Free Into the New Millennium: Trailblazing Tales From Analog Science Fiction and Fact, 2000 - 2010 by Penny Publications

He grabbed a snack from the wall. "But, boy, heaven is high!"
    "Don't call it heaven."
    "What should I call it, then?" said Jerik, breathing heavily.
    After a few more vertical feet, K'chir answered. "There doesn't seem to be another word. But when you say it, try to keep the reverence out of your voice."
    "Yeah. Sure. Fine."
    "Is it getting warmer?" K'chir asked. "Or is it just the exertion."
    "I think it is getting warmer. Heaven is supposed to be warm." Jerik moved a leg out into the current. "Yeah, it's warmer, but the current seems stronger too."
    As they climbed, the growths grew sparser. "Well, there goes lunch," said K'chir.
    The wall became smoother. "I wonder if the molds made the footholds," said K'chir. "Maybe the molds eat the rock."
    "I'd really like some of those faith-testing cracks right now," said Jerik, breathlessly, trying with all his strength to cling to the wall.
    The climbing became very hard and slow, and the wall had begun to slant inward.
    Jerik cried out.
    "Don't ping down!" K'chir commanded.
    But Jerik had so pinged and now felt a queasy vertigo. And then came a sharp current, a tide. One part of his mind knew it was the first tide, the one at whose occurrence Harshket had demanded their presence. Partially distracted as he was, Jerik released a leg and rubbed it thoughtfully across his torso. His body shifted, and with a shriek, he began to fall.
    K'chir reached a leg down. "Grab hold!" he shouted.
    Jerik pinged, then leapt for the proffered limb and grabbed it with his two forward legs.
    K'chir grunted in exertion. Then Jerik felt himself falling again, while he still had hold of K'chir's leg.
    "Hey!" K'chir exclaimed in a cheerful voice. "This is great! Wiping off our life-bubbles worked."
    After a short, panicked pause, Jerik said, "Yeah, it did!" His dread had turned to elation as he felt himself not falling, but drifting softly down to the ice. Now, without fear, he ping-chirped down. "Uh-oh!"
    "What's the matter?" said K'chir.
    "On the ice," said Jerik. "Three, maybe four sixes of people."
    "And it is first tide, isn't it?" said K'chir, in obvious worry.
    "I'm afraid so."
    Jerik ping-chirped. "And there he is," he said with an anxious sigh, "the High Priest himself."
    "Then this is it," said K'chir. He began ping-chirping an alert in all directions.
    "What are you doing?"
    K'chir paused his chirping to say, "Bringing out the people, at least the young people—I hope."
    Jerik and K'chir floated down while drifting laterally in the current. Those below arrayed themselves in a circle and moved to keep the floaters directly above its center. The High Priest, Harshket, positioned himself at the center of the circle.
    Jerik and K'chir hit the surface, bounced a few times, and then settled onto the ice. Jerik felt light, ungrounded, and insubstantial. He wished he'd had time to roll in his life-bubbles as was K'chir's plan.
    The circle collapsed in on them.
    As Jerik and K'chir found their footing, Harshket came up to them.
    "Um . . ." said Jerik. "Well . . . as you requested sir, we're here."
    "You!" said Harshket, pointing at the Third Schooler. "You have been cast down from heaven."
    "No, sir. We just fell off the wall," said Jerik. He heard a soft moan from K'chir.
    "Just as I suspected," said Harshket. "You have attempted to violate the sanctity of God's domain."
    Jerik hung his head. It was impossible to lie successfully to Harshket, or to any priest, trained as they were in the pursuit of truth. In the ensuing silence, Jerik heard the distant soft buzz of massive chirping; apparently K'chir had been successful in turning out the people.
    "You must realize, Jerik," said Harshket in a deceptively soft voice, "how serious an offence this is against God. You must be punished for your horrid deed."
    Jerik didn't answer, but K'chir did. "If he offended God, then why not leave it to God to punish him?" Jerik knew K'chir was merely trying to help, but he wished his friend had kept his silence.
    "As