“Winston, did you see what just happened?” Frypan asked, looking incredulous. “Gally’s psycho. You can’t put too much stock in his rambling nonsense. What, you think Thomas here is a Griever in disguise?”
Council rules or no Council rules, Thomas had finally had enough. He couldn’t stay silent another second.
“Can I say something now?” he asked, frustration raising the volume of his voice. “I’m sick of you guys talking about me like I’m not here.”
Newt glanced up at him and nodded. “Go ahead. This bloody meetin’ can’t be much more screwed up.”
Thomas quickly gathered his thoughts, grasping for the right words inside the swirling cloud of frustration, confusion and anger in his mind. “I don’t know why Gally hates me. I don’t care. He seems psychotic to me. As for who I really am, you all know just as much as I do. But if I remember correctly, we’re here because of what I did out in the Maze, not because some idiot thinks I’m evil.”
Someone snickered and Thomas quit talking, hoping he’d gotten his point across.
Newt nodded, looking satisfied. “Good that. Let’s get this meeting over with and worry about Gally later.”
“We can’t vote without all the members here,” Winston insisted. “Unless they’re really sick, like Alby.”
“For the love, Winston,” Newt replied. “I’d say Gally’s a wee bit ill today, too, so we continue without him. Thomas, defend yourself and then we’ll take the vote on what we should do with you.”
Thomas realized his hands were squeezed up into fists on his lap. He relaxed them and wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. Then he began, not sure of what he’d say before the words came out.
“I didn’t do anything wrong. All I know is I saw two people struggling to get inside these walls and they couldn’t make it. To ignore that because of some stupid rule seemed selfish, cowardly, and … well, stupid. If you want to throw me in jail for trying to save someone’s life, then go ahead. Next time I promise I’ll point at them and laugh, then go eat some of Frypan’s dinner.”
Thomas wasn’t trying to be funny. He was just dumbfounded that the whole thing could even be an issue.
“Here’s my recommendation,” Newt said. “You broke our bloody Number One Rule, so you get one day in the Slammer. That’s your punishment. I also recommend we elect you as a Runner, effective the second this meeting’s over. You’ve proven more in one night than most trainees do in weeks. As for you being the buggin’ Keeper, forget it.” He looked over at Minho. “Gally was right on that count—stupid idea.”
The comment hurt Thomas’s feelings, even though he couldn’t disagree. He looked to Minho for his reaction.
The Keeper didn’t seem surprised, but argued all the same. “Why? He’s the best we have—I swear it. The best should be the Keeper.”
“Fine,” Newt responded. “If that’s true, we’ll make the change later. Give it a month and see if he proves himself.”
Minho shrugged. “Good that.”
Thomas quietly sighed in relief. He still wanted to be a Runner—which surprised him, considering what he’d just gone through out in the Maze—but becoming the Keeper right away sounded ridiculous.
Newt glanced around the room. “Okay, we had several recommendations, so let’s give it a go-round—”
“Oh, come on,” Frypan said. “Just vote. I vote for yours.”
“Me too,” Minho said.
Everyone else chimed in their approval, filling Thomas with relief and a sense of pride. Winston was the only one to say no.
Newt looked at him. “We don’t need your vote, but tell us what’s bonkin’ around your brain.”
Winston gazed at Thomas carefully, then back to Newt. “It’s fine with me, but we shouldn’t totally ignore what Gally said. Something about it—I don’t think he just made it up. And it’s true that ever since Thomas got here, everything’s been shucked and screwy.”
“Fair enough,” Newt said. “Everyone put some thought into it—maybe when we get right nice and bored we can have another Gathering to talk about it. Good that?”
Winston nodded.
Thomas groaned at how invisible he’d become. “I love how you guys are just talking about me like I’m not here.”
“Look, Tommy,” Newt said. “We just elected you as a buggin’ Runner. Quit your cryin’ and get out of here. Minho has a lot of training to give you.”
It hadn’t really hit Thomas until then. He was going to be a Runner, explore the Maze. Despite everything, he felt a shiver of excitement; he was sure they could avoid getting trapped out there at night again. Maybe he’d had his one and only turn of bad luck. “What about my punishment?”
“Tomorrow,” Newt answered. “The wake-up till sunset.”
One day, Thomas thought. That won’t be so bad.
The meeting was dismissed and everyone except Newt and Minho left the room in a hurry. Newt hadn’t moved from his chair, where he sat jotting notes. “Well, that was good times,” he murmured.
Minho walked over and playfully punched Thomas in the arm. “It’s all this shank’s fault.”
Thomas punched him back. “Keeper? You want me to be Keeper? You’re nuttier than Gally by a long shot.”
Minho faked an evil grin. “Worked, didn’t it? Aim high, hit low. Thank me later.”