City of Ember Page #3

Don't bite.

Well, what was that doing there?

Poppy. Poppy, stop.

Poppy, stand still. Don't move.

Okay. Okay, I've got you.

Granny, we're coming.

Granny?

You and Poppy have to share,

but I think the bed's big enough.

Poppy, let's make some dinner

and let your sister get settled.

Do you know your part?

Um-

l-I think I remember it pretty well

from last year.

Oh, the Great Day of Singing

is so important.

Oh, it lifts all of our hearts.

How lucky we are.

I don't feel very lucky lately.

- There's nothing to worry about.

- The blackouts worry everybody.

Help is coming.

- Help?

- Mm-hmm.

Who built our city, dear?

- The... Builders?

- That's right.

And the Builders will come again

and show us the way.

Whatever it is, Granny,

I'll figure it out.

I promise.

- It says "Pipeworks."

- That's why I brought it to you.

This printing-

You know what it reminds me of?

Come on.

I gotta show you something.

What are we doing here?

The Builders left us this book.

We learned about it in History.

Go on. Open it up.

N-No one but the mayor's supposed to.

The Builders wrote these instructions.

It's exactly the same.

Come on.

There's something I have to show you.

- Wow.

- What do you think?

- I think it's instructions.

- Yeah?

What I don't understand is,

why would they have it in a circle?

- I mean, I know it must be important.

- Add a "T."

- What?

- Add a "T."

E-X-l-T. Exit.

What if there's an exit from Ember?

I don't think

we're supposed to be down here.

This tunnel was erased from Sul's map.

It dead-ends in a locked room.

This could be it.

- That was just the last time.

- Come on.

- The time before that l-

- Shh.

You're gonna get us caught.

Come on.

What was that?

I have no idea.

Run.

Lina! Up here!

Go, go, go, go, go! Quickly, quickly!

Hurry! Get the box!

Run!

Hey!

Over here!

Lina! Lina! He's stuck! Jump!

Thanks for another great idea.

Moles need to eat all the time

just to stay alive.

Probably just as hungry as we are.

Did you see those storerooms?

They're completely empty.

We're gonna run out of food.

It doesn't matter anyway.

The Generator won't last.

And pretty soon

it'll be black for good.

"Mayfleet." That's my name.

The man who wore that helmet

before me drowned.

Drowned?

He worked here.

There's no water

but the irrigation pipes.

How could he have drowned?

I miss him so much.

Mom too.

How am I ever gonna figure out

what this is all about?

It's all these zeros.

That's what scares me the most.

What would count down to nothing?

- It sounds like doomsday.

- Oh, shh.

Please, honey.

Don't do anything foolish.

I couldn't bear to lose you too.

How did he die, Clary?

Oh.

Did he really drown?

Your father thought

it was doomsday too.

He believed there was a way

to get out of Ember.

I couldn't dissuade him.

I said it was our duty to stay here

and fix our problems...

that it's illegal to venture out

into the Unknown.

Why is it illegal?

Your father said,

"The river runs in one direction...

so it must come from someplace

and go to someplace. "

But he must've hit it too early or something.

L- I don't know.

The tunnel flooded, and-

And my dad died.

He was by himself?

Everyone else got out

before it collapsed.

I was- I was considering

taking the box to the mayor.

Yes! Do that.

Do that instead, please.

Let him handle the situation.

These are trying and troubled times.

Our problems are grave.

We need answers.

But beyond answers-

more important than answers-

we need solutions.

- Mm-hmm.

- Yeah.

And in order to find those solutions...

I propose we launch

a thorough investigation.

Yes. Yes.

I hereby declare

the creation of a task force...

to investigate the blackouts.

Do I have volunteers?

Today we, the people...

stand united against the darkness.

My turn!

Lizzie.

Lizzie!

Hands off! Give me that!

- Peaches!

- All right! Go away!

Back off!

What's "applesauce"?

Hey, give me some!

Pineapple?

- Give me that!

- Come on!

No one's had pineapple since my grandmother

was a little girl. Where'd you get this?

Give me that!

Lizzie! Where'd you get that food?

All right.

I got it from my boyfriend.

You don't have a boyfriend.

It's not official, but there's this guy

who really likes me.

He explores the storerooms,

especially the ones on the edges.

They're marked empty in the ledger,

but they're not all empty.

I'll give you a bite

if you promise not to tell.

- It's wrong, Lizzie.

- Well, he says it's all gonna be gone soon anyway.

Why not live as well

as we can right now?

There he is.

Doon!

Have you-

Doon!

I need to tell you something.

It was Looper we saw

near that 351 door.

Before that, I took a message

to the mayor for him.

I'll bet there's something big

on the other side of that door.

There's so much food.

Go.

And I thought he was lying

when he talked about finding a solution.

He wasn't lying.

He's found his solution.

Poppy. Lie down, okay?

It's time to go to sleep.

Could you just pump those pedals?

What is this?

It's the answering machine tape

from my parents' phone.

When we still had one.

Yoo-hoo. Yoo-hoo!

Anybody home?

Don't hold dinner for me, darling.

- That's my dad's voice.

- I'll be there before lights out.

Raine, it's me, Barrow.

I've been thinkin' about it.

I watch my boy,

and... I've come around.

I've changed my mind. I'm in.

What's wrong?

He lied to me.

Where are you going?

Well, meet me

at the Greenhouses, okay?

Good night, young man.

How was your rehearsal?

For the Singing.

Oh. L-It was fine.

- It was really good.

- Good.

- Good night.

- Good night.

Dad. I heard you.

I heard you on the answering-

Lina Mayfleet has her parents'

old answering machine tape.

I heard you.

You said her dad could count you in.

You tried to leave the city, didn't you?

W-Why would I do that?

Because of me.

Dad.

Please.

- We were wrong.

- No, you were right.

There is an exit.

Yeah. Raine thought so, too,

and it got him killed, Son.

Dad, there's a way out

in the Pipeworks...

but you have to tell me

everything that you know.

- Tell me what you know.

- I don't know anything, and neither do you.

The Builders left Instructions.

The Builders abandoned us.

No, they didn't.

They didn't, Dad. I have proof.

Show me.

Wait!

Oh. Happy Great Day of Singing,

young lady.

I need to speak to you in private.

Very well then.

What I need to tell you is secret

and really important.

- What is it?

- The mayor- He's got a bunker in the Pipeworks.

It's filled with food.

The shortages aren't as bad

as everyone thinks.

You mean the mayor is stealing?

Looper, who works in the storerooms,

is helping him.

Well, this is shocking.

Shocking. I'm shocked.

Um, we have to report this.

Come with me.

Well done, Lina Mayfleet.

Once you arrest him, Doon and I can show you where the room is -

Wait. Where are we going?

I beg your pardon, Your Honor.

You remember Lina Mayfleet?

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