you still doing here? I ask her.
I saw you, she says, towering above me in vertiginous ankle
boots. She points at the glass panel cut into the solid wooden
door and I can see Darwin and rosie, laughing at some joke, and
the traces of good humour shrivel inside me. I saw you holding
hands with him.
I didnt hold his hand. He
Yes, she breaks in. Yes, Im sure it was his fault. But you
know how I feel about him. I said that I wanted him first. And
friends would never betray each other like that. And we are
friends, arent we? Best friends. Because if were not . . .
Because if were not best friends, I wont have any friends.
I will be alone.
Of course, I say. Of course we are.

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 Chapter 17

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.You have a new VideoChat request.
YouhaveanewVideoChatrequestYouhaveanewVideoChatrequest-
Youhaveanew . . . megan. megan. megan. megan. meganmegan-
meganmeganmeganmegan.
And then, I mean you are never going to believe what she
said She breaks off, peering at me through the computer
screen. freida, are you listening to me?
Of course.
And then miranda said that she weighs 112 pounds now.
Seriously. She actually said, in front of everyone, that she only
weighs 112 pounds. She laughs. Does she think were blind?
There is no way that she can weigh any less than 118, and thats
me being generous.
. . . pink is not cintias colour, not with all that, ugh,
hair, I was only trying to do her a favour. People can be so
sensitive . . .

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 . . . and I said, hello? Did you not read the Daily Tale? . . .
. . . and theyre not even that cute. The only reason they
rank well is because of the whole twin thing . . .
All I have to do is throw in a hmm and an absolutely every
so often and she seems content with that. I move the ePad on to
the pillow and stretch out, wishing I could shut this conversation
down, take half a SleepSound from my stash and doze. She talks
endlessly about how beautiful she is, how long her legs are, how
full her lips are, how shes so lucky to have such porcelain skin,
such a high metabolism, such perfect hair. At the end of yet
another monologue about how perfect she is, I stare at myself in
my mirrors, seeing how less beautiful I am in comparison, how
less perfect, less, less, less I am.
Did you see how many helpings of noodles christy had
today? Seriously, freida? Did you see how many helpings she
had?
Yes, I want to say. I was sitting beside you at lunch. And you
mentioned it three times then. But I dont have the energy to
argue with her and I dont know if I even want to. I like being
included again. My advice is asked about the Inheritants, about
clothes, about dieting tips, and I give my opinions readily. The
words come easily, but I dont know if I believe what Im saying
or if its just megans voice in my head, drip, drip, dripping out
of my mouth.
Speaking of diets . . . I interject when she draws a breath,
have you seen how thin isabel is now? How has she managed to
do it so fast?

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 Within a week isabel has begun to look as if shes folding in on
herself, her bones eating her flesh from the inside.Im not hungry,
she says, turning away from yet another untouched tray of food.
Im never hungry any more. isabel is the skinny eve in the class
now, the one freja keeps tempting with slices of chocco-cake,
the one that the other eves are urging to gain weight in case shes
taking all of the available thinness for herself, stealing it from the
rest of us. What happens to those lost fat cells? Do they float into
the ether, searching for a nearby body to land on?
Im worried about her, I say now, watching megan shake
out her hair until it resembles inky clouds.
Why? Its not like she worries about you.
I hold my face as still as I can, pretending I dont care.
Anyway, she looks terrible, megan says dismissively. The
procedure worked too well.
What procedure?
freida, freida, freida. How is it possible you know so little?
she sighs, and I refrain from asking how she always knows every-
thing. I dont want to know where the bodies are buried.
She got her stomach shrunk.
What? I say. But I thought only companions were allowed
to get that done?
Whatever. Its ridiculous that she needed to get it done in
the first place. They did it to control her. Its so weak. Her face
crumples with disgust. And now everyone is going on and on
about how disciplined she is, wondering how shes managing to
lose the weight so quickly. Im sick of talking about it.

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 She never wants to talk about her any more. isabel, the
former white queen to her black, has become a mere shadow in
her peripheral vision.
Ive been thinking about that new task again, she says, and
I tense. Unless you dont want to, sweetie. I know it must have
been awful for you, not being chosen.
I dont mind, megan. I dont! I insist when she looks at me
sceptically. Go on, tell me.What happened when you and Albert
went into the cupboard?
She wouldnt give any specific details earlier, banning the
other eight girls who had been chosen for the new task from
doing so as well. She said it would be an unfair advantage to tell
us before we completed the task ourselves. We know the basic
premise, chastity-ruth having outlined the rules of Heavenly
Seventy to us in class. I immediately thought of him, the hope
that he might pick me surging through my body, swiftly followed
by fear of megans reaction if he did. But only nine of the
Inheritants arrived, filling the room with their boy smell, sweaty
excitement muddled with overpowering cologne. No Darwin.
And, one by one, the Inheritants chose their preferred eve.
I waited and waited for my name to be called by one of them, any
of them. The anxiety in my stomach swelled as each Inheritant
said a name that wasnt mine: megan . . . liz . . . jessie . . . daria . . .
gisele . . . cara . . . Until at last I knew all hope was gone and I had
to watch the couples climb into the wooden boxes that had been
newly erected in the empty U-shaped corridor around the
bleachers of seats.

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 The leftover eves grouped together, talking and laughing
too loudly. They tried to include me but I couldnt sit with
them, couldnt be associated with their failure even though
it was my failure too. I sat there, holding myself separate,
listening to the Daily Tales commentary on celebrities from
the Americas-Zone. She has camel toe in that jumpsuit. Shes a slut.
Is she carrying her son in her belly or her ass? I dont care if she is
pregnant shes going to get sent Underground if she doesnt watch
her weight, and I wouldnt blame her husband if he asked for a
replacement.
Well, I shouldnt tell you because you didnt get chosen,
megan says, twirling a strand of shiny hair around her finger, but
I will. Because were best friends.
Thanks.
Youre welcome. She ignores my sarcasm. Im sure youll
be asked next week.You definitely will, if cara is to be believed.
Her beautiful face is as innocent as a childs, but my palms
moisten. I wipe them on the bed sheets uneasily.
She goes on. That was interesting when cara said the only
reason you werent chosen is because the other Inheritants know
that Darwin prefers you. Do you think thats true?
Whatever, I say, cursing cara for saying it although my
heart soared with joy at the time. How would she know anyway?
Shes a stupid bitch. megan nods, unable to imagine that any of
the Inheritants might think I was prettier than her. Now, come
on. I resist the urge to roll my eyes at her.Tell me what happened
with you and Albert.

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 Well, she whispers, when we first went into the cupboard,
it was a tight squeeze. Not that Albert seemed to mind. She
chortles at her own wit, looking at me sharply when I dont join
in. Shes grown accustomed to the twins and their disposable
laughter. Hes kind of fat, isnt he?
Does it matter?
True, she agrees. His dad is a Genetic Engineer. So, we
were in the cupboard. It was weird, just the two of us.You could
say anything, couldnt you?
Is she planning on getting Darwin into the cupboard to
tell him that shes the #1? Is she going to convince him not
to waste his time on me, #10, the loser whose best friend
dumped her?
I wonder if there are cameras. That might scare her off.
You know, to make sure that were doing it right.
They could barely afford to put up those cupboards, not to
mention install cameras, she says tetchily. I hate this stupid
Zone.You know, in the Americas
And then what happened with you and Albert? I stop her
before she can launch into another rant about the Americas.
Oh. Yes, she says. It was so fast. I couldnt believe it
when chastity-ruth rang the bell to say the seventy minutes
were up.
Theres so much more I want to ask her. What was it
like being kissed? Did you know exactly what to do? How did
she know she was doing it right? If it was isabel I was talking
to, I would be able to ask all those questions without being

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 afraid of sounding stupid. But its not isabel. It will never be
isabel again.
We just kissed. I made it very clear to Albert that was as far
as I was willing to go.
freida, freida, freida, megan says again as I do a tiny double
take at this. No man is going to want his companion to have had
sex with someone else.
But were not allowed to say no to them. chastity-ruth said
that we were to accommodate their every need. How did you say
no to him?
Its easy. I told him that I wanted to because hes so attrac-
tive we both smile, picturing Alberts belly straining against
his T-shirt but I wanted to save myself for companionship.
You told him you want to be a companion? I ask in shock.
chastity-ruth said that we werent allowed discuss that. You
could get in so much trouble, megan.
She said we werent allowed tell them what our rankings
were.
But surely by saying youre saving yourself for companion-
ship you implied you were in the top ten?
freida. Look at me. Im sure they know that Im #1 anyway.
She sighs at my stupidity.
Where does she get this arrogance from? I have a sudden
fanciful image of her sneaking into our cubicles at night-time, a
razor in hand. After making an incision she puts her mouth to the
wound and sucks, draining us of our confidence until her belly is
swollen with her plundered loot.

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 Did the others say no too? I ask.
Of course.
What do you mean, of course?
Well, its obvious. Everyone knows it.
I didnt know. I bet isabel doesnt know either. We have
never had a class on how to say no to men while simultaneously
never saying no to them. Suddenly Im glad I wasnt chosen
today. I might have made an irreparable mistake.
Mark my words, megan says. Any eve who wants to be a
companion will have been smart enough to withhold her favours.
It will be the slutty ones who will be chosen for Heavenly Seventy
from now on.Youll see.

And, as always, shes correct. In the next session we sit before

the Inheritants once again, waiting for our names to be called,
but its different girls who are chosen.
rosie . . . adrianna . . . heidi . . . lara . . .
The following week is the same, and the couples emerge
from the cupboards flushed and breathless. The boys dig each
other in the ribs, smirking at miranda or alessandra or karlie,
patting them on the ass as they leave. A break is forming in our
class, one that feels more serious than our usual cliques. The
chastities were right. These tasks are preparing us for our lives
after School, a life in which concubines and companions
might share their men but are otherwise eradicated from one
anothers existence. We may be sisters, but in the future we will
not associate with each other. We will not speak to one another.

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 We will be invisible to each other. That is the way it has always
been.
Look at them. Do they think the slutz are auditioning for a
new member? megan points at a table at the far end of the
Nutrition Centre. The twins, cara, gisele and daria all swivel in
their seats to look behind them.
Come on, I say, embarrassed. Dont be so obvious.
You think were being obvious? megan frowns at me. Look
at them.
rosie, adrianna, alessandra, heidi, karlie, lara, anya, miranda
and angelina or the Heavenly Seventy girls, as megan has
renamed them are sitting together at a large table. Their hair is
teased into messy waves, faces made up with flushed cheeks and
smudged dark eye make-up. Theyve even started to dress alike,
today all wearing matching red latex skirts.
And theyre wearing red. How shameless.
Why is it shameless? iman asks, stopping at our table to
adjust the plywood tray in her hands. Her sleek brown hair is pulled
back in a ponytail, accentuating her high forehead and long neck.
Im sorry were we talking to you, fatima? megan asks
pointedly, shooing her away.
Isnt her name iman? cara asks, tugging at the cream-and-
navy printed headband shes wearing across her forehead like a
crown.
I dont know. megan shrugs as iman slumps crestfallen at a
table with other 15th years, her coffee-coloured skin aflame
with embarrassment. They all look the same to me.

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 Why is it shameless though? I ask, pulling the sleeves of my
sheer cream blouse over my hands. My skin looks paler through
the fabric. We wear red too.Youve practically made red lipstick
your trademark.
Yes, thank you for reminding me, freida, she says, and
places a napkin over her coral knitted pencil skirt. This is
different. Theyre using it like a uniform or something.
The Heavenly Seventy girls stand in unison and walk out in
single file, pouting at us as they pass.
Pathetic. Dooming themselves to lives as concubines,
megan sighs.
Maybe thats what they want, I say, thinking of what rosie
told me. Maybe they want to be concubines.
No, megan replies. Everyone wants to be a companion.
Theyre just making the best of things.
The days pass and there is still no sign of Darwin. Every
time the Inheritants arrive I scan the group, my heart sinking
when I realize that hes not there.
Wheres Darwin? I ask Isaac during our Interaction,
checking megan isnt in hearing distance.
Hes sick, Isaac answers, his blond hair like curtains over
his thin face, crooked nose peeking though.
Is he OK?
I think that
Hes fine. George interrupts his Interaction with agyness
at the table next to us, shooting Isaac a look of warning. Just a
mild dose of . . .

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 . . . influenza? Isaac finishes uncertainly.
He must be quarantined. The Zones are so insular that any
illness, although rare, can spread like wildfire within hours.
Why are you so concerned? Isaac looks at me knowingly.
Should I tell him you said hello?
No, I yelp, my face sizzling. I was only asking for someone
else. I dont care.
heidi . . . karlie . . . miranda . . .
No one ever chooses isabel for this task, their eyes skim-
ming over her as if she doesnt exist.
angelina . . . lara . . .
Another Heavenly Seventy session where I am ignored. Am
I repellent to men? What if Im so unattractive that I wont be
chosen as a companion? And what if they wont even allow me to
become a concubine? Am I destined to become a chastity? I
would have to join the ranks here at the School, stay with
chastity-ruth, faced with my disintegrating looks in the mirrors,
waiting to die of natural causes.
No. No. I cant.
I know Darwin likes me, that he finds me intriguing at the
very least. I have to make him choose me.

Hes back!
A hum ripples through the room. The Inheritants have
returned, led into the Homemaker room by Darwin. Hes lost
weight. His jeans are hanging off his hips, his T-shirt loose across
his torso.

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 Ouch. What happened to him? cara whispers to me.
Hes wearing a baseball cap so its not immediately apparent,
but when he raises his hand in greeting, I can see it. The light
catches his face, shimmering in the ugly shadows colouring his
eye. Settle down, eves, chastity-ruth says, but for once no one
is listening to her as we check our make-up in our tabletops,
looking up intermittently to flutter our eyelashes at Darwin. The
other Inheritants are teasing him about the reaction hes causing,
dishevelling his perfect curls and punching him in the upper
arm, jealousy coating their smiles. Darwin ignores them. His
eyes skim over megan until he finds me. Hey, he mouths, as if
there is no one else in the room.
Oh my Father! He said hey to you! cara stifles a squeal.
You are so lucky.
I dont think it was me necessarily, I say as megans jaw
clenches.
Control yourselves. A note of steel has entered chastity-
ruths voice and we fall silent, recognizing danger.
Today, eves, you have been set the task of creating red-
velvet cupcakes. Go to your cooking stations. Please do
not forget your aprons. If I see any stains on your clothing, I
will be extremely unhappy. She settles on to a high stool at
the far-right corner of the room, rearranging her black robes
carefully. The Homemaker room has a row of ovens and
adjacent sinks set in a U-shape, the central space holding
six rows of long mirror-plated tables. On each table there are
five individual stations with the cooking utensils and ingredients

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 that we will need for our task. I grab my apron from underneath
my station, a sugary peach colour patterned with cartoon
lipsticks.
The tabletops dissolve into a video-tutorial demonstrating
to us, step by step, how to turn the ingredients into cupcakes. I
peer closer at the screen, recognizing the face of the TV cook,
virginia of virginia Licks fame. Shes pouting her inflated lips at the
camera, licking cupcake mixture off her fingers, pressing her
re-designed breasts together as she beats the eggies vigorously.
No wonder shes so popular in the Zones, even if cooking is a
prehistoric skill. I glance down at my own breasts, also jiggling in
a low-cut tank top as I beat eggies too.
Very nice.
Abraham is standing by my station, staring at my chest. He
rubs his nose, his deep-set grey eyes burning with excitement.
Shame spreads like a rash over my skin and I want to yank my
apron up so that Im covered completely from the neck down. I
concentrate intensely on the desktop and press playback on the
tutorial, pretending I didnt hear the instructions.
Everything all right here?
Just enjoying the view, Abraham says, and I try to smile to
cover my revulsion. This is what I wanted. I wanted them to
think I was attractive.
Maybe its time to enjoy a different view, Darwin says.
Irritation shadows Abrahams face but he backs away and goes to
join the other Inheritants milling around. Darwin is grimly satis-
fied but not surprised. He is used to this, I realize. He is used to

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 people doing whatever he tells them to. I can almost touch this
feeling with the tips of my fingers, feeling the authority of it, the
protection in it.
Dont worry about him, Darwin says, moving back to give
me space. He should know better than to bother you. He rolls
his eyes. Abraham has always been the same, always wanting
what I want.
I stare at the tutorial again, pressing pause. A trace of sweat
smears the screen. I wipe it off quickly, hoping he didnt see. Did
he just say that he wanted me?
Like when we were kids. If I ever had a toy, he would try to
steal it. He even had the nerve to take my shooting rifle, tried to
pass it off as his own. He doesnt lower his voice. Like megan, he
is unafraid of being overheard. He has that particular brand of
bravery that comes with power.
I want that bravery. I want that power.
When was this? I ask, trying not to stare at his bruised
eye.
Seven years ago.
Youre holding on to that grudge, arent you? I tease him,
looking up through my eyelashes the way chastity-theresa tutored
us to do.
Is your cake mixture or whatever OK? he asks.
Shit. Its clumping. Is it meant to be that way?
I dont understand why they set this task. Who cooks? This
is boring. He rests against my table, flour dusting his striped
T-shirt. Well, besides talking to you of course.

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 Maybe theyre preparing us for a Euro-Zone collapse, I say,
blushing.
Excellent point, young freida. In the case of an
economic meltdown and imminent starvation, I definitely
dont want to be stuck with a companion who cant produce
the perfect red-velvet cupcake. He hoots with laughter. The
horror.
Whats so funny? megan approaches us with a ceramic
bowl clasped under one arm, using her free hand to stir the
mixture with a wooden spoon. Her skin is rosy from the heat of
the ovens, a few tendrils of dark hair escaping from her loose
ponytail.
Nothing. I move back so that she can stand next to Darwin
and pour a generous amount of red food colouring into the bowl.
Is it supposed to look like this? I ask anxiously, and megan peers
in, wrinkling her nose.
Its so red. She giggles. It reminds me of when you
got your first womenstruation. Your bed looked like a crime
scene.
I cant breathe. I cant breathe. I dont want to look at him,
but I have to; I have to see if he heard that.
I dont get it any more.
Its fine. He cracks his knuckles uncomfortably.
No, honestly, I dont. I take tablets, you know? I mean, we
all take tablets. Unless we become companions. And then . . .
well, then we dont. But you know this. Do you know this?
Yeah . . . so . . . yeah.

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 I ramble on and on, wishing that a hole would appear in the
ground and swallow me up. I feel as if my entire body is blis-
tering with a savage heat.
Honestly. Its fine. He backs away, probably afraid that Im
about to draw him a diagram of my uterus. I have to go to the
toilet. Ill see you in a bit.
Oh, freeds, Im so sorry. It just came out, began says as I
press my lips together to stop them trembling. I count the tiles
on the floor to calm myself down.
To be fair, freida, Im sure it was an accident, gisele chimes
in from the next station.
It really was. megans voice is wobbly. I could cry I feel so
bad. There is an intake of breath and I raise my head to see
if shes actually going to go that far, but shes still dry-eyed,
her mouth quivering dramatically. jessie moves quickly to
megans side, liz following, and the two enfold her in a hug. The
others crowd around megan too, shaking their heads at me for
nearly driving her to tears. The other Inheritants are watching
with interest, wondering what the drama is. If we dont stop,
chastity-ruth will intervene. And I know shell find a way to
make this all my fault. So I do what I always do. I swallow the
feelings down, feeling them scorch my insides as they fall into
my stomach.
Sorry, megan.
She brushes the other girls off and pulls me into a floury
embrace, a little too tight for comfort. I close my eyes as cake
mixture and her cloying floral perfume ram into my nostrils. I

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 can feel the edges of my silver locket pressing into my neck as
she hugs me and a hunger for whats inside it invades every cell
of my body.
It really was an accident, she says, and I tell her, Yes, yes, of
course it was, giving in, as she knew I would.

I had been feeling ill that day, four years ago, my gut twisting like
a damp cloth being wrung out. Go see chastity-anne, isabel had
told me, but I didnt want to. I didnt want to seem weak.
I remember crawling under my bedcovers, the new ones
that had recently replaced my old pink duvet with yellow stars.
These are more appropriate for a 12th year, chastity-ruth had
said. You do want to be appropriate, dont you?
I curled up beneath the white sheets, trying to hold myself
together. The lining of my stomach felt as if it was ripping apart.
I buried my head in my pillow, biting on it to stop myself from
crying out in pain.
Good girls dont cry. Good girls dont cry.
I woke in the middle of the night. I could feel something
seeping away from the very centre of me. I blinked in the dim
light of the night-time lamps, blinking again and again, but it was
still there, a shadowy puddle oozing through my new sheets. I
shrank away, pulling myself into the corner, away from it, but it
was on my hands and it was sticky on the backs of my legs and it
was spreading everywhere. I couldnt stop it.
And I screamed and screamed and screamed. I never could
sleep without meds after that.

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 chastity-ruth hung the tainted sheets outside my cubicle for
the five days that I bled as a sign that I was unclean. We knew
then. We knew this was our curse. We knew it had to be hidden.
And to think . . . megan had said, passing her disgust on to
the others to feed on, like a pack of dogs in a nature video
chewing the bones of a carcass, . . . you were the first.
Can I play too? she asked later, peeking in from the
corridor into isabels cubicle. I cant remember what we were
playing. All I can remember is a sensation of lightness, brimming
with laughter.
No. isabel pulled the steel door down from the ceiling,
unrolling it until megan disappeared behind it.
I dont trust her, she had said, watching my nervous face in
the mirror. Brightening, she rummaged under her bed and pulled
out a tiny gold box encrusted with rare quartz gemstones. Opening
it up, she pulled out a heavy silver locket on a fine chain. I was
dumbstruck. I had never seen anything so beautiful in my life.
I got it for my birthday, she explained as she fastened the
chain around my neck.
From who? I asked in amazement.
Its yours now, she said. Because you were the first. Now
youre special too.
It happened to everyone else within two months of me,
snow-white sheets splattered with their shame, the new anti-
womenstruation medication included with our daily bread.
But at least the others were prepared. At least they knew it
was coming.

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 Chapter 18

When the cupcakes are ready, we display them on cake stands for
chastity-ruth and the Inheritants to examine our handiwork.
Oh dear, #630, chastity-ruth says as she gingerly picks up
one of my cupcakes with her fingertips. Had some trouble, did
you?
I followed the tutorial, I say miserably. The centre of my
cakes have collapsed, oozing red food colouring all over the ditzy
floral-printed cake stand. I clean up my desk, watching megan as
she feeds Darwin some of her cake. Perfectly baked, of course.
Excuse me. Where are you going?
Socrates, Abraham and Albert stop in the doorway, their
faces incredulous at chastity-ruths tone.
We dont feel like sitting around watching them wash up,
Socrates says, shrugging.
Do you have a problem with that? Albert asks, his
plump face flushed from the heat, a trail of jam smeared down
his chin.

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 No. Of course not. chastity-ruths face goes as red as
Alberts. She curtsies, begging forgiveness. We eves busy
ourselves at the sinks, washing the mixing bowls clumsily,
pretending not to notice. We know that if she sees us noticing
her humiliation shell never forgive us.
I thought as much. Alberts voice is disdainful. Well see
you when youre finished with all this. He waves his hand at the
disorderly Homemaker room before walking out, the other
Inheritants following him with pilfered cupcakes in their hands.
Will you hurry up? chastity-ruth snaps once they have left.
Why must you all be so incompetent? She picks up a wooden
spoon from mirandas workstation and examines it before slam-
ming it down with a resounding crack. miranda jumps back,
cradling her hand to her chest, a welt forming across her
knuckles.
That was an accident.The chastitys smile is feral. Be more
careful in future.
I stare at the boarded-up window above my sink, wishing I
could make myself invisible so I dont cause another accident.
Wash that spoon again. I dont understand your inability to
perform the simplest of tasks, she says, ignoring the fact that we
have never washed dishes by hand before.We just dump the dirty
ware in the garbage after our meals, fresh ones appearing like
magic in the dispenser for the next meal.
I remember isabel asking me, How does it all work, do you
think? when we were about seven, as she pulled a face at her
chick-chick. She was always more curious than I was, asking the

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 chastities daring questions about what the main Euro-Zone
looked like or if they could give us any hints about when the
Inheritants, our future husbands, would be arriving to Interact
with us. She never got into trouble either, her mouth curved in a
sunny smile, radiating so much joy that you felt warm just being
in her presence. The chastities laughed at her, told her not to
worry her pretty little head. She would know soon enough.
How does all what work? I answered, trying to stop myself
from running to the Fatgirl buffet for a piece of cake.
Like, look at this, she said patiently, pointing at her plate.
Where does this come from?
The meat-growers lab.
But how do they create it?
I didnt answer her. The food arrived. I ate it. We were not
designed to ask questions.
Finally, chastity-ruth decides that the Homemaker room has
been cleaned to her satisfaction.
Form an orderly line and return to the classroom, she says,
standing behind her wooden desk. heidi groans and immediately
looks around her to find the culprit, fright settling on her face
when she realizes it was herself.
Im sorry, chastity-ruth, she says anxiously, brushing her
fringe out of her hazel eyes. I didnt mean to be rude. I was just
hoping that I might get to taste one of my cupcakes.
Do the rest of you want to taste your cakes as well?
chastity-ruth asks.
Yes, please!

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 Oh, can we?
They look delicious.
isabel and I are the only two who dont say anything.
Of course you can have some! chastity-ruth proclaims,
and the eves grin with delight.
You can have some if you dont have any self-control. You
can have some if you dont care about your appearance. You are
more than welcome to stuff yourselves with all of those cakes if
you dont mind being fatter at next weigh-in. eves, go right ahead.
No, thanks, megan says at once. Im still full from dinner.
I couldnt eat another bite. She throws a pink gingham cloth
over her cake stand and within a heartbeat the others all copy
her. She looks at my station and sighs, taking off her candy-
striped apron and folding it carefully. That was a good idea,
making yours so ugly, freida. No one in their right mind would
want any of your cupcakes.
Were halfway to the classroom when I realize Ive forgotten
my bag. Cursing under my breath, I sneak back, running as fast as
I can down the tiled corridor, and burst through the wooden
door of the Homemaker room.
Oh, I . . .
christy scrambles to her feet, sweeping a jumble of half-
consumed cupcakes on to the floor, wiping her mouth with the
back of her hand and smearing her lipstick across her face. She
begins to cough violently and I grab a glass from underneath the
nearest desk and fill it with water, watching as she gulps it down,
still coughing.

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 What are you doing here, christy?
chastity-ruth asked me to dispose of the cupcakes.
Not like that she didnt.
I can see the straps of my bag poking out from underneath
the desk and I pick it up.
I didnt mean to eat them.
Its none of my business.
I just wanted to taste them. But I couldnt, not when
everyone else was being good. Im still seven pounds over target
weight.
I dont want to do this with her, confiding and telling secrets.
Its none of my business, I repeat. But remember what
happened to isabel. Ipecac syrup isnt foolproof.
Oh yeah, isabel. Her green eyes are wild with sudden fury.
How can I forget isabel? She dashes her hand against her nose,
leaving smudges of jam on her peaches-and-cream complexion.
How did she get so lucky? If I put on the amount of weight
that she did, you think Id be fixed up? They would send me
Underground. Why is she so special? She comes nearer and
nearer to me with each word. The smell of sugar and butter on
her breath makes me want to gag.
Leave isabel out of this, I say. If youre so worried about
your weight, just have some self-control. We all have to. Why
should you be any different?
Why are you still defending her, freida? she asks, her voice
tired. Its not like she cares that much about you.
Im going now.

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 She grabs at my top, pulling it down so the lace of my bra is
visible. You wont tell anyone about this, will you? she says as I
push her off me. Especially megan. Please dont tell megan.
I wont. I need to get away from her. I promise.
Thank you. She covers her messy face with her hands.
I owe you, freida.

How kind of you to grace us with your presence, #630,

chastity-ruth says as I attempt to slip into my seat unseen.
I had to go back to the Homemaker room.
Is #727 nearly finished?
Yes.
Good. She hasnt been requested for the next segment
anyway.
Obviously. jessie snickers. Who would want to be stuck in
a cupboard with that fat bitch? She nudges megan, who,
strangely, doesnt react.
And why exactly did you return to the Homemaker room?
I forgot my bag.
Your ability to pay attention to your personal belongings is
as dismal as your baking skills. She sighs. But you are required
here. Mr Darwin has selected you for todays session of Heavenly
Seventy. My mouth gapes open in shock. I know. I was aston-
ished as well. Hes in cupboard #1. Please do not waste any
more of his time.
I get to my feet, sensing envious eyes burrowing into my
skin like lice. I feel as if Im walking in slow motion, my heart

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 beating so forcefully in my ears Im deafened. megan. I see
her face in an ugly twist. I blink, but when I look at her again
shes waving me on encouragingly. Its OK, she mouths at me.
Go for it.
I take a deep breath and open the door to the cupboard.
None of this feels real.
Hey, freida.
Hey, I reply, shutting the door firmly behind me. The steel
bolt fastens independently, locking us in.
At last, Ive made it into one of the cupboards. Its tall
and narrow, made of mirrors from the ceiling to the floor.
Hes leaning against the back wall, his baseball cap pulled
low again, dozens of Darwins multiplying in the glass around
him.
All these mirrors. Does every room in the School have to
look like a disco ball? He taps the wall beside him lightly.
Is it not like that in the main Zone? I ask, trying to cover
up my nerves, even though I know the answer from watching TV.
Why has he asked me? Does he think Im easy, like the Heavenly
Seventy girls? Is he expecting me to have sex with him?
No, theres definitely a mirror shortage in the Zone
compared to here, he says, cracking his knuckles. Is it possible
hes nervous too?
I cant believe you wanted to choose me.
Of course I wanted to choose you, he says, pushing himself
away from the wall. Did I say that out loud? Why wouldnt I
have chosen you?

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 Because of what happened . . . you know . . . in the kitchen
what I said about the tablets we have to take.
You girls take tablets for everything. Its unhealthy, he says
disapprovingly. I know thats not your fault, he says when my
face falls, picturing the precious granules squirreled away in the
hollow of my necklace. I know the chastities make you take
them.
I heard you had the flu, I say to change the subject.
Did you miss me? He nudges my shoulder, making me
feel a little light-headed as I breathe him in, smelling citrus and
mint. I dont know what to do with my face, or my hands.
Where should I stand?
Are you worried Im contagious? he continues. He takes
my hand in his, dwarfing it. Please dont let my palms be clammy.
Im breathing too fast. Can he hear that Im breathing too fast?
What happened to your eye?
Nothing, he says, his face darkening.
It looks painful. I peer at it, the swirling shadows drawing
me in before I realize how close our faces are. Im breathing too
loudly now, too fast and too loudly. But he doesnt seem to
notice. He leans in, so slowly, oh so slowly, and I want to press
pause, remember this feeling for the rest of my life. He closes his
eyes so I close mine too and finally it happens, his mouth gentle
on mine. He places his hands around my neck, his fingertips
grazing my hair. My arms feel awkward so I copy what they do
on TV and wrap them around his waist, feeling how lean he is,
how prominent his hip bones have become.

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 Youve lost weight, I murmur. He laughs, his mouth still
pressed against mine. Then he draws back a little, resting his
forehead on mine.
Youve gained some, he says, running his hands down over
my waist and hips.
I pull away, sucking in my stomach. Im at target, I say, his
words like a blow to my solar plexus, the word fat fat fat screaming
in my head.
Its a good thing. You looked too thin before. Youre so
beautiful, freida.
He cradles my head in his hands, looking at every inch of my
face as if he thinks Im the prettiest girl in the world. And
although Ive always known that Ive been designed perfectly, for
the first time in my life I almost believe it.
Are you going to tell me what happened to your eye? I say,
giddiness bubbling up inside me. I touch my fingertips to the
bruising, drawing my hand away as he recoils.
Oh, Im sorry, did I hurt you?
Dont worry. He grabs hold of my hands, folding them
inside his. Its fine.
What happened?
It was my own fault.
Like cassie Carmichael.
What?
Nothing.
It was my own fault, he says again, his voice mechanical.
We kiss again and again and again, until all I can think of is him.

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 The bell blasts, reverberating in the tiny cupboard. How can
it be over already? I dont want it to be over.
Lets do this again. He reaches over to tuck a piece of
hair behind my ear and my stomach swoops. If you want to,
that is.
Astonishment silences me. Does he really think I have a
choice in the matter? He still has my hand in his, but as the door
releases he lets go and we break apart. The other Inheritants
cheer at Darwin, Sigmund mock-tackling him, putting him in a
headlock.
Did you get some? Did you? he yells, ruffling Darwins
hair roughly with a clenched fist.
The train is waiting to take you back to the main Zone.
chastity-ruth clearly disapproves of this horseplay, but we all
know she wont reprimand them again.
Darwin straightens up, shoving Sigmund off him, and
smoothes down his mussed-up curls. All the men leave, still chat-
ting loudly about their Heavenly Seventy session. Darwin is the
last to go, turning just before hes out of sight to give me a tiny
wink. My smile nearly splits my face in two.
Whats so funny, #630?
Nothing, chastity-ruth.
Then Id advise you to wipe that unsightly grin off your
face. It doesnt improve your appearance.
I refuse to let her words hurt me, hugging Darwins procla-
mations of my beauty to my heart like a new-designs blankie.
Youre far too excitable. She looks at me in annoyance.

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 Organized Recreation will take care of that. Please wait here for
chastity-anne to arrive.
With a swish of her robes she leaves and silence covers the
room like a shroud.
megan, thanks for I begin before liz cuts across me, her
eyes flashing angrily.
You knew he was megans. We all knew it.
She and jessie turn away from me, matching black vests over
zebra-printed bubble skirts, blonde ringlets spilling down their
backs. I cant see megan.
But megan said it was OK, I say feebly, touching the heavy
oak of the chastitys desk to steady myself. And he chose me.
What was I supposed to do?
I saw you flirting with him in the Homemaker room, gisele
says, tucking her grey silk blouse into cut-off shorts.
You were practically sitting on top of him during the last
Interaction, a voice calls out. More voices join in, all attacking
me. On instinct I turn to isabel, conditioned after all these years
to look to her for protection. She is sitting very still, as if shes
fallen asleep sitting up. Who is this stranger? Its as if someone
cut off her face and moulded it over a mannequins head.
megan said it was OK, I protest. And even if she didnt,
what was I supposed to do?
Shes right. megans voice rises from the centre of the
group. What could she do?
Its fine. Shes standing in front of me, a charitable smile
playing on her lips. You can have him, she says, as if hes

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 somehow spoiled by the association with me. I bite my tongue,
hoping I look grateful.
So . . . what happened? One of the girls breaks, and
everyone immediately follows her lead.
Did you kiss?
Is he a good kisser? I bet hes a good kisser.
What happened to his face? Did you ask him?
My best friends form a circle around me, throwing ques-
tions at me. The Heavenly Seventy girls are standing behind
them, the less popular girls making themselves as small as
possible in case we notice them and tell them to get lost before
they hear any of the gossip. And isabel, her hair tied in a messy
top knot, exposing her back in a low-cut navy halter top, is the
only one who doesnt care. I watch her leave, counting every
jutting vertebra in her spine.
What do you think it will be like?
What?
The first kiss.
Ill let you know as soon as it happens! isabel laughed. Ill
VideoChat you in the middle of it, if you want.
And her eyes were shining bright, as if the future was a treasure that
she couldnt wait to hold in her hands.
Nothing, I say. Nothing happened.
She cant say with all of you here. megan looks contemptu-
ously at the outer two circles looping around us. Most of the
girls shrug, splinter into smaller groups and start chatting among
themselves, but I can see some of them, like cintia and liu and

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 naomi, look stricken. Please let us stay, their faces seem to say, as
if they can absorb our popularity simply by being near us.
Hello? Give us some privacy! the twins bark and the
stragglers trickle away glumly.
So, what happened? daria asks once theyre gone, cara,
megan, the twins and gisele thrusting forward to shield me from
eavesdroppers.
Nothing.
Come on.You can tell us.
Honestly, nothing happened.
They all look unconvinced and I feel as if Ive failed some
vital girl test.
Did you ask him about his eye? cara struggles to keep the
conversation going.
Not really. He just said that it was his own fault. I trail off,
relieved as chastity-anne arrives and impatiently calls us to line
up at her desk.
Right. megans voice is bored and she links arms with cara,
the two of them approaching chastity-annes desk together to get
their meds, giggling as they step into the glass elevators on either
side of the desk.
Here are your meds, chastity-anne says to me. Where is
isabel, by the way? She should be here.
I dont know, I reply. I dont know where she is.
The plastic test tube is pushed into my hand, my foto burned
on to the front of it.
Youre beautiful, freida.

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 The door of my box closes behind me and I roll the tube
between my fingers. Today I dont want to forget.
Bang bang bang bang.
chastity-annes face peering through the clear glass, her
open palm pounding against it. She mimes slugging the drugs
back.
I dont want to. But I mouth, Sorry, at her.
But I dont want to.
But I do as Im told.

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 Chapter 19

Sorry, sorry! chastity-mary skips into the room the next day,
her cherubic face dimpling. Ive been running late all morning.
She throws her hands up in defeat and promptly trips over her
robes. She grabs the edge of the desktop, chuckling as she rear-
ranges her cloak.
Wheres chastity-ruth? cara asks in surprise. chastity-mary
is usually assigned to teach the younger eves.
Oh dear, you know how busy she is, chastity-mary says.
Im afraid youre stuck with me today!
No need to apologize, chastity-mary. We dont need
instruction in this particular area anyway, angelina says smugly.
She has backcombed her hair at the roots and ringed her feline
eyes with black kohl.With her leopard-print leotard and pleather
shorts, she looks dangerously sexy. The Heavenly Seventy girls
have formed a little cluster, all nine of them lining the back of the
room. There is a flash of colour as they cross and uncross their
legs, matching red stilettos on their feet.

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 Speak for yourself. Nice girls wait. Right, freida? megan is
still fishing for information about what happened with me and
Darwin.
For sure, I say, plastering a bright smile on my face. She
returns to her mirror, and without breaking eye contact with her
reflection she applies another layer of lipstick, blowing a kiss at
herself.
Im sorry you feel its unnecessary, angelina. chastity-mary
beams at us as she sits behind the broad wooden desk. But its
part of your programme.
What about the future chastities? liz sniffs openly at
agyness. Theyre never going to need to know this stuff.
liz! chastity-mary gives a high-pitched giggle. I dont
believe that the thirds have been selected yet. There is nervous
shuffling of feet at this reminder of how precarious our situation
is. Therefore all eves must complete the full programme.
Anyway, its the chastities who will have to teach sex-ed to
future eves in the School, so we have to know what its all about,
agyness says, stretching the ends of a faded tartan cardigan over
her fingers.
Thats correct.
What a chastitys pet, liz mutters under her breath, but
agyness keeps smiling, seemingly content with the prospect of
remaining at the School. megan once told me that happiness is
getting exactly what you want, but she thinks its only what she
wants that counts. She cant understand that maybe agyness wants
to be a chastity, that maybe the Heavenly Seventy girls want to

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 become concubines. The eves I feel sorry for are the cintias, the
christys, the lius. You can almost smell their desperation to
become companions, effort oozing out of every pore. But theyre
not good enough. Theyre the back-up plan; the ones destined to
become second-tier concubines. And that is not what anyone
wants.
And me? What do I want?
I want security. I want to know exactly what the future
holds. And isabel? What is it that she wants?
I dont know any more. Maybe I never did.
Shall we begin? chastity-mary says, tapping the main
mirror-board and it converts to a large screen. The triquetra
appears, pulling apart until there are three separate triangles in a
row.The white triangle spins forward first, taking over the entire
screen.
Welcome to sexual education for companions.
The companion is wearing a primrose-yellow prom dress
with a sweetheart neckline and a calf-length skirt. Her dark
blonde hair is cut into a neat bob, just grazing her shoulders.
Shes sitting on an antique rocking chair, her legs crossed grace-
fully at the ankles, white T-bar shoes on her feet.
Here is a short introduction of what will be expected of
you in your role as a companion. She covers her mouth with one
hand as she coughs, her nails painted a pale pink. The demands
of belonging to this third are many, but the rewards are just
wonderful. Naturally I am sure that all of you want to become
companions, to enjoy the wonders of supporting your husband

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 and raising healthy sons, but alas only the privileged few will be
chosen.
A bedroom appears on the screen. It is starkly decorated,
the walls a vanilla shade, a large four-poster bed the only
furniture. A girl is sitting on the bed. She is younger than the
other companion about seventeen, I would guess. Her hair is
loose, falling to her waist in Titian waves. She looks nervous,
fidgeting with the broderie anglaise trim of her white
nightdress. The door to the room opens and a man enters, his
face pixellated to ensure his privacy. He is very tall, stooping to
fit through the door, and thin, his navy three-piece suit loose on
his body. He doesnt say anything to the girl, just sits at the edge
of the mattress, taking off his clothes and methodically folding
them in a pile at the base of the bed. The girl pulls back the
bedspread and lies down, covering herself again until all you can
see is her ginger hair spilling over the ivory bedclothes. He lies
next to her.
The role of the companion is simple, the first companions
voice says blandly. She must follow her husbands lead at all
times. You must always be willing. The more often you lie with
your husband, the greater the possibility of conceiving a son to
carry on the proud legacy of the Zone.
The mans head is burrowed into the pillow, the companion
resting her chin on his shoulder, her hands clutching at the sheets
below her. Her eyes are closed, her teeth gritted.
You may experience some pain the first time. chastity-
mary gently shushes rosie and miranda as they snigger at

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 this. This is to be expected. It is best to maintain a neutral
expression.
I think of when Darwin kissed me, heat flooding my belly,
how I wanted to pull him into me as deeply as I could. I doubt
that I was maintaining a neutral expression. Was I doing it
wrong? Did he think that I was behaving more like a concubine
than a companion?
The screen cuts back to the blonde companion in the
rocking chair. A hologram of a calendar appears beside her, a day
each month circled in red.
The conception and birth of sons will be your primary
function. It is important to remember that if you are chosen to
become a companion your she lowers her voice women-
struation will return. You must monitor your cycle carefully.
Whenever you are indisposed, you must retire to another
bedroom until you are clean again. She wrinkles her nose in
distaste and smoothes down her neat bob. Once the lucky few
are selected by their future husbands, further training will be
provided to ensure you are properly prepared so you can do the
Father proud.
The red triangle of the concubines blasts through her fading
face, a very different blonde appearing on-screen this time,
stomping forward on long legs clad in fishnet stockings. She
blows a kiss at the camera, glossy re-designed lips almost falling
off her face. She flips back her ironed-straight hair to show off
massive breasts, smashed together in a red satin corset. They
look like two bald chastity heads stuck on to her skinny torso.

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 Hello there! She winks. Welcome to sex-ed for concu-
bines. The only third who needs to know this stuff!
Pathetic, megan says as a few girls at the back holler.
She taps lightly on her desktop, the mirror dissolving into the
trademark pink graphics of MyFace.
Those of you who are chosen for this third are joining an
age-old tradition. Concubines have always been a part of society,
an important part.You just have to make sure that the guy youre
with is having a good time. Easy!
The digi-vid cuts back to the same room, but the camera
angle is different.We can see a concubine from the side; she must
be about nineteen or twenty and shes on her knees, the same
man as before standing before her. Hes gripping her dark pony-
tail in his fist, pumping her head up and down.
Its nice to make eye contact. The voiceover advises, and
sure enough her blank eyes are fixed on his.
Always be willing.
He yanks her head back sharply. Grabbing her by the waist,
he pushes her on to the bed and she throws her head back,
moaning.
Make noise. Make sure that you look like youre really
enjoying it.
Weve all seen this stuff before on late-night TV. The same
dead-eyed, slack-jawed concubines, screaming with pleasure as
soon as a man comes within two feet of them. I cant even
remember the first time I saw a porno. I presume I must have
been shocked, frightened even, but after watching another and

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 another and another they sort of blend into nothingness. The
guys are always anonymous, their faces blurred, and the women
may as well be. The man on-screen is pulling out of her now,
aiming at her face, and christys foot starts to knock restlessly
against the leg of her chair, her face pallid at this glimpse into her
future. A lump forms in my throat. That cant happen to me.
christy pushes her seat back, and in a flash of blonde hair I
can see isabel. Her withered arms and legs are poking out from
baggy denim cut-offs and a cornflower-blue jersey vest that is at
least two sizes too big. Her breasts have vanished into her
sternum, hidden beneath the protruding bones. She cant weigh
more than eighty pounds.
She stiffens, as if she can feel my gaze on her skin, and
tousles her messy hair until it covers her face again, covering her
secrets.
Its impossible to go into full detail in this short video about
all the tricks that you will need to learn, the concubine says,
toying with the black laces tying up her corset. You will be given
extensive training after the Ceremony.
The screen flickers, turning back into a mirror, showing all
the rows of eves sitting. Waiting.
Thats enough for today, chastity-mary says, tripping over
her robes again as she ushers everyone out. I can hear cara, gisele
and daria discussing the videos, the twins asking idiotic questions
about mandatory skirt lengths for companions. isabel is last to
leave, dragging her bones with her.
You miss her.

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 megan is standing in front of the mirror-board at the top of
room. Pulling her ponytail over her left shoulder, she expertly
teases out hairs to make it look thicker.
Miss who? I ask. She doesnt dignify this with a response.
I dont, I say, feeling foolish. Thats the thing about megan.
Just when you think that she is the most self-absorbed person
you have ever met, shell blindside you with her insight. I dont
miss her at all.
Why are you worried about her? she persists.
Because she was my best friend. Because shes fading away
before my eyes, like an old foto losing its pigment. Its as if they
broke her apart into thousands of pieces, made her into a human
jigsaw, then reassembled her. But theyve put her back together
wrong. I want to find the missing piece that will make her the real
isabel again, but when I look at her directly she seems to shimmer
into translucence. And no one else notices.
You werent this worried about her when she was fat,
megan points out.
She didnt deserve my sympathy when she was fat, fat, fat, when she
was greedy, when she was disgusting. Fat girls should be made obsolete.
No one will ever love a fat girl.
The Messages play on and on in my head.
You have to focus, megan says, undoing two buttons on her
chartreuse silk shirt and pulling her pencil skirt down pale, slim
legs. I get up to let her pass as she comes to sit next to me.
We can share, she says, although there are rows of empty
seats. She wraps one arm around my waist, the other clinging to

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 the desk for balance. She doesnt deserve a friend like you,
she says, tracing over our reflection in the desk with her finger-
tips.
No. She deserves better. She deserved a lot better than me.
Forget her. This is what isabel does. She thinks shes too
good for you. She thinks that shes better than everyone else.
megan spits the words out as if theyre rancid.
What? I ask, taken aback by her rancour.
She doesnt care about you. She probably never did, she
says with a swish of her glossy hair. And just like that, she breaks
my heart in two.
Good girls dont cry. Good girls dont cry.
Just forget her, she says again, eyeing me warily. For the
first time in days all I want to do is to crack open the locket
around my neck and lick the insides, cram every last dusting of
numbness into me, anything so I dont have to feel like this any
more.
I rest my head on her shoulder, energy leaching from me.
Thats a good girl, megan says, and I close my eyes, wishing I
could smell lavender.
It looked painful, didnt it? I say quietly.
What did?
The digi-vid. Sex. Do you think it will hurt?
How would I know? Go ask rosie or one of the other
whores.
I wince at the harsh words, but I suppose shes right.Theyre
not concubines yet. For now they are just girls who are making

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 the wrong choices. Theyre whores. But what if they dont
realize that theyre making the wrong choices? What if the path
they are on just has different signposts to ours?
What difference does it make anyway, freida? Its not like
we can say no.
But you said no. Im fed up with this ambiguity. You said
no. And they never say no. And you said that made them whores.
I dont understand.
Dont be academic, freida. Its not attractive.
Im not trying to be academic. My voice cracks. Im
confused, I want to say. Im scared.
Where are you going? I say instead as she walks away.
Class. She pauses at the doorway. Its only School, freida.
Just think of it as a bridge to our future. We only need to use it
to get to the other side.
It doesnt feel like a bridge, I think as she leaves. A bridge
would feel some way steady. This feels more like Im balancing
on a tightrope made of cobwebs.

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 Chapter 20

May
Eight weeks until the Ceremony
I woke today and realized that I was counting in weeks now, not
months, not years. Only eight weeks left. Only eight weeks until
the Ceremony. Only eight weeks. The words keep dancing in my
mind, getting jumbled up and confused. Eight . . . Ceremony . . .
Weeks . . . Eight . . . Left . . .Weeks . . . Until . . . Eight . . . Ceremony . . .
EightWeeks Left.
Are you excited? natalie, a 12th year, asked while we
queued for the buffet at breakfast. Her dark hair is cut in a
geometric bob, round brown eyes almost covered by a thick
fringe.
Sure, I replied, just like the final-year eves had told me
when I was twelve and I screwed up enough courage to ask them
the same question.
Were they lying too?

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 But what do you and Darwin do? megan asks on VideoChat. He
must have chosen you for Heavenly Seventy at least ten times.
We talk, I answer, eyes flicking towards the corner of the
screen at my video-feed. I have my hair half pinned up to show
off my new feather-shaped earrings studded with amber stones.
I had to buy them for you, Darwin had said as I put them on.
They reminded me of your eyes.Youre beautiful, freida.
But he keeps asking you. Her voice is baffled, arched
eyebrows almost reaching into her floral-print headscarf.
We just talk.
For seventy minutes? About what?
Everything. Anything. As soon as he enters the classroom
he searches for me, smiling with relief when he finds me, and I
can feel my jaw clench. Where would I be? I want to ask him.
Where else could I possibly be? All throughout class I can feel his
eyes on me. The other Inheritants are friendly, but they keep
a respectful distance now. There have been no other sordid
incidents with Abraham. Mahatma does not dare to even glance
at his eFone during our Interactions. I catch some of them
watching me with interest, no doubt wondering what he finds so
captivating about me. And my fellow eves have never been nicer
to me.
I love your earrings! jessie and liz squeal as we take our
seats for Comparison Studies, their faces buried under layers of
their new bronzing powder. Its because of me, apparently. The
trend to look browner is because of me. Where did you get
them?

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 They were a gift, I reply, raising my voice so isabel can
hear. Shes not the only one who can get gifts, who can have
secrets.
Its a done deal, freja says at lunchtime, scrunching a napkin
full of cheesy goo into her glass. Darwin has chosen you.
But he hasnt. Not officially. There are still eight weeks left,
eight weeks in which I could mess it up, eight weeks where this
could all fall apart.
But from the outside it must indeed look like a done deal.
chastity-ruth asks Darwin to make a selection for Heavenly
Seventy, and every time I hold my breath, afraid that today is the
day hell change his mind. I still feel shocked when he calls my
name, even after all this time. There is a moment just as the door
bolts behind us that we hesitate, each of us at either side of the
cramped cupboard, a thick, heavy energy separating us. Will it
be like we remembered? Did we imagine it all in the first place?
Then we fall on each other, kissing hungrily, a heat uncoiling in
my stomach and seeping into every cell of my body. We move
apart, a little embarrassed by the intensity of whatever this thing
is between us. He always breaks the silence first, asking question
after question, determined to know everything about me, to
figure me out, as he says.
What was it like growing up in the School? he asks, sliding
down along the glass wall until he is sitting on the ground,
pulling me down with him.
It was fine, I say vaguely, fixing the thigh-high slit in my
maxi skirt. We started at four.

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 Where were you before that?
The Nursery. I dont remember much about it. Indistinct
images swim before me, each undercut with a core of familiarity.
But what about you? I say, pushing the vision away. It must have
been fun growing up as a Judges son!
I dont know about that, he replies as I trace the skin
around his eyes, the bruising long faded into a pale golden ring.
Oh, come on. I snuggle up closer, huddling into his armpit,
the worn cotton of his sweatshirt soft against my cheek. He
kisses the top of my head.
It was OK.
Just OK? I probe, keen to hear more about the new world
Im about to enter.
The Euro-Zone is so small; everyone knows everyone else.
Ive always felt so visible like because of who my dad is I have
to be on my best behaviour at all times.
Did your parents tell you that?
My mom says to be myself. That who I am is enough.
Not to worry about what other people think of me. He says
this in a semi-mocking tone, as if its a joke, and I wonder if
I should laugh. I try to imagine what it must be like to be
told that who you are is enough, to have the permission to be
yourself.
Shes very beautiful, my mother, he continues. Even now.
Shes nice as well.Youll like her.
I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from grinning at
his use of the future tense, the implicit promise in it.

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 But my dad . . . He stops, searching for the right words. I
want him to be proud of me. Thats all Ive ever wanted. I stay
silent, afraid of saying the wrong thing. My mother says he only
wants the best for me, he says, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Its my own fault.
Whats your fault? I ask softly.
Nothing, he says, pulling his knees in towards his chest. I
rest my hand on the back of his head and he breathes in deeply.
Hes always telling me to be careful, to keep people at arms
length, he says in a rush, getting the words out before he can
change his mind. You know, to make sure that they dont want
to be my friend just because of who I am. Who he is, I guess.
Our eyes meet in the opposite wall. He told me to be extra
careful in here.
I can understand that. A lot of the girls here are very deter-
mined, I say, my voice deliberately breezy to convey how
different I am (I am easy-going. I am always happy-go-lucky.) and
Darwin visibly relaxes.
He said that once the eves knew I was a Judges son I would
be an easy target.
I think its more to do with that fact youre the best-looking
out of the bunch, I say cheekily, and he throws his head back in
laughter.
I slink up the length of his body and kiss his neck, waiting
for him to groan with pleasure. I keep waiting for him to lose
interest in me, but he doesnt. He chooses me every time, again
and again.

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 Youre a good listener, he tells me another day. Im sitting
in his lap, legs wrapped around his waist, my heels kicked off and
strewn by the door of the cupboard.
I have practice, I say, stroking his hair. My sisters love to
talk.
Your sisters?
The other eves. I lean in to kiss him, inhaling his breath
until he breaks off.
I always wanted a brother.
Why? I think being an only child sounds perfect. I
think enviously of the undivided attention. It makes you
special.
Youre special. He pushes my hair away and stares into my
eyes. I kiss him again to hide my anxiety. When is he going to
figure out that isnt true? When will he realize how very far from
special I really am?
At least if I had a brother I would have someone to talk to,
Darwin says when we come up for air. Someone who under-
stands. Id have someone I could trust not to gossip about family
stuff. Discretion is really important to Dad; hes always telling
me not to air our dirty laundry in public. It doesnt help when
you want to make friends though.
Maybe youre better off, I think. Youre less likely to get
hurt.
But if I had a brother
Why dont you? I interrupt without thinking, and I imme-
diately apologize. Sorry, that was rude of me.

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 No, it wasnt. He laughs. I dont know. My dad had two
other companions before my mother. The first one was barren,
they had to have an investigation into why she was ever issued
her fertility certificate. She was sent to the pyre, naturally. The
second companion lasted a little longer. She fell soon after the
Ceremony. He pauses thoughtfully. The sons name was
Benjamin. He died two days after he was born.
What happened to him?
I dont know. Bad genes? Neglectful mothering? They
couldnt decide so the girl was sent Underground for testing.
Then Dad chose my mother. They had hoped for more sons but
she hasnt fallen since me, and Dad said he couldnt be bothered
going through the hassle of getting a new companion. I nod,
wondering how much longer his mother has left before her
Termination Date. I have a lot to live up to. Only son and all
that! He shakes his head, pulling me closer to him. I cant
believe I told you that. Ive never told anyone.
He begins to bring presents with him more frequently. A
thick cuff with a faceted amber stone in the centre follows the
earrings. The download of an album by an obscure indie band
from the Americas that I have never heard of.
I love their music, I lie, and his eyes light up in excitement.
Especially their earlier stuff. We sit in the cupboard, sharing
one set of earbuds, their best song ever threatening to split my
eardrums in half. He bobs his head in time to the noise, stuffing
his hands into the pouch at the front of yet another hooded
sweatshirt.

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 Like a kangaroo, I say absent-mindedly, pulling at the
pocket.
A kangaroo? he asks, turning the music off. How have you
heard of kangaroos?
I, er, I watch the Nature Channel, I reluctantly admit. I
like animals.
The Nature Channel? he repeats, grabbing the nugget of
information to store away for safe keeping. Tell me more. I want
to know everything.
Hes wearing away at my resistance with all of his questions.
He asks about isabel and I tell him Im worried about her. He
likes that; he seems to think this proves that I am a good person.
I dont tell him that isabel doesnt want anything to do with
me. I dont tell him Im afraid its because there is something
rotting inside of me, something you can only smell if you get too
close. I dont tell him that she has broken my heart.
Why is she isolating herself? he asks. Its kind of you to be
so concerned.
We were friends for years, I say. I cant just stop caring
overnight.
However much I wish I could.
I turn the conversation back to him. He tells me about
music he likes, movies hes watched and novels hes read. When
I mention the confiscated picture books that I had looked at as a
child, he smuggles in a collection of short stories. I hold the book
in my hands, feeling the wafer thinness of the paper between my
fingertips, examining the markings on the pages. He reads aloud

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 to me, and its like magic as he translates the squiggles into
words, sentences, stories.
I wish I could read too.
Ill read to you whenever you want. He tosses the book
aside, kissing a trail from my ear to my cheek before claiming my
mouth, erasing all my thoughts until I am lost and I dont know
where he ends and I begin. When he kisses me, I want to unzip
his skin and step inside him, become a part of him so that we can
be together forever, so that no one, not even the Father, could
separate us. Its when we stop kissing that the thoughts come
back, sharpening their blades. His hands hover by my stomach,
making achingly slow circles, lower and lower until he starts
playing with the zipper on my skinny cord jeans.
I cant, I say, hoping that hell try to persuade me to keep
going.
Are you sure? His voice is husky, his body still pressed
against mine, pushing me against the hard glass.
Of course Im not sure.
Im sorry, Darwin.
I would if I knew that it wouldnt change how he felt about
me. I would if I knew that he was going to choose me and make
me a Judges companion.
Im sorry, I say again. I cant risk it.
He leans away from me and takes a couple of deep breaths.
Have you ever done it before? I ask him as I sit down,
avoiding his eyes.
Of course.

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 What age were you? What was it like?
What? The first time?
I nod as he sits beside me, stretching his legs out parallel
to mine.
I was twelve. My dad organized an hour with a concubine
for my birthday.
I think back to when we celebrated our 12th design date.
We were allowed to eat whatever food we wanted, stuffing our
faces with sweeties and chocco and ice-kream. We all fell into a
sugar coma when the lamps were turned off, rubbing our swollen
bellies, only to be awoken at 4.30 a.m. for a three-hour gym
session to atone for our sins. Fat girls should be made obsolete. No
will ever love a fat girl.
My mother thought it was too young, but my dad insisted,
he says. Afterwards he took me for beer. I started to feel really
light-headed so I secretly dumped half of it into this plastic cactus
next to our table. His voice is becoming more and more
animated as he tells the story. The next morning he said he was
satisfied with how I was shaping up, that I seemed able to handle
both my beer and my women.
And how was it?
How was what? he asks, happily lost in the memory of his
dads approval.
The sex, I say impatiently, before controlling myself and
smiling sweetly to disguise my flash of irritation.
Oh yeah. It was fine. Good. She seemed to enjoy herself
anyway. Are you jealous? he crows delightedly as I smile

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 crookedly at him, my mouth tightening. And I thought you
didnt care.
Im not jealous, I say, softening my voice. All men go to
concubines. Its no big deal.
Of course not, he says, his smile fading. Youre not the
jealous type.
He holds me away from him, staring at me. No one has ever
looked at me like that before, as if Im everything they never
knew they even wanted.

Youre staring at her again! cara pokes me and my spoon jolts,

spilling cucumber soup down my dove-grey silk T-shirt.
Be careful, I bark at her, ignoring the girls surprised faces.
They would be edgy too if they couldnt sleep. Im trying to
wean myself off SleepSound. My recovery period is over so
chastity-ruth is refusing to give me extra supplies anyway, and
Ive told chastity-anne I dont want my normal dosage at night.
Darwin hates people taking medication.
No need to bite my head off, she replies, digging around in
her handbag before throwing me a wet wipe. I dab at the stain,
groaning as I spread it wider across my chest. I didnt do it on
purpose. She looks hurt, drawing her hair over one shoulder and
pulling at it, a dusting of blonde hairs falling across the table.
Im worried about isabel, I admit quietly so that the others
cant overhear.
Thats obvious. Of course megan is listening. You cant
stop staring at her.

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 Im worried about her.
Shes a big girl . . .
Not so big any more! jessie giggles to liz.
. . . she can take care of herself, megan finishes, smoothing
her hair into a loose chignon. She looks lovely today, her yellow
halter-neck dress cut daringly low, cinched in at the waist and
flowing out to a full skirt.
I dont know.
freida, weve talked about this. megan shakes her head in
frustration, bulbous sapphire earrings banging off her neck.
Who cares about isabel?
We all look at her, sitting alone again, wearing a marl-grey
T-shirt dress with cut-out panels at the side, her ribs thrusting
through her skin like crocodiles teeth. She seems to wear less
and less clothing these days, as if she wants to draw attention to
her shrinking body, using her emerging skeleton as a disguise.
But its still isabel, still the girl who used to laugh loudly and
often, her mouth wide open as if she found our world so
delicious she wanted to swallow it whole.
Where are you going? megan hisses. If I am a Judges
companion, she will never hiss at me again.
isabel.
She ignores me and keeps playing with her cucumber
soup, ladling a spoonful before tipping it back into the
bowl.
Im worried about you. I crouch beside her. You have got
to start eating.

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 The background hum is dying down. I can hear swishing as
people turn in their seats to look at us.
Leave it, freida, she whispers, staring into her soup bowl.
It feels so good to hear her say my name that my eyes sting. Its
better this way.
What are you talking about? My voice is echoing in
the hushed room, louder than I intended. Whats better this
way?
Lower your voice, #630.
Im sorry, I say, standing up straight to meet those wolf-
grey eyes, but I cant stand by and watch my friend starve to
death. I point at isabel, who is trying to pretend that this conver-
sation has nothing to do with her. Shes wasting away. She only
gets the 0-kcal option at mealtimes, and then throws most of her
food away, and no one is doing anything to stop her. Anger is
crawling in my debt, searching for a crumb of SleepSound to
smother it. I dont need it. I dont need it. Darwin doesnt like girls who
take drugs.
What are her weigh-ins like? I lash out, a flash of lightning
running through me, white hot. It doesnt fucking look like shes
within target range to me.
Im sorry, I say as the curse word shoots into the
air, exploding like a firecracker. That just slipped out. Im
sorry.
Interesting. chastity-ruth suppresses a smile as she scans
isabels wasted body. Perhaps you are correct, #630. But dont
worry your little head about it. We will take care of isabel. At

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 this, isabels face crumples like a chocco wrapper held over a
naked flame.
As much as I appreciate your desire to assist us she rolls
the sleeves of her robes up as if preparing for a fight I cannot
allow you to disturb the peace during mealtimes.
I wait for isabel to defend me but she is motionless, reading
the lines on the palms of her hands like a treasure map.
#630, what am I going to do with you? This is the second ePad
that you have broken this year.
Im sorry, chastity-ruth.
Sorry doesnt cut it, Im afraid. Apologies are not going to pay for
a replacement computer, are they? I dont know why I continue to be
surprised at how utterly useless you are.
Its not her fault, isabel broke in.I broke it. It was my fault. freida
was just trying to be a good friend.
She kicked me in the shin under the table and I kept quiet.
Very well, isabel, the chastity said finally, her lips tight with
annoyance.You may give #630 your old ePad in replacement.
That evening isabel had a new computer, a thinner, lighter one with
a hot-pink cover.A present, she said.
I wanted it. I wanted a present too.
And instantly my gratitude broke, cut to shreds by jealousy.
Thank you for the apology, chastity-ruth says. However,
Im afraid Im still going to have to chastise you for your rather
ugly display of insolence. What will it be . . . what will it be? She
taps her mouth with her fingertips. Ah, yes! I know.You shall be
ineligible for the next session of Heavenly Seventy.

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 But . . . I stutter, disbelief and panic spontaneously combusting
in my chest, thats not fair.
She turns away and I want to scream, pick up isabels tray of
uneaten food and throw it at her. I want to fling a bucketful of
Unacceptable Emotions and watch them splash all over her face
like paint.
Nice girls dont get angry.
I clutch at the empty locket hanging around my neck,
wishing more than anything for it to be full again.

So, after that little incident, Im afraid #630 is unavailable for

selection today, chastity-ruth informs the Inheritants.
That hardly seems appropriate, ruth, Albert says, failing to
detect the faint pucker of her lips as he drops the chastity.
Surely its up to us men to decide whom we want to choose.
chastity-ruth is firm. The chastisement of the eves is under
my jurisdiction while they are still at School.
There is a frisson of anticipation in the room, everyone
wondering who my lucky replacement is going to be. I dont
look up. I dont want to see Darwin choose someone else, see
him walk into our cupboard with another eve.
And all this because of isabel. Ive lost precious time with
Darwin because of someone who barely acknowledges my exist-
ence. Everyone must think Im so stupid. I am so stupid.
Mr Darwin, who will it be today? chastity-ruth asks,
padding her way softly through the classroom until shes standing
beside me, presumably to have a better view of my misery.

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 I think, his voice is careful, every eve in the room holding
her breath, Ill go with agyness.
agyness doesnt move. Earbuds already in place and watching
a Nature Channel rerun on her desktop, she cries out in pain
when megan grinds a heel into her foot.
What? she asks, looking in confusion when megan points
furiously at Darwin. And then I know. Hes chosen her as a
message to me, the only eve in our class I wont feel threatened
by. And I feel like I can breathe for the first time since lunch, the
tension thawing out of my shoulders.

What is Darwins deal?

I know! Is he only into freaks? gisele pauses for a second
too long. Not including you, freida, obviously.
Her fake smile is nauseating. Were at our usual table in the
Nutrition Centre, but no one is monitoring the buffets. There
could be a run on death-by-chocolate puddings and I doubt it
would merit a comment.
Wait, here she comes, megan mutters.
agyness is drifting dreamily away from chastity-annes desk,
balancing her tray and her vial of daily meds, her peacock-blue
maxi dress sweeping the tiles.
agy! megan calls to her, stacks of thin gold bangles clinking
on her wrist as she waves.
Good day to you, my fellow eves, agyness announces
theatrically, the other girls barely suppressing eye-rolls.
I love your dress. The colour is adorable on you!

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 agyness looks down at her dress to remind herself what she
is wearing.
Oh yes! she says, her velvety skin going pink with excite-
ment. I was watching a programme on peacocks the other day
so I requested a dress in the same shade.
So, tell us . . . megans voice drops as liz asks jessie what a
peecuck is, what happened during Heavenly Seventy?
You were there. agyness blinks.
I wasnt in the cupboard, was I? What happened with
Darwin in the cupboard?
You said after the first week it was unfair to discuss what
happened during the task, agyness says, and I bite my lip, trying
not to laugh out loud.
agyness, just tell us what happened.
Well, nothing. agyness pulls a face to indicate her tray is
getting heavy. We talked.
Talked?
Yes.
What is with this guy and talking? megan says, turning her
back on agyness. Were done here.You can go.
Shes painful, she sighs as agyness floats away. Well,
Darwin sure likes to talk, doesnt he?
Yeah. Whats that about? daria asks, shaking her wispy
fringe out of her eyes.
What if hes an aberrant? liu exclaims, breathless
with excitement that shes been allowed to sit with us for
once.

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 He cant be. Hes a Judges son, megan snarls, and liu
quakes, panicking that she might have ruined her chances of
sitting with us ever again. megan catches herself. And, liu, she
adds smoothly, you know as well as I do, no aberrants have been
born since they made those prenatal tests mandatory. Are you
questioning the Genetic Testers ability to identify the aberrant
gene?
No, of course not, liu whispers. I was . . . I was only joking.
Of course I dont think Darwin is an aberrant.
Hes definitely not, I blurt out. There is a roar of raucous
laughter, a sliver of food flying out of caras mouth and landing
on the table, making everyone laugh even louder. Questions fly
at me, jumbling on top of each other.
Are you in love with him? cara laughs, pressing her hands
to her heart.
No. megans voice is low but theres something in it that
makes everyone stop laughing instantly. She cant be.That would
be love before marriage, wouldnt it?
Im not in love with him, I scoff to hide the fear prickling
in my chest at her words. Of course Im not.

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 Chapter 21

Thank you. I make myself break away from Darwin. Ive wanted
to say thank you since he chose me for todays Heavenly Seventy,
but once the doors of the cupboard closed behind us, he had his
hands in my hair and his mouth was on mine, and I forgot where
I was. He always makes me forget.
For what?
For choosing agyness. I blush, afraid Im presuming too
much. At the last Heavenly Seventy session.
Ah, the future chastity-agyness! The first one since chastity-
magdalena, I do believe.
Where did you hear that?
I pay attention, freida. Darwin winks mischievously at me.
He is so cute. We kiss again and my mind goes liquid.
agyness is nice, he says as he pulls me into his chest, his legs
wrapped around mine. Ive had some great Interactions with
her. Shes smart. Its almost like talking with a guy.

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 Dont say that outside this cupboard, I say, becoming
serious. If chastity-ruth hears you say that about agyness, shell
be in trouble.
Theyre hardly going to think shes an aberrant.They sorted
that problem out years ago.
I freeze, but he doesnt seem to notice, his lips tracing the
veins in my skin.
A what? I ask, pushing him off me. But shes a girl. There
isnt such a thing as a female aberrant.
I guess not, he agrees quickly. Too quickly. Forget it.
He starts kissing me again but I cant concentrate, my brain
swirling with thoughts about what this could mean. Images flash
into my mind of isabel and I, lying together on my bed, our
fingers intertwined as we talked and talked for hours. Ive never
felt the same connection with anyone else that I have with isabel,
not even with Darwin. She has been the other half of me for the
best part of sixteen years. What does that mean? Is there some-
thing unnatural about me? Could isabel sense it? Is that why shes
been avoiding me?
No, I say, pushing him off me. I need to know. Wait. What
did you mean by that?
Come on, freida, he pleads. Can we just forget it?
I cant forget it. I shuffle away from him until we are sitting
parallel, our backs pressed against the cold mirrored wall. I turn
my head to look at him. Dont you trust me?
He hesitates. Of course I do. Indecision is etched all over
his face. But, I just

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 Please tell me, I interrupt. I need to know. Pretty please?
Im rewarded with a reluctant smile. If I tell you, do you
promise that you wont repeat it to anyone else?
I promise, I lean over and whisper into his ear. I lick it with
the very tip of my tongue and he shudders slightly. I know what
he likes.
I cant believe Im doing this, he groans, shaking his head as
he reaches into his pocket to get his eFone, angling it towards me
so I can see properly. On the screen appears a large rectangular-
shaped hall, cast in grey concrete. There are dozens of huge
wooden doors along each side, a wooden label on each one.
What do they say?
Theyre the names of the rooms.
But what do they say?
What the room is for. He looks away.
Like what? I persist, staring at the squiggles of letters and
words, wishing I could understand them.
He exhales loudly. Well, this door is Taboo, this one is
Reluctance, this one is Non-Consent.That one over there is Back
Door, this one is Group. There are loads of them, he says, the
words rushing out.
I understand, I say, even though I dont understand, not at
all. As he fidgets with the keypad, the camera moves forward
through the hall, more and more doors on each side. The motion
stops, a hand with scarlet-painted nails coming into view as it
rests on the door.
Whose hand is that? I ask.

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 Mine.
Sure it is. Which is why you have nail polish on. Thats a
girls hand.
Well, its not my hand, obviously. But its my avatars hand.
An avatar is sort of like my character in this game. I control her.
He tries to explain, sensing my confusion. Shes my visual alter
ego. Does that make sense?
But thats a real hand, not a computer graphic, I say, more
baffled than ever.
Well, yeah, the game is called Controlled concubines.
Look, Ill show you.
He presses a few buttons and the camera pulls back, cutting
to a different angle so that I can see the full scope of the hall.
Standing at the door, with that same perfectly manicured hand
resting on the handle, is a young concubine in a scarlet leotard,
cut high on her slim thighs. Her dark hair is pulled off her face in
a ponytail and there are wires wrapped around her head, like
tentacles.
What are those wires for?
Thats what connects the concubine to my eFone. While
shes hooked up to the sensors, all of her movements are
completely controlled by me.
I squint at the screen. Her skin is tanned and smooth,
as dark as mine, her hair the same lustrous brown, her
vacant eyes tinged with yellow. The similarities between us are
uncanny.
Shes beautiful, isnt she?

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 I look away, afraid to agree in case its some sort of test of
my modesty.
The concubine pushes the door open. All the walls of the
room within are made of a quilted black pleather, a steel pole
like a ballet barre bordering it. Hundreds of implements are
hanging from the pole: whips, paddles, cuffs and shackles. There
are two other concubines there, both in red latex catsuits. They
turn as the door opens, their faces as blank as that of Darwins
concubine, gesturing at the newcomer to join in. One of them is
brandishing an iron rod, wiggling her hips lewdly.
Wrong room, Darwin mutters as he makes the concubine
leave, shutting the door behind her. She waits passively until he
makes her walk towards a different door.
This is the Sapphica room, he tells me. The avatar strides
into the room and walks up to the nearest available concubine, a
black girl with a huge blonde afro. He makes the avatar grab the
other girl by the head, her red-painted nails digging into those
yellow curls. She pulls her near, and their mouths are touching,
their tongues are touching. Theyre kissing.There are two girls kissing.
The screen cuts out, Darwin cursing under his breath. My
battery must be dead. He shoves the fone back into his pocket.
Im too shocked to speak and he pushes his dark curls off his
forehead uncomfortably. Some guys are into it.
Are you into it? Is that why you showed this to me?
Then why havent we been instructed in this? If its some-
thing we might have to do if we become concubines, we should
have classes in this. Why havent I heard of it before?

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 Leave it, freida, he snaps, and we both start at the harsh-
ness of his tone. Hes never spoken to me like that before.
Sorry. He reaches his hand out to cover mine and my gut
clenches at the touch of his skin. I dont want to upset you.
I wont be upset.
It was years ago, he says emphatically. I wasnt even born.
Its a waste of time even talking about it.
We stare at each other in silence, waiting it out to see who
will crack. After years of dealing with megan, Im not surprised
when he groans in defeat.
Do you promise you wont tell anyone? he asks again.
I swear, Darwin.You can trust me.
It was years ago, remember, he begins, and I have to lean
in closer to hear him, our faces nearly touching. His aftershave is
making me woozy, something dissolving to liquid inside me. I
nod at him to continue, just keep talking. If he starts kissing me
again, I know that Ill forget all about female aberrants.
These two eves were best friends. The chastities thought
they spent so much time together because they were friends, but
it turned out to be more than that. They fell in love.
What? I jerk up, hitting his nose with my forehead, and he
chokes backs a howl of pain. Sorry, Im sorry, I gabble, ignoring
the dull ache forming across my head. Im sorry.
Anyway . . . he laughs it off, they tried to run away
together.
What? I say in shock. But how did they get out? The
entrance to the trains runs out of the chastities quarters.

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 They didnt get very far. He stretches away from me, and I
want to reach out and pull him close again. They were caught,
he mumbles almost unintelligibly, and punished.
How were they punished?
Its not like they were innocent, he says, kicking his foot
off the mirrored ground beneath us. They deserved to be
punished . . . They had to be punished, he says again, like hes
trying to persuade me. Or himself. My dad said the Zone had to
set an example.
So what happened? Im holding my breath, every instinct
telling me I dont want to know the answer.
The Father was fair.
I nod automatically. Of course He was fair. Hes always fair.
He married them off to lower-ranked Inheritants whose
wives had died unexpectedly in son-birth. But they wouldnt
obey the rules. One of their husbands caught them together, in
his bed. I gasp at the audacity. They must have been desperate. It
didnt matter that it was two women, Darwin continues,
scratching roughly at his neck. It was still adultery. So the adul-
tery sentence still stood.
Whats the adultery sentence?
You dont need to know that.
Did they throw them on the pyre? Or did they send them
Underground? I cant stop myself. I need to know.
Not exactly, he says simply, and I feel goosebumps break
out across my skin.
Tell me.

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 They . . . Look, freida, I dont want to talk about this
anymore.
Tell me. I cup his chin in my hand and turn his face towards
mine, staring at him steadily until he continues.
Firstly they tried to rehabilitate them again. Straighten
them out, force them to enjoy the love of a good man. Quite a
few good men, if the stories are true. I dont move and he
hesitates again, clearly wishing he had never started this conver-
sation. When that didnt work out, they were sent Underground
for a few weeks. For the usual genetic testing, you know. To see
if they could find the faulty wiring.
And after that? He doesnt answer. Darwin. What
happened to them after that?
And then . . . he takes a deep breath, forcing the words
out, they sewed up their . . . er, their . . . you know, their private
parts. And then they shot them. Two clean bullets right through
the brain.
The room swarms, our reflections looming from the mirrors
and pressing in on me, stealing the oxygen from my lungs.
Did your dad set that sentence?
No answer.
Did he? I ask again as he looks at me helplessly.
Its standard for companions who commit adultery.
I try to appear blas, but Im too stunned to make a good
job of it.
My dad was in a difficult position, he says. He had to . . .
They werent even trying to control their unnatural urges, freida.

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 My dad says that the whole Zone would fall apart if everyone did
that. We all have to play our part in order to survive. He reaches
out to hold my hand. They introduced Isolation for eves after
that. Why do you think it is so strictly enforced?
Not always, I think. Not when isabel was involved.
Why havent we heard of this before? I say. Wouldnt it
have been on TV or on the Nature Channel?
Ah, the all-knowing Nature Channel, he teases, but I dont
laugh. He sighs. Its censored, freida.
Do the chastities know?
Probably not. It was years ago and the Genetic Engineers
isolated the Rainbow24 gene in women after that so it wouldnt
happen again.
Then why enforce Isolation?
To be safe, I guess. I reckon theyre afraid that if they
mention the Sapphica idea at all, even just as a method to turn
guys on, that the eves might get ideas.
But what about the concubines in this game? What if they
get ideas?
That doesnt matter. He shrugs. They dont remember
anything that happens while theyre hooked up to the sensors. So
its OK, you know? They dont feel anything anyway.
Thats all Ive ever wanted. To switch off all these
emotions. Not to have to feel so much. But not like that. Never
like that.
The bell rings and we both flinch, startled by the interrup-
tion. I get to my feet, feeling older than I ever have before.

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 You wont tell anyone, will you? Darwin says, grabbing my
hand to stop me from leaving. He lowers his voice. Its just, well,
my dad would kill me. I only told you because I trust you.
Promise me youll keep it a secret.
I promise, I reassure him, warmth spreading through me. I
can have secrets too.
And we walk out of the cupboard and into the classroom
together, but this time he doesnt let go of my hand.

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 Chapter 22

Wheres isabel? cara asks at breakfast the next morning,

pointing at isabels customary place, now empty.
Thats weird. daria turns to me. Where is she?
I dont know, I answer coldly, despising the weakness in me
that still wishes I did.
And who cares? megan smiles at me. Right, freida?
Exactly, I say, and I feel an irrational chill. Grabbing my
cream blazer from the back of my chair, I wrap it around me like
a shield.
I heard they had to force-feed her through a tube inserted
into her stomach.
I heard they had to tie her down while chastity-anne shoved
kcal enhancers down her throat.
No, I heard . . .
. . . I heard . . .

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 The following Monday, isabel returns to class, although rumour
has it shes still banned from the Nutrition Centre so they can
monitor her food intake more carefully. You can see a hint of
flesh gradually re-emerging, like shes growing a new skin. Shes
beautiful, but its a faded beauty now, as if shes been washed too
many times. It makes it easier for me, in a way. It lends her an
unfamiliarity.
Beep. Beeeeep.
I accept the VideoChat request, placing my ePad on my
bedside locker and squatting on the floor. megan told me the
angle is more flattering this way.
Hey.
megan has called a conference VideoChat with me and the
twins so liz and jessie can tell us their latest plan to waste time
before bedtime.
I think we should each send her a MyFace message, jessie
declares.
Who? isabel? I smile at my image on the screen to check
that I dont have lipstick on my teeth. jessie copies me, dabbing
at the corners of her lips.
Ooh, I love your nail art, I say, catching sight of her
houndstooth-printed nails.
Oh, thanks! A compliment from me is worth having these
days. I got it done today.
Can we forget about nail art? Lets not get . . . megan
pauses, staring at me intently through the screen. She knows
what Im trying to do. . . . distracted.

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 What kind of messages? she asks the twins, giving them
full responsibility, or blame in case of a mishap.
Well, we didnt think that its fair that shes wasting
perfectly good Compound funding, jessie says piously. And we
think she should be aware of how we feel.
What do you think, freida? megan applies more lipgloss,
until her mouth resembles an oil slick.
I dont know. What do you think?
I asked you first.
I shift away from the camera, sitting on the cold tiled floor
and stretching my legs out in front of me, ignoring the throbbing
as blood flows back into my limbs. I adjust the screen to get rid
of the glare from the overhead lamps. The screen is divided into
three squares, each face within a square, all waiting patiently for
my reply.
It seems a bit cruel, I admit, and the twins frown in disap-
pointment.
Its only a joke! liz says.
It would be funny. jessie pouts, sticking her lower lip out.
I totally get it. You were friends for such a long time.
It is very freida to feel loyal to her, megan says. Im not sure if
very freida is a compliment. Especially after the way she
treated you.
What do you mean the way she treated me?
Come on, freida. Everyone was talking about it, saying how
you didnt deserve to be treated like that. It was all anyone could
talk about for ages. Obviously we were all on your side, she

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 rushes to reassure me as my lips become pinched. I just think its
amazing how forgiving you are. Especially when she clearly
doesnt give a shit about you.
I feel a hot flush of humiliation at the thought of everyone
talking about how I had been exiled like a leper. I picture them
all on VideoChat, listing my faults, deciding which one of
my many deficiencies it must have been that made isabel give up
on me.
Lets do it, a strange voice says.
Oh, freida, are you sure? megan asks, but her eyes are
dancing with excitement.Dont do anything youre not comfort-
able with.
Its only a joke, right? that voice says again.
The twins take out their eFones, logging on to MyFace and
recording a private message for isabel . . . dead . . . everyone hates
you . . . worthless . . . They erupt into fits of giggles and cut the
message short.
You two are useless! megan laughs with them. You can
never keep a straight face.
You think youre better? Prove it!
No. megan points at the camera. Pointing at me. Youre
next.
isabels information is still saved as a short cut so it instantly
logs on to her MyFace account. Her page is empty; no one has
posted anything publicly in months. She might as well be dead.
You dont have to do this, megan says again in a soft voice.
I know how much you care about her.

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 I look at her sharply. Is she implying that there is something
unnatural about my friendship with isabel?
I dont care about her that much. Im normal. I need them
to know that Im normal. I never think about her.
Too busy thinking about Darwin! jessie teases, and I nod
eagerly.
Your turn then. megans eyes narrow with a hint of chal-
lenge and I have to remind myself of isabel, drifting away from
me all year. Our friendship was my life buoy, the only thing
keeping me alive, and she snatched it away from me without a
moments hesitation. Something hardens in me, like cement
drying around my heart.
I dont care. I dont care about her either.

Whats going on with you and isabel? Darwin asks, his eyes
boring into mine. He rubs his jaw and his fingers make a
scratching sound against the stubble.
Did you not shave this morning? When you knew we would
have Heavenly Seventy? I tease. How inconsiderate of you.
I lean back, my shoulders resting against the mirrored wall
of the cupboard, displaying my body to him. Momentarily
distracted, he touches the distressed endings of my white cut-off
shorts before backing away.
Im being serious. He frowns. Whats going on with
isabel?
What are you talking about? I mumble, folding my chin
into my chest and staring at my daisy-print sandals.

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 I heard what you said about her when she came into
class.
I didnt say anything. I sound petulant. I just agreed
with liz.
You agreed with liz when she said that isabel was defective
and should be sent Underground for testing. He sounds as if hes
tired of this. Tired of me. Look, liz is a bitch, I know that. But
youre not.
liz is a friend of mine, I say, hiding my joy that he thinks
shes a bitch.Thats one less girl I have to worry about. You dont
know what isabel has been like. My treacherous voice cracks a
little and he places his hands on my bare shoulders and massages
gently. This isnt like you, freida. He moves his hands up, his
fingers grazing against my hair at the nape of my neck. Hes right.
It isnt like the freida Ive been pretending to be when Im with
him, the freida that I want more than anything to become. He
leans forward, pressing his forehead against mine.
It hurts less this way. For once, it seems the truth makes
me more likeable.
I knew there had to be a reason, he says quietly. Youre a
good person, freida.
I rest my head on his shoulder so he cant see my face. A
good person wouldnt have left that message on isabels MyFace.
He unravels my arms from around him and takes a couple of
steps back. He leans against the opposite mirror and touches the
silver buckle on his belt. For a moment I think hes going to open
it, slide it off, unbutton his jeans. Let them drop to the floor and

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 pull that frayed T-shirt over his head. Ask me if I wanted him to
stop, but I wouldnt. I wouldnt.
freida?
Yes? My voice is squeaky. I cough. Yes.
I just wanted you to know I . . . He stops, taking my arms
and pulling me closer, moulding his hard body into mine. I like
you, freida. I really like you.
For a brief moment I feel happiness surging inside me. As
we kiss, I whisper his words over and over to myself. I like you, I
like you, I like you. Does he like me enough to choose me? Does
he like me enough to take me away from all this and make me a
Judges companion?
This is happening too fast. Why is he saying all these things?
Its too soon.
Why does he like you? There must be something wrong with him if
he likes you.
But it isnt you he likes, is it? It isnt the real you. If he knew the
real you, he would leave. Just like isabel did.
You OK? he asks, the words falling from his mouth into
mine.
Of course, I reply, and I smile, knitting this mask into my
skin.

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 Chapter 23

June
Four weeks until the Ceremony
Are you in love with him?
This is my fifth VideoChat with megan in the last forty-five
minutes. My elbows are chafing from propping myself up on my
bed to talk to her.
Because if you are in love with him, she says, you can tell
me. We can fix this. I wont tell any of the others.
Im not in love with him. I roll on my side and position the
ePad into the crook of my elbow. Ugh, did you see what miranda
was wearing today?
Slut-tastic, I know. Now dont change the subject.
Im not changing the subject.
Youre in love with Darwin.
I told you, Im not.
If the chastities find out that youre in love with him, you
are going to be in big trouble.
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 The other girls are having sex before marriage and . . .
Her full mouth curves into a gleeful smile and I add
hastily, megan, Im not in love with him. I was just saying
that the Heavenly Seventy girls are obviously having sex with
the . . .
There are no rules about sex, just guidelines.
Guidelines Im still struggling to make sense of. If you
want to be a companion, you wont have sex before marriage.
No one wants a girl that puts out before marriage except
that they sometimes do want a girl that puts out before
marriage, but only if shes going to be a concubine. It all
depends on what type of girl you are. And we cant even be
sure what type of girl that is until we are told by the men at
the Ceremony. Are they making up the guidelines as they go
along?
If youre not in love with him, why are you being so secre-
tive about your Heavenly Seventy sessions?
Im not being secretive.
Yes, you are.Youre being just like isabel used to be. Do you
want to end up like her?
Maybe its the lack of sleep, maybe its the craving for
SleepSound or maybe its just the reference to isabel, but I dont
think I can take another minute of her.
Im exhausted, megan. Im going to get some sleep.
But its only eight thirty. And I
Im exhausted, I interrupt, and her cheeks suck in with
annoyance.

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 Yes. Better get some sleep. We wouldnt want a repeat
of that unfortunate fainting incident, she replies nastily. So
embarrassing.
She ends the chat session, the ePad emitting a low beep.
Information is currency in the School and Im withholding. I set
my chat status to unavailable and place the ePad on the ground
beside my bed.
I should call her back. Ill regret that tomorrow.
I fold the pillow over my head, wondering what would
happen if I held it over my mouth, pressed the life out of
myself. I could sleep forever. Time passes and passes and I
can feel anxiety rising in me like a fever. I shouldnt have
been antagonistic with megan. To lose one best friend is
unfortunate; to lose two would be reckless. Who would I sit
with at lunch? The thought seems so ridiculous that I burst
into laughter, giggles falling into my lap as I stay coiled in a ball,
gripping my knees with my arms, trying to keep myself in one
piece.
I cant.
I reach into my bedside locker. Nothing. I threw it all away
to please him.
I need something. Anything.
Darwin hates drugs.
Hell never know.

I climb out, looking left and right, creeping down the corridor.
The doors are open as always, but no one sees me, their faces lit

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 by the glow from their ePads, compulsively updating their
MyFace statuses to prove theyre alive.
What do you want? christy guiltily brushes the crumbs of
a half-eaten chocco bar off her sheets. She sits up, pulling her
satin kimono tighter around her soft belly.
SleepSound, I say. You owe me, remember?
Back in my own room, I swallow the tablet. Oh, how I missed
you, I missed you. The meds work faster than I remember, shim-
mering through my system. I lick my lips, feeling every muscle
in my body sag into the soft, soft duvet. The twitching thoughts
slow down, drifting across my mind like shadows.
I can see Darwin and me, Husband and companion, taking
our rightful place in the Euro-Zone society. He in his future role
as Judge, me by his side, dispensing smiles like favours to my
former sisters. They will have to accept me then.
But Im not safe yet.

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 Chapter 24

The morning dawning from the light-lamps is niggling at my

eyelids. I rub my eyes, the inside of my head feeling as if it has been
coated in glue, and use the hair band digging into my wrist to tie my
knotted hair back. Yesterdays jeans feel as if they have melted
through the top layer of my skin, and I tug at them to loosen their
grip on my clammy body. I can hear the low buzzing of activity, all
the other eves getting ready for the day ahead. I dont want to get
out of bed. Ive slept for more than ten hours and Im still exhausted.
In the changing cupboard I tell the PSP to style me however
it wants today. I dont have the energy to put an outfit together
myself.The computer screen turns semi-reflective again and I can
see the make-up smeared all over my face, smudges of mascara
and eyeliner ringing my bloodshot eyes. I skim my cheeks with
my fingertips, feeling a crpe of dried sweat laced across them.
I peel off the sticky clothes, shove them into the chute and step
into the changing cupboard. The laser burns across my body,
tousling my hair into soft waves, painting my lips a punchy neon

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 pink. Its very pretty, a nice contrast to the outfit that has been
selected for me: tight pleather sleeveless waistcoat over black skinny
jeans, with buckled shoes so pointy I could use them as a weapon.
Come on! freja urges me, eye-wateringly skinny in a violet
one-shouldered dress.
Sorry. I dash into line, marching to the dining hall for
breakfast, mechanically going through the routine. Queue.
BeBetter buffet. chastity-anne.
Ill take my SleepSound today.
She raises an eyebrow. I thought you said you didnt need it
any more?
I shrug, waiting in silence until she hands over the test tube.
Hey, girls. I throw my studded bucket bag at my feet and
slide my tray on to the table. Pretending to get something out of
my bag, I slip the SleepSound out of the test tube and into my
locket, instantly feeling calmer.
What are you wearing? cara asks, her voice surprised.
Not my usual style, I know, I say, straightening up and lifting
the lid to examine todays lo-carb option. The PSP chose it.
But we were supposed to be matching! cara says. I look up
to see that she, megan, the twins, gisele and daria are dressed in
prom dresses with sweetheart necklines, all cinched at the waist
and stopping just above the knee.
Wow. You look like companions, I say, pulling at the
studded black bracelets littering my wrists.
Well, if the Crimson Crew can be so obvious . . .
jessie gestures at them, two tables away from us, all wearing

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 red-and-black laced corsets tucked into black skinny jeans
identical to the pair I have on.
I tried to tell you about it last night, but you said you were
too tired to talk. I didnt want to bother you. megan sips her
protein shake carefully as not to get any stains on her dress,
tangles of pink roses on cream silk. Anyway, girls, the rest of us
look so pretty. Such a good idea!
Our table looks as if a rainbow vomited on it. cara is in
emerald green, gisele in primrose yellow and daria in royal blue.
jessies dress is lilac polka dots on white silk and liz has white
dots on lilac silk. And Im the black cloud in the middle, threat-
ening rain. megan looks at each of them in turn, bathing them
with her undivided attention, before she skims over me, unseeing.
Shes cold with me all day, although its nothing so obvious
that anyone other than me would notice. If I mentioned it to cara
or one of the others, they would tell me not to be silly, that Im
too sensitive. But I know. I overcompensate, my voice too loud,
too shrill, too much.The others wince as I laugh manically at one
of megans jokes during dinner.
It wasnt that funny, she says, her body ever so slightly
turned away from me, her eyes meeting everyone elses but
mine.
Its the same all week. There are bursts of laughter that
quieten when I come near. A volley of message alerts beeping,
like a round of gunfire, but my eFone remains silent.
Whats so funny? I ask as the twins convulse with laughter.
Were waiting for chastity-bernadette to arrive at class. jessie is

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 sitting on lizs lap, the two sharing a set of earbuds and watching
something on lizs eFone.
Nothing, they chorus, liz angling the fone away from me so
I cant see.
Its nothing, cara reassured me. Just a foto of candy
Carmichael after her implants burst.Youre being too sensitive.
I lie awake every night analysing what happened that day,
wondering if I am being too sensitive.
I asked megan earlier what time it was and she didnt answer;
maybe she didnt hear. She did say thanks when I admired her
sweater . . . but then she threw it in the garbage at lunchtime
saying it was a bit tacky. She was the only one who didnt laugh
at my chastity-bernadette impression . . . she didnt even look up
from her desk. She walked past without saying hi in the corridor
. . . but she said afterwards that she didnt see me. How could she
not have seen me? . . . Maybe she didnt see me . . . But how
could she not have seen me?
Round and round I go, until Im forced to pull my locket
open to find a little relief. I try to make sure it is always full now,
charming the chastities into giving me an extra half at night,
bargaining with christy to give me her SleepSound. I break off a bit
of a pill. Just a quarter. Just to help me sleep. To take the edge off.
I love your dress, jessie, I say at breakfast the next morning.
Thanks! She smiles, pulling the drawstring on her cerise
T-shirt dress tighter. Pink is my favourite colour.
I thought blue was, megan cuts in quickly. Remember
last night?

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 Yes! jessie says, turning away from me.She looked amazing
when she wore that blue shift.
No, I preferred the mauve wrap dress she wore for lunch
with her friends, gisele argues, the conversation turning to the
newest episode of What kate Did Next that aired the night before.
Did you all watch it together? I say in a higher-pitched
voice than I intended.
Yeah. jessie shrugs. megan called a conference VideoChat.
You never watch What kate Did Next, liz points out as I bite
my lip. You always say its stupid.
I would have liked to have been asked though. I stir my now
cold porridge half-heartedly, listening to yet another conversa-
tion where Im unable to join in.
megan is at her dazzling best, never letting her charm drop
for one moment.
Your eyebrows are the best, she coos at cara.
Those sequinned shorts are the best, she tells freja, begging
her to borrow them later, although they probably wont even fit
me.You are so skinny. Jealous!
I like your make-up, she says, sitting on the edge of lius
desk and peering closely at her face. But then I really love pale
skin, dont you? Its the best.
The next morning everyone has returned to wearing pale
make-up, the trend of fake tan and bronzer finished as quickly as
it began. And although I keep reminding myself that Darwin
prefers my skin tone and that it only matters what men find
attractive, I know all I want is for megan to say she thinks Im

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 pretty. Just once. She is always laughing, always talking, always
the centre of attention, burning so bright that I feel myself shriv-
elling when she is near.
megans in a good mood, Isaac says during our Interaction,
his beady eyes staring at the flash of skin in her cowl-backed
jersey dress. Shes a few seats away from us and I watch as she
reaches out a hand to pick at a fleck of dust on Darwins shoulder,
brushing it away proprietarily.
Yes, I say, attempting to smile.
Maybe if Id worn a different dress, I think that night
when sleep eludes me once again. If I had worn something a bit
tighter . . . I told the PSP.Why doesnt it listen to me? Why doesnt
anyone ever listen to me? . . . And I told chastity-hope to get me
more of that skin-lightening cream for Beauty Therapy. I dont care
if it will blister . . . If isabel hadnt . . . I dont care anyway . . .What
was Darwin laughing about? He kept asking if I was all right,
saying that I seemed in a weird mood . . . Can he tell that Im
taking SleepSound again? I only took it last night because I couldnt
sleep. Im not going to take any more tonight. I dont need it . . .
Im not taking more tonight. Im sure megan looked straight at me
when she told liu her pale skin was amazing. Im not taking it tonight.
Am I being overly sensitive? Am I? Am I? Am I?
I creep through the sleeping corridors and shake christy
awake. She points at her bedside locker sleepily. I grab the
precious meds, replacing them with my kcal blockers. Im not
hungry these days anyway.
freida!

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 I open one eye reluctantly. freja is standing at the cubicle en
trance, staring at me.Its breakfast time.Why are you still in bed?
Cursing, I wave at her to go ahead without me. Ten minutes
later Im dressed in a tangerine minidress with a racer back and
hurrying to the Nutrition Centre as fast as my tan wedge sandals
will allow.
Queue. Buffet. A futile debate with chastity-anne about the
possibility of prescribing me more SleepSound.
I turn and theres a sea of faces. Where are the girls? Our
table is empty. I walk around searching for them, feeling as if
everyone in the Nutrition Centre is watching me.
There you are. I find them at last. Why arent you at our
usual table?
Felt like a change, megan says without looking at me,
siphoning some of caras SlimShake into an empty glass. Thanks,
doll! She smacks an air-kiss by her cheek.
She, cara, gisele, daria, freja and the twins are all crammed
around the smaller table, bumping elbows with each other as
they eat.
Theres no room left. I look back at our usual table, still
empty. Maybe we could
Girls! megan screams over me. I totally forgot to tell you
that Im in the final six for that competition I entered. Do you
remember? The one where I might win a VideoChat styling
session with kate?
kate herself? daria says, clutching at megans hand in
excitement. No way!

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 I shift from one foot to the other, my tray weighing me
down, but none of them looks at me so I trudge back to the
empty table to eat breakfast alone.
That evening I take two SleepSound tablets as soon as the
lights are dimmed for night-time, but I awake with a start at 3
a.m. In the mirrors, the shadows around my eyes look like
bruises. There is nothing on TV, nothing new to look at on
MyFace, so I just lie there for hours, thinking, thinking, thinking,
waiting for the dark to thaw into the morning.
In class the next day, and the day after that, there is no seat
left for me in our usual row, no space at our table in the Nutrition
Centre. I have to sit between cintia and liu, watching christy as
she devours her pancakes, her belly folding into rolls beneath her
too-tight vest top. I push my tray away, biting my lip so hard I can
taste the metallic tang of my blood.
That night I mouth along to the Messages, sleep hiding from
me once more.
I have far to go because I need to get better and better.
Its only three weeks till the Ceremony, I keep telling
myself, but then I count the days, the hours, the minutes and I
cant breathe. I cant do it. I cant survive three full weeks of her
anger. There isnt enough medication in the entire Euro-Zone
that could block this out.
I loop my arm through megans as we walk to our final class
of the day. She picks up the pace, pulling away from me.
Your perfume is too intense, she says. Its giving me a
headache.

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 Im not wearing perfume.
Thats your natural smell? She swallows a smirk. Sorry.
I dont flinch. Im ready now. Ill give her whatever she wants.
I cant believe you think Im in love with Darwin.
She slows at the mention of his name. Well, you give the
impression that you are. She makes eye contact with me for the
first time in days and I feel dizzy with relief. But you could tell
me, you know.You can trust me.
I know I can.Youre my best friend, right?
Maybe if we both keep saying it, one of us will start to
believe it eventually.
But its not love. Darwin and I, well, we talk about stuff.
What kind of stuff?
We take our seats in the classroom, megan sitting to face me,
green eyes hungry for information. Just give her what she wants.
Everything, I tell her eagerly. He tells me about life in the
Zone. Did you know that people go outside? The Engineers.
They have to make sure that the satellites and all that are working.
They have to wear protective suits and can only stay out there for
short bursts of time. I dont know; its kind of confusing.
Hmm. Her eyes drifting over my shoulder, looking for
someone more interesting.
Dont you think thats interesting, megan?
Not really. She shrugs. It sounds like boys stuff, to be
honest. chastity-ruth says that kind of thing is none of our concern.
She turns away, and even in a classroom full of people I am
alone again.

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 And he told me a secret.
What secret? she says, her head snapping back to me.
I cant really say, I reply, starting to feel sick.
I wont tell anyone. She leans forward, smiling at me as if
Im special.
I cant tell you, megan.
Fine.
I would if I could.
Sure, she replies, and silence falls between us again. I
glance around, catching everyone staring at me. They start and
look away, but I know they are still watching out of the corner of
their eyes. If I dont make this right, Im finished.
Well, he did tell me one thing, I say, pushing away
the waves of nausea, but you have to promise not to tell
anyone.
She smiles slowly, inching her ear closer to my mouth.
I promise.
Have you heard of female aberrants?
What? she says loudly, and I shush her.
That gene doesnt exist in women, she says.
It doesnt exist any more. Darwin told me they identified
the gene and destroyed it. Two eves fell in love before and tried
to run away.
They fell in love? Before marriage?
Yes.
With each other? Two girls?
Yes.

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 That is just . . . Her voice trails off in disbelief. She
smoothes the full skirt of her dress down over her knees, a
thoughtful expression dawning on her face.
Thats what Darwin told me. But you cant tell anyone. He
made me promise not to repeat it.
Sure. Shes nonchalant. But why did he tell you if its such
a big secret?
He trusts me, I say, the words making me feel worse.
Oh, he trusts you, does he? Maybe hes in love with you
too. She wraps her hands around her back and makes smacking
noises as if shes kissing someone.
What are you? Twelve?
Youre in loooooove. megans voice is rising, other eves
turning to look at her, the word love like a klaxon sounding. If one
of the chastities hears her, I cant even imagine how much trouble
Ill be in.
I told you, Im not in love with Darwin, I say, my jaw
clenching. Im just, Im just . . . She guffaws at my stuttering and
the laughter spreads, everyone making loud kissing noises at me.
Im not in love with him. If I was in love with him, would I
have told you what he said about, you know, what I just told you?
Im just . . . The laughter levels are getting louder and louder. I
can taste fear, cold and metallic on my tongue. . . . using him! I
finish, trying to shut her up before a chastity hears us and my
chances of becoming a Judges companion are destroyed.
Im just using him because his father is a Judge. I scream it
over the din of voices, and just as I say it the room falls quiet, my

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 voice blasting into the silence. I turn, expecting a chastity. But
its not a chastity. Its much worse than that.
Its Darwin, his face stricken. I half rise in my seat, my
mouth open to deny it, to apologize, to say anything to make it
better, but all I can do is watch helplessly as chastity-magdalena
orders us to take our seats and ushers in the other Inheritants.
Class dismissed, chastity-magdalena finally says, giving a
VoiceCommand to the computer to shut down whatever digi-vid
we were supposed to be watching. I couldnt concentrate. I spent
the last hour staring at the back of Darwins head, trying to
telepathically explain what happened.
You coming? Sigmund slaps Darwin on the back.
In a minute, Darwin says, approaching chastity-magdalenas
desk and handing her a small package.
From cecily?
He nods, and she breaks into a huge smile before addressing
us again.
OK, girls, you may leave now. chastity-anne is waiting in
the Organized Recreation room. She turns to Darwin. They
always need a little more OR after your visits.
I walk out, megans arm entwined in mine. Ive been
welcomed back into the fold. This is what I wanted.
Wait. I stop in the middle of the corridor, the others moving
around us. I forgot my I cant think of anything lipstick?
So? You have millions of tubes.
Im going to run back and get it. I break away from her and
she seamlessly links arms with cara, never without an attendant

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 for long. I walk towards the classroom in such a hurry that I
collide into someone, my shoulder banging painfully off theirs.
Sorry, isabel. I didnt see you.
Thats . . . She trails off in a slow drawl, like a wind-up doll
running out of juice. She walks away, taking small steps as if shes
afraid to make any noise.
Darwin! I cry out as he emerges from the classroom. He
tenses, folding his arms across his body. This is not good.
How are you? What were you giving chastity-magdalena?
He doesnt reply.
Darwin, Im so sorry. I didnt mean to say that about you.
It was an accident.
How was it an accident? he says. Did you trip and the
words fell out of your mouth?
Oh, just forget it.You dont have a clue what its like here.
megan was being so mean to me.
What? He holds his hands to his mouth in mock horror.
Was she endangering your life? Threatening to bore you to death
with chitter-chatter about make-up or whatever else you girls
talk about?
Thats not all I talk about! I reply, stung at this accusation.
I thought you knew me better than that.
So did I, he says sadly, all fight leaving his body. He leans
back against the door to the classroom.
Theres a horrible finality about this that makes me want to
cover my ears like a child and yell, I CANT HEAR YOU! to
block out whats coming next.
I said I was sorry, Darwin. What else can I say? Im sorry.
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 Sorry, sorry, sorry. Its an overused word in the School. We say
it all the time, even when we dont mean it. Especially when we
dont mean it.
Its so hard here. Im just trying to survive. Self-pity creeps
into my voice. Even though the freida he thinks I am isnt
self-pitying.
Looks like my dad was right about gold-digging eves.
Will you stop obsessing about your dad? Youre not a
fucking baby. The words are boiling uncontrollably out of me.
He takes a step back, startled by the shattering of my mask, the
putrid pus that is oozing out through the cracks.
You dont know anything about my dad.
Im sorry. I dont know what Im saying, I insist, trying to
grab his hand.
It doesnt matter.
It does matter.
Its my own fault, he says, forcing my hands off him. Its
always my fault.
I didnt mean what I said about using you. I swear, I say as
he walks away. I just said it because . . . My throat is closing in,
suffocating the words.
Why then? He looks over his shoulder at me. Why did you
say it?
I just said it to make megan be my friend again. I choke out
pathetically. Even though the freida he thinks I am is not pathetic.
What? He looks at me like Im insane. You used me,
embarrassed me in front of all my friends, because you wanted
megan to be your friend?
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 But its not true. Im not using you.
Why not? he says, and his voice is cut through with sadness.
Why should you be any different to everyone else?
I am different. You have to believe me, I say, all shred of
dignity gone. Even though the freida he thinks I am is dignified.
Can you honestly look at me and tell me that my father
being a Judge had nothing to do with it? he asks me quietly. Can
you say youve never thought about it?
I hesitate for just a moment too long, and something hardens
in his expression. And then hes gone.
I bury my face in my hands, feeling the pressure building
behind my eyes.
freida? chastity-magdalena looks at me uneasily as the
door to the classroom swings open. Are you all right?
Im fine.
Your face is red.
Oh, Im sorry, I reply, grabbing a little mirror out of my
bag and quickly reapplying concealer and lip balm until I look
perfect again. All better. Im sorry, chastity-magdalena, but I
have to run. Im late for Organized Recreation.

Where have you been? chastity-anne says disapprovingly when

I enter the classroom. She follows me into the elevator and
escorts me into the OR Space, where the others are already
writhing in their glass coffins. She closes the door behind me,
but I dont need any encouragement this time. I throw the meds
down my throat, seeking obliteration.

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 All eves must manage
their behaviour and
conduct themselves in
a manner that is
ladylike at all times.
Emotional behaviour
can be off-putting to
men and must be
controlled.4

Audio Guide to the Rules for Proper female Behaviour, the Original Father
4

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4365.indd 276 09/05/14 8:06 PM
 Chapter 25

I wake long before the morning lamps are turned on again, my

body eating through the SleepSound. The dorm is heaving. The
sighing of the heat releasing from the vents, the steady rise and
fall of eves breathing in time with the Messages.
You have far to go in your quest to become flawless.You have far to
go until you are perfect.
Theres a gnawing feeling at the pit of my stomach, like
talons scraping across a blackboard.
megan ignoring me.
Me, breaking my promise.
Darwin overhearing me.
Darwin walking away from me. He didnt look back.
I should have said his dads job had nothing to do with how
I felt about him. But how could he have thought that it wouldnt
mean anything to me?
The way he looked at me as I begged for forgiveness.

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 I scan the room for something to distract me, instinctively
reaching under my pillow for my ePad and logging on to MyFace.
I listen to one status update, then another, and another, praying
to the Father that Im still dreaming. My feed is clogged up with
more activity than Ive heard in years. And they are all talking
about the same thing.
Female aberrants.

Was it you?
Good morning to you too, miss cheerful, megan answers
pointedly. She finishes massaging anti-bacterial gel on to her
hands and tucks the little bottle back in her bag. She checks her
reflection in the wall behind her, as if to see if shes thin enough
to merit eating breakfast.
What do you think of this outfit? She gestures at her
sleeveless collared minidress, tiny pearl buttons puncturing the
raspberry silk.
Was it you, megan? I ask again. I place my hands on the
table, leaning in towards her until our faces are mere inches apart.
Are you going to kiss her or something? Aberrants! a
childish voice yells and a group of 12th years screams with
laughter. How do the younger girls know about female aber-
rants? Theyre not friends with any of us on MyFace. I sit heavily
on the empty seat opposite megan, my head spinning.
I told you it was a secret.
The twins, cara, gisele and daria are ignoring us, taking
fotograms of their food and arguing about which filter makes the
scrambled tofu look least grey.
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 Told me what was a secret?
What I told you yesterday. About what Darwin said. About
female aberrants, I say, doubt starting to creep in. It must have
been her. Who else could it have been?
Oh that. megan tosses her hair back. Sorry.
We are always sorry.
Anyway she takes a small bite of her scrambled tofu,
checking the mirror again once shes swallowed I only told
jessie. She said she wouldnt tell anyone.
And I just told liz, obviously, jessie chimes in. But I made
her promise she wouldnt tell anyone else.
Well, I didnt tell anyone, liz says in a huff. Pretty
much.
How come youre not eating? cara asks as I bury my head
in my hands. She leans across me to take a fotogram of the berry-
granola oatcakes that were todays healthy/tasty option. They
look delicious, she says enviously, poking at the pasty lump on
her own plate.
Im not hungry.
The sight of food is revolting. My insides feel watery, my
stomach churning as if it cant decide whether to flush its
contents out through my mouth or my bowels.
Sweetie, dont be mad at me, megan says, patting my hand
with hers, her manicured nails immaculate. Youre my best
friend.
My fone vibrates in my satchel and I lean down to grab it,
sticking an earbud in to listen to the message.

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 I think you and isabel are female aberrants, a low, insistent
voice says. I heard at night-time you used to sneak into each
others cubicles. Im going to tell on you.
I check the screen, my hands shaking so badly I almost drop
the eFone, but there is a blank face where the callers foto should
be. Anonymous.
Whats up? daria asks.
Nothing.
She throws her shoulders back, her cropped tee rising up to
expose an inch of toned skin above her high-waisted flared jeans.
I think its disgusting. What if there are female aberrants in our
year? What if one of them tries to seduce me?
Why do you assume that they would be attracted to you in
the first place? I ask.
Interesting. daria tilts her head. That sounded like some-
thing a female aberrant would say.
Maybe thats why you and Darwin only talk, jessie says, her
eyes widening.
Someone said that they saw you coming out of christys
room at night, liz gasps. Is that why you and isabel fell out?
I am not an aberrant, I say, but they ignore me. I can see the
idea taking root so I rush to protect myself.But maybe agyness is?
She does have short hair. Like a man, jessie whispers, as
they scan the Nutrition Centre looking for her.
gisele shudders. I thought I saw her looking at me in the
showers. The twins turn to each other in delighted horror and I
know I should take it back, but I dont.

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 An alarm shrieks and some of the younger girls cover their
ears and cry out in fright. chastity-ruth has climbed up on her chair,
her pale face blossoming from the black robes like a gothic rose.The
other chastities form a battalion line in front of her, heads bowed.
Stop that, chastity-ruth barks at the more sensitive
4th years, rolling her eyes as one girl wails. chastity-mary goes to
comfort her, falling back when chastity-ruth snaps her fingers at
her. Crying is unacceptable.
Yes, chastity-ruth. Sorry, chastity-ruth, they reply, and fall
silent. Theyre learning quickly.
It has come to our attention that there are some rather
unpleasant rumours circulating the School. Do any of you know
anything about this? megans feet kick against mine, her face
remaining perfectly serene. No one? chastity-ruth continues.
Perhaps the words female aberrant will jog your memory.
I gasp as I hear her say these words, and cara nearly falls off
her seat. I go to steady her but she jerks away. Our eyes meet and
I see it, just for a second, before she smoothes it away. Doubt. She
thinks Im one of them.
None of us had even heard of such a thing. chastity-ruth is
admitting to ignorance for the first time that Im aware of. I had
to approach the Father to discuss it with him. After a long,
in-depth conversation, she says, glowing at the memory, he has
reassured me that this is a grave misunderstanding. There may
have been rare incidents of it in the past, but they isolated the
errant gene in women and destroyed it so the human race could
continue unharmed.

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 Theres always something that they can do to change you, to
make you better. There is always room for Improvement.
And if I hear any more talk about this nonsense there will be
serious repercussions. Her face goes tight with anger. The
Ceremony is only weeks away, girls.The Father was most displeased.
I purse my lips tightly, trying to hold on to my fear before it
splatters all over the table.
But He is merciful, chastity-ruth continues, bowing her
head. And we must be grateful. With that she sweeps out of the
dining room, leaving the remaining chastities to round up their
respective classes, chastity-mary laughing at a tiny 4th year who
is hopping madly from one leg to the other, squeaking that she
needs to pee-pee.
Come on, 16th years, chastity-bernadette says gloomily.
Lets get to class.
That was crazy, cara says as we follow the chastity, looping
her arm through mine. Obviously any worries that I might sneak
into her room at night-time and molest her have vanished.
A sudden thought stops me in my tracks. If the chastities
know and the Father knows, Darwin must know. What is he
going to think of me now that the secret he entrusted to me has
become common knowledge? He might never forgive me. Not
only will he think Im using him, but that Im totally untrust-
worthy as well. And I have no way of contacting him, our MyFace
and VideoChat access strictly restricted to within the School. All
I can do is wait for his return.
I reach for my locket, for my comfort.
***
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 Ten days until the Ceremony
I open my eyes and I am confronted by my reflection in the
ceiling mirror. My thighs are too big, my hair is too messy, I hate myself,
I hate myself, I hate myself.
There are only ten days left until the rest of my life begins.
They have told us that in order to succeed we need to be
good girls, we need to follow the rules, we need to look pretty
and speak nicely and be pleasant. Ive tried. Ive waxed every last
hair on my body. I have taken my pills. I have gone to bed hungry
every night since I was four years old. Ive done everything they
have told me to do and here I am, ten days left, and I dont know
if its enough. I have no idea if Darwin will forgive me or if he
will choose me. He has to choose me.
The strain has become unbearable. I nibble on the edges of
a SleepSound tablet every so often to smooth away the paralysing
fear. I dont have enough time to fix it. The sand in the hourglass
has almost completely run out.
I dont have enough time.
The thought is with me all day. I want to stand on my desk
and scream at the top of my lungs, Let me out, let me out, let me
out. But I dont. I try to act normal. Not enough time.
The Inheritants havent been here in five days. Before, that
wouldnt have seemed so long. Time was the one unlimited
resource we had left in this world.
But now all I can think is that its five days of wasted oppor-
tunity. Five days where I could have made things better with
Darwin but I didnt. Five days where every time the door of a
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 classroom opens my spine wrenches upright, a mixture of disap-
pointment and relief when its not him, when its never him.
Until, at last, it is.
Please, girls, settle down . . . chastity-bernadette says as a
noisy flurry of excitement runs through the room. My heart
thuds painfully in my chest.
Hes cut his hair.
What happened to Darwins hand? I overhear jessie whisper
to liz, but her head is blocking my view. I shift in my seat so I can
see properly. His left hand is in a cast, very white against his
tanned arm. I wrap my feet around the legs of my chair to anchor
me, to stop myself from running over to check if hes OK.
The class drags on. The Inheritants have taken their seats in
the last row of the classroom as chastity-bernadette leads us in a
never-ending question-and-answer session. What would you do if
you failed to produce sons? Throw myself on the pyre before my
Termination Date so my husband can marry someone better.What would
you do if a man asked you for sex when you were feeling unwell?
Always be willing.What would you do if a man asked you to perform
a sexual act you felt uncomfortable with? Always be willing.
I answer the questions as I think a companion would. I would
be willing, but I presume he would have a concubine to satisfy those
needs. chastity-bernadette frowns, but she cant chastise me as
I havent broken any rules. megan has taught me well. Is Darwin
looking at me? What does he think of my answers?
Well done, girls. The chastity gives a huge sigh of relief
when we finish.Now, there are only ten days until your Ceremony.

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 Really? We had no idea.
She presses a small button on her eFone and a loud buzzing
sound is set off, the glass containers we use for Comparison
Studies instantly lighting up like two caged stars on either side of
her desk.
Its time for your final physical examination. I will call you
up in pairs. Enter into the boxes, one girl per box. Please strip to
your underwear before you do so, she says. The first time I
sound the buzzer, you turn around. At the second buzz, please
leave the box and get dressed again.
I notice terror ripple across isabels face before the cloud
descends again, her eyes misty, like condensation building up on
a window pane. What do I have to do to get some of her meds?
She raises her hand wearily.
isabel, I forgot about you, chastity-bernadette says
contritely. You may be excused.
isabel gets to her feet and shuffles out of the room. No one
else seems to notice. Am I going crazy? Is she an apparition that
only I can see?
Lets begin.
Please let me be paired with someone worse than me.
christy would be good shes still about five pounds over target.
Id look OK next to christy.
Pair after pair of eves go into the translucent boxes, magni-
fied fotos of their bodies projected on to the main board, side by
side for easier comparison. We must be inspected for flaws
before purchase.

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 All the eves have turned to look at me. Did I say that out
loud?
freida! Ive called your name three times now! chastity-
bernadette says.
Sorry, I mumble. Its only when Ive reached the top of the
class that I see who I have been paired with.
May the best girl win! megan says, taffeta prom dress already
pooled around her ankles. I cant help staring as her perfect body
is revealed on the big screen behind us. Her tiny waist curves into
fuller hips, pert breasts straining at the black lace of her bra. Its
risqu underwear, considering how prim her outfit choices have
become recently. Pure on the outside, naughty on the inside.
Perfect companion material. Why didnt I think of that?
freida! chastity-bernadette snaps.
I struggle to unzip the acid-lemon strapless dress, my hands
shaking. Kicking it off, I step into the box, rows of faces staring
back at me, analysing my body, comparing every inch of
it to megans. The back row is tapping furiously on their ePads.
Except Darwin. Hes slouching in his chair, head tucked into his
chest.
The buzzer sounds loudly. megan and I turn to face the wall.
Through the glass panes I can see us on the board, projected eight
feet high. We are a perfect contrast, megans pale skin in black
silk, my brown body in cream lace. I squeeze my eyes shut but the
images are burned into my eyelids. They will haunt my dreams.
The buzzer sounds again and I scramble out of the box and
grab my dress to cover myself.

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 Do you have all the notes that you require? chastity-
bernadette asks.The Inheritants mumble that they do.Wonderful.
Now, girls, this will be your last visit from the Inheritants until
next week, she says, forgetting that were not supposed to know
their visitation timetable. Next Friday will be your last
Interaction before the Ceremony the following Monday. She
tuts in disbelief. It seems to come faster and faster every year!
Its just another year to her, just another Ceremony.
We dont have time for the full Heavenly Seventy today,
Im afraid. We have rather run over schedule. Shes getting a bit
flustered. Will twenty minutes suffice?
How much more time do we need? a male voice yells out.
Quite. The chastitys skin is blotchy with embarrassment.
Lets begin. Darwin. Please select your eve for todays task.
My heart starts thumping against my ribcage, my mouth
drying up. The room expands and contracts like an accordion,
voices veering wildly between whispers and shrieks and back
again.
megan, he says, his voice so familiar yet so distant, and she
gets to her feet gracefully.
Sorry, freida, she says to me, her hand skimming my
shoulder. Can I get past you?
I turn my legs to the side and cara does the same to allow her
through. Darwin takes her hand, leading her towards the cupboard.
What happened your arm? I hear her coo.
It was my own fault, he says, and the door closes behind
them.

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 I focus on my breathing, trying to ignore the others staring
at me while the other Inheritants pick their now familiar part-
ners: miranda . . . rosie . . . karlie . . . until there is only one Inheritant
left. Socrates stomps down the steps to the front of the class-
room, turning to face us, scratching his ginger hair.
Well . . . he begins, and heidi, his usual choice, rises from
her seat, I choose freida.
He disappears around the back of the bleacher seating, and
heidi hunches back down, playing with her fringe self-consciously.
Ow!
Im so sorry, heidi says as I trip over her extended leg on
my way down the steps. It was an accident.
The door of the cupboard closes behind us. Its identical to
Darwins cupboard, made out of mirrors, but the images
reflected back to me are all wrong Socratess skinny legs,
his flushed skin, his hair standing on end. I hold a hand up in
greeting and he pounces, mashing his face against mine. Its
so sudden that my mouth is still clenched shut and he has to
shove his tongue through my tight lips, spittle trickling on to my
chin.
I pull away, resisting the urge to wipe my mouth. He kisses
my neck, moving his way down to the top of my dress. I am
going to be sick. Im about to tell him to stop when he wraps his
hand around my jaw, pushing my head hard against the glass wall.
Youre beautiful, he says. Your body is amazing.
I take the hit, feeling it soar through my bloodstream.
Really? Do you really think so?

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 Yeah, sure. He grips my shoulder with his left hand,
pinning me against the wall, and starts kicking off his sneakers,
untying his belt one-handed. His jeans fall around his ankles.
Wait, I say. Wait.
He kisses me again, filling my mouth with his stale breath.
His hand snakes down in between us and he tears at my dress,
pulling it and my bra down.
No, please. Im pleading now. I dont know if . . .
He doesnt seem to hear me, pushing himself nearer and
nearer to the centre of me.
No can mean yes, he murmurs against my skin.Youll like it.
Dont. I stumble, digging into his foot with a needle-sharp
heel, and he yelps in pain. Sorry, Im so sorry. I babble,
wrenching my dress back on.
Socrates is hopping up and down, his jeans gathered around
his ankles fettering him as he bends down to hold his wounded
foot in his hands. I stand as still as possible, playing dead. Please
dont. The possibility of what could happen shatters inside me.
Please dont do this to me.
Im sorry. I hold out my hand to stop him from coming
closer. I dont want to I quickly change tactics as he looks
insulted. I mean, of course I want to, but I just cant. Im sorry.
He doesnt move closer, thankfully, turning his back on me
to fix his clothes in the mirror. He looks at me again, rolling his
eyes in disgust. He doesnt like me now. How did megan do it
that first week? She didnt have sex with Albert, but he still likes
her; Ive seen them chatting since. Why do I always get it wrong?

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 Whats the difference between me and Darwin? he asks
furiously, trying to smooth his messed-up hair.
I didnt have sex with Darwin either.
Thats not what I heard, he snorts, blood rushing back into
his pale face with fury.
What do you mean by
Anyway he cuts across me and I swallow my question and
the implications of what he said youre wasting your time there,
little eve. He looks me up and down, lingering on every inch of
my body. Youre not what the Judge will want for Darwin.
He sits on the ground, immediately engrossed in the eFone
he has fished out of his pocket, and I become invisible to him. My
feet are rooted to the floor. I lean against the wall, watching the
opposite mirror as my thighs slowly ooze out beneath my dress,
splayed against the glass behind me, getting fatter and fatter and
fatter. Im disgusting. Im not what the Judge will want for
Darwin. Im not what anyone would want.
The bell rings and the trapdoor springs open. He scrambles
to his feet but I cant move. Maybe if I just hide in here no one
will ever know.
Darwin, dude, why did you choose that bitch every week?
I hear Socrates say. Frigid freida.
The Inheritants burst into raucous laughter, some of the
eves tittering too.
Its my own fault.
Darwins words echo in my ears, like a mantra.

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 Chapter 26

I wait until Ive heard the last of the stilettos clacking on the tiled
floor outside before I fall out of the cupboard. Impossibly, the
room is the same, the tiered rows of seats, the ten upright
wooden cupboards surrounding them like a moat. I take off my
heels and run as fast as I can. My feet skim across the chessboard,
the chipped yellow paint on my toenails a fluorescent blur.
At my cubicle, I reach for the handle of the door tucked into
the top of the door frame, trying to tug it down to close off the
outside, but its stuck, rusted from lack of use. Im sick of being
in this School. Im sick of being in this body. Im sick of being
me. Every toxic feeling Ive ever had seems to explode inside
me, like a million different voices screaming to be heard at once,
and I throw myself on to the bed, biting the pillow to muzzle
them. Crying is ugly, the chastities yelled when as children we fell
and scraped our knees. Crying makes your skin blotchy. No man wants
a girl who cries.You must be happy and light-hearted at all times. So
I dont cry. I am torn apart with not crying.

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 Socrates is accustomed to heidi. She probably had sex with
him within the first five seconds of meeting him. heidi is just a
stupid slut. At least Im not a slut.
I dig my ePad out from underneath my pillow.
Hello? she answers in a bored tone.
Hi, megan.
freeds? She peers at the screen. Is that you? I cant see
anything.
The camera is broken. I lie. I dont want her to see my face,
mottled from the effort of not crying.
I hope they can afford to fix that. Shes reapplied her
make-up by hand, her eyes dark with kohl, her full lips tinted
pale pink for a change. Its not like you can depend on isabel to
get you a new one this time.
Did you do anything with him?
With who? Oh. Darwin is it? Lets just say we didnt do
much talking. She touches her throat delicately. I guess things
didnt go well with Socrates. I heard what he said about you as
he left.
And I heard you laughing.
I would never do that, she cries. Were best friends.
Are we?
Tell me what happened, she persists, ignoring my question.
I just didnt
Dont you like him?
No, I say bluntly, forgetting myself.
So, you think youre too good for him?

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 No . . . I . . . I stutter. Darwin is mine.
He was supposed to be mine in the first place.
The rankings are meaningless now.
She raises an eyebrow at me. We both know the rankings
matter. They have been our benchmark the whole way through
School. Its how we measure ourselves, how we know how much
were worth. They matter.
I couldnt help it if he kept choosing me! I say, sitting up
and shifting the ePad on to my lap.
And I couldnt help it that he chose me today.
He only asked you to make me jealous, I mutter under my
breath.
Oh, freida. How presumptuous.
He told me he doesnt even like you. I want her to feel as
bad as I do.
Who cares? You think I care? All that matters is that he
chooses me. All that matters is that I win.
What about love? I say, starting to bite my nails, peeling off
neon polish with my teeth. Darwin will want someone who is in
love with him.
I thought you said youre not in love with him?
Im not. Love makes you weak. I cannot afford to be weak.
But I . . .
You what? she asks, staring into the camera, handing me
the rope to hang myself.
I thought you said we were best friends, I finish uncer-
tainly. I believed you.

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 No, you didnt, she says with a hard little laugh. You think
I dont know how you feel about me? What youve said about me
behind my back? Youre as bad as she is, with all her fancy things
that no one else could have. She thought she was so special. She
was too good for everyone else. Never wanted to hang out with
anyone else but you, of all people. She spits out the words, coated
in vitriol. And now look at her. Perfect isabel, with her perfect
blonde hair and her perfect rankings. Just another casualty,
another one who couldnt hack the pace. She curls her lip in
disgust at me. And youre as bad. isabel got sick of you, and now
Darwin has too. Maybe isabel and you can become chastities.You
can live here, together forever, never needing anyone else to play
with, never letting anyone else join in.
She catches sight of herself in her video-feed, her face
contorted with fury. Wiping spittle from the sides of her mouth,
she reaches behind her to grab her lipgloss and reapplies it. And
dont even start thinking about what a bitch I am, she says. Her
eyes are steady, the heat receding from her skin. This is not my
fault. Im just doing what we have been trained to do.This is who
we are, freida. This is who we were designed to be.

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 Chapter 27

There is a world outside of the School, you know. Darwin had

jokingly chided me for my lack of curiosity. He was right, of
course, but sometimes it feels impossible that anything exists
outside of this glass dome. It feels as if this is all that exists or
ever will exist.
We eves in final year were designed on the same day. We
were hatched together and we have lived as we will die, our
bones touching. Yet it has only been these last few days that I
have felt like I am suffocating with our togetherness. All I want is
to be alone, to stay in my room and pretend time is standing still,
but I cant. I cant escape from it. When daria passes me a hula
hoop during PE I wonder if she is thinking frigid freida. When
megan smiles in my direction, paranoia gnaws at me that
somehow she has been in contact with Darwin, that he has prom-
ised to make her his companion.
And she will have all the power. And I will be alone.

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 I am losing. I am losing him. I have lost him already. What
happened during his last visit is a tapeworm, eating all my good
memories, leaving me consumed by doubt.
The tapes play on. Socratess voice when he said I wasnt
good enough for Darwin. The moment where I told megan his
secrets, selling him out for popularity. I imagine myself spinning
out of my body and melting into his so I can see the scene as he
might have. Through his eyes, megan gleams with beauty and I
am a shadow, whispering wickedness.
Although I doubt any of the others can be as frightened
as I am, there are signs of frayed nerves. Tension is crackling
between us.
Can I have that? freja asks at lunchtime, pointing at the
untouched bowl of ice-kream.
Why didnt you get your own? gisele snaps, pulling her
tray away from freja.
I dont eat dessert, freja replies proudly, squeezing her
shoulder blades towards her chest and watching in the mirror as
her collarbones pop out. Hey! she protests as gisele throws the
bowl in the garbage.
It would be wasted on you, gisele mutters. All youre
going to do is spit it out anyway.
Every morning we are awoken by a new announcement
blasting through the dormitories.
Nine days until the Ceremony.
Eight days until the Ceremony.
I dont have enough time.

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 We are woken by the lamps. We sit together at mealtimes.
We pretend to listen in class.We look the same, as if we are going
through the motions of our usual lives, but if you peer closely
you can see the signs. There are no requests to VideoChat.
MyFace has gone silent. cara ate an entire slice of Death by
Chocco at lunch the other day and megan didnt even comment.
Her eyes slipped over the gooey mess, clouded by visions of her
future glory. All charades of friendship or alliances are forgotten.
We have battened down the hatches as we wait out the storm,
waiting to see who will survive.
Six days until the Ceremony.
I cannot breathe with the fear. Ive lost him. Ive lost him. I need
to make it better. I need to make him forgive me. chastity-
bernadette said they would be here on Friday. Three days. I
have to wait another three days until I can see him and make
him understand. He has to understand. I have to make him
understand.
Every morning I break open the silver-handled drawers of
my dressing table, counting my stock before distilling my meds
into the silver locket. I cant stop touching it. The heavy metal
between my fingers comforts me. I like knowing the option is
there, if I need it. I dont take too much. Im not messy. Some of
the other eves might look at me a little sharply when a faint slur
coats my words at times, but no one says anything. No one wants
to get involved.

Are you awake?

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 chastity-magdalenas voice fills my cubicle, interrupting an
empty daydream, my mind wiped clear by the quarter I dropped
an hour ago.
Dont you ever knock? I mumble into my pillow.
Get up. She sits beside me, grabbing my shoulders and
yanks me up to sitting. What have you taken?
Nothing, I lie, licking my lips groggily.
She starts rummaging through my bedside locker and under-
neath my bed. I fall back on to the mattress, but she grabs me again,
rolling me off the bed, ignoring my moan as I hit the ground. She
shakes out my duvet and throws the pillow at me before searching
the rest of my cubicle. She stops in front of my wardrobe.
Theres no point, I say. The scanner will reject your body
chemistry.
A guttural sigh emerges from the depths of her stomach. I
crawl back on to the bed, pulling the duvet around me, wanting
the softness to devour me.
You have to stop this, freida. I wish she would go. Her voice
is eating away at my blanket of drowsiness. I want to help you.
Do you? I unroll a corner of the duvet to peek my head
out.
Of course.
Can you sneak Darwin in? I need to talk to him. If I could
talk to him, then everything will be OK.
I cant do that, she says, dashing my last hope, as I guess
I knew she would.
Then go away. I pull the duvet over my head again.

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 freida, its normal for a teenage girl to form these attach-
ments, project feelings on to an Inheritant they dont really
know.
I fight with the duvet to sit upright, my blood on fire.
How dare you? You dont know anything! She stands very
still, my screams bouncing off her.
I know Darwin better than anyone. I know everything about
him. I want her to accept it, to understand that Darwin and I are
meant to be together. I know all this stuff about him, about his
parents. Stuff that he hasnt told anyone else. He trusts me.
What are his parents names? she asks, arms crossed
against her chest.
I . . . I . . . That doesnt mean anything. I know the impor-
tant stuff. I know . . . I trail off. What was I saying? What was I
talking about again? If only I could talk to him . . . I say again. If
I could talk to him, it would all be fine. Do you think that you
could sneak him in? Do you think that you could do that for me?
I just told you I cant do that, she answers. Two minutes
ago.
I cant remember. My mind has holes in it.
Its not us, you know. Were fine. We get on really well.You
should see us together.We get on so well. He thinks Im beautiful.
She looks doubtful. What, you dont think that someone could
think that Im beautiful? Because its true. We are great together.
If you had seen us together . . . Could you maybe . . . If we could
just get away . . . his dad . . . Could you maybe sneak him . . . I
keep trailing off, forgetting what I wanted to say in mid-sentence.

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 This isnt the first time someone has been disappointed
with how the Interactions went, she says, so quietly I almost
dont hear her.
Oh, what? Like you? I laugh harshly. Am I supposed to care
about what happened to some chastity a hundred years ago?
Darwin is a nice boy, but
But what? I interrupt, daring her to say it. She thinks he is
too good for me. She doesnt think he would ever choose
someone like me to be his companion.
We are who we are. Sometimes, no matter how much
someone might want to, they cant escape that. She has such a
look of pity on her fact that I feel ashamed to see it. How have
I been reduced so low that a chastity feels sorry for me?
Get away from me.
Its because I care about you
Stop caring.Youre not my mother. Youre no ones mother.
I bury myself under the covers, my breath coming hot and fast.
The sheets are sucking in like a plastic bag over my face and I
come up for air, gasping. isabel has taken the chastitys place,
standing by the door in a shapeless grey sweater over leggings.
What do you want? I bark at her, catching a glimpse of
myself in the wall. My hair is matted, teeth bared in a snarl. I hug
a pillow lengthways along my body, hiding my ugliness behind it.
Are you here to talk to me as well? I shout from behind my
shield. Are you here to warn me too?
What would be the point? she says. Whats the point of
any of this?

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 Chapter 28

Just another night, I try to tell myself.The same Messages playing

as every Thursday that came before it. Except its not just another
Thursday night. Its the last Thursday. The last Thursday in this
bed, in this School.
jessie, please share that SleepSound with liz. They are quite
strong the first time you take them.
chastity-anne is whispering, but my ears perk up at the word
SleepSound, like hearing your name mentioned across a noisy
room. Shes patrolling the dorms tonight, handing out meds like
sweeties, making sure that everyone will look rested for our final
meeting with the Inheritants tomorrow.
I took the last three capsules christy gave me earlier, but
they must have been defective (stupid Euro-Zone and their stupid
faulty drugs) because Ive been lying on my bed for hours, staring
at myself in my ceiling, incubated in that pause between waking
and dreams. A shadow floats past my room.
chastity-anne.

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 She stops abruptly, walking back towards me, her finger
held up to her mouth to hush me. She points back into my cubicle
and we go in together, the room seeming too small for both
of us.
I cant sleep, I say, scratching my arms brutally.
I can see that.
I need more SleepSound.
I prescribed you a capsule earlier. I saw you taking it.
I forgot. One, two, three, four.
It must have been defective because I havent slept at all,
I say, lifting my chin defiantly.
It wasnt defective. She turns to leave, and without thinking
I grab her hand to stop her and she gasps.
Im sorry. Im too tired to be shocked. But I need more
SleepSound.
Ive prescribed you the maximum dose. Im afraid I cant
help you, she says, rubbing her skin as if I had poured acid on it.
This is an emergency! I say. She stops in the doorway and
looks me up and down. I shift from one foot to the other, pulling
at my black silk teddy.
You look very thin. I wonder if I should lower your dosage
of kcal blockers.
No!
I cant lose my supply of blockers. Without them Id have
nothing to trade with christy.
My weight is fine.Youve seen the reports, I say, thinking of
the two litres of water I drank before my weigh-in.

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 True, she replies, her forehead wrinkling in confusion.
Maybe its the light in here.
Then shes gone, taking the precious meds with her. She is
doing this on purpose. She and chastity-ruth want me to look
terrible so I ruin my chances with Darwin. I want to run after
her and tackle her to the ground. I want to pound her bald head
on the floor until I hear it crack open beneath my fingers, seeing
her blood smear on the black and white tiles.
I sit on my hands and watch myself in the mirrored walls, at
this face that is so familiar yet which never feels as if it belongs to
me. It is the property of the School, of the Zone, of my future
Husband. This face is my worth, my value. This face is all that I
have to offer and it isnt even mine.
I watch myself for hours. I watch myself until this face
becomes meaningless.

Three days until the Ceremony

At breakfast, everyone is gleaming. Teeth have been freshly whit-
ened, skin steamed, hair styled. There is a conspicuous lack of
clothing, even on the girls who want to be companions. Everyone
is taking this final opportunity to show off their assets.
I cant believe you went for another bikini wax with
chastity-hope. Thats every day this week! daria says to gisele.
I had to, gisele answers, plumping her breasts up in a gold
sequinned minidress. I dont want there to be a scrap of hair
anywhere.

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 The dining room is oddly quiet. You can hear the metallic
scrape of utensils against china as we ladle up cereal and dribble
it back into the bowl.
Its weird to think of the people that exist outside of this
room. All the people in the Euro-Zone who dont have sons as
Inheritants this year are probably oblivious. They are going about
their business, unaware that the biggest moment in our lives is
approaching like a speeding train. Unaware that Im standing on
the train tracks, my foot trapped in a steel sleeper. And what
about the girls in the other years, contentedly eating their break-
fast? Are they thinking of us? Wishing us luck?
There is a sheen of sweat on caras brow and she dabs at it
nervously with a napkin, looking around in case anyone else has
noticed. And there is isabel, alone, sucking her protein shake
through a straw. Her hair is falling loosely around her shoulders,
a nude chiffon T-shirt dress hugging her slight frame. chastity-
ruth watches her carefully from her perch, cooing, I hope your
breakfast is all right, isabel? isabel merely nods, her eyes drop-
ping to her lap, picking at loose fibres in her dress.
She is shining with indifference. I want her drugs the same
way I used to want her beauty.
At least my dress is beautiful. It is intricate gold lace, over-
laid with gold beading, and I chose rectangular earrings made of
gold-plated glass and a wafer-thin gold cuff, cut so finely that it
resembles snowflakes. It scratches at my skin like itchy wool,
searching for someone who is more worthy of its perfection.
I am tired. I am so very tired.

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 The bell rings. The younger eves leave, their eyes wide
with envy. I wish I could offer to trade places, buy myself more
time.
I dont have enough time.
Go to class, chastity-ruth says. She signals to isabel that she
may stay where she is, and isabel flops in her chair, like a mario-
nette that has had its strings cut. When did she become separate
to us? I know if I follow the trail into the past that I will find the
signs, the markers that led her away from me. But I cannot
summon the energy. Im so full to the brim with my own fear
that I dont have any room for anyone else.
I pass christy on the way out and we swap our treasures
seamlessly, the routine perfected by now. I finger the precious
meds. Just a quarter. Just to relax me.
I cant. I need to be in control.This is my last chance. I insert
the tablet into the locket around my neck.
This is it. megan spins on her mary-jane shoes once shes
arrived at the door to the classroom. The others jostle to get as
near to the front as possible, but I hang back, hiding behind
agyness. I want to be the last to talk with Darwin so that the
room will be relatively empty for our Interaction. I can pretend
that we have some privacy.
This is it, she says again. This is the last time were
going to see them before the Ceremony on Monday. Are you
ready?
A few of the girls murmur, Yes, nervously peeking through
the narrow glass pane in the door.

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 I said, are you ready? She places her hands on her hips. In
her tight cream sweater and pink gingham miniskirt, she resem-
bles a demented cheerleader from the time before us.
Yes. I echo my sisters. If only I could throw them all on the
pyre. I would watch happily as they turned to ashes until I was
the only one left. Surely then I would be good enough.
She opens the door to the classroom, progressing from desk
to desk in the circular room, a simpering smile on her face. As
she leaves the classroom she brushes against me as I wait for my
first Interaction to begin. I raise my arm to my nose, sniffing the
smear of vanilla sweetness she has left on my skin. One by one
the others finish too and join her outside the classroom, loudly
comparing notes on how they think this final test went. Im so
tired.
Girls! chastity-magdalena storms out to confront them.
Have some respect for the other eves still completing their
Interactions. Go to the next class immediately. chastity-ruth is
expecting you for the final session of Heavenly Seventy.
At the mention of chastity-ruth they scurry away, and
chastity-magdalena returns to her seat at the top of the class-
room.
The bell rings and I sit at Socratess desk. He fishes his eFone
from his pocket and I can only watch as he squints at the screen,
canned laughter from some Americas sitcom spitting out of it.
chastity-magdalena weaves around the desks, smiling at Darwin
as she passes, much to the chagrin of alessandra, sitting across
from him, her elbows clenched together to boost her cleavage.

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 I continue on. George and Sigmund and Albert tell me how
excited they are about the Ceremony and can I believe its only
three days away now? I nod and smile, but tiredness has swal-
lowed my voice. My body sways, sleep calling me for a split
second before I jerk upright again.
I am so aware of his presence. Every time he moves, I move
too, as if he has a leash around my throat. Does he feel it too? He
must. This kind of physical attraction has to be rare. I dont feel
it with any of the other Inheritants. How could he feel it with
anyone besides me?
Because theyre prettier than me. Because theyre better
than me.
Fewer and fewer people are in the room, each Inheritant
leaving after their Interaction with me. With each stilted conver-
sation, I realize how little I know the others. I have invested
everything in Darwin. He is my only hope. I am getting nearer to
him now, nearer and nearer.
Thats a good point, I hear him say to agyness.
I want to think of a good point as well, a way to explain why
I told megan about the aberrants, but my mind is filled with
cotton wool. I lick my lips, trying to excavate moisture from
somewhere, but my mouth is bleached dry.
The bell rings. Albert and I are equally relieved that our
stilted Interaction has come to a close.
Good luck on Monday, he says as he marches out the door,
agyness gliding behind him until Darwin, chastity-magdalena
and I are the only ones left. Up close he looks tired too, dark

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 circles ringing his clear blue eyes. He hasnt shaved, his usual
stubble now the beginnings of a scruffy beard. His injured hand
is still in a cast, resting heavily on the table.
You cut your hair.
Over a week ago. He shrugs, leaning back in his chair and
stretching out, his body forming a hard, straight line.
I preferred it longer, when I could run my fingers through
the curls. Its too neat now, the hairs almost standing vertically
on his head. Its at odds with his dishevelled appearance, the
wrinkled navy-and-blue striped sweater and jeans.
Darwin, we have to talk about what happened.
Theres nothing to talk about, he says, slouching so low in
his seat Im afraid hes going to slip under the desk and make a
run for it.
Are you sure? Because you seem distant.
Distant? He imbues the word with as much ridicule as
possible. How do I seem distant?
Of course as soon as he asks me, I cant think of a good
example.
I dont know, I say, struggling to explain myself. You seem
a little cold.
Cold? He laughs. Do you want me to ask them to turn up
the heating?
Of course not. Its just, its just that you picked megan
for
I didnt realize I had to explain my decisions to you, he cuts
across me. I thought it was my choice.

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 Of course it is! I didnt mean to imply
Good.
But I cant leave it like this. Im sorry, Im sorry. Im so
sorry. My voice nearly breaks with the weight of trying to make
him understand.
It doesnt matter, he says, kicking his heel off the leg of his
chair.
Dont say it doesnt matter. It does. My voice is rising.
The room takes on a menacing aspect, the lights dimming,
shadows furling around us. A sudden coldness comes over
me, sucking at me. I should never have broken my promise to
you.
I shouldnt have told you in the first place, he says in a
robotic voice. Thats not for the eves to know.
I dont know why I told her. I just . . .
You just wanted megan to be your friend again.
When he says it like that, it sounds so stupid.
Im sorry, Darwin, Im sorry, Im so sorry. I know I messed
up, but I need you to forgive me. Cant we just go back to the
way we were before?
Theres a long pause.
Look, freida. He avoids eye contact with me as he pulls the
ends of his sweater over his hands. Its not that I didnt care
about you. I did. I mean, I do. Of course I care about you. His
voice is hesitant. But Ive been fooling myself, thinking that I
could choose a companion on the basis of how much I liked
her. He kicks the chair with a resounding whack.

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 I know I messed up, I repeat myself. I reach across the table
to touch his plastered hand but he pulls away, and starts drum-
ming them against this legs. But cant we move past it? Why does
it have to change things?
Ive been talking with my dad.
Whats it got to do with him?
Hes making me understand. He frowns at me.
Understand what? That youre obsessed with getting his
approval? My dad wont let me have friends. My dad is so mean
to me. My dad . . . My dad . . . My dad . . .
The rational freida is inside my brain screaming, telling me
to play this better, to play by the rules, to be nice. But I cant stop
the words pouring out of me, as every hope I ever had seems to
be going up in flames, Darwin indifferently watching them burn.
Have some respect, he says, and I shut up immediately,
wilting under his critical gaze. He never looked at me like that
before.
Hes an important man, freida. And he knows what he is
talking about. He says the lines as if he has learned them off by
heart. I need someone who will fit as a Judges wife. Someone
with attention to detail. Someone who is controlled.
I can be controlled! I sound hysterical, desperation
unscrewing the hinges on my fear.
Someone who can be trusted to be discreet. He raises an
eyebrow at me.
I said I was sorry. How many more times do you want me
to say it? Please. Please, Darwin. Ill do anything.

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 Is everything all right here?
chastity-ruth is standing there and she is laughing at my
stupidity. She wants to see me fail.
Leave me alone!
freida! Darwin rebukes me, and when I blink I see its not
chastity-ruth; its a worried chastity-magdalena.
Im sorry, I say once again, wiping the visions from my
eyes.
Its fine, magdalena, Darwin says.
Are you sure?
Im sure. He smiles at her and she walks away.
So your dad doesnt agree, I start again. I know hes prob-
ably angry with me too. But he hasnt even met me. If he met
me, he would like me.
freida . . .
Or maybe, maybe maybe we should run away.
What? he asks incredulously. And go where? Where
exactly do you propose we go?
I dont know.
And how are you planning on doing it? The train leaves
from the chastities quarters. Do you think they are going to
wave us through, give you a packed lunch for the journey? His
handsome face is screwed up in annoyance.
I dont know, I say again, my head swimming with tired-
ness. The edges of the room are softening like decaying froot.
I cant do this any more. He gestures to chastity-magdalena
to cut the session short and I claw at his hand.

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 Just choose me for Heavenly Seventy.
Whats the point at this stage?
Please, Darwin.You owe me that much.
How do I owe you anything? After all thats happened.
I grab his non-plastered hand and stare at him.
Please, Darwin. Just one last time. I need to explain.
And as he sighs in resignation, I make up my mind. I know
what I have to do now. I know what I must do to fix this.

How do you think yours went? gisele whispers to megan.

I was happy, megan replies smugly, adjusting the deep
V-neck of her sweater so a hint of pale blue lace is showing. She
matches her underwear to her shoes. Is this the sort of attention
to detail that Darwin wants?
. . . yeah, and then I said to William that I wanted to have at
least five sons, and he looked nervous. Do you think that I should
have said that? What would you have said? What sort of conversa-
tion topics did you stick to?
Yeah, totally, that colour is fab on you, megan interrupts
giseles monologue. Seriously, where are the boys? Weve
been waiting here for at least ten minutes. She raises her
hand.
Yes, #767?
I was wondering where the Inheritants are? Were supposed
to have our final Heavenly Seventy now.
I cant wait, miranda says, reapplying blood-red lipstick on
angelinas full pout while rosie braids laras wispy blonde hair.

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 They are draped all over each other. You would think they were
living in the harem already.
Can we help you with something, freida? karlie asks,
catching me off guard. I mumble an apology and she piles her
light brown hair into a high ponytail, cheekbones prominent on
her thin face.
Um, nice outfit, I say to make amends, gesturing at the
mesh dress, her ruby-coloured lingerie visible underneath. She,
alessandra and adrianna start giggling uncontrollably. This what I
will have to endure if Im forced to become a concubine, living
in a thinly disguised version of School.
You are supposed to have a session now? chastity-ruths
voice slithers through the desks, searching for its prey. And who
told you that?
chastity-magdalena.
Did she? Her grey eyes flash. Did she really?
Yeah, she did, megan says. So where are they?
Before chastity-ruth can reply the door crashes open, the
ten Inheritants clustering at the left of the chastitys desk. megan
settles instantly when they arrive, the epitome of serenity. Is that
what he wants? Im beginning to sway in my seat again, weari-
ness singing a soothing lullaby to my bones.
freida. The hiss straightens my spine. Are you OK? cara
asks, tucking a long strand of silky hair behind her ear. You dont
look well.
Thanks.
Not like that, she reassures me. You just look a bit spaced.

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 You . . . just . . . look . . . a . . . bit . . . spaced.
She pauses for an hour between each word. A rush of left-
over chemicals makes my body twitch and her eyes widen in
alarm.
Whats going on down there?
Whats . . . going . . . on . . . down . . . there?
Nothing, chastity-ruth, cara says.
Oh, for goodness sake, the chastity says impatiently. Lets
just begin. Darwin, youre first. megan flutters her eyelashes at
him. Darwin? chastity-ruth says again when he remains silent.
The other Inheritants are becoming restless, eager to get started.
Do you want to choose one of the eves for Heavenly Seventy?
Fine. His voice is stiff with resentment. I choose freida.
There is an intake of breath, that familiar vein throbbing
perilously in megans temple as I follow him, whispering direc-
tions to myself to remember how to move my arms and legs. The
cupboard seems to have magically lengthened into a space two
miles long, one of us at either end, the gap between us widening
with every second.
I take the first step.
Im sorry.
Stop saying that.
What happened to your hand?
I fell.
Does this have anything to do with me telling the eves
about the female aberrants?
I said, I fell.

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 I dont believe you, I say, my eyes flicking every so often to
the wall. I need to see us in a mirror to believe that this is real.
freida!
How did I get on the ground?
Are you OK? Will I call a chastity? he asks urgently,
crouching down on his haunches, his hand in the small of my
back to steady me.
No. I seize the hem of his sweater to stop him leaving. I coil
into him, making him sit down too, his back propped against the
wall. Im between his legs, leaning against his chest. I watch in
the opposite wall as he wraps one arm around my body. He
bends his head towards mine and I move forward, slowly
touching my lips against his.
We cant do this, freida.
Then why did you choose me today?
You said you wanted to explain. His voice is becoming
prickly so I lower my mouth on to his again.
Forget what I said.
We kiss again. I wrap my legs around his waist, the glass wall
hard against my knees. He grabs my hips to pull me closer. His
hands are pressing into my waist so tightly the lace is cutting into
my skin. I reach behind me, pulling the zip down enough so that
I can peel the dress off, one sleeve at a time. He stares at me,
naked from the waist up, and swallows hard.
Are you sure? he says as he pulls me close again, the
over-washed material of his T-shirt soft against my bare skin. I
cant answer him. I dont know if I am sure but I know that I have

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 to do something to keep him, and this is all I have to offer. I kiss
him, waiting until I can feel something break in him. He grabs
my hair so tightly I whimper and he draws back, pulling his
T-shirt over his head. His body is taut and tanned, his stomach
defined into a sharp V above his low-slung jeans. He pulls off his
belt, kicking off his jeans and underwear, and I look away, embar-
rassed. He bends down, kissing me harder, his hand reaching
between us and pulling my underwear aside until its happening,
hes there, hes inside me.
I dont know how long it lasts. I just watch in the ceiling
mirror as waves shudder through his naked body before he rolls
off me, sweating. Something is leaking between my legs, seeping
into the fragile fabric of my dress.
Thanks, he says out of the side of his mouth as he pulls his
clothes back on.
No problem. I shuffle closer to him. And when Im your
companion youll be able to do it whenever you feel like it.
What?
What? I repeat idiotically.
What did you say about being my companion?
We had sex, I whisper, suddenly afraid that someone
outside will hear us.
Yes . . . he says, sounding like he wishes that he could take
that back now. But it didnt mean anything.
I look away, my head throbbing. Good girls dont cry. Good girls
dont cry. My shoulders heave, a low keening coming from the pit
of my stomach.

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 freida, come on.
I shouldnt do this in front of him, but the more I know that
I need to be calm, the less able I seem to remain so.
Im not crying. I dont cry, I say, the words coming out in
gasps. Im just so tired.
Im sorry to hear that, he says uneasily. Dont they have
medication for that?
You dont like drugs. I tried to stop taking them because
you said you didnt like them. He subtly tests the door handle.
Its locked, I say, and he hangs his head sheepishly. We had sex.
He needs to understand what this means. Ive never had sex
with anyone before.
I didnt force you, he says, getting to his feet and paces
back and forth. You wanted it just as much as I did.
I only did it because I thought you were going to choose
me. I only did it . . . I dont know. I wanted to show you that Im
the right companion for you. Im beginning to feel feverish.
Why would you have sex with me to prove you would make
a good companion? That makes no sense whatsoever. Hes
towering over me, blocking the light. The flies on his jeans are
undone, his white underwear poking through.
I cant be a concubine.
I never said you were going to be a concubine.
But how can I be a companion now? After I . . .
I wont tell anyone what you did, he says, backing away and
leaning against the opposite wall. Someone else might choose
you.

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 I havent tried with any of them. You have been the only
one.
And thats my fault, is it?
No. I wanted to do it. I wanted you. I crawl closer to him,
touching his shoes. I thought you wanted me too.
I thought you were different. He stops. I thought . . . I
dont know what I thought.
Youre the only one I want. I stare up at him, my voice
hoarse. Youre my only option.
Why? he asks. Whats so special about me?
I dont understand.
Would I be your only option if my dad was a publican?
Not this again, I groan.
Just answer the question.
But youre not a publicans son.
But if I had been? Would you be so desperate to be with me
if my dad wasnt a Judge?
I dont know . . . How would I know what I would do? You
are a Judges son.
Humour me, he says. Just pretend.You seem to be good at
that.
Why are you saying all these things? I try to get up but my
legs buckle beneath me again. Of course I would want to be
with you.
Would I?
Just choose me . . . I push the thought away. I . . . I love
you? My tone is questioning, asking him if this is the right thing

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 to say, if this is what he wants from me. Does he want me to love
him? I can love him if he wants me to.
No, you dont. Years of chastity-training are blasting
sirens in my head, like a broken fire alarm. Abort, abort. Why
am I even saying this? I dont love him. isabel took any love
I might ever have been capable of. She sucked my heart dry
of it.
I need you to choose me, I say, and I am shattered by the
way he looks at me. Its the same way that I look at myself in the
mirror, the disappointment, the traces of longing, the useless
wish that I could be different.
You know youre not allowed say that, freida. Its forbidden.
Please, just choose me. Ill do anything you want.
He stares at me in silence for a long time before saying
simply, Who are you?
Who do you want me to be? I want to ask him. Just tell me
who you want me to be. Im tired, so tired. And Im running out
of time. He is the only one who can save me now. I wrap my
arms around his legs like a limpet and he shakes me off, catching
the right side of my face with his foot. I fold over, feeling some-
thing hot and sticky melting at the corner of my eye. The bell
rings, releasing the door latch, and he falls out like a man coming
up for air.
Please dont do this to me, Darwin. I cant be a concubine.
I cant.
I dont know, he says. If today was anything to go by, I
think you could be a natural.

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 The door closes behind him, cutting the overhead lamps
out. I lie face down, something steadily dripping on to the cool
glass beneath me.
A chink of light breaks in.
Well? chastity-ruths impervious tones.
Shes not there, cara replies. I told you, I saw her leave
with the rest of the eves.You must have missed her.
The chastity grunts before loudly shooing any stragglers out
of the classroom. The door closes. I listen to my heart beating
relentlessly, wishing that it would just stop. A crack of light splits
the darkness again.
Shes in there. I didnt know who else to get. If chastity-ruth
finds her . . . cara doesnt finish the sentence. She doesnt need to.
Whats wrong with her?
Everything.
I didnt ask. I went straight to get you.
There is a heavy silence before cara speaks again. Im doing
the best I can, isabel.
I know. isabel sounds more animated than she has in weeks.
Lets bring her back to the dorms.
What if we meet a chastity?
The chastities wont be a problem if Im there.
But . . .
Fine, cara, isabel sighs. Get chastity-magdalena. Shell
help us.
isabel creeps in and darkness covers us again. Her hand is on
my hair, peeling it off my sticky face. Shes whispering, soothing

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 words that sound of nothing. A few minutes or a few hours later
I hear the door opening again, flooding the cupboard with light,
turning the inside of my eyelids red.
Shes bleeding, isabel gasps. Its all over my hands.
I want to apologize but I have no words.
What happened? chastity-magdalena must have arrived.
I dont know, cara answers, her voice thick with relief now
that a chastity is here. She and Darwin had a Heavenly Seventy
session and she never came out after. She pauses for emphasis. I
wonder what happened.You know he chose megan last
Shes exhausted, isabel cuts across cara. Im sorry to
involve you, but cara insisted on getting a chastity.
You did the right thing. You two grab her under each arm
and lift her. Ill walk ahead of you.
I feel a pinch under my left armpit, then the right. They
groan as they haul me up. Am I too heavy? My arms are wrapped
around two sets of shoulders, their collarbones stabbing into me.
They carry me, my feet skimming the floor. My eyes flutter
open and I see flashes of the chessboard tiles and painted toenails.
Whiskers of hair brush against my skin, tickling my nose.
Then they let go and I have the sensation of falling into some-
thing soft.
You can go now, chastity-magdalena, isabel says.
But I
I said, you can go.
A swish of robes, and then silence. I curl on my side, forcing
myself to look. I am in my room, isabel and cara standing in a line

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 by my bed. cara is scratching at her scalp, scabs scraping off in
little clouds of dry skin. I watch as they land on her shoulders,
dusting the inky silk of her cap-sleeved dress.
CanIgonow? the words collide together.
What?
Er . . . can I go now?
Fine, isabel says curtly. A clatter of heels, running away.
isabel sits at the end of the bed, taking one of my feet into
her hands, then the other. She loosens the laces and removes my
shoes. They fall to the ground with a bang, my feet throbbing.
Theres something on your dress, isabel says, moving
closer and rubbing the material between her fingers. I look
down. My perfect dress, fit for a princess, is crumpled like a
used tissue, a stiff stain in the middle turning the gold a dark grey
colour. isabels hands are stained with my blood, her nails crusted
with it.
Do you want to talk? She looks at me with clear eyes, the
medication fog lifted. I pull the pillow from under my head and
hug it to me, hiding my body from her, afraid shell be able to tell
what Ive done. What Ive lost.
You wouldnt understand.
Youd be surprised at what I would understand.
Darwin isnt going to choose me, is he?
Im hoping that shell deny it, but she doesnt reply, and her
silence rips through me.
She rifles through the top drawer of my bedside locker and
takes out a packet of wet wipes. She swabs at my face, her touch

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 so gentle that grief swells up inside me again. I can feel every-
thing fall apart, twelve years of tears gushing out of me.
Stop that, she says automatically.
Just leave me alone, I sob. Youre good at that.
I roll on to my stomach. What did megan say? This is
who we are. This is who we were designed to be. Its my fault
for allowing myself to become vulnerable. It is all my own
fault.
Im sorry, she says, resting her hand between my shoulder
blades. I thought it would be easier this way.
I shrug her hand off me and sit up cross-legged on the bed.
The head rush leaves me dizzy and she reaches out to steady me
and again I shrug her off.
Im not sure why youre pretending like you care about
me, but Im fine.Your good deed for the day is done.
I just thought
Yes, yes, I interject. You thought it would be easier. I get it.
Can you please go?
She pulls down the delicate fabric of her chiffon dress so it
reaches her knees and stands before the mirrored wall, staring at
herself. She reaches into the pocket of her dress and takes out a
small test tube, clicking a tablet into the palm of her hand and
swallowing it down.
You had better go, I say, fighting the temptation to ask her
to share, in case chastity-ruth finds you in here.
She wont say anything to me.
How can you be so sure?

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 Because Im special. Dont you know that, freida? Didnt
you ever realize just how special I am?
I ignore her, grabbing the packet of wet wipes from where
she left them on the bedside locker, and kneel on my bed to face
the top wall. I lose my breath when I see myself up close. Blood
is bubbling out of my temple, dripping down one side of my face.
My eye make-up is smeared around bloodshot eyes. There are
tears tracking down my cheeks, dissolving my foundation in
patches. I flip my hair quickly to cover my face from isabel,
knowing that its too late, that shes already seen how ugly I really
am. Hands trembling, I prise my locket open until three tablets
tumble out.
freida, I dont know if thats such a good idea.
Youre one to talk.
You need to get cleaned up.
The laser machine wont turn on until bedtime, I remind
her as I pull out a few more of the wipes to clean myself. Just go,
isabel, I tell her as I scrub at my face, watching in the mirrors as
it melts into smudges of colours, wishing I could scour the feel-
ings away as easily. I dont need you here.

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 Chapter 29

My body shakes my brain awake like a toy rattle and darkness

presses into my eyes. Where am I?
My memory is a jigsaw made of identical black pieces, until
there is a flare of colours, words. An image flashes.Then another.
It didnt mean anything . . . I didnt force you . . .
The memories explode like hand grenades.
If today was anything to go by, I think you could be a natural.
I focus on my breathing. I visualize taking all these Unacceptable
Emotions and locking them up in a box, throwing away the key,
never to be found again.
What time is it? Im deliberately not thinking about that
thing I said I wasnt going to think about.
12.00 flashes on my ePad.
Why are the lamps still off if its noon? Did I miss wake-up
call? Why didnt freja wake me? I grope my way blindly across
the room, feeling the smooth glass of the walls turn to a ribbed

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 metal beneath my hands. Its the corrugated steel of the door.
But my door is never closed.
I fumble until I find the steel handle at the base of the door
and I try my best to pull it up, my arms feeling as if they will be
wrenched out of their sockets with the effort. I give up with a
scream of frustration. Feeling my way back to my bed, I pat the
covers until I find my eFone.
The service has been cut.
I cant think straight. Why did I take all that SleepSound?
I can taste the scum left behind, my mouth crusted over with its
caustic icing sugar. I gag with thirst and stick my tongue out,
searching for moisture.
Theres water in my changing room.
Using my eFone as a torch, I press my hand into the pink
outline of a handprint etched into the mirror wall opposite my
bed.
Mismatch, says a robotic voice.
I force myself to slow down, pressing my hand into the glass
with more care this time.
Mismatch.
I try once more, lining my hand up with the plastic hand-
print as precisely as I can.
Mismatch.That is the third mismatch today.This room shall
be secured for the next twelve hours.
I turn to the exit and start banging my fist against the steel.
The beat sounds too solid, as if the outside of the door has been
overlaid with slabs of stone.When I stop, the air feels thinly quiet.

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 An overwhelming urge to urinate hits, my bladder swelling
like a tumour within me. I cross my legs tightly, the stiff material
of my dress rubbing against my skin as I fold myself on to the
bed. I realize Ive sat on the hard edge of my ePad and I fumble
for it, opening it to cast the room in its dim glow.
MyFace, I say.
Access denied.
VideoChat . . .Your Face or Mine . . .
Access denied.
Stream TV, I try, calming a little when this VoiceCommand
works. I peer closer, frowning. Change channel.
Nothing happens. I tap the screen repeatedly but its frozen
on the Chit-Chat network, spitting out commercial after
commercial. I need a toilet. I need a toilet right now.
I jump up, hopping from one leg to the other, squeezing my
upper thighs together as hard as I can. I dont know how much
longer I can last.
Need to inject sensuality into your life? a warm voice
comes from the ePad. YlangYlang and Patchouli Shower Gel has
nourishing plant extracts that will tighten your skin, reducing
any pesky fat cells while reversing the aging process.
A concubine removes her orange kimono, piles her tight curls
into a bun on the top of her head and steps into the open shower.
She turns the tap on, the pressure of the running water hissing.
I need to switch it off, but the off button wont work, it
wont. Drizzling the shower gel into her hands, she lathers up and
soaps every inch of her perfect body.

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 PLEASE HELP ME. I NEED TO GO TO THE TOILET.
Im screaming, the words tearing my throat like sandpaper.
I thump the door as hard as I can until finally I have to stop, my
fist aching.
I hear a scraping noise and there is a tunnel of light from the
base of the door. I fall quickly to my knees to talk to whoever is at
the other side of the open square, but a bucket is pushed into my
face and the shutter slots back in immediately, so neatly that the
joins are invisible. I pick it up, full to the brim with bottles of water.
Surely they cant expect me to . . . I cant . . .What if this is a test?
Have some control, freida. Control yourself . . . I cant . . . oh shit.
I tip the bucket over, the plastic bottles tumbling out, and
fall back on it, the steel rim cutting into me. And I let go, feeling
everything fall away until all that is left is an awful, corrupted
relief. I grab the half-empty packet of wet wipes strewn by the
bed to clean myself up, throwing the cloth away and watching as
it swims in the yellow liquid like a ghostly jellyfish. I gingerly
pick the bucket up and place it at the base of the bed, wincing at
the stench. What is happening to me?
I kick the door in frustration. My bare toes crack against the
metal and I fall on to the bed, screaming again. I rock back and
forth, losing all sense of time or place, falling endlessly into a
chasm of fear.
Previously, on The Chit-Chat, the volume on the ePad
spikes, the ladies have been talking about . . .
Well, I hate to judge, you know, a sunny-sweet voice says,
but I think breastfeeding is so important. As long as its done in

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 private of course. And you know me, tyra, I hate to say anything
bad about anyone, but when I see a mother who bottle-feeds her
son, I do wonder.
Wonder what? a third voice says, bored, and I squint at the
screen, my eyes swollen from tears.
Well, about her level of commitment, I guess, grace, the
blonde presenter simpers, hands clutching at a string of pearls
around her neck.
grace, girl, lets face it. These women who cant be both-
ered to breastfeed are bad mothers, the stunning black girl
shrieks, huge emerald-and-diamond earrings flashing as she
shakes her head vehemently.
A tiny smile curls on graces lips, hand pressed against her
chest. Oh, tyra, you shouldnt say such things, she says before
looking at the audience, her eyes downcast. But, I must admit,
its the sons I feel sorry for.
A smattering of enthusiastic applause breaks out, grace
blushing at the attention.
Yuck, georgia, the third presenter, says in disgust as she
cups her vast breasts and winks at the camera. These bad boys
are for fun times only.
And now, for todays live show! Welcome to The Chit-Chat!
I stare at the ePad, a merciful distraction from my panic.The
set has been designed to look like an old-fashioned country
kitchen. The walls are a grey stone facade, grille windows with
white lace curtains pulled down to disguise the fact that theres
nothing behind them. Framed watercolour paintings of babies in

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 blue onesies, boats and flowers are dotted around and theres an
old pine dresser filled with mismatched vintage teacups and
plates. The pice de rsistance is a stove cooker in a faded hunter
green. Its obsolete, of course, but rare, and worth a fortune.
And here are your hosts! grace!
There is frenzied clapping as she appears, white-gloved
hands resting at her heart in gratitude. She looks so ladylike in a
white sleeveless collared shirt tucked into a full pistachio-green
skirt that comes to mid-calf, a white belt accentuating her tiny
waist. The ubiquitous pearl necklace is hanging around her neck,
pistachio-coloured kitten heels on her feet. Her blonde hair is
set in pin curls and tied in a bouncy ponytail with a white-and-
pistachio striped ribbon, her blue saucer eyes huge in waxy skin.
Shes been a companion to a prominent Zone official for about
twelve years now but thanks to frequent skin peels and injections
she doesnt look a day over twenty-one.
Aaaaaand tyra!
tyra emerges from backstage. Shes lightened her hair and it
falls around her face in relaxed waves. Her cobalt-blue dress is
one-shouldered and knee-length, clinging to every curve. The
camera zooms in on her doll-like face, the wide green eyes with
oversize lashes, the arched eyebrows, the high cheekbones under
that flawless skin.
And, lastly, georgia!
georgia struts on to the set wearing a navy playsuit dotted
with white anchors, slashed to her navel. Its far too small for
her, but georgia won Best Body when she graduated two years

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 ago and likes to remind people why. Impossibly slim, with the
biggest breasts Ive ever seen, she is constantly voted #1 in those
hottest concubines lists. She waves at the audience, tossing her
waist-length espresso-coloured hair away from her tanned face,
full lips painted red, her dark brown eyes outlined with liquid
liner. She beams at the muted response shes receiving. georgia
has never been popular. Before she started appearing on The
Chit-Chat it was unheard of for concubines and companions to
mix, but the controversy drove viewing figures up so they kept
her. She settles into a wicker armchair at the round pine table.
grace ignores her and points at the baby-blue tea cosy
covering the teapot in the middle of the table. I knitted that
myself! she says proudly, and I giggle despite my misery, wiping
my runny nose with the back of my hand. There is no way grace
made that thing. I can see from the sceptical look georgia is
throwing her that she agrees with me. tyra smiles as grace pours
tea into a floral china cup for her, delicately crossing her feet at
the ankles as she takes a seat. Neither offers georgia any tea.
Welcome, ladies! grace says, and I roll my eyes as the audi-
ence cheers excitedly. I cant listen to an entire programme of
this rubbish. I tap the screen forcefully, but it still wont switch
channels. I have an overpowering urge to throw the thing against
the wall and see it shatter into a million pieces.
. . . freida . . .
My head jerks up, hoping someone might have come to
rescue me, but the door is closed. I get up to inspect my ward-
robe, but its still shut down.

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 . . . freida . . .
I check under the bed, using my eFone as a torch like Im in
5th year and searching for bogeymen, but theres nothing there
but those snakeskin ankle boots isabel gave me last year. I was
afraid to wear them in case megan asked to borrow them and
never gave them back, so I hid them under my bed. I cant believe
I forgot.
Theyre incredible, isabel, I said, touching the boots reverently.
Where on earth did you get them?
Theyre yours, she said.I dont want them.
But . . . I stuttered, confused.Theyre real snakeskin.You must love
them.
I hate them, she turned away from me.I hate them.
. . . freida . . .
Where is it coming from? There is no one else here. Its only
me and my infinite reflections, flickering in the weak light.
. . . freida . . .
Its coming from the ePad. Is my VideoChat working again?
I grab it, desperate to find out why Ive been imprisoned in my
room. But the screen is still frozen on The Chit-Chat.
Hello? I tap it again. Can you hear me?
She needs to be sent Underground straight away. There is
no room for this sort of behaviour in the Euro-Zone. tyra sniffs.
Oh, tyra, you know thats not for us to say, grace says as she
takes a sip of tea. Its up the men to make those decisions.
But this freida girl sounds dangerous, tyra says, touching
graces hand to stress her point.

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 This freida girl sounds dangerous.This freida girl sounds dangerous.
This freida girl sounds dangerous.This freida girl sounds dangerous.
There must be someone else called freida in the Euro-Zone.
An older eve.
I hate to judge . . . grace says, georgia barely suppressing a
smirk, but apparently shes been spreading rumours about . . .
she swallows before saying in a stage whisper, . . . female
aberrants.
There is a gasp from the audience, and tyra and georgia look
suitably stunned. But it cant be. Why would they be talking
about me on one of the highest-ranking shows in the Euro-Zone?
Fotos begin to flash on-screen. I can hear someone saying, Oh
no, oh no, oh no . . . over and over and over again. I look at the
wall and I realize its me, mouthing the words frantically. The
fotos are of me. Theyre all of me.
Thank goodness shes being confined at present, grace
says, a blonde tendril escaping her ponytail. Confined. Shes
being confined. Im being confined. According to my darling
Winston. She breaks off as the audience gives a communal
awwww. I know, I know. Ive been so blessed.
We both have, tyra says smoothly.
We really have, havent we, dear? Theyve been so generous,
allowing us to take the time to record this show. Were so lucky.
Winston can be very generous, cant he? georgia says with a
wicked glint in her eye.
Lets focus on the matter in hand, tyra says quickly as grace
bristles. What does Winston say?

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 According to my darling Winston, grace says, her pale
pink lips pursed sulkily, this freida is in quarantine at the
moment.You know me, ladies I would hate for anything bad to
happen to anyone, but it does seem as if it might be safer for her
to be sent Underground, out of harms way.
And thats not all, tyra adds, apparently she tried to coerce
one of the Inheritants into choosing her as his companion.
No! grace says, as the audience shifts in their seats
with barely suppressed excitement. Why isnt this censored?
Darwin said anything like this would be censored in the
School.
Did you not watch the Daily Tale today? Their sources say
she begged him. Theyre launching one of their Tale Campaigns to
shame her. And it wasnt just any Inheritant. She pauses for
dramatic effect. It was Darwin.
Whos Darwin? georgia asks, bored, adjusting her
cleavage.
Hes only the son of Judge Goldsmith, tyra says slowly,
every word coated in sarcasm.
Judge Goldsmith! georgia shudders slightly as tyra says,
This girl declared her love for him . . .
Before the Ceremony? grace interrupts, her eyes widening
in shock.
Her best friend reported her to the chastities and gave an
interview to the Tale. She told them she couldnt allow the
Schools reputation to be damaged. I mentally bash megans face
in. Apparently she had sex with him in an attempt to persuade

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 him. When that didnt work, she resorted to pleading with him
to choose her.
grace sits back in her armchair, waving her hand in front of
her face like a fan. Why would she think that she wrinkles her
nose would make him choose her to be his companion? Thats
for the concubines.
The injustice of not being able to explain or defend
myself renders me paralysed. I sit there, staring at the screen,
watching as my life is dissected for the entertainment of the
Euro-Zone.
Having sex isnt the issue. Who cares? georgia ignores
grace as she tuts loudly. And love isnt that big a deal either.
Love before marriage is forbidden. grace frowns. How
dare this eve assume that an Inheritant would love her before he
had formally chosen her? Its the height of presumptuousness.
Yeah, but come on, georgia says. Its not like it hasnt
happened before. Every few years or so, some eve always gets a
bit soppy and forgets her place.
Its still unacceptable. The eves have extensive training in
the correct behavioural procedures.
Its still not that big an issue, georgia insists. Not to my
generation. I know Im a lot younger than you the look grace
gives her could shred skin but young people wont care that
she had sex with him, or even that she fell in love before marriage.
The real problem is that she tried to coerce him into choosing
her. She shakes her head in disbelief, in agreement with the two
companions for once.

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 She should have had more control, tyra says, looking
straight to camera. For a moment I feel as if she can see me and
I duck out of view. A loud ringing in my ears is drowning them
out, only a shrill should have breaking through the white noise.
She should have . . . She should have . . . She should have . . .
megan couldnt have told them about me begging him to
choose me; she didnt know about it. My mind is racing, following
every possible trail through the maze, but it always comes back to
the same person. Darwin. It had to have been Darwin.
Will they put her on trial? grace asks.
Out of respect for Judge Goldsmith, they will have a private
one in the School. Just this freida, Darwin, the Judge himself and
the principal chastity, tyra answers, thrilled to be the one with
the inside information.
Will she offer a defence? georgia asks, examining her nail
polish for chips.
What defence? grace exclaims. She is an eve. She was
designed to meet a purpose and she has been trained for the
last sixteen years to perform in a way that meets that purpose.
Im nodding in agreement until I remember its me theyre
talking about. Any deviation from that is unacceptable. This
freida has failed in her duty. She has no defence.
There is a huge cheer, the camera moving slowly across the
audience, their fervent faces. All of them agree with grace. The
screen freezes on them chanting, baying for my blood.
Thank you for watching! Tune in tomorrow at 1 p.m. for a
brand-new episode of The Chit-Chat.

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 The room is filled with commercial jingles. They seep in
through my ears, swilling around the emptiness in my head
before leaking out again.
The Chit-Chat theme music blasts out again. I cant remember
how to move my limbs; each one feels like a separate entity from
the rest of my body, disconnected and unbearably weighted.
Throw it at the walls, Im screaming silently to myself, staring at
the ePad cradled in my hands, but I cant move.
And now for the viewers comments. Thanks to all of you
who called in today in such unprecedented numbers!
The screen crackles and a face appears and another face and
then another. There are hundreds of them. Concubines and
companions. Youthful faces, faces stretched young. Blondes,
brunettes, redheads. They are all women, of course. And every
one of them hates me.
Disgusting . . . Has she no self-control?
I couldnt believe it when I saw the report on the Daily
Tale. They said this girl is threatening the very foundations of our
society.
The Daily Tale said that shes not even that good-looking. I
mean, she was designed perfectly, of course, but I heard reports
she was over target weight at the start of the year.
Oh, I thought the Daily Tale said she was too skinny.
We all went through the School system and we obeyed the
rules. Who does this girl think she is?
Poor Darwin. He must have felt so manipulated. The eves
are supposed to be trained properly and behave themselves.

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 Of course he was going to take it if it was offered to him.
Hes a man its only natural for him to want to have sex.
Her skin is wrecked-looking, isnt it?
The Daily Tale says that she has an addiction to sleep
medication. They had a report by a physician from the Americas-
Zone. Hes never treated her, but hes seen fotos and said she
definitely looks like an addict.
I cant believe shes only sixteen. She looks thirty at least.
I agree with the last viewer. Her skin is aged. I could see
crows feet in some of those fotos.
She should have known better. Its the Inheritant I feel
sorry for.
What does she think is so special about her?
I cant turn it off. Im shaking the ePad, pressing the off switch
as hard as I can and muting the volume, but the comments keep
coming. Every doubt Ive ever had about myself, every whisper of
self-hatred that I buried deep inside, its all there, pouring from the
mouths of strangers. Im ugly. Im stupid. I look old. Im repulsive.
My stomach heaves and I cant stop that either. Vomit fills
my mouth, sputtering through my lips, and I rush to the bucket
at the foot of my bed, hunching over until its finished. The smell
corkscrews up my nostrils, twisting inside my head. Its spreading
through the small room, painting the walls in its stench.
3 p.m. Welcome to The Chit-Chat! And here are
your hosts . . .
4 p.m. Welcome to The Chit-Chat! And here are
your hosts . . .

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 5 p.m. Welcome to The Chit-Chat! And here are
your hosts . . .
Every hour a repeat of the show is shown and I cant turn it
off. Its the same, again and again and again, but each time I pick
up a nuance, a new slur that I missed the first time. Ive buried
the ePad underneath my bed and Im cowering at the opposite
side of the room, hands thrust into my ears to drown it out. But
its getting louder, the words bouncing off the glass surfaces,
hunting me down.
6 p.m. Welcome to The Chit-Chat! And here are
your hosts . . .
A red glaze descends over my eyeballs and I grab the ePad
from underneath the bed and open it, throwing it as hard as I can
at the wall. It bounces off the glass, falling to the ground with a
reassuring thud. An electric spark jumps, like a match being struck.
The computer screen is shattered, tiny shards of glass glittering on
the floor. For a blissful moment, all I can hear is my jagged breath.
Then the walls turn black, an ear-splitting crack whipping
through the room. Crackling lines of static appear on the walls as
the mirrors melt away, shaping into pictures, into people, moving
and talking.
I knitted that myself girls! grace is saying proudly, not a
blonde hair out of place. And shes in the walls and shes on the
ceiling and theyre all there and theyre talking about me, about
me, about me, about me.
7 p.m. Welcome to The Chit-Chat! And here are
your hosts . . .

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 8 p.m. Welcome to The Chit-Chat! And here are
your hosts . . .
Im clawing at the glass wall hiding my dressing room,
trying to open it with my ruined nails and the heels of my shoes,
blood splitting through my skin. My SleepSound is in there. If I
can get to it, I can stop this. I can drown it out.
9 p.m. Welcome to The Chit-Chat! And here are
your hosts . . .
10 p.m. Welcome to The Chit-Chat! And here are
your hosts . . .
Im electrified. My skin is crawling with a million fleas
eating into my flesh. The smell of the urine and bile is billowing
through the room. Im breathing it into my lungs, deep into my
body. The walls flash with faces, all listing my failings.
11 p.m. Welcome to The Chit-Chat! And here are
your hosts . . .
Midnight. Welcome to The Chit-Chat! And here are
your hosts . . .
Im banging my head against the steel door, blood clots
popping in my head like bubble wrap, and I dont care, I dont care,
I dont care.
4 a.m. Welcome to The Chit-Chat! And here are
your hosts . . .
tyra, grace and georgia dance across the glass; they are
everywhere and everywhere. I cover my ears and close my eyes
but they are inside my head.
They are inside my head.

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 8 a.m. Welcome to The Chit-Chat! And here are your
hosts . . .
My bones are growing and my skin is shrinking. I am too
much, too big for this body. I want to break every bone inside
me. I want to scrape off all this flesh, clean out the shit that
makes me what I am, start anew. Maybe then theyll stop.
I watch grace sip her tea in the ceiling.
She is an eve. She was designed to meet a purpose and she
has been trained for the last sixteen years to perform in a way
that meets that purpose.
Im mouthing the words along with her. I know it off by
heart now.
I cant believe shes only sixteen. She looks thirty at least,
jordan, twenty-seven, a companion with three beautiful boys
who are the light of her life, says, and I agree with her, I agree
with her. What do you think, jordan? I ask her in a friendly
voice. Tell me what you think. Because I cant believe this freida
girl is only sixteen. She looks thirty at least. Fotos of me flash on
the walls, on the ceiling, red circles looping around my tired eyes
and grey skin and what looks to be the beginning of a frown line.
jordan and I chorus together, I cant believe shes only sixteen.
She looks thirty at least, again and again and again.
I am eating myself. I am an identity cannibal.
10 a.m. Welcome to The Chit-Chat! And here are
your hosts . . .
grace is pouring the cup of tea for tyra again (is it my imag-
ination or does hurt briefly flicker on georgias face when she

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 isnt offered any? I hadnt noticed before) when the power
suddenly cuts, folding the room in darkness. The door inches
open and the room explodes with light, particles of dust shim-
mering in its steamy haze. I fall back in the corner of the bed,
pressing my spine against the crook where the base and side wall
meet. I hold my hand in front of my face, blinking furiously. A
black blob comes towards me, and for a moment I think the door
has come to life in an effort to grant me my freedom. The edges
harden as the blob morphs into chastity-anne. Her eyes, like two
navy buttons sewn into her face, dart around the room, taking in
the empty plastic bottles, the dishevelled bedclothes furrowed
around me, the streaks of blood smeared on the steel casing of
my changing room. The stink hits her and she gags, her face
concertinaing in on itself. She stares at the overflowing bucket,
clumps of vomit floating in it. There is a puddle pooling around
the base of the bucket, staining the edges of the snow-white
valance sheet.
What? I ask.
She points at the wall behind me. The gold lace dress clings
to my grimy body, soiled with dark patches under my arms and
around the skirt. My skin is dreary with sleeplessness. (I cant
believe Im only sixteen. I look thirty at least. Dont you agree, jordan?
Dont you agree?) My hair is matted with dried blood and vomit,
clumped into knots, and there is a shadowy ring forming around
my forehead, creeping into my eye, like a crown of bruises.
I touch it, gasping as the pain pulsates.
Come with me, freida.

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 Wheres chastity-magdalena? Shes the only one who
might be able to help me. I need to talk to her.
magdalena has been assigned a different duty at this time,
chastity-anne says, her voice sounding rehearsed. Now lets go.
Out of respect for Judge Goldsmith, they will have a private
one in the School. Just this eve, Darwin, the Judge himself and
the principal chastity, tyra had said, barely concealed glee in her
voice.
Where are we going? Are we going to see Darwin? I ask
again, my voice rising anxiously. Can I get changed first?
He cant see me like this. Hell think Im ugly. The open
corridor beyond my room beckons, the black and white tiles
forming a road map to freedom. I shuffle to the edge of the bed,
pressing the soles of my feet against the ground. Gritting my teeth,
I propel myself forward, aiming for the now deserted dormitory.
Oh, freida. chastity-anne steps neatly in front of me,
shaking her head. Where would you run to?
We are sealed in.
Do I have to go?
Do you have a choice? she replies, hands folded within the
shroud of her cloak so it looks as if her head is floating on top of
a black cloud.
Do you have any meds you can give me? I come as close as
I can to her without touching and she takes a step back, gagging
at my ripeness.
Ill be calmer. Ill promise her anything. Ill give a better
impression of the School that way.

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 Fine, she sighs, pale hands peeping out of the sleeves of her
cloak and reaching into a pocket at her waist. She pulls out a test
tube, clicks a small lever twice and dispenses two capsules,
which she drops into the palm of my hand. They are chalk-white
and round without any distinguishing markings.
What are these? I gulp them down before she has a chance
to answer. Ive never seen them before.
Does it matter?
The halls are empty. In the few minutes it takes to get to the
chastity quarters, the meds start blowing bubbles of serenity
through my bloodstream. I stumble, grazing off chastity-anne,
and she flinches.
Ssssorry, I whisper.
She curls her body around the small golden box to input the
access code without my seeing it. The gates spring open and she
hurries along the candle-lit passageway, urging me to keep up
with her. The brass peephole in the huge oak door slides open.
Youre late, chastity-ruth says in reproach, a frown line
burrowed between her flint-grey eyes. She starts when I come
into the light, but it doesnt bother me. A luscious dullness seeps
into my brain. She raises an eyebrow at chastity-anne.
Somnolin. I thought it would make her more manageable.
True. chastity-ruth waves me in. Perhaps we should start
grinding it into their food.You may go now, anne.
I follow her into the chastity office. It has exploded with
light since I was last here; its shining from every wall. There is a
man sitting in chastity-ruths chair, one with snow-white hair,

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 deep lines scored into his forehead. His navy suit and navy-and-
yellow polka-dot tie do little to disguise his bulk, rolls of fat
spilling from his shirt like a ruff collar. His features are scrunched
into the middle of his moon-shaped face, sparse white eyebrows
over deep-set eyes, thin lips pulled back disdainfully.
So this is the girl who has been causing so much trouble, he
growls. Really, ruth, has the benchmark for beauty at the School
fallen so low?
Shes been unwell, Judge Goldsmith. Ordinarily she would
be of a higher standard.
Thats the nicest thing chastity-ruth has ever said about me.
He clutches the sides of the chair and heaves himself up, the
armrests quivering in protest. Within two strides he is in front
of me. His mud-brown eyes are cold. You reek, he says, and
backs away, sinking into the wooden seat. Lets get this over
with.
Yes, Judge Goldsmith. chastity-ruth grabs two chairs from
the side of the room and drags them around the desk. She sits on
the edge of a seat, an eager student. Why is she staring at me like
that?
#630. Her voice sounds as if it is drowning within a wall
of water. Sit down.
She points at me, then to the seat beside her. I collapse
limply, the chair so low that my face is level with the edge of the
desk.
Obviously we dont want the eves to be too intelligent,
ruth, but the ability to follow simple directions would be helpful.

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 Im sorry, Judge Goldsmith.
Just one more thing we will address in our investigation,
he replies, cracking his hairy knuckles one by one. But thats
a matter for another day. Today we are here to consider the
claims that eve #630 attempted to manipulate an Inheritant,
Mr Darwin Goldsmith, into choosing her as his companion,
despite knowing that such behaviour is prohibited. She also
declared love before marriage, despite knowing that this too is
prohibited. He taps his ePad and gives a VoiceCommand to start
recording. Do you have anything that you want to say for your-
self, eve #630?
I have no words.
He pushes the sleeves of his suit back, creasing them up
to his elbows. His arms are covered in hundreds of white hairs.
We shall introduce the main witness. He shouts at the door.
Darwin, you can come in now.
Deep beneath the clouds of the drugs, something moves in
my heart. I let it go.
Thank you, Darwin says politely as chastity-ruth dashes to
hold the door open. He walks towards the desk, taking his place
at his fathers right-hand side. Theyre wearing identical suits.
Darwin has slicked back his dark curls with gel and his tanned
face is closely shaven.
freida! he cries out when he sees me. What happened?
Are you OK?
Control yourself, his father says, and grabs his broken
wrist. Darwins mouth forms a soundless gasp, his face blanching

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 in pain. Judge Goldsmith lets go and Darwin falls back into
place, staring at a spot on the wall behind me.
Darwin, Judge Goldsmith begins, reaching into a pocket
on the inside of his suit jacket and retrieving a pair of spectacles.
He takes an eggshell-coloured handkerchief from his breast
pocket and sets about cleaning the lenses meticulously. Please
tell us exactly what happened between you and eve #630. Speak
slowly and clearly.
freida . . . Darwin begins before the Judge coughs
pointedly.
I dont want to hear this.
I mean, #630 and I got to know each other through the
eve/Inheritant Interactions. I chose her a number of times for
Heavenly Seventy . . .
This is a play, like they used to have in the time before us, I decide,
and I make myself float out of the top of my head and hover on
the ceiling, looking down at the bodies in the room below. This is
a performance.This has nothing to do with me.
Please explain to the court what Heavenly Seventy is, the
fat man interjects, putting his glasses on. The younger boy looks
around at the office and the few people in it.
Um, sure. He continues. Its a task where the Inheritants
choose an eve that they want to spend time with in private.
And whom did you choose? the man asks.
You know who I chose. Ive told you this already. The
Judge swivels slowly in his chair, his eyes glacial. I mean, the
young man adds quickly, I chose #630.

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 And why did you choose #630?
What do you mean?
Was she the only person you could have chosen? Were all
the other eves taken when you made your selection?
No, he answers. I always got to choose first.
And why was that?
Because Im the #1 Inheritant.
Any why is that?
Because Im a Judges son.
So, as a Judges son, you were entitled to certain privileges.
Yes, the son says in a low voice.
How fortunate you are.You may continue.
I chose her a few times and I guess she got the wrong idea,
because the last time we were together she was hysterical and
started begging me to make her my companion.
A look trembles between the two men. Did one of them
forget his lines? The older man trains his brutal stare on the
young girl. Shes slumped in a chair, her legs and arms falling at
strange angles, like a broken doll.
#630, an eve may only love a man that has chosen her to be
his companion. This is because men have the necessary experi-
ence and intelligence to choose better for you than you could
choose for yourself. He looks at the hollowed-out shell of a girl,
openly sneering. And how you thought that the son of a Judge
would choose you . . . The boy beside him winces. The stand-
ards are slipping, ruth, the man says, pressing his fingertips
against the wooden desk. She should be thrown on the pyre.

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 The girls head lolls on her shoulders, as silent as if they had
cut out her tongue.
What? the boy cries out. You cant do that.
Be quiet. The older man turns to look at him, anger crack-
ling off him like hot oil spitting from a pan.
No. The boy is rash. You cant do that. Youre making too
big a deal out of this. He stares at the younger girl. freida,
Im he begins before his dad cuts across him.
Too big a deal? he says, hefting his bulk back into the
chair. The wood moans in protest. Well, thats where youre
wrong. We have rules. You do realize we have rules, dont
you, boy? The younger boy nods, his face colouring with
embarrassment.
I dont know if you do. Because if you did, I dont think you
would say that we were making too big a deal out of this at all.
Im sorry, Dad.
Youre right to be sorry. Because you, of all people, need to
believe that its imperative to stick to the rules. Rules that you,
the future Judge of the Euro-Zone, will one day enforce. How
can you do so if you are prepared to encourage illicit behaviour?
I didnt
Maybe some of those rules seem outdated to you. Maybe
they seem overly stringent or exacting. But they are there to
protect us. To ensure our survival. If we begin flaunting those
rules, what will we have?
None of the other characters meets his eyes; all are staring
at the floor. I dont think I like this play very much.

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 Anarchy, the Judge announces. Chaos. Destruction. Is that
what you want?
No, the boy mutters.
Of course not. Take a look around you. This world is
not what it used to be. We are the final bastion of a faltering
people.
Yes, Dad.
But only faltering. Not dying, as our forefathers feared. We
have survived because we created a system that works. If we
break one rule and then another and another, our system might
warp. It might disintegrate. And what would happen then? How
can we risk that? How can we jeopardize our survival?
I understand, Father. The boy hesitates, doubt written on
his face. But why the pyre? He holds his breath.
Why? Because she broke the rules? Because she must be
taught a lesson? The Judge shrugs. Because we can, I suppose.
Its not because of me, is it? the boy says in a very small
voice.
Darwin, you are the only son of the Euro-Zones Judge.
He pats his hair. These little sluts need to know their place. He
takes off his suit jacket, his flesh straining against his white cotton
shirt. But dont worry, this one wont be thrown on the pyre.
She isnt even going Underground, although we should be
making a proper example of her, show the rest of them what
happens if they get ideas above their station.
The bald woman cowers. Im afraid that is outside of my
control now.

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 Yes, I know, the Judge harrumphs. Shes a lucky one, isnt
she? Arent you lucky, freida?
freida. Thats me. Theyre talking about me.
I melt back through my bones and I stretch out inside
myself, filling my body once more. But it doesnt feel right. It
feels as if Im wrapping myself in an old coat, familiar and warm,
but suddenly ill-fitting. It constricts at the neck, pulls at the
arms. I must need more meds.The room is losing its hazy quality;
colours are bleeding back in.
Lucky? I croak, as if its a word Ive never heard before.
But he dismisses me with a wave of his hand you have
been disqualified from the Ceremony at least.You are to become
a chastity. In a non-teaching role of course. We cant have you
infecting the younger eves with your abnormalities.
A chastity. I will never leave this School. I will never see
beyond these walls. I wait for sorrow to sweep through me but I
feel nothing. I am wasted with nothingness.
I want to say again, on behalf of all the chastities and myself,
how truly sorry I am for this regrettable incident, Judge
Goldsmith. chastity-ruth leans forward in her seat, her chin
almost resting on the table. I will ensure nothing like this
happens again.
It had better not, Judge Goldsmith says. Im only glad that
it happened with Darwin. He knew the correct protocol to
follow at least. He swivels in his chair to look at his son. I must
say, this almost makes up for your previous indiscretion. Im
proud of you, Darwin.

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 Darwin merely nods, but when his dad turns away to tidy
his ePad away in a real leather briefcase, he bites his lower lip to
hold in his smile, almost glistening with bliss, and I know how
much this means to him. I understand.
Darwin, his dad adds. This is confidential.
Sure. Darwin nods, undoing the top button of his shirt and
loosening his tie, relaxing now that the trial is over. Judge
Goldsmith gets to his feet again, his belly bulging through gaping
buttons. He picks up his briefcase, folds his jacket over his arm
and dabs his damp face with a handkerchief. Darwin meets my
eyes briefly as he walks out. I understand, I try to tell him silently.
I understand. And it seems to me that everything we had, every-
thing we ever meant to each other or could have meant, shim-
mers between us.
We both look away. We are strangers now.
Darwin. I hear the Judges voice behind me. That includes
your mother. I dont want cecily knowing about this. Its not her
place.
But who will I talk Darwin halts mid-sentence.
Who will you talk to? Judge Goldsmiths voice rings
out. Dont be such a pussy, Darwin. His voice continues: And
as for you . . . youre lucky were being so lenient. This is your
own fault, isnt it?
Hes addressing me. I twist my upper body around, holding
on to the back of the chair. The Judge is standing in the doorway,
so large I can barely see Darwin behind him.

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 Isnt it? he repeats when I just stare blankly at him.
Yes, I whisper. The word tastes grey.
Yes, what? I want to hear you say it.
Yes. This is my own fault.
I cant believe you thought you would corrupt my son. I
have him well trained. Dont I, boy?
He grabs Darwin and puts him in a headlock under his
armpit, rubbing his hair roughly. Darwins head is pressed up
against the huge sweat stain on his dads shirt, the leather brief-
case coming precariously close to hitting him in the face.
What is this shit? Judge Goldsmith says, shoving him aside
and wiping his hands on the lapels of Darwins suit. Hair gel?You
can be such a girl at times, Darwin.
Darwin straightens up, his face flushed, his hair sticking up
in untidy spikes, a greasy smear on his jacket. His hand jerks up
to fix his hair but he stops, smiling weakly.
And they leave, chastity-ruth escorting them to the train
that will take them back to the Euro-Zone, out of my life forever.
I will never see you again.
Im staring at the poster of the Father in front of me as
someone enters the room and lays cool hands on my shoulders.
I tried, freida. I couldnt do anything, chastity-magdalena
says, her voice wrought with emotion. Are you OK? Say some-
thing, she tries again, squeezing my shoulders tighter.
But there is nothing left to say.

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4365.indd 354 09/05/14 8:06 PM
 The Ceremony marks
the day when the eves
can finally be divided
into their thirds for
easier categorization.
Whether they become a
companion, a concubine
or a chastity, all eves
must play the role that
has been assigned to
them.5

Audio Guide to the Rules for Proper female Behaviour, the Original Father
5

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4365.indd 356 09/05/14 8:06 PM
 Chapter 30

July
The day of the Ceremony
Dawn is slowly pouring out of the light-lamps, chasing the
shadows away.
I get out of bed, tossing my hair back to scan myself in the
walls as I do every morning. The bruising has turned purple,
blackberries blossoming from my scalp to my temples. My eyes
look old in my scrubbed face.
Happy design date, I mouth at my reflection. I am seven-
teen today.
My room has been cleaned. New bed sheets, the surfaces
are sparkling, any signs of my time here removed. It wont be
vacant for long. A new tribe of 4th years will move in tomorrow,
eves at the beginning of their journey. Some other girl will call
this room her own for the next twelve years until, at last, it is her
turn to await her fate in the Ceremony. I wish her better luck.

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 Inside my wardrobe I peel off my nightdress and throw it
into the trapdoor implanted in the wall underneath the vanity
table.The steel trap of the cupboard opens, beeping loudly. I step
in, the door closing like a greedy mouth around me. Sensor
beams emit from the ceiling and the walls, measuring and evalu-
ating my naked body.
You are at target weight. Close your eyes and remain still.
After dressing in the chaste black dress that has been selected
for me, I stand in my cubicle, staring at my reflection. My hair,
slicked into a low bun, looks so beautiful.Why did I never appre-
ciate how beautiful it was?
The Ceremony is today. I repeat, the Ceremony is today,
the intercom shrieks. Please leave all your belongings in your
cubicle. These are the property of the School. You will receive
appropriate replacements once you join your designated third.
A rustle of clothes, of nervous laughter. Muttered curses,
furious commands to hurry.
What happened to your eye make-up?
I m-m-moved my head too soon. Is it awful?
Well . . .
It IS awful. I should just KILL MYSELF right now.
I slip into place between freja and daria. We walk in single
file, stopping at the checkpoint set up at the main dormitory
door.
Im not hungry. angelina puts her hands on her hips, an
open-weave knitted dress clinging to her body like a crimson
cobweb.

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 Im sorry, angelina, chastity-anne says, standing behind a
display case. There are dozens of bottles lining the glass counter,
and individual test tubes under this, each one full of brightly
coloured capsules. She reaches into the desk, pulls out the vial
with angelinas foto on it and hands it to her with one of the
bottles. angelina scowls but unscrews the top and gulps down
her meds with the thick beige liquid.
Good girl, chastity-anne says. Its a high-protein drink. It
will keep you full until after the Ceremony.
I told you, Im too excited to be hungry, angelina says.
Not that other people seem to be having that problem, she
mumbles under her breath as cara swallows the drink down
eagerly.
Im not hungry either cara rushes to catch up with
angelina, her face reddening with guilt but chastity-anne said
we had to. Im too nervous to be hungry.
The others start to protest as well, claiming stomach pains
and cramps, competing to see who is the most anxious. If anyone
asked me, I would tell them the truth. I am unaffected by nerves.
But no one will ask me.
You next. chastity-anne points at me, handing me my meds
and a glass bottle. I hold the bottle up to her in salute. It slides in
chunks down my throat.
I follow the others through the cloisters and up the long
nave, counting the tiles beneath my feet.
Careful! daria snarls when I bump into her. She smooths
down the brocaded satin of her clinging cheongsam.

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 Sorry.
She doesnt acknowledge my apology. Were waiting at the
entrance to the Hall, chastity-bernadette flapping her hands in
worry.
Oh, for goodness sake, girls, do you ever walk in sequence
properly? she asks, splitting the twins up and raising her voice to
be heard over their complaints.
The twins dont, but the rest of us do, agyness pipes up
cheerfully, and jessie and liz narrow their eyes at her.
Thank you, agyness, chastity-bernadette says. Ordinarily
its not that important, but today
chastity-ruth said the rules are always important, megan
says, pulling at the emerald gemstone necklace tucked neatly
underneath the buttoned-up collar of her sleeveless shirt dress.
Especially after recent events.
Of course, chastity-bernadette splutters. Excellent point.
And now, freida. Shes calling us out alphabetically.
Between daria and freja.
Unfortunately, daria stage-whispers, smirking as the other
eves giggle.
Isnt isabel next? heidi asks jessie. Where is she?
How am I supposed to know? jessie answers petulantly,
tousling her hair over the left side of her face to cover up her
botched eye make-up. Can you still see it? she bleats to liz, a
few places back.
chastity-bernadette? heidi cant let it go. Isnt isabel
supposed to be before jessie?

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 Oh, chastity-bernadette says, her cheeks tingeing with
pink. isabel wont be here today.
Why not? megan says gleefully. Is she going to be a chas-
tity, like freida?
eves! chastity-bernadettes entire face is flushing with heat
now. Enough of this. Get in sequence.
Is isabel going to be a chastity too? I catch my breath but I
will not hope. I have learned my lesson about hope.
We take our seats in the Hall and I lean back to look at the
soaring ceiling, the murals etched in gold paint, the colours spar-
kling in the crystal chandeliers. How much did it cost to build
this room? Its a relic, the vestiges of a lost fortune. They could
have used the money for the Engineers research, to make the
eves prettier and prettier and prettier. Theres always room for
Improvement.
I drop inside myself, urging the Somnolin to weave its magic
spell, to blow like fairy dust into my brain.
The lamps sink, the chandelier light dappling around us as if
were moving through water. A few of the girls laugh, coiling
their hands in the air to watch the lights rippling against their
skin.
The national anthem curls beneath us, the triquetra blazing
on to the huge screen, each triangle of the thirds sliced into the
other. The chastities sweep past us, marching silently up the
marble steps. They line the stage, six on each side of an opulent
jewel-encrusted gold throne. Gazing at the triquetra, they fall
to one knee, their heads bowed low. The music reaches a

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 crescendo, drum rolls booming throughout the Hall as the
screen draws apart like curtains.
Is it?
oh my . . . it is . . . it is . . .
ITS THE FATHER!
Girls are screaming, clutching at each other wildly as they
jump to their feet. I am the only one who is unmoved. It doesnt
matter anyway. No one turns to grab my hand, to hug me with
excitement.
The Father stands in the spotlight, one hand raised in salute.
Hes wearing a plush gold-coloured cloak, an oversized gold
medallion around His neck. He slicks back His grey hair as the
screen closes behind Him again and the triquetra divides into
separate triangles with a swishing sound.
Thank you.You are too kind, He says as the Hall rings with
applause. He settles into the throne, His bejewelled fingers
resting on the velvet-covered armrests. His black shoes are
poking out under the cloak, not quite touching the ground.
Thank you, He says again. You may be seated.
The chastities get to their feet and form a single line behind
him. freja claims our shared armrest as her own. She, like all the
others, is on the very edge of her seat, feet tapping restlessly
against the floor.They are excited, I tell myself. I try to remember
what excitement tasted like.
I am delighted to be here today to welcome you into your
thirds. I know how eager you are to finally make a contribution
to the society that has done so much for you. He licks his lips,

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 His tongue flickering briefly out of His mouth. I must admit,
Im looking forward to testing that contribution very soon.
miranda and karlie nudge each other at this. I know there have
been issues this year, He says, peering into the spotlight. He is
looking for me. I should feel embarrassed. I can feel the fury radi-
ating off the other eves. I should feel guilty. I have ruined every-
thing. I should feel worried.
But lets not allow one girls selfishness to ruin the day.
This provokes another round of applause. He waits until it settles
before continuing. We will begin with the third of the compan-
ions, the eves who shall bear the future sons of the Euro-Zone.
In tenth place, Socrates has chosen heidi.
Rumour has it he had to choose heidi because of my disqual-
ification. megan was wrong. A girl who had sex before marriage
has been chosen for the companion third.
heidi doesnt look very happy as she shuffles onstage to
accept her ivory cloak from the Father, taking her place beneath
the white triangle of the companions. She throws longing glances
at her former friends, glances that are duly ignored.
Inheritant #9, Abraham, has chosen cara.
cara gets to her feet a little unsteadily. I know she expected
to rank higher than that.
Better be prepared, rosie yells from the row behind me,
her voice crystal clear. Abraham likes to use the back entrance!
Confusion colours caras face as she accepts her cloak and
stands next to heidi, a determinedly composed expression on
her face. There is no room for hurt feelings in the thirds.

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 A name and a name and another name. One girl walks up
the steps to receive her cloak, then the next. I cant remember
which Inheritant each eve has been paired with and I doubt the
other girls do either. What does it matter? We may be inter-
changeable, but so are the Inheritants, in their own way.
And now, our last Inheritant. Darwin Goldsmith, the
Father announces. I look around at the thinning group of girls.
Its only megan and me left from this years original top ten.
He has chosen . . . The Father stops to mouth His thanks
to chastity-anne, who has broken the rank of the chastities
lined up behind his throne to place a bottle of Euro-Cola at His
feet. He slowly removes the cap from the bottle, sniffs the
drink and wipes the bottle neck carefully. He looks at each of
us in turn. Maybe Darwin chose christy. Maybe he chose naomi.
. . . megan.
megans hands curl into fists of victory and she takes her
place onstage, wrapping the cloak around herself, her hair almost
blue-black against the material. I should feel resentment.
All of you have been chosen to join the noble third of the
companions. Do you swear to devote your lives to fulfilling your
purpose as women? To be the best companions and mothers that
you can be? the Father solemnly asks.
They swear to honour and obey their future husbands and
to bear as many sons as their wombs will hold. I repeat, That
should have been me, to myself over and over, as if Im worrying a
broken tooth with the tip of my tongue, waiting for the pain to
come.

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 And now, for the third of the concubines, we have rosie . . .
She jumps up, clapping in delight, and angelina . . . The two girls
embrace each other onstage, ecstatic smiles on their faces.
More names. Increasingly lethargic applause. Stifled yawns
becoming louder the further down the list He goes.
. . . and lucy . . .
Its liu, sorry, she murmurs, her dark eyes downcast. He
hands the cloak to her without further comment. He has no need
to learn the name of a lesser concubine.
. . . and finally, as concubine #17, we have christy.
The stilted clapping jolts me out of my stupor as christy
joins the large group of girls standing beneath the red triangle,
her jaw clenched.
This years Inheritants have recommended that you all join
the third of the concubines. Do you swear to devote your lives to
the physical gratification of the good men of the Euro-Zone?
We do, the girls chorus. The original Heavenly Seventy
girls are crowded towards the front, the leftover eves lurking
behind, tugging anxiously at their scarlet Ceremony cloaks at the
thought of what is in store.
And for the first time in years the Father gestures at the
chastities, actually, I believe its the first time since your inaugu-
ration, magdalena. Am I correct?
Youre always correct, chastity-ruth says as chastity-
magdalena nods.
. . . we have an eve with the vocation to become a chastity.
Can you join me onstage, agyness?

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 My name has not been called, but I follow agyness anyway.
We move as one. There is no individuality in the third of the
chastities.
So this is the girl that caused all the fuss, the Father says,
His eyes narrowing as He hands me my raven cloak. agyness and
I stand beneath the black triangle, wrapping the robes around
ourselves. I bury my hands in the deep pockets, feeling the coarse
material against my skin. I am one of them now. Youre lucky
you have such good friends in high places, girl. He turns to
chastity-ruth. I will make the announcement now, he says, and
she nods in automatic agreement.
Your attention, eves. He hops on to His throne, sweeping
His golden cloak back over His shoulders. All the eves stare up at
him in rapture. My current wife, after providing Me with two
sons, has sadly become inefficient a little earlier than expected.
She has graciously decided to bow out with honour . . .
Step on the pyre, he means, daria mutters to freja.
Well, shes like thirty-four, freja replies.
. . . so I have chosen a new companion from this batch of
eves.
megans face pales. A Judge is one thing, but to be a
companion to the Father himself? She looks around wildly. Who
is the eve with the audacity to beat her?
The lucky lady is isabel. He waits for the clapping to begin,
a bemused look settling on his features when none is forth-
coming. Did you hear Me? isabel is to be My new companion.
isabel.

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 Even if Darwin had chosen me, I still would have lost.
What? gisele croaks, her queasy expression replicated on
the face of each eve onstage as they realize the girl that they have
spent the last School year tormenting is going to be the most
powerful woman in the Euro-Zone.
isabel and I have always had a very, er, special relationship.
He rubs His hands together, the metal rings scraping against each
other. I meet megans eyes across the stage and I see in them the
same realization that is dawning on me. All year isabel left a trail
of breadcrumbs for us to follow, but we were blind to them. And
its too late now. Its too late. I suspected from the moment of
her design she would become My companion when she came
into her prime, but I made My final decision known to her before
your School break last year.
So thats why she has been distancing herself from me all
year. She knew I wasnt good enough to socialize with the
Fathers future companion, and that I never would be good
enough. But she still saved me in the end. I failed, once again,
and she had to step in and fix my mess. I should feel grateful to her.
When will my new bride be joining me? The Father twists
around to face chastity-ruth.
Shell be ready for you the day after tomorrow, Father, she
says, approaching the throne timidly. I didnt feel it would be
appropriate for her to share a train with the ordinary compan-
ions. I see megan flinch at the word ordinary.
Quite right, the Father says, jumping down from the
throne. The cloak is too long for Him, trailing on the floor. She

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 must be treated with due respect. Anyway, Ive waited seventeen
years for her. Whats another few days?
megans face is colourless against the ivory robe. She takes a
step back, crunching giseles toes under her heels, ignoring her
cry of pain.
anne and mary, take care of them, chastity-ruth orders as
the Father walks towards the marble steps and she dashes to
catch up with Him. The other chastities follow her. None of
them says goodbye or wishes us good luck, not even chastity-
magdalena.
What now? the twins ask as the Hall doors slam behind
the Father and the chastities. megs? What happens now?
I dont know, megan snaps. Why do you two always expect
me to know the answer to everything?
Now, now. Less of that, please, chastity-mary says, beaming.
I want the concubines and the companions to follow me. I will
escort you to the trains where you will be transferred to the
main Euro-Zone.
In different carriages, I hope, megan mutters. She picks at
her nails, the mint-green nail polish flaking off and drifting on to
her cloak. Her triumph has been spectacularly short-lived.
The concubines will go to their new lodgings, chastity-
mary continues. And the companions will be presented to their
respective husbands.
Whose Inheritant am I again? liz whispers to jessie.
Leonardos?
I think Im his. Arent you Williams?

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 Thats enough, chastity-anne interrupts. Youre not
getting any younger. Please form two separate lines and follow
chastity-mary.
megan goes first on the right-hand side, rosie on the left. All
the others divide effortlessly into their new formation. They
march down the steps, through the Hall and out the doors. They
do not look back.
And then they are gone.
Another year over, chastity-anne says to agyness and me.
Done and dusted.
How can this be the end of School? How can this be the
great Ceremony that we have spent all these years preparing for?
After everything, after all our worrying and waiting, all today
amounted to was a tedious roll-call of names. I feel hollow with
anticlimax, an emptiness mushrooming inside me.
I look at agyness, and my disillusionment is echoed on her
ordinarily cheerful face. She turns to look over her shoulder at
the Hall entrance as if shes hoping one of the eves will reappear
and say it was all a joke.
chastity-anne sighs. Its always the same, every year. Im not
sure what you girls were expecting.
More than this, I think. A lot more.
Youll get used to it. I promise.
agyness and I still dont move, and her voice becomes stern.
Thats enough, chastities. Follow me. It is time for your training
to begin.

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4365.indd 370 09/05/14 8:06 PM
 Day One

As a chastity, I must be silent.

As a chastity, I must be humble.
As a chastity, I must be selfless.
As a chastity, I must be modest.
As a chastity, I must be obedient.
As a chastity, I must be pure.
As a chastity, I must be dutiful.
As a chastity, I must be constant.
As a chastity, I must be devoted.
As a chastity, I must be ordinary.
As a chastity, I must be faultless.
As a chastity, I must integrate.
As a chastity, I must sacrifice.
As a chastity, I must surrender.

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4365.indd 372 09/05/14 8:06 PM
 Day Two

Dawn recitation for all chastities

I give myself up for the good of the Euro-Zone. I give myself
up for the good of the Father. I give myself up for the good
of my fellow chastities. I give myself up for the good of the
School.
What little I am, I give myself up. What little I am, I give
myself up. What little I am, I give myself up.

Mid-morning recitation for all chastities

I give myself up for the good of the Euro-Zone. I give myself
up for the good of the Father. I give myself up for the good of
my fellow chastities. I give myself up for the good of the
School.
What little I am, I give myself up. What little I am, I give
myself up. What little I am, I give myself up.

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 Pre-lunchtime recitation for all chastities
I give myself up for the good of the Euro-Zone. I give myself up
for the good of the Father. I give myself up for the good of my
fellow chastities. I give myself up for the good of the School.
What little I am, I give myself up. What little I am, I give
myself up. What little I am, I give myself up.

Afternoon recitation for all chastities

I give myself up for the good of the Euro-Zone. I give myself up
for the good of the Father. I give myself up for the good of my
fellow chastities. I give myself up for the good of the School.
What little I am, I give myself up. What little I am, I give
myself up. What little I am, I give myself up.

Pre-dinner recitation for all chastities

I give myself up for the good of the Euro-Zone. I give myself up
for the good of the Father. I give myself up for the good of my
fellow chastities. I give myself up for the good of the School.
What little I am, I give myself up. What little I am, I give
myself up. What little I am, I give myself up.

Bedtime recitation for all chastities

I give myself up for the good of the Euro-Zone. I give myself
up for the good of the Father. I give myself up for the good of

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 my fellow chastities. I give myself up for the good of the
School.
What little I am, I give myself up. What little I am, I give
myself up. What little I am, I give myself up.

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4365.indd 376 09/05/14 8:06 PM
 Day Three

I do nothing but by the good grace of the Father.

I say nothing but by the good grace of the Father.
I have nothing but by the good grace of the Father.
I am nothing but by the good grace of the Father.

Thank you, Father, for your good grace.

I promise to use my life as a chastity attempting to be worthy
of it.

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4365.indd 378 09/05/14 8:06 PM
 Day Four

I cant sleep. I am finding it difficult to adjust to the eerie quiet

of the chastities quarters, any sleepy sighs muffled behind the
closed doors of our individual rooms. Here there are neither the
night-time Messages to distract me nor any SleepSound to push
me into dreaming. chastities are not allowed to waste the Schools
medication supplies, chastity-ruth told me.
ruth. I keep forgetting that I must call her ruth now.
Day one, day two, day three, day four.
How many days are there in a lifetime?
Ive been assigned a room, a concrete square with a large
oak door on one side. There is a single mattress dressed in black
bed sheets, a wooden chest of drawers, painted black, and a
matching rocking chair at the foot of the bed. A strip of wood is
nailed into the wall opposite, seven identical black cloaks hanging
from seven brass hooks, seven pairs of rubber-soled shoes lined
up neatly beneath. There is a sink in the corner of the room, a
narrow concrete ledge above it holding a plastic jug and a rotting

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 rag with which to wash myself.The only light comes from a thick
white candle enclosed in a glass lantern hanging from the ceiling.
There are no mirrors here and I am glad of that. I do not want to
see how depreciated I have become in a mere matter of days.
I am lying on my stomach on the bed, my ePad propped up
on the pillow as I scan through hundreds of fotos of the new
megan Goldsmith. The restrictions on School to Zone internet
access have been lifted now that I am a chastity, and although I
know I shouldnt look, I cant help myself. I have been staring at
one foto for at least an hour. It is from their wedding. In it, he is
slipping his ring on to her finger. I search his face for a hint of
regret, of wistfulness. I find none.
There are other fotos too, of cara and the twins and daria and
the rest of them, their faces radiant as they are given away to their
husbands by the Father. Do any of them ever think of me? It seems
impossible that they could forget me in such a short time.
There is no mention of isabel on MyFace. I wanted to see
fotos of her wedding dress. She was probably adorned in silk,
pearl beading, real vintage lace, no expense spared; no plain
ivory cloak for the bride of the Father. But her home page has
been shut down. I suppose it would be unseemly for someone in
her position to be so easily contactable. I should shut my page
down too. I doubt isabel would want to get in touch with
someone like me, not now anyway. And who else would be inter-
ested in the details of the chastity training programme? Today
they shaved my head. Today they ripped my useless womb out
and I am empty, so empty.

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 As a chastity, I must sacrifice.
felicity.
I am chastity-felicity now. They have even taken my name
from me.
Why is your door open, felicity? chastity-ruth says, pulling
her black dressing gown firmly around her waist.
I turn my ePad over so she cant see what Ive been looking
at and sit up straight, using the pillow to protect my back against
the cold concrete wall.
I said, why is your door open?
Sorry, ruth. My voice is hoarse from lack of use. I always
sleep with the door open.
I feel trapped otherwise.
Yes. Lots of changes, she says, and sits on the wooden
rocking chair at the end of my bed. She runs her hands along the
armrests, tutting as she rubs dust between her fingertips.
How is agyness? I ask. Because my role is as a non-teaching
chastity, her training takes place separately to mine.
agyness? She frowns at me. I assume you are referring to
chastity-agatha.You saw her at dinner, did you not?
agyness always sits at the other end of the table to me, her
head turned away from me. Not that it matters. We chastities are
forbidden to speak during mealtimes.
It tends to take new chastities some time to become
accustomed to our way of life. Not me though. I took to it
like the proverbial duck to water. Something in my face
must have registered my surprise and she smiles slowly at

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 me. Youre not the only one who watches the Nature
Channel.
She leans back in the chair, never taking her eyes off me, and
begins to rock back and forth, the sound of creaking wood filling
the dead room.
I knew you would be awake, #630.
SleepSound withdrawal.
I knew you would be awake, she says again, as if I havent
spoken. And do you know why? She peers at me across the
dimly lit room. Do you?
No, ruth.
Because I know you. I always have. I wait, unsure of how I
am supposed to react. I know your exact eye colour and the
texture of your hair. I know what weight you are. Obviously, I
know about your difficulty sleeping. I know you pretend to
dislike chocco but secretly its your favourite food. I know how
much you resented isabel at times and how hard you tried to
hide it. I know you hate #767. And I know how prone to flights
of fancy you are. Ive been trying to crush it out of you for years,
havent I? I nod, as she seems to expect me to. But even I was
astonished at your conviction that Darwin Goldsmith could
somehow save you from your fate. Foolish little girl. Did you
believe he was going to choose you? Did you? It has been amusing
watching you scurry about the place, all fret and bother, scram-
bling to improve your ratings, desperately trying to cling on to
Darwin. Honestly, #630, Im sure he thought you were good for
a bit of fun, but its unlikely he ever considered you companion

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 material, my dear. Not you. Hell probably find some . . . she
pauses, looking me up and down, exotic companion to quench
any physical urges. Maybe, from time to time, hell even close his
eyes and pretend its some girl he used to know, some girl whose
name he cant quite remember. I force my face to remain very
still. No, Judge Goldsmith made the right decision with #767.
She will follow the rules. Dont you agree?
Yes, chastity-ruth, I say on reflex, and her lip curls.
You see, I knew you would agree. You really are utterly
predictable. Always so eager to please other people, so willing
to do whatever it takes to make people like you. Its just so,
so she stares at me as she searches for the word that best
describes me repellent. Thats what you are. #767 never acted
like that, did she? She didnt snivel and beg for scraps of approval
like you did. And look at her now the companion of a Judge.
The chair keeps rocking back and forth, back and forth. I dont
understand. I thought we eves were supposed to be willing to
please.
Ive been doing this a long time, you know, she continues,
gripping the armrests tightly. I was made the principal chastity
almost twenty years ago, the youngest principal in the history of
the School. Twenty years, and every year a new batch of eves,
countless girls, as you can imagine. She half smiles. Yet I still
remember the day when you and your sisters were hatched. And
thats because of you, #630.
Me? I repeat, my voice barely a whisper. I grab the black
blanket on my bed and hug it close for warmth.

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 Yes, she says. I walked from cot to cot, looking at each
new-design in turn. And there you were, your face screwed up,
making so much noise and commotion, drawing all that atten-
tion to yourself. She shudders at the memory. If my instincts
were right, and they were always right, you were the runt of the
litter, the one who wouldnt withstand the race. Theres always
one, every year, an eve that has a little accident, then another,
then too many accidents to ignore and the eve has to be taken
Underground, to help the Engineers with their studies. Waste
not, want not. I swallow hard. But not you, #630. Because
isabel wonderful, darling, special isabel took a shine to you,
didnt she? And that changed everything. She loved you.
Really? My voice is small, like a childs.
Why of course she did. chastity-ruth says the words plainly
and, hearing them, I know deep within my bones that shes
telling the truth.
And with her love came her protection. It was all so inap-
propriate. I could hardly bear to look at you, as with each passing
year you continued to undermine the natural order of things
with your very existence. And then you broke the rules so
flagrantly with Darwin. It really was deliciously stupid of you,
#630. Her lips tighten. But, once again, isabel fought for you.
It was she who pleaded with the Father to grant you immunity,
and He agreed, provided isabel promised to maintain her target
weight. Judge Goldsmith was most displeased, but what could
he do? The Father had spoken. My goodness, He did spoil isabel.
There was always a present for his special girl on her design

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 date, lockets and jewellery boxes and other such nonsense. She
rolls her eyes to heaven. He even gave her a pair of snakeskin
boots in exchange for her maidenhood last year. As if He wasnt
taking something that didnt belong to Him already.
My stomach goes into free fall. What are you talking
about?
You didnt know? And I thought you two were such good
friends.The Father and isabel celebrated her design date together
every year, of course, but on her sixteenth He took her for a test
drive, as it were. She chuckles at her own wit.
How . . . how . . . how do you know that?
Unfortunately, I had to clean her up afterwards. He did
make a bit of a mess.
isabel never told me. She never told anyone.
It has been a strange year, I must say, she muses, folding her
hands across her stomach. If the Father hadnt chosen isabel, she
would have been the perfect companion for Darwin; he would
never even have noticed you if isabel had been in her full health.
It would have been more natural than some second-tier eve leap-
frogging over more suitable girls. For a few weeks there I was
almost concerned. Darwin kept choosing you; he seemed as
blind to your many failings as isabel had been. But I told myself
to trust my instincts and to wait. If I just waited, you would ruin
it all by yourself. She starts to slow-clap. And you did, #630.
Spectacularly so. Well, well done.
Why are you telling me all this? I say, feeling as if the ques-
tion is being torn from my throat.

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 Why? She raises an eyebrow at me. Hmm. Yes, I must
admit youre correct. I am talking more freely than I
ordinarily would, even with a fellow chastity. Its all irrelevant
now though, isnt it? You wont be able to tell tales where
youre going.
Oh, did I not say? She smiles at my confused expression. I
do apologize, #630. It has been hectic this evening, fone calls
back and forth with the Euro-Zone, frantically trying to arrange
a replacement. Quite selfish of isabel to leave the Father hanging,
if youll excuse the pun. She shrugs. But she always was impet-
uous, that one. She clearly didnt consider the possibility that
your immunity could be revoked after her death.
Her words seem to float between us, and somehow its as if
all the air in the room has been completely sucked away, and I
cant breathe. My ribs feel as if they are withering in my chest,
squeezing my lungs together, breaking my breath down into
shallow gasps.
Oh, silly me. I didnt mean to just blurt it out like that. But
yes, isabel has decided to decline the honour of being the Fathers
companion, rather permanently. Do you want to know how she
did it? Do you, #630? She waits expectantly for my answer, but
the inside of my mouth is dry, painted in drought. Fine, she says.
Ill give you a few hints. A dressing-gown belt. A sturdy hook.
An open door. You get the picture. It puts me in mind of that
ridiculous rhyme magdalena insists on teaching the eves to help
you tie your shoelaces. What is it again? Come on, #630. I know
you remember.

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 Heres a little rabbit, and heres a great big tree, I say
quietly, the words coming to me effortlessly. Watch the little
rabbit run around the tree. Out pops his head, to see what he can
see. Look how neat a knot he made around his . . .
I cant finish.
I wish these eves would choose a more aesthetically pleasing
manner to bid us farewell. I keep asking the Father if we can
change the door frames, but there never seems to be enough
money to fund it, chastity-ruth says. I turn my face away from
her. Oh dear.Youre not going to cry, are you, #630?
Her grey eyes are flickering with excitement as she leans
forward in her seat, coming closer and closer to me, as if she
wants to lick the very first teardrop, taste its saltiness on her lips.
I close my eyes.
isabel. isabel. isabel.
I choose a memory of isabel and me as children and I hold it
close to my heart, like a naked flame, waiting to feel it burn, but
I feel nothing, numbness spreading through me like frostbite.
There are no tears in me. There is nothing left.
Good girl, she says, when I remain dry-eyed. At least you
learned how to do one thing right.
She pushes herself out of the chair and glides past me until
she reaches the doorway, beckoning for me to follow.
As a chastity, I must surrender.
Time stretches out before me, the possibility of infinite
hours with this grief gouging itself into my heart. How many
hours are there in a lifetime?

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 Come, #630. We havent got all day, she says, and I nod
mutely.
As a chastity, I must be obedient.
I follow her out of the chastity quarters, past the garden
gate and through the cloisters. She stays very close to me, but she
need not be concerned. I will not try to run. Where could I go?
Darwin does not want me. megan would build my pyre with her
own hands. And isabel . . . my isabel, my isabel, my isabel, my
isabel.
We have reached our old classroom. I avoid looking at the
mirror-board.
Its time, #630, chastity-ruth tells me, pointing at the glass
coffin on the right-hand side of the chastitys desk. She takes her
eFone from the pocket of her dressing gown and presses a button,
the box lighting up immediately.
Time for what? I ask, but I step in anyway. I dont really
care what will happen to me now. The doors close and we stare
at one another through the panes of glass.
Time for you to finally be of use, she says as the elevator
descends into the bowels of the earth, maintaining eye contact
until she disappears behind a wall of steel.
The elevator keeps going down, further into the ground
than I have ever been outside of my most feverish nightmares.
The doors open into a room Ive never seen before, a waiting
room of sorts. Wrought-iron chairs, grey concrete floors, steel-
plated walls. A loud buzzer sounds and a red light above the
heavy steel door before me flashes.

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 The buzzer sounds again. I move towards it, almost involun-
tarily. The door handle is icy to the touch. I walk into a corridor.
Its dark, muted-yellow bulbs melting into the walls. The path
drops, the darkness deepening, swarming in to blind me, and I
have to hold on to the frosted wall for guidance until I see a crack
of light before me. Its seeping out from underneath a door and
I fumble towards it, patting the wall until I find the handle.
Inside, I blink in the dazzling white room, the edges cut
with steel. When my eyes adjust to the glare, I can see that its a
vast laboratory, about the same size as the Hall. One wall is made
up of steel shelves lined with clear glass jars. In each of them
what looks like a tiny chick-chick carcass is floating in fluid,
wrinkled and red-raw. Lining the other wall is a row of clear
boxes, each containing a naked sleeping woman. Theyre bald
too, held in a standing position by white belts secured around
their feet, waist and head. The left arm of each one is strapped
into a machine, red wires wrapped around their bodies like
bulging veins.
Ive been expecting you. A man approaches me. Hes
wearing the white cloak of the Engineers, a white mask covering
his face. Thick furry eyebrows are knitted together over pale
brown eyes. #630, isnt it?
I cant move.
Now, stop wasting time, girl. This is important. I stare at
him blankly. You want to help me with my research, dont you?
Dont you want to be of some use? He walks towards me, snap-
ping white gloves on. Snap. Snap.

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 I look at the naked bodies marinating in the clear containers.
Some of them look so familiar, evoking memories of high jinks
and raucous misbehaviour, dropped trays in the Nutrition
Centre, raised voices screaming at the chastities.
You know what we do with girls who break the rules, dont you?We
send them Underground. Do you want to go Underground, #630? Do
you?
I should be afraid, but all I can feel is the loss of her.
I heard about your friend. He inches closer to me. I do not
want to think about her. I am tired now. I am so very tired. This
wont hurt, I promise.You wont feel a thing.
Nothing?
Thats right, he says. You could say that it will feel like
nothing.
Is this how isabel felt before she jumped? Did she feel ready,
so very ready, for it all to be over?
I hold out my arm, offering myself to him. The needle sinks
into my skin, the liquid whispering, forget, forget, to my blood. I
can feel it burning through me, licking at my veins with thou-
sands of tongues.
I am ready now too.
I am ready to feel nothing, forever.

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4365.indd 391 09/05/14 8:06 PM
 Acknowledgements

None of this would have been possible without my parents, my

two favourite people in this world. I love you both more than
words can say.
I want to thank my sister Michelle for being as excited about
my novel as I was, if not more. I hope you know how much your
support has meant to me.
Ive been blessed with incredible family and friends, far too
many to list here. I must, however, mention Katie Grant, who
read the first three chapters and encouraged me to keep writing,
and who gave me a place to stay in London whenever I needed it.
Im equally indebted to Jonathan Self for his generosity, kindness
and advice.
Im so grateful to the team at Quercus for all of their hard
work. I was lucky enough to have a brilliant editor, Niamh
Mulvey, and Only Ever Yours is immeasurably better as a result of
her insightful notes.
Thanks also to George, Milly, Philippa, and all at the Capel
& Land agency, but especially to the lovely Rachel Conway.
Thank you, Rach, for understanding what I was trying to achieve
with this book from the very beginning.
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