The children are allowed out for dinner, observed closely by anxious caretakers and techs. Despite a tense, quiet meal, an undercurrent of elation runs through the group because Luke has escaped. Frieda Brown feels conflicted; she shares some of the group’s hope but suspects that Avery Dixon, who was taken to Mrs. Sigsby earlier, has already disclosed Luke’s plans, meaning Luke likely will not get far.

Avery sits beside Frieda, listlessly playing with his food. He looks shaken, “like a boy who had seen a ghost,” and leaves before dessert, saying he is not hungry. Later, after common areas are closed and the kids are confined to their rooms, Avery comes to Frieda’s room in his pajamas, now hungry and asking for tokens. Frieda refuses to give him any and tells him to go to bed.

Avery asks to sleep in Frieda’s room because he fears more punishment after being shocked earlier. Frieda weighs the risk but allows him to share her bed, telling him to be quiet while she watches a nature show. As Avery falls asleep, Frieda reflects that he has a secret she cannot fully read.

When Avery begins to snore softly, Frieda turns off the lights, gets into bed, and gently wakes him to question him. Half-asleep, Avery mutters that Luke went to “Prekile,” which Frieda dismisses as untrue. Pressed further, Avery whispers that Luke went “up the red steps,” then stops responding.

Frieda concludes that, while she lacks strong telepathy, her intuitions are reliable when someone is open, and Avery’s sleepy state has given her a vivid impression. She believes she has the clue she needs—“red steps”—and lies awake thinking about what it could mean.