The Testing

The candidates are brought paper tests. Paper is very rare and precious because so many trees were destroyed during the war. They are told they have four hours to complete the test. The test is on History and asks questions about the war and the rebuilding, important dates, foods that used to exist, technology that was lost in the war, etc. Cia works rapidly and without any breaks but has only just turned to the last page of the test when time is up.

They get food and return to their rooms. Cia counts the corn cakes Ryme had offered her and confirms there are the same number as before. She suspects they’ve been poisoned. They return to the testing room and are given another four hours to complete the Mathematics test. Cia has three pages left when time runs out. Back in their room, Ryme suggests the tests were very easy and people who couldn’t do well on them shouldn’t be there. In the dining hall, Cia and Tomas tell each other that they didn’t finish the tests. When the others show up, looking tired and worried, Cia announces that she didn’t finish either test. No one else had, either and they seem to feel better knowing they weren’t the only ones.