Free The 22nd Secret by Randal Lanser Page B

t hi s –”
    “ W e ’ r e c on c e rn e d a bouth e r g oing a w a y , ”Hilda i nte r rupt e d. “ S h e ’s ouro n l y c hi l d.”
    “ I ’m D r.Ho wa rd Wool u m . AsI e x plain e d in t heletter, y our da u g h t e r h a s b ee n sel e c ted to pa r t i c ipate a s a n in t e rnth i s su m merin a sp ec ialp r ogr a m of the u t m ost i mport a n c eto t he United S t a tes G ov e rnm e nt. On l yten v e r yspe c i a l y o u n gp e op l e f rom thro u g hout t he c ount r y h a veb e e n sel ec t e d. This i s quite a n honor f or y ourd a u g h t e r. Shewillp a rti c ipatein ve r y i m port a nt and a dv a n c e d c ompu t e r re s ea r c h. To beto t a l l yhon e st with y ou,I b e l i e ve y our d a u g h t e r is the b e st y ou n gm i nd in t his fieldin t he c ount r y . S h ecould haveabrilliant f uturein r e s e a r c h.”
    “ W eknow a ll a bout ourd a u g h t e r ’ s e x ce pt i on a l a bi l i t ies a nd a rehono re d b y y o ur inv i tation.” Rol a nd spokewith con c e rn in his vo i ce . “ B ut m ywife a ndI fe e l, w e l l , she ha s m i ssed so much a lr ea d y .Im e a n an o rm a l c hi l d h e r a g ewould b ed a t i ngh i gh s c hool b o y s and th i nking a bout t heprom. S h e ’ s hadnoneof t h e seoppo r tun i t i e s . F orthe l a s t four y e a rs s h e ’ s b e e n a w a y a t c ol le g ew h e res h ew a s t o o y ou n g t o fit in. Don ’ t get me w ro n g , w e ’ rev e r y p roudofh e r s c holastic ac hie v e ments a nd e v e r y th i n g .But she ’ sh a d no l i feouts i deof s c hool. And h e r mothe r , w e llwh e n do e s sheg e t h e r litt l e g irl b a c k ?H e r mother a ndI w a nted h e r to st a ywith us. C ol l e ge c ould w a itshe wa s on l y f ourt ee n. S heh a d nof r ie n ds. S hew a s al w a y s a h e a d of e v e r y o n e e lse. All sheh a d w a s h e r bo o k s. S heon l yw a n t e d to g oto school th a t’s a llshe e v e r r e a l l y ca r e d a bout. S h e ’s v e r y c om p e t i t i vethat w a y . S o h e r mother a ndIlet h e r g o. A c tual l y ,wew e re r e l i e v e d wh e n h e r m a s t e r ’ s thesisw a s r e j e c ted. W ehop e d s hewould c ome home f o ra fe w y e a rs th e n r e turn to school if she w a nted. T o bep e r f e c t l yho n e st with y ou, D r . W ool u m, P a m w a s quite surp r ised to r e ce ive y ourinv i tati o n a ft e r she f a i l e d to r ece ive h e r m a st e r ’ s. W e fee l i t m i g ht be b e st for P a m t o hold offon a n y th i n g e lsefor a while.”
    “ Iknow a ll a bout h e r th e si s .” W oolum re spond e dwith s y mpat h y . B ut h e k n e w heh a d to r e c ruit P a m r e g a rdl e ss oftheir obje c t i ons. “ I w a shoping y ou would bethr i l l e d with t heinv i tation forthe summ e r int e rnsh i p. App a r e nt l y ,I w a s w r o n g .”
    “ W e l l , wejusth a vesome c on c e rns th a t’s a l l ,”Hi l d a said .
    “ L e t m elev e l wi t h y ou.Yourd a u g hter h a s such e x ce pt i on a l abil i t i e s that itis v i tal shebe a l l ow e d to pa r t i c ipatein t his pro g r a m. Mr. a nd M r s. Koll e r ,I a m i n c h ar g eof a ll c ompu t e r r e s e a r c h a t L os A l a mos. Th e reis no f in e r mo r e a d v a n ce d r e s e a r c hf a c i l i t y i n the w o r ld.Ih a v eno in t e r e st i n y our d a u g hte r’ s co n t i nu e d e du ca t i on.Ib e l i e veshe c a n makea v e r ymat e r i a l c ontribution t o ourn a t i on, to t he e nt i rehuman r a ce . And she c a n do ittoda y ,r i g htnow. W h a t y o ur d a u g hteris c a p a bleo f , with t hepro pe r g uid a n ce , in t he e nvironme n twe ca n p rovideh e r, ca nnot be l e a rn e d in s c h o ol. S heis b e y ond that.”
    “ S o y ou would just d i sr e g a rd h e r e du c a t i on? W h y ? ”Hilda a ske d .
    “ No, of c o u rsenot. Thism a y b edif f icult for y ou t o und e rst a nd. Your d a u ghteris i n some d a ng e r.”
    “ D a n g e r ? ” a skedRoland. “ F rom who,wh a t do y o u