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he saw the officer's blue eyes narrow and his mouth harden into a distrustful line. And Matthias couldn't help watch' ing the gun. The officer wasn't pointing it toward the woods anymore. He had the barrel turned almost casually toward Matthias.
The only thing Matthias could think of was the story Mrs. Talbot had concocted.
    "I was on my way to join the Population Police," Matthias squeaked.
The officer laughed, giving off a great guffaw that seemed to roar through the entire car.
    "You? What are you—six? Seven? Eight? Granted, I've been away from headquarters for a while, but last time I checked, we weren't signing up kindergartners."
Matthias drew himself up to his full height, which admittedly wasn't much.
"I'm thirteen," he said in what he hoped was a dignified voice. He didn't know why he picked that age—he didn't know if the Population Police were any more likely to accept thirteen-year-olds than eleven-year-olds, the age he'd given the last time anyone had asked, back at Niedler School. But he felt like he'd aged a lot in the last few days. He felt thirteen.
It was an unlucky number, after all.
The Population Police officer was studying Matthias's face.
"My apologies, then," he muttered. He stopped the car and turned to face Matthias directly. The gun went back down to his side. "Who am I to question the young man who saved my life? I can't imagine any better start to a Population Police career than the one you just had. In fact, I'll induct you right now. What's your name?"
Matthias had to struggle to remember the name on the fake I.D. he'd taken from the safe in the cabin.
"Uh, Roger Symmes," he said.
"Well, then, Roger Symmes, I hereby inaugurate you into the grand tradition of the Population Police. I believe you're already in line for a medal for meritorious service. Congratulations." He reached over and shook Matthias's hand. And, for a final touch, he took off his own official Population Police cap and settled it on Matthias's head. It was much too large and slipped down, almost entirely covering his eyes.
And Matthias, in the midst of still praying, Oh, God, pro tect Alia, oh, God, protect Percy, had to force himself not to flinch at the touch of the Population Police officer, of the Population Police cap.
Oh, God, can you protect me, too? he wondered.
    Chapter Sixteen
The Population Police officer seemed to have satisfied all his doubts about Matthias now. He tucked his gun away out of sight before pressing his foot down on the accelerator again.
"My name's Tidwell, by the way," the officer said. "Friends call me Tiddy."'
"Tiddy"? Matthias thought. The big, fierce Population Police officer goes by "Tiddy"?
Without his official cap, Tiddy looked younger, almost boyish himself. His blond hair was cut very short, with razor-sharp precision, and his uniform was still crisply pressed, even after the march through the woods and the surprise attack. But he didn't have the cold, steely-eyed look of all the other Population Police Matthias had ever seen.
"Um, Tiddy?" Matthias asked. "Where are we going?"
    "Back to HQ," Tiddy said. "Headquarters. You'll get your assignment—further assignment, I should say—and I'll put in orders for those reinforcements." He was silent for a minute, then added, "Wish you'd been able to save Hathaway, Grimes, and Sully, too."
Matthias guessed he meant the other three Population Police, the men who had died in the first hail of gunfire.
"Were they your friends?" Matthias asked.
"Yes," Tiddy said softly, his eyes carefully trained on the road ahead. "They were."
    It was strange for Matthias to think of Tiddy, a Population Police officer, missing his friends just as Matthias was worrying about Percy and Alia.
"You should know," Tiddy went on, so quietly that he almost seemed to be talking to himself, "being in the Population Police is a dangerous business. It's not just about privileges and promotions. We're serving the cause and ... not everybody understands."
"The cause?" Matthias