Among the Betrayed

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of physical abuse, emotional abuse, child abuse, and death. 

Nina observes the three children in the cell. They look ragged and are wearing dirty, stained clothes. They say their names are Matthias, Percy, and Alia. Matthias is 10, Percy is nine, and Alia, the only girl, is six. They all look small for their age. Nina feels troubled thinking about betraying a little girl like Alia. When Nina was her age, she was with her aunties who taught her to read; she still remembers their love. 

The children ask Nina her name but stop her from saying her real one because the Population Police might be listening. Nina says the Population Police is going to kill them anyway. Terrified, Alia insists they are innocent. Nina is perplexed, and for a moment, she wonders if the children are also working for the Population Police. She does not know how she can learn their secrets. She asks them how long they have been in prison, but they have lost track of time and say they have only eaten three times. She also asks about their arrest.