“I was always proud of it,” said Annae. “Ignoring the directions. I felt like I’d passed a special test. Like I was the only girl smart enough to see it: you don’t have to believe what people say. I knew that if I disobeyed just right, I’d get a special stamp of approval from a hidden authority, just for me.” “Oh,” said Ariel, and winced a little. “I know.” “Marec and I were just like that.” Ariel finally put his drink down and sat there looking at her with a face of blank distress. “It opens us up to all sorts of exploitation—not that the exploitation is your fault.”
