Free Coming of Age by Timothy Zahn Page B

Daryl once more taking her hand. “If you’ll tell me what went wrong, maybe I can do better next time,” Lisa said, a bit hesitantly.
    â€œThere won’t be a next time,” he told her, staring straight ahead. “It’s … not the same as flying by yourself. But it’s too much like it.”
    â€œOh,” she said, not understanding at all.
    They didn’t speak again until they were in sight of the school. “You really want to learn reading?” he asked.
    â€œVery much,” she nodded. “And I can’t do it alone. I need your help.”
    â€œAll right,” he said decisively. “Come back on Saturday—I’ll meet you in the park at nine o’clock. Don’t let anyone see you fly, okay?”
    â€œSure.” Her heart was beating faster with the surprise of his answer; she’d expected he would turn her down after that disastrous flight. “I—thank you, Daryl. I don’t know how I can ever pay you back.”
    â€œMaybe we can figure something out later,” he said, his voice sounding too casual.
    â€œSure,” she said, getting the feeling she was missing something significant.
    â€œGood. I’ll see you Saturday, then.”
    They had reached the outside door now. Daryl stopped and turned to face her. “Good night, Lisa,” he said; and with the briefest hesitation leaned down and kissed her awkwardly on the lips. Before she could recover from her surprise he was gone.
    For a moment she stared at the door, feeling the tingle of his kiss on her lips. What was that all about? she wondered. She’d heard about things like that from some of the other preteens, but the whole idea had always seemed silly and even a little bit repulsive to her.
    Still …Turning, she headed down the sidewalk in the direction of the Paris Introductory School Daryl had mentioned. If suffering through a few scratchy kisses was the price she had to pay to learn reading, she was willing to do so. She just hoped that was all he wanted; the rumors about what came after kissing were positively grisly.
    Two blocks later, well out of sight of Lee Intro, she lifted from the ground and headed for home.

Chapter 8
    â€œI SPEAK THE TRUTH,” the Prophet Omega said solemnly, hands raised palm outward to the group of kids sitting cross-legged in the sun-drenched glen.
    â€œThe Truth,” they repeated in unison.
    â€œSearch your souls for that which is impure,” Omega said. He stole a glance upward as a small shadow passed over them: four more kids arriving, from the direction of Tweenriver and Ridge Harbor. “Replace the impure with the Truth.”
    â€œThe Truth.”
    â€œTo remember my words is to learn; to learn is to grow; to grow is to rise above Transition. The Truth shall set you free.”
    â€œThe Truth.”
    â€œMeditate, all of you, on the Truth.”
    â€œThe Truth,” they repeated one last time and fell silent, their heads bowed.
    Omega brought his hands together, checked his watch. He’d timed things well; there would be just enough time to turn the initiates back over to an acolyte and get back to the tabernacle. “Amen,” he intoned.
    â€œAmen.”
    There was a rustling as the kids got to their feet and glanced around, surreptitiously easing the kinks out of their muscles. Omega looked beyond the circle and nodded, and the preteen acolyte standing silently in the shadows came forward. “Heirs of the Truth,” she said, her voice causing them to turn. “You have glimpsed the future as it can be, the inner power that can survive even the dark evil of Transition. Now you must show your sincerity, for the deeds of the body mirror the Truth in the soul—”
    Omega didn’t wait to hear the rest of the spiel but slipped away through the trees to the side of the glen and began working his way back up the small ridge that separated Initiate Grove from the main