Jonas awoke to find the morning meal set by his bed. He sat up eagerly and consumed it in minutes. Once he was ready, he headed back down to the lobby to ask Lily about the different "sights" in the community. He didn't really need to, but asking her about the community would be the quickest way to learn about the changes.
Lily spotted him and waved him over the moment he set foot in the lobby. She looked tired, but was still cheerful as she greeted him and asked about his night. Jonas answered with an easy smile, happy to be talking with his sister. She excused herself briefly to fetch a steaming cup of tea.
"If you don't mind me asking, didn't you sleep at all last night?" Jonas inquired politely.
Lily shook her head, yawning hugely. "No, some members of Law Enforcement came by early this morning. I wasn't able to go back to sleep, so I've been up for a while."
Jonas made a sound of sympathy, but couldn't help asking, "Law Enforcement?" That was a new term.
"Oh, right," Lily said. "I forgot that you're new here. It's just that you remind me of somebody that I used to know."
"Is that so?" Jonas muttered. Maybe the Ceremony of Loss hadn't taken away all her memories of him.
"Yes, but it was such a long time ago, I don't remember his name," Lily sighed ruefully. "Anyway, in the community, we have groups of people who do different things, like Food Distribution and Maintenance. There's a new group called Law Enforcement. They patrol the community and make sure everyone is peaceful, but don't really do much."
"So why did they come here?"
"It's a bit of a routine," she replied. "They ask me if I've seen anyone suspicious or dangerous because strangers to the community usually come here first."
"And there's no one like that here, is there?" Jonas pressed anxiously. It sounded like Law Enforcement had been created after his escape – whether because of him or the memories he had left behind, he didn't know.
Lily shook her head and took a gulp of hot tea. He relaxed, then asked a question that he had been thinking about. "What group do you fit into?"
She looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"
"You said that there groups like Food Distribution. Which group do you belong to?"
"Well, I work on my own," she answered. "A while ago – it must have been years and years – something...happened in the community. I couldn't describe it to you if I had a million years, but the whole place just changed. Anyway, a little after that, we started to accept strangers, just like you, to stay in the community. For those people who only came to visit, this place, this inn was built. When I was old enough to get my Assignment – that's like a job – I decided to come here. I just love to listen to travelers' stories. Which reminds me, I haven't heard yours yet."
Jonas laughed. More than anything else, this love of stories seemed to prove that this woman really was his younger sister. "I come from a place called the Village," he started, and smiled when she leaned forward eagerly, all traces of exhaustion erased. "It's not much, really. But just like here, we all pitch in somehow."
"So what do you do?" Lily asked. Jonas paused.
"I give advice," he finally said. "It took me a long time to reach the Village, so when I got there, I knew a lot."
Lily was amazed. "Wow. So you're like the leader."
He grinned. "Yes, exactly."
"Why did you come here?" she asked. "I guess you just wanted some adventure?" Jonas nodded. "But there are other communities around. Why here?"
"I thought I'd go to the end of the road first and then visit the rest of the communities on my way back," Jonas fibbed. On his way, he'd hardly noticed the other communities unless he was running low on food. Lily only nodded and began to tell him of the different places within the city, all of which Jonas already knew, but pretended otherwise. He thanked her and set out. His first stop was his own dwelling, or as he told Lily, the House of Old. Both were in the same direction from the inn, so he could "get lost" on his way to the House of Old and stumble upon the dwellings that he once lived in.
His old dwelling looked exactly the same as it had twenty years before. The only difference was that the bicycles in the dwelling ports bore different names. It felt strange to Jonas to know that strangers were eating and sleeping exactly where he used to; whenever he had thought of his old dwelling, he only imagined his sister and parents occupying it. But that was the way the community worked, giving new family units the houses of the old ones.
The House of Old looked unchanged as well. Jonas went inside to speak with the receptionist, pretending once again to be a traveller. He told her that he was curious about the different methods each community used with regards to its citizens. Among many trivial bits of information, Jonas did learn that Release was only used when necessary, if the Old requested it or was medically examined and found to be in ill health. He found himself thinking about the burial of the sick grand-parent he had attended, back in the Village, and whether his citizens would sanction Release.
Over the next two days, Jonas passed by his school, his old friends' houses, Lily's old daycare and the Birthing Centre. He saw evidence of change in each place, most notably in the Birthing Centre. Already close to the daycare, the two facilities had been merged. Births were being allowed in families now, with the Birthing Centre used only if a couple were unable to conceive. Though the technology was still new, it was also possible now to choose which sorts of traits the Newchild might have. So far, Jonas learned, these traits had to come from the parents themselves, but the creators of the new technology were hoping to expand the selection beyond what the parents might have. That meant that most everyone in the community still had dark-coloured eyes; Jonas could see now that most people had brown eyes. His own, he had discovered just that morning when looking into a mirror in the inn, were a light blue. Compared to the dark eyes around him, he felt that they had a bit of an unearthly quality to them. Even in the Village, he and Gabriel were the only ones to have such oddly coloured eyes.
Another three days passed with Jonas wandering aimlessly about the community. He didn't feel quite ready to leave yet, but there was nothing more for him to see. He spent most of his time either talking to Lily or walking up and down the river.
When Jonas's restlessness reached its peak on the eighth day, he decided to make one last visit: to the Annex. Knowing that the Giver was already old when Jonas left, he hadn't thought that there would be anything interesting in the old man's quarters. After all, there was no more need for a Receiver of Memory. But Jonas felt that he couldn't leave until he knew for sure.
He felt nervous and rather like an intruder as he quietly slipped in the door. There was no receptionist, as he'd suspected, and the desk was a little dusty. But he was surprised to find that the door leading to the Giver's room was locked. He stared up at it, feeling frustrated and annoyed, and placed his hands on the door to give it a good, if hopeless, shove. He froze when he heard the sharp voice behind him.
"The door is locked."
Jonas turned slowly to see a young woman staring guardedly at him with light green eyes. Her sleek dark hair was bound tightly behind her head, making prominent her angular cheekbones and chin. She reminded Jonas of one of the hunting birds he had seen from the Giver's memories – what were they called? Raptors? Whatever they were called, both they and the woman in front of Jonas looked fierce.
"I – I know," he stammered in reply.
"Then why were you trying to push it open?" Though she was younger than him, Jonas felt like cowering and blabbering apologies. She hadn't blinked once as she stared him down.
"I just wanted to see what was inside," he said feebly. It was true, but he didn't think she would let him in. He wasn't wrong.
She replied, "There is nothing of importance inside."
"Why bother locking it then?" He knew instantly it was the wrong thing to say. Her eyes narrowed dangerously.
"What is your business here?" she asked coolly. "If you are lost, allow me to give you directions to your destination."
Jonas shook his head. "No, I'm a – a tourist."
"Is that so?" she looked at him disbelievingly. "A strange place for a visitor, don't you think? This musty place is a poor representative of the community. May I recommend more satisfactory sights?"
Feeling it would be a wise time to tell part of the truth, Jonas picked his next words carefully. "As a matter of fact, I heard tell of a strange man living here. I heard that...he could see things...and hear things beyond what – what normal people can." It was the closest he could come to describing the Giver to a stranger. How could he explain the transfer of memories, and the perceiving of new concepts and words?
The female stepped back. Jonas could see her body tensing as if she was preparing for a violent confrontation. He braced himself.
"Who are you?" Her voice became hostile. "Tell me!"
"I – my name's Jonas," he replied quickly. At this point, he figured that he was in trouble whether or not this person knew his real name.
"Jonas?" she whispered wonderingly. She stepped closer, but Jonas could see that the fight had left her body. Suddenly, a sharp pain between his legs made him drop to the ground, moaning in pain. He felt her pull back his eyelids momentarily. Jonas opened his watery eyes when he felt her release him and take a step back. Now defenceless, he could only wait to see what she might do.
A hand entered his field of view. Startled, he looked up to see the female's own pale eyes shining with tears, a timid, awed smile on her face.
"I am Katharine," she said. "Welcome back, Jonas, Receiver of Memory."