Know Thine Enemy
- Kate wonders how Mr. Curtain plans to deal with people in other countries. He can't put everyone in his Whisperer, can he?
- Sticky holds up a bunch of pamphlets that indicate Mr. C has established Amnesia Sanctuaries all over the world—that's what the Institute will become, too, once the Improvement begins.
- Finally the kids figure out what Mr. Curtain has been shipping all over the place in his wooden crates in the trucks driven by Recruiters: in another room, off the back of the press room, they find rows upon rows of Whisperers, many ready to be shipped out.
- They run back to the boys' room and send a message to Mr. Benedict, reporting everything they've learned.
- The message they receive back is: "Know thine enemy" (29.27).
- They're not sure what it means, but then Kate spots a Recruiter standing down by the edge of the bridge. He seems to be looking right at her, which freaks her out, but then they realize it's not a Recruiter at all—it's Milligan.
- The kids sneak down to meet him, and Milligan tells them to throw on some cloaks. He's taking them off the island.
- Kate won't budge until he tells if this means Mr. Benedict has figured out how to stop Mr. Curtain.
- Milligan finally admits that no, they don't know how to stop him, but they don't want the kids in danger any longer.
- Too bad—the kids refuse to leave until their mission is completed.
- Milligan says Mr. Benedict thought they might respond that way, and in that case, he has one final message for them. They are to remember that each and every one of them is "essential to the success of the team" (29.103).
- He also says he'll stay on the island too, and if they need to get a message to him, they should leave it near the old drainage culvert that empties into the channel and stack two stones on top of it to make it easier for him to find.
- He also indicates that he thinks they'll need a miracle to succeed. Milligan isn't much for pep talks.