Will held his breath. He wasn’t so sure how Bet or Ezra would react. Hadn’t they said that their own parents were taken because they were accused of being Binder smugglers? Bet’s wide eyes were directed toward her brother. At first he just stood there, tapping his finger against his tan pants. Then he nodded and smiled.

“This is great,” he said. “All this time, after Mom and Dad were taken I always wanted to find a smuggler. I wanted to believe that he didn’t have ‘em all, that the Emperor didn’t totally control all the Binders.”

Irene didn’t speak, so Will asked the question they both wanted answered.

“You’re not mad?”

“No.” Ezra ran his fingers through his hair. “Will, someone needs to get Binders to the people. My parents weren’t doing it, but it needs to be done. What the Emperor is doing… well, it isn’t fair.”

“People can’t support their Links,” Bet said. “Not at the prices that Binders are going for. A good group of Smugglers can keep it fair.”

“No.” Irene broke her silence. “We’re giving it up.”

“What?” Ezra’s eyes squinted and his head tilted the same way you might if the sun was too bright. “Why?”

“It’s too risky,” Irene said. “These Link Masters,” she waved her hand out toward the purple-hued field. “Do you think they were sent to get you or your sister? No. They came for him. They came from a tip from Murden.”

She saw the three of them react from the name.

“So you know him, huh?” she said. “He knows about us. Somehow he’s found out what we’re doing, and that—I believe—is why he was after you.”

“A bargaining chip?” Ezra was turning the idea over in his mind. “I figured he just wanted another Link or so for his collection. Will said he tried to take Swoop.”

It was Irene’s turn for surprise.

“Will?” she said. “You met Murden?”

“Yes, Mom. He was back at the cabin, right on the edge of the woods. He was the first to tell me about Swoop… said he’d take her for me since I didn’t know what to do.”

“You should never have left the house.”

“Well I did, Mom. I never meant to cause a problem. I… I just wanted to go outside. I wanted to see this bird, and I’m glad I did, otherwise I’d still be cooped up in our house.”

“Don’t you see the danger we’re in? We likely can’t even go back home.”

“Why?”

“Because, Will,” Irene didn’t even try to mask her irritation. “Murden knows where you live, and he knows what we’ve been doing. It’s all been compromised.”

“What if it hasn’t?” Ezra said.

“What do you mean.” Irene turned on him and glared.

Ezra hesitated, then continued slowly. “Bet and I have studied him for a while, and one thing that’s become clear, he’s not doing the Emperor’s work so faithfully. He’s in it for himself.”

“So?”

“So, if Murden found a real lead on a stash of Binders. I’d bet everything that he wouldn’t report it. Not at first, at least. See, as long as he felt he could keep it secret, I think he’d try and keep it for himself.”

“So what do we do?”

“Well…” Ezra didn’t seem to want to say what was in his head. “If you really want to turn it all around, I say we go after him. Let him know how it feels to be hunted.”