The Unwanteds

Mr. Today invites Aaron into the office for tea, but Aaron does not trust him. Alex tries to encourage his brother, making the tea. By the time he returns with a tray, Aaron has stepped into the office but still stands by the open door. Mr. Today does not want anything from Aaron, he says, but can offer him sanctuary and a new life. Alex reveals Will and Samheed’s plan. Mr. Today sits back and allows Alex to tell his brother about the Unwanteds. After an hour of explanation, Aaron refuses to go on a tour of the ground as he has an appointment at the palace; “I follow the law, and I do my duties” (166) Aaron explains. He turns and walks through the magic door. 

Distraught, Alex apologizes to Mr. Today for making “such a mess of everything” (168). He reflects ruefully on his failure to understand his twin brother. Mr. Today reveals that, in conferring with Justine on the reports, he knows that Aaron reported many, many people. Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of a large gray wolf named Gunnar. Mr. Today tells Gunnar to watch over Aaron, who will reveal what he knows to Justine in the coming days. He also asks Gunnar to rally the jungle animals and see if any wish to fight alongside the people of Artimé. Mr. Today removes the 3D painting of the door to Aaron’s door and locks it in a cupboard. Gunnar disappears through a special tube in the office, and Mr. Today warns Alex never to travel via that particular tube. He then walks Alex back to his room. 

Aaron struggles to sleep. When dawn arrives, he assures himself that the night’s events were simply a nightmare. He washes himself in a bucket of tepid water, worried about his ability to curtail his dreams. However, a bruise on his arm tells him that the dream was real. He sits in a chair and thinks about his assigned project: fixing the Quillitary vehicle operations. He considers his career advancement, how the current secretary to the High Priest will soon be eliminated due to her old age, and how his nighttime adventure with Alex endangered it all. If Aaron succeeds, he will be able to eventually take over as High Priest. The only two people in his way are the aging Justine and Senior Governor Haluki. As he exits his room, he sees a shiny piece of metal on the ground and stuffs it into his pocket. He goes to inspects the Quillitary vehicles with Governors Haluki and Strang. He considers the scarcity of water and how it will impact his projects. After Aaron learns everything he can about the vehicles, the three men meet with Justine. Though his thoughts are occupied by Alex and the piece of metal in his pocket, he briefs Justine. He suggests that the solution to the issue might lay in the Great Lake of Burning Oil, which is inside the Death Farm. He asks for permission to inspect it. Though Haluki warns against it, Justine demands that a car is fetched for them instantly. Haluki storms out. 

Mr. Today informs the humans about the most recent developments, while the animals have a meeting of their own. Meanwhile, Justine, Strang, and Aaron arrive at the Death Farm. Mr. Today realizes what is happening too late. He motions for the crowd to be silent as the three people from Quill enter Artimé. All three are shocked, “beyond their capacities to speak” (179). Mr. Today welcomes them to Artimé, and Justine is furious with him. They face one another down until Justine asks for a private meeting at the palace. Mr. Today agrees but suggests the lawn instead. He dismisses the crowd. Alex returns to the lounge and sits with his friends. He tells them everything he knows. They wait until they are summoned again to the lawn.

As the Unwanteds return to the lawn, they see that the iron gate has vanished. They can see straight through to Quill. The gate had been locked by mistake and, in order to return to Quill, Justine asks Mr. Today to magically remove the gate. Mr. Today patiently explains that, while Artimé is now exposed and the Quillitary will surely soon arrive, the removal of the gate gives the people of Artimé more options. He refuses to put up walls all around Artimé, as it would become just like Quill. He tells the crowd that they can either “fight or provide” (183); he places Claire Morning in charge of the armed forces and those who will not (or cannot) fight will hide in the mansion and provide support and healing. He only asks that the people of Artimé should not strike first; he hopes that Quill will start the war instead. Finally, he tells them to rest before the battle. As the crowd is dismissed, Mr. Today asks to speak with Samheed. After their conversation, Samheed walks slowly back to the mansion. Will is nowhere to be found. 

Aaron drives back to the palace with Justine. She notes that he has met Mr. Today before, so he reveals that Alex visited him the night before. Justine is angry that she has been made to look foolish in front of the people of Artimé. Justine demands a meeting of the governors. As they arrive back in the palace, Justine tells the guards not to let Aaron out of their sight. If he tries to run, they must kill him. 

Exiting his hiding place but still invisible, Will returns to the mansion and sneaks into his room. He sends a message to Samheed but receives no answer. Using magic, he takes on Alex’s likeness. In disguise, he exits the mansion. Mr. Today is told Alex has passed into Quill. He desperately searches for Alex and returns to his office, exhausted and empty-handed. The next morning, it is announced to everyone that the Quillitary is soon to arrive and that Alex has gone to Quill. On waking up, Alex quickly tries to correct this misinformation. Alex and the Artimé forces—including Meghan, Lani, and Samheed, as well as people and animals he has never met—assemble on the lawn. He The Quillitary is in sight, and the students are sent to their positions. The giant stone cheetah Simber leads Alex’s squad, which contains Meghan, as well as a man named Peter, a woman named Pauline, and a squirrelicorn named Rufus. They walk together through the portal to Quill. As they leave, Mr. Today casts a protective spell over everyone’s vests. They arrive in a desolate part of Quill and line up beside other squads. Lani catches Alex’s eye, and they whisper words of encouragement to each other. The Quillitary appears, pausing in front of the “worthless Unwanteds” (192) to deliver a message from Justine to Alex, who steps forward to receive it. The message thanks Alex for the warning given two nights ago and, while Will’s dead body is thrown to the ground, laments that they were not able to kill the real Alex Stowe. 

Alex is shocked. Regaining his composure, he asks the general why Justine is too afraid to deliver the message herself. The Quillitary opens fire, and the battle begins. The Artimé forces strike back. General Blair is killed by Samheed. Simber calls for his troops to intensify their magical attacks because the Quillitary is bigger than expected. Samheed is knocked down by his own father, who is then taken out by Lani. Recovering, Samheed tells Lani to kill his father. When she refuses, Samheed staggers to his feet and tries to kill the general himself. When the general almost kills Samheed, Lani intervenes. Samheed thanks her. 

The fight rages on until sunset. The squad is relieved, allowed to rest for a while. Alex is called to a meeting with Claire Morning. Though the people of Artimé are winning, there is the risk that a desperate Justine will use magic of her own—a power she has hidden from her people. In return, Mr. Today will take Alex to try and seize the unguarded Quill palace. As Alex and Mr. Today sail across the sea on the boat, they discuss Justine. Mr. Today says she is afraid of losing her power to scare people. If he and Alex take the palace, they will make Justine appear weak, thus diminishing her authority. Mr. Today confesses that, many years ago, he had worked with Justine and believed in her vision. But he became disillusioned, and she became more extreme. He created Artimé to protect people from Justine’s extreme ideology. Alex hopes Aaron might be able to change sides for the better, just like Mr. Today. Mr. Today reveals that Justine is his twin sister, and Claire is his daughter. 

Alex and Mr. Today arrive at the palace and sneak inside, disabling any guards they find. Mr. Today seals the palace from the inside. As they try and leave to return to Artimé, Alex is knocked down by an unseen fist.

Alex realizes it was Aaron who knocked him down. He calls out for help. Alex fires a spell but hits Mr. Today by mistake. Aaron shouts at Alex, accusing Alex of ruining his life. Alex scrambles for spells while Simber and Mr. Today try to help. Unwittingly, Aaron uses one of his brother’s spells. The metal shard he found on his dorm floor flies into Alex’s chest. Simber jumps on Aaron and pins him down. Alex begs Mr. Today and Simber not to kill Aaron as he slips into unconsciousness. 

Meanwhile, Lani helps Samheed back into the mansion before returning to the fight. As darkness falls, Lani hears a rumor: the governors have arrived, and they brought pistols with them. Lani struggles with the decision to use lethal spells. She finds and stalks her father. When her protective vest catches on a branch, ripping away, the sound alerts her father. As he turns around, she throws a deadly star and hits him. He falls to the ground, transforms into a wolf, and slinks away injured. 

Simber carries the unconscious Alex and the terrified Aaron back to Artimé. Mr. Today rides the boat back, blaming himself for Alex’s injury. As he arrives, Simber informs him that Alex is alive but Aaron jumped into the water and is likely dead. The battle, Mr. Today is told, is not going well. Justine has a gun pointed at Claire and many are injured. Mr. Today decides to end the battle, repelling the depleted Quill forces using magic. Simber flies Mr. Today over Artimé, casting a spell that causes the Quillitary to wade out into the sea. Then, Mr. Today freezes the water, trapping the troops. 

Lani regrets what she has done, so she makes herself invisible and returns to the mansion. Recovering from his injuries, Samheed reflects on how his actions have hurt many people. He limps outside. Aaron clambers out of the water and steals the clothes and protective vest from a fallen Artiméan. Inside, he finds many more magical metal objects and resolves to kill as many people as he can. Pretending to be Alex, he assembles near the mansion. Samheed moves closer to Justine, hoping to kill her to prove that he is not a traitor. He notices something wrong about “Alex,” shouting a warning to everyone and shocking Aaron. Ms. Octavia grabs hold of Aaron and casts a spell to keep him quiet. 

Mr. Today approaches Justine, who holds a pistol to Claire’s head. Governor Strang is beside her, his gun pointed at Meghan, who is on the roof. Mr. Today reveals to the remaining governors that Justine is capable of magic. Simber swoops down from above and carries Claire away. Panicked gunshots are fired and, in the confusion, Justine slumps forward. However, it is not a bullet that hit her. The still-invisible Lani smiles to herself, pleased that Justine will “forevermore be silent and useless” (213) thanks to her spell. She runs to the shore, throws her gun in the sea, and then leaves to find her injured father. 

Mr. Today visits the newly created hospital wing. Lani is asleep next to Alex, and Meghan is asleep next to Samheed. Mr. Today heals whoever he can. By the morning, Gunnar Haluki returns and waits for his daughter to wake. Aaron is in custody. When Lani wakes up, she is told her father is a spy for Artimé; they reconcile. Alex finally wakes up; when he is told Aaron is being cared for, he falls back asleep. 

Artimé is gradually cleared of the Quillitary wreckage. The war is over, and the remaining prisoners have been healed and released. Still confined to his bed, Alex thanks Samheed, who apologizes for his actions. When the time is right, Mr. Today removes the spells from the palace. He reveals to Alex that Gunnar Haluki had been a spy for years, working his way up to second in command of Quill. If Artimé had remained hidden for a few more years, Haluki would have taken over and ended Justine’s reign of terror. The special tube in Mr. Today’s office allowed Haluki to come and go to share information. Alex asks for permission to talk to Aaron. 

Alex and Aaron meet at the entrance to Artimé on the eve of the annual Quill Purge. It is the most neutral place they can agree upon. Alex asks what he can expect from Aaron now, whether he is a friend or an enemy. Aaron does not “plan to reveal [his] intentions to any Unwanteds, ever” (220). Alex returns to Artimé, and Aaron walks to his rusty car and heads back to the desolate ruin of Quill. 

On the day of the Purge, Mr. Today announces that he has come to an agreement with the new High Priest of Quill, Gunnar Haluki: Artimé and Quill “will live separately, in peace” (221). The border will remain open, and residents can come and go as they please. Quill may continue their Purge, and Unwanteds will continue to be welcomed in Artimé. The crowd cheers and begins to celebrate. A new intake of Unwanteds arrive, including Lani’s little brother. Alex, thinking about Aaron, cannot help but think the future might not be so easy. Alex sits with Lani and talks, realizing his life is “more than any Unwanted could ever hope for” (223).