I would be shocked by the lack of security if we were not at Amity headquarters. They often straddle the line between trust and stupidity.

Well, I already know what happened to my face", I say. "I was there. Sort of

Who is he when he isn't Dauntless, isn't an instructor, isn't Four, isn't anything in particular? Whoever he is, I like him. It's easier to admit that to myself now, in the dark, after all that just happened. He is not sweet or gentle or particularly kind. But he is smart and brave, and even though he saved me, he treated me like I was strong. That is all I need to know.

Eric called Al's suicide brave, and he was wrong. My mother's death was brave. I remember how calm she was, how determined. It isn't just brave that she died for me; it is brave that she did it without announcing it, without hesitation, and without appearing to consider another option.

What thought or message would you put in a fortune cookie? "Stop reading this. Eat the cookie and live your life.

I notice, however, that Peter only pretends to inject himself—when he presses the plunger down, the fluid runs down his throat, and he wipes it casually with a sleeve. I wonder what it feels like to volunteer to forget everything.

I should wonder what courage—which is the virtue they most value—has to do with a metal ring through your nostril.