The Masters of Hope

"Well," Essa thought for a few seconds, "as a matter of fact, there was residue left on the table--uh, that should have been cleared away." She didn't want to tell them that there had been two small ridges of ashes where bodies would have lain, once the laser had done its job. But Raeban persisted, "But I saw them. It was that Surgical Master and the healing assistant that were up in the operating room this morning." He looked at Essa with a confused, worried look. "The gardener had left the potting shed before we did. We thought for sure he had seen us, but he just walked through to the back room and left." He continued not really asking anybody in particular. "Do you suppose he came back and did the job after we left?" Essa brought them all back to the present, "No matter who they were and when they were lasered, we just need to get out of here before someone comes along." Essa started to push the stretcher out again but Raeban held her back. "Do you think that Master Svene went and did the job when he left the laundry room?" "Raeban I don't know, and I don't see why this would affect what we do now." Essa tried to understand what Raeban was leading to. "Don't you see," Raeban explained, "if Master Svene went to the potting shed he must have still been looking for us. He knows that there is a way in from the back room and he had expected us to be running to the potting shed to get out, not to be coming inside. And he knew that the Surgical Master and healing assistant were there. He must have sent them there himself, so he decided to finish the job when he didn't find us there. Now I wander if he thinks we're still in here." The last comment gave them all a jolt. "But Raeban, I saw him leave the building. He was headed back to the Cleansing Quarters: probably to go to bed." Essa tried to make sense of all that had been going on. She knew what happened to people that didn't conform to the expected standards but she didn't think that any of the Masters and healing assistants would just be exterminated especially Surgical Master Raun. He was such a kind and caring man. Essa didn't know who the healing assistant was but she was still shocked with the knowledge that her colleagues were now gone. "Raeban, I'm afraid that Master Svene really means to do all of us harm now. But what do you think we should do?" Essa felt that Raeban should set the course. Since all their lives were in jeopardy if they fell into the Master's hands, Raeban seemed to possess the best instincts with respect to evading the Master's path. She felt confident that he would think of something soon. "I have an idea." Raeban had been pacing then he stopped. "Essa, you call the Cleansing Quarters and ask to speak to Master Svene. Tell him something urgent came up and that you needed his advice. Then we would know for sure that he was there so we could make our escape. You're going to have to think of something really important but nothing too drastic to make him come running back here--I got it! You can tell him that you needed the Surgical Master but couldn't find him. He wouldn't come back then, since he already knew what had happened to the Surgical Master. What do you think, can you do it?" Raeban was excited now and he wanted to get going. Essa looked beaten, "Sure Raeban but, I'm sorry, where could we all possibly go? No matter where we hide there is nowhere in the Compound where we won't be found. We can hide here and there but eventually they'll find us. I don't see anyway out of this." "Look Essa, there is a way out." Raeban spoke gently to his mother. There is even a conveyance that can hold more than two people. We could all get to where the conveyance is housed and leave the compound. I had even received a message from White that he was at the Cleansing Quarters and that he thought we were in danger. So, you see, we have to get out of here and we know how. We just have to get out of the building, follow the tunnel to the Cleansing Quarters then take the conveyance out of the compound. We can do it. I know we can."