eager for it, you could say. We use to have buildings for incarceration in which people who were accused of a crime would languish.”
“What do you mean ‘languish’?” Sybil asked.
“They didn’t do anything!” Peter squeaked, incredulous at the idea. “There, there, was a point, yes, when we would have them do manual labor, but that was done away with!”
“Why?” Sybil asked. Peter ignored her and continued. He had forgotten exactly why manual labor was stopped for prisoners. He was ten minutes late, in any case, and couldn’t stop for many questions anyhow.
“After the Purge, we found that there were people who weren’t incarcerated who were capable of horrible crimes. There are certain risk factors, it turns out, that, uh, makes it possible to tell whether someone will commit a crime.”
“You know Professor Wright? I was telling you about her last week. She was found to be a Would, as we call it. Officially, they are called Persons with Definite Intent. Meaning, uh, these are people who will definitely commit a crime.”
“How could you not know Professor?” Sybil asked. He expected to meet her usual intense gaze, but instead she looked at him pathetically. He seemed nothing like a person who would engage himself in any of that horrible activity. Sybil’s look was a reassuring one for Peter.
“Well, uh, Woulds are a tricky people. They’re one step away from actual Convicts, you know! And we rarely have convicts anymore, thanks to the D.A.E. Woulds pretty much are convicts. They’re sneaky and manipulative. They try to hide their true nature so that they can commit their crimes unnoticed. Professor Wright is, without a doubt, a manipulative and evil person. She just didn’t commit whatever crime she was capable of committing.”
“So, you didn’t go to her trial as her Defense?” This voice came from the back of the classroom. Giselle Harmon hardly ever spoke during class. She got good grades, but Peter had always assumed that she was just shy. Her face was quite defiant now, and as far away from shy as possible. She had loose, blonde curls that framed her face into a sort of haphazard pattern. Her very thin lips were drawn in a line across her face under a pebble of a nose. She had downward drooping eyes that gave her a perpetual lost dog look.
“Of course not!” Peter insisted.
“Why not? Your testimony might have swayed the D.A.E. to let her go.”
“She’s a Would! Why would I defend a Would? We all know that she would have eventually committed a crime, and then I would be as guilty as she is. We have to protect our communities from dangerous people like that. It’s how we keep the peace.”
“You were dating her for a few months, though, professor. Did you find Professor Wright to be capable of committing a crime?”
Peter swallowed, hard. “I…Well…It was not up to me to decide. She—“
“If not you then who?” Giselle cut in. “The D.A.E. didn’t know Professor Wright. They don’t really know any of us. They definitely didn’t know my father, and they dragged him away and said he was a Could.”
“Well,” Peter began again, “Coulds are a little different. They could potentially cause harm to others. They are handled differently. Technically, they’re called Persons with Possible Intent. They can be rehabilitated.”
“I heard they’re sacking the Coulds just like they are the Woulds now,” said a boy. Peter thought his name might be Oliver. “They’re getting the same punishment. D.A. E. says they’re as much of a threat because they still have the capability, see?”
“I’ve…I’ve…I’ve heard no such thing,” Peter said. “The D.A.E. always has everyone’s best, uh, best interest at heart. I’m sure if there’s a reason for them to—“
“What reason, exactly would that be, Professor?” There Giselle went again. “You know, my father was dragged away last month under suspicion of being a Could.” The student sitting to
“What do you mean ‘languish’?” Sybil asked.
“They didn’t do anything!” Peter squeaked, incredulous at the idea. “There, there, was a point, yes, when we would have them do manual labor, but that was done away with!”
“Why?” Sybil asked. Peter ignored her and continued. He had forgotten exactly why manual labor was stopped for prisoners. He was ten minutes late, in any case, and couldn’t stop for many questions anyhow.
“After the Purge, we found that there were people who weren’t incarcerated who were capable of horrible crimes. There are certain risk factors, it turns out, that, uh, makes it possible to tell whether someone will commit a crime.”
“You know Professor Wright? I was telling you about her last week. She was found to be a Would, as we call it. Officially, they are called Persons with Definite Intent. Meaning, uh, these are people who will definitely commit a crime.”
“How could you not know Professor?” Sybil asked. He expected to meet her usual intense gaze, but instead she looked at him pathetically. He seemed nothing like a person who would engage himself in any of that horrible activity. Sybil’s look was a reassuring one for Peter.
“Well, uh, Woulds are a tricky people. They’re one step away from actual Convicts, you know! And we rarely have convicts anymore, thanks to the D.A.E. Woulds pretty much are convicts. They’re sneaky and manipulative. They try to hide their true nature so that they can commit their crimes unnoticed. Professor Wright is, without a doubt, a manipulative and evil person. She just didn’t commit whatever crime she was capable of committing.”
“So, you didn’t go to her trial as her Defense?” This voice came from the back of the classroom. Giselle Harmon hardly ever spoke during class. She got good grades, but Peter had always assumed that she was just shy. Her face was quite defiant now, and as far away from shy as possible. She had loose, blonde curls that framed her face into a sort of haphazard pattern. Her very thin lips were drawn in a line across her face under a pebble of a nose. She had downward drooping eyes that gave her a perpetual lost dog look.
“Of course not!” Peter insisted.
“Why not? Your testimony might have swayed the D.A.E. to let her go.”
“She’s a Would! Why would I defend a Would? We all know that she would have eventually committed a crime, and then I would be as guilty as she is. We have to protect our communities from dangerous people like that. It’s how we keep the peace.”
“You were dating her for a few months, though, professor. Did you find Professor Wright to be capable of committing a crime?”
Peter swallowed, hard. “I…Well…It was not up to me to decide. She—“
“If not you then who?” Giselle cut in. “The D.A.E. didn’t know Professor Wright. They don’t really know any of us. They definitely didn’t know my father, and they dragged him away and said he was a Could.”
“Well,” Peter began again, “Coulds are a little different. They could potentially cause harm to others. They are handled differently. Technically, they’re called Persons with Possible Intent. They can be rehabilitated.”
“I heard they’re sacking the Coulds just like they are the Woulds now,” said a boy. Peter thought his name might be Oliver. “They’re getting the same punishment. D.A. E. says they’re as much of a threat because they still have the capability, see?”
“I’ve…I’ve…I’ve heard no such thing,” Peter said. “The D.A.E. always has everyone’s best, uh, best interest at heart. I’m sure if there’s a reason for them to—“
“What reason, exactly would that be, Professor?” There Giselle went again. “You know, my father was dragged away last month under suspicion of being a Could.” The student sitting to
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