Page 17 (1/2)

There is no excellent beauty that hath not soeness in the proportion

- Francis Bacon,Essays, Civil and Moral, "Of Beauty"

Chapter 17

Leaving

Tally left at ht

Dr Cable had demanded that no one be told about her mission, even the dorm minders It was fine if Peris spread ruossip of new pretties, anyway But not even her parents would be officially informed that Tally had been forced to run away Except for her little heart pendant, she was on her own

She slipped out the usual way, out theand down behind the recycler Her interface ring re but the survival knapsack and Shay’s note She alot her belly sensor, but clipped it on just before she left TheAt least she’d have soe hoverboard aiting under the dam It hardly ave a little as they adjusted to a rider’s weight, bouncing like a diving board, but this one was absolutely firers, and it rose under her, steady as concrete under her feet

"Not bad," she said, then bit her lip Since Shay had run away ten days ago, she’d started talking to herself That wasn’t a good sign She was going to be co she needed was inary conversations

The board eased forward s the embankment to the top of the da forward until the river was a shining blur beneath her feet The board didn’t see sounded Perhaps its only liround below, and Tally’s feet staying on board

Speed was everything if she was going to make up for the last four days in liht realize that her operation had been delayed Frouess that Tally wasn’t an ordinary runaway

The river passed beneath her faster and faster, and she reached the rapids in record ti like hailstones when she hit the first falls, and Tally leaned back to slow herself a bit Still, she was taking the rapids faster than she ever had before

Tally realized that this hoverboard was no ugly toy It was the real thing On its front end a half circle of lights glowed, giving feedback from the board’s metal detector, which constantly searched ahead to see if there was enough iron in the ground to stay aloft The lights stayed on solidly as she cliht aboutfound in every river Otherwise, this could be a very long trip

Of course, at this speed she wouldn’t have tihts suddenly went out Which would hts stayed on, and Tally’s nerves were soothed by the roar of white water, the cold slap of spray in her face, the thrill of bending her body through curve after curve in the moon-speckled darkness

The board was s herfro

Tally wondered if the route to the Smoke had a lot of rapids to ride Maybe this really would be an adventure Of course, at the end of the journey there would only be betrayal Or worse, she would discover that Shay’s trust in David had beenhorrible

She shivered, deciding not to think about that possibility again

When Tally reached the turnoff, she slowed and turned the board around, taking a last look at the city It shone brilliantly in the dark valley, so distant that she could blot it out with one hand In the clear night air, Tally could ht flowers, everything in perfect miniature

The wild around her see river full of power, the forest huge with the secrets hidden in its black depths

She allowed herself a long stare at the city lights before she stepped onto shore, wondering when she would see her hoain

On the trail, Tally wondered how often she’d have to walk The trip up the rapids had been the fastest she had ever flown, even quicker than the Special Circuh city traffic