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warm.”
    Wilson sighed and rubbed his eyes with one hand. “You’re asking Jack to kill himself.”
    “Hundreds of young and old will die in the wastes if we leave,” said Simpson. “He’s just one man.”
    “Who’s kept us alive for hundreds of years,” said Wilson. “He’s been buried in the Tombs since the days of the Founders. Alone. His family dead. Any given morning he could have decided our lives weren’t worth saving. And you know what? On that morning none of us would wake up.”
    “You’re too close to him,” said Hausen. “I’ve spent my life in the workshop keeping all of us stocked with crossbows and knives that don’t snap. I’ve spent my life protecting the valley too. I’m not going to throw that away!”
    Father Reed stood from the meeting table. “Stop it, Dan! No one’s asking you to.”
    “We’re here to talk about options,” said Wilson.
    Hausen shook his head. “Run away from everything and suddenly everyone thinks you’re a hero. Well, you’re not. You want to look into the eyes my wife and children and tell them we have to leave? Abandon everything and scrounge for food like the vultures outside this valley? You’re a child with dreams in his eyes.”
    Wilson stood up, a hand on his knife. “I’m not afraid of you.”
    Reed cracked his cane on the table. “Stop it, both of you. When the Circle gets here you’ll have more than enough chances to prove who’s a man.”
    “The Circle, this group you’ve talked about,” said Hausen. “They destroyed one village––David, where the refugees came from. They don’t sound dangerous to me but let’s say they are. That’s another reason to stay in the valley. We’ll never find another place this well-defended.”
    “A falling tree kills the unwary,” said Yishai.
    “Or the stupid,” said Wilson. “Winter is approaching and they won’t march before spring. Even after the snow melts they may not come this far west.”
    “It’s possible,” said Yishai. “Much depends on who leads the army. I’ve fought the Circle a few times over the years. Among them are a handful of shrewd fighters who strike fast and when you do not expect it.”
    “Then we must prepare,” said Father Reed. “Hausen, work on a defense plan for the perimeter as far as two kilometers out. You’ve got your men plus Simpson and his hunters.”
    “Got it,” said Hausen.
    “Chefa Yishai, I want your men to build defenses in the valley proper and up to the pass. I want a plan by tomorrow. If the Circle enters the valley we can’t just give up.”
    The large man nodded.
    “Wilson has been training a group in the implant techniques and I want him to continue. Garcia will be coordinating supplies. See him for any requests apart from manpower needs, which will go through Zhang. Any questions?”
    “Yes,” said Simpson. “Why are only youngsters getting trained in the new tricks?”
    “Teenagers learn the fastest,” said Wilson. “Their brains are more receptive to the implant connections. Adults don’t learn as quickly, and the documents I have don’t say why. My best guess is that the implants have only been in the body of a teenager for a few years––since Passing at age twelve––so the nerve receptors are still growing.”
    “I see.”
    Father Reed lifted his hand. “If that’s everything, gentlemen ...”
    “But we haven’t resolved the main problem,” said Wilson. “Jack.”
    “That’s my responsibility,” said Reed.
    “God save us if we have to leave Station,” said Simpson.
    Reed grimaced and stared at each face around the table. “Whether He saves us or not, we plan for everything. Including failure.”
     
    WILSON LEFT the rectory. As he climbed the steps to the surface he heard voices from the plaza. Probably finishing the wedding clean-up, he thought.
    A red-haired teenager stumbled into Wilson and almost knocked him down the rectory steps.
    “Watch it, Robb!”
    The teenager grabbed Wilson’s sleeve.