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This chapter begins with Jared interrogating Wanderer about the Seeker in the tiny cave used as her prison cell. He chooses to try to intimidate the information out of her by screaming and threatening her, but Ian gently tries to stop Jared and use a more gentle tact. “Can’t you see it’s too scared to talk. Leave it alone for a sec—”
Jared hits Ian twice, once out of anger and once as Ian tries to protect Wanderer from a punch. This upsets Wanderer: “It bothered me that someone else suffered for my silence – even someone who had once tried to kill me.” (No eye for an eye for this soul.)
Having neutralized Ian and cornered Wanderer, Jared repeats his question: “Who. Is. The. Seeker.” Wanderer finally answers, not out of fear but out of an urge to please Jared (which sickens her). Wanderer admits what we already know: the Seeker was assigned to Wanderer and was the reason she ran away to the caves. This shocks Jared and Ian: “But you’re one of them!”
Wanderer tries to appease Jared and Ian with just enough information, without giving too much away (e.g. that Melanie is still present). Wanderer is forced to tell her first lie ever which is not believed by either man. They continue to probe, however. Ian asks “Why isn’t this Seeker giving up like the rest?” Wanderer is quickly becoming exhausted by this questioning and replies: “I don’t know. She’s not other souls. She’s…annoying.” Wanderer wraps herself in a ball and the men decide to leave her alone.
Jared and Ian have a conversation right outside the cave which Wanderer can conveniently hear ever word of. Jared is convinced beyond a doubt that Wanderer is a Seeker, but Ian is not so sure: “She – it is the furthest thing from a Seeker I’ve ever seen.”
Ian is also the first human to show real sympathy for Wanderer: “I feel guilty – guilty as hell – watching her flinch away from us. Seeing the black marks on her neck.” Jared is deeply disturbed by Ian’s change of heart. Ian exits to go talk to Jeb while Jared paces around the exit to Wanderer’s cave/cell.
“Guilty,” he grumbled in scathing tones. “Letting it get to him. Just like Jeb, like Jamie. Can’t let this go on. Stupid to let it live.”
Wanderer falls asleep and awakens to Jeb coming to talk to Jared. Jared is obviously pissed at Jeb. When Jeb calls out a friendly greeting, Jared cocks the gun he is holding. Jeb says someone needs to go on a big supply run and although Jared doesn’t want to go, he finally realizes he’s the only one up for the job. Jeb promises to look in on Wanderer when he can, but Jared doubts that she’ll last long.
Wanderer and Melanie realize that Jared has given up on saving them; that he has decided to let mob justice run its course while he is gone and if she is dead when he returns, he will not mourn for her. “I knew the human exaggeration for sorrow – a broken heart.” And it wasn’t just ripping, but twisting and pulling in different directions. Because Melanie’s heart broke, too, and it was a separate sensation, as if we’d grown another organ to compensate for our twin awarenesses. A double heart for a double mind. Twice the pain.
Wanderer and Melanie are certain they will never see Jared again. They listen to his retreating footsteps and then sob into their hands.
