Chapter 16 Chapter 16 The Moving Wall

Thomas spent the morning "working to death" with the garden keeper, as Newt liked to describe it.During Ben's isolation, Zater—a tall, dark-haired man—had been standing in front of the lookout pole, reeking of sour milk for some reason.He said little, except to show Thomas the ivy ropes when he was able to work alone.Weeding, pruning apricot trees, sowing zucchini seeds, picking vegetables - he doesn't like these jobs, and he actively ignores the people around him when he is busy, but the degree of disgust is far less than what he did for Winston when he was in the house of blood. thing.

While weeding a long row of corn saplings with Zaat, Thomas thought it would be a good time to ask questions. "So, Zat..." he began. The guardian looked up at him, and then went back to work.The kid had glassy eyes and a long face—and bored for some reason. "What's the matter, rookie, what do you want to do?" "How many guardians are there in total?" Thomas asked pretending to be careless, "What kind of work can they do?" "Well, there are builders, handymen, baggers, cooks, mapmakers, doctors, load bearers, blood housemen. Of course, there are also walkers. There may be other types of work, I don't know very well. Most of my I’m always alone, busy with my own business.”

Some types of work can be known by just looking at the name, but there are a few Thomas who don't know what they are doing. "What's the handyman for?" He knew that's what Chuck did, but Chuck never brought it up, even resisted talking about his job. "Boys who can't do anything else do this—clean the toilets, clean the baths, wipe the kitchen, clean the house of blood after the kill, whatever. I promise you, you don't want to spend a day with these bastards. Get back to that job." Thomas couldn't help but feel guilty for Chuck and feel sorry for him.The kid was trying so hard to be everyone's friend, but no one seemed to like him or even notice that he was there.Yes, he was fussy and talkative, but it was his presence that made Thomas happy.

"Where's the load bearer?" Thomas asked as he pulled out a thick blade of grass, bringing out a lot of mud. Zate cleared his throat and continued to work while answering. "They do all the hard work in the garden, digging ditches and stuff. The rest of the time they do a little bit of other work. In fact, a lot of gladeers work more than one job, has anyone ever told you that?" Thomas ignored his question, decided to get as many answers as possible, and kept asking him questions. "Where are the baggers? I know they take care of the dead, but they can't be that many dead, can they?"

"These guys are the weirdest crowd. They work a bit like guards, a bit like cops. But people like to call them baggers. I had a fun day, bro." Speaking of which, Zater snickered stand up.It was the first time Thomas had heard that he had done the job—even if it was a guess, it was highly likely. Thomas had a lot of questions on his mind, too many, and Chuck and the rest of the clearing didn't want to give him any answers. Fortunately, I met Zat, who seemed willing to talk.But suddenly, Thomas didn't want to talk.Somehow, the girl jumped into his mind again, completely out of his expectation.Then he thought of Ben, and of the dead Griever.It should be a good thing that the ghost fire beast is dead, but everyone's performance is not like this.

What a mess his new life is. He took a deep, long breath.Do your job, he thought.He got down to work. It was late afternoon, and Thomas was too tired to just collapse—bending over and kneeling in the dirt all day, it was a really frustrating job.Oh, and thinking of the house of blood and the so-called vegetable garden, his mood was even worse. Walker, he thought during the break, let me be a walker.Suddenly he found that his desire was very strong, so strong that he felt absurd.He didn't understand it, he didn't know why he had the thought, it was just the feeling he couldn't get rid of - the same for the girl.He shook his head, putting these thoughts aside for the time being.

He was tired and limp, and walked to the kitchen to get something to eat and drink.Although he just had lunch two hours ago, he can still eat another big meal at this time, maybe eating a pig. He took a bite of the apple, walked over to Chuck, and sat down.Newt was there, but he sat alone, ignoring those around him.His eyes were red and his brow was deeply lined.Thomas watched as Newt bit his finger—the big boy had never done that before. Chuck noticed something was wrong with Newt and asked Thomas what was on his mind. "What's wrong with him?" he asked in a low voice. "It looks exactly like your expression when you were sent out of the transfer box."

"How would I know?" Thomas responded. "Why don't you just ask him?" "I can hear every word you say," Newt said loudly. "No wonder everyone hates sleeping next to you bastards." Thomas felt like he'd been caught stealing, but he was really in a hurry. The—Newt was one of the few people in the clearing he liked. "What's wrong with you?" Chuck asked. "No offense, but you do look like you've been beaten." "It's all because of all the wonderful creatures in this world." He replied, and then he became stunned and remained silent for a long time.Just as Thomas was about to ask another question, urging Newt to speak, he spoke again. "The girl who came out of the transfer box kept moaning, and all the strange words came out of her mouth, but she just couldn't wake up. The doctor tried to feed her, but she ate less and less. I told Tell me, there's something wrong with her."

Thomas looked down at the apple in his hand and took a bite.The apple was sour—he realized he was starting to worry about the girl, about her well-being, and it felt like he already knew her. Newt let out a long sigh. "Whatever, it's not something that really bothers me." "What's that?" Chuck asked. Thomas leaned forward, his curiosity distracting him from the girl for a moment. Newt looked towards an exit of the maze, narrowing his eyes. "Alby and Minho," he murmured, "they should have been back an hour ago." Before Thomas could react, the work started again, and he pulled up the weeds again, counting down the clock while working.His eyes turned to Simon from time to time, keeping a close eye on Alby and Minho, and Newt's worry also affected him.

Newt said they were supposed to be back at noon, there was plenty of time to check on the Griever's body, an hour or two would be enough, and they would come back when they were done.But the two of them haven't come back until now, no wonder he has a sad face.Chuck said maybe they were still out exploring and had something interesting happen to them, and Newt gave him a long, stern look.Thomas watched from the side, feeling that those eyes could set Chuck on fire. He'll never forget the look on Newt's face that followed.Thomas asked why Newt and the others didn't just go straight into the maze to find their friends, and Newt's face suddenly filled with horror—sunken cheeks, sallow.After a while, when his expression returned to normal, he explained that sending search teams abroad is strictly prohibited, and doing so will only lead to more missing people, but the expression of fear on his face is beyond doubt.

Newt is afraid of mazes. Whatever the outside world had done to him—perhaps something to do with his chronically ill ankle—it had been terrible and far-reaching. Thomas tried to control his thoughts so that he could not think too much and focus on pulling the weeds. The atmosphere at dinner that day was very serious and sombre - nothing to do with the food itself.Frypan and his cooks cooked up a feast of steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, and hot rolls.Thomas quickly understood that Frypan's culinary skills were a joke.Usually everyone eats what they have, and asks for more after eating.But today, people are like the resurrected dead. After eating their last meal, they will be sent to hell to be with the devil. The walkers came back on time, they entered the clearing in batches, and Newt scurried from door to door, making no secret of his panic—Thomas watched all of this.It's just that Alby and Minho never showed up.Newt ordered everyone to continue eating and eat the dinner provided by Frypan. He would stand and watch closely, waiting for the two who hadn't returned for a long time.No one spoke, but everyone understood, even Thomas knew that time was running out, and the door would close soon. Reluctantly, Thomas joined the other kids, obeying orders, and sat with Chuck and Winston at the south picnic table for dinner.He barely ate a few mouthfuls and couldn't take it anymore. "They haven't come back and I'm sitting here. I can't take it." He dropped the fork into the plate. "I'm going to wait by the door with Newt." He stood up and walked out. As expected, Chuck followed suit. They found Newt at the west gate, walking up and down, running his hands through his hair, watching Thomas and Chuck approach. "Where the hell are they?" Newt said, his voice thin and nervous.Seeing that Newt cared so much about Alby and Minho's safety as if they were related by blood, Thomas couldn't help but be moved. "Why not send a rescue team out?" he suggested again.It's so stupid to wait and worry to death, and it's better to send someone out to find them when you have this time. "Damn it..." Newt closed his mouth again just as he was about to curse. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "We can't do that, you know? Don't ask. It's 100% against the law." Regulations, especially at the moment when the doors are about to close." "But why not?" Thomas insisted, he couldn't believe that Newt would be so stubborn, "They've been there all along, what if the Griever finds out? Shouldn't we do something?" Newt looked at him, flushed, eyes burning with anger. "Shut up, rookie!" he yelled. "You've been here less than a week! You think I'm not going to die for them?" "No...I...sorry, I didn't mean that..." Thomas didn't know what to say, he just wanted to help. Newt's expression softened. "You don't understand, Tommy. It's death to go out at night, it's a waste of life. If these idiots don't come back..." At this point he paused, as if considering whether to take everyone's Say it in your heart, "They swore it, I swore it, all the same - you too, when you first sat in council and were chosen by the guardians. Never go out at night, no matter what happens .never." Thomas glanced at Chuck, who was as pale as Newt now. "Newt won't say that," the boy said. "Then I will. If they don't come back, it means death. Minho is smart enough to never get lost. It won't happen to the two of them." . That is, they are dead." Newt said nothing, Chuck bowed his head, turned and walked towards the big house.died?Thomas murmured.The situation suddenly became serious, and he didn't know how to deal with it, as if there was an empty hole in his heart. "Sink is right," Newt said seriously. "We must not go out at night, and we must not make things worse." Newt put a hand on Thomas' shoulder, and then let it hang down feebly, his eyes were moist.Thomas' memory was still hazy, but he was sure he had never seen anyone so sad in his life.The night is heavy, which is also a portrayal of Thomas' true feelings. "The door will close in two minutes," Newt said.These words were concise and to the point, floating in the air like a shroud blown by the wind.Then he walked away, shrugged, and fell silent. Thomas shook his head and looked at the maze again.He didn't know Alby and Minho well, but the thought of them still outside, killed by the horrible Griever he saw the first day he came here, gave him a pain in his chest. There was a loud noise on the ground, Thomas was startled, and his thoughts were interrupted.Then there was a harsh creaking sound—the sound of stones rubbing against each other.The door is about to close completely. The wall on the right rumbled across the ground, flying dirt and rocks.The connecting rods arranged up and down - so densely packed that they almost reach the sky - are slowly approaching the opening on the left wall.Once closed, opening it again is a matter of the next morning.Once again, Thomas looked at the massive moving wall in awe—it defied the common sense of physics, and it seemed absolutely impossible that such a thing could exist. Suddenly, his eyes caught a movement on the left side. Something was moving in the maze, coming along the long passage in front of me. At first, there was a wave of panic in his heart.He was worried that the ghost fire beast might be coming, so he couldn't help but backed away.Slowly, the black shadow gradually took shape, and it was two people.They were stumbling towards the door.Thomas narrowed his eyes and saw them clearly through the cloud of fear: it was Minho, with Alby's arm hanging around his shoulders, almost dragging Alby along.Minho raised his head and found Thomas, Thomas' eyes almost popped out. "They attacked him!" Minho roared, his voice obviously lacking in strength, his whole body was on the verge of collapse, every step he took seemed like the last one. The plot changed too much, Thomas was a little dazed, and it took a while to react. "Newt!" he finally yelled, forcing himself not to look at Minho and Alby, "they're coming! I see them!" He knew he should rush into the maze and help them, but then "don't leave The rules of "open space" were deeply imprinted in his mind. Newt had already returned to the big house, and when he heard Thomas' call, he immediately turned around and staggered over. Thomas looked at the maze again, filled with fear.Alby slipped from Minho's grasp and fell to the ground.Thomas watched Minho struggling to help Alby up, but it was useless, he gave up and simply grabbed Alby's arm and walked forward. But they were still a hundred feet away from the exit. The wall was about to close, and Thomas wished it had been slower, but it seemed to be moving faster and faster.There are only a few seconds left before the complete shutdown, and it is impossible to get back in time, absolutely impossible. Thomas looked at Newt: he was limping, running as hard as he could, only half way. He looked into the maze, at the approaching walls.With a few feet left, it shuts off completely. Minho moved ahead and fell down unfortunately.They can't come back, the time is up, it's over. Newt's voice came from behind Thomas. "No, Thomas! How dare you!" The connecting rod on the right wall is like an arm in a hurry to go home, stretching desperately towards the small hole, as if that is where they rest at night.The sound of heavy friction resounded through the air, deafening. Five feet, four feet, three... two... Thomas knew he had no choice.He took a step forward.At the last moment, he squeezed through the connecting rod and stepped into the maze. The wall closed tightly behind him, and the ivy-covered boulders at the bottom collided together, and the sound echoed like crazy laughter.