Brenda L Harper [Angels and G Found (epub)

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.“Hi,” Dylan said hesitantly.“I’m Ellie,” the girl said, holding out her hand to Dylan.“Ellie, of course.”A few weeks ago D dorm had a history competition with E dorm.The goal had been for each group to prove their own knowledge of Genero was greater that of the opposing group of adolescents.D dorm had won.No one had a better grasp of the hundred year history of Genero than D dorm.Ellie, as Dylan recalled, had done well for her team, however.If she had been on D dorm’s team, they would have won by a wider margin.In fact, she gave Dylan and a few others a run for their money during the competition.“Tomorrow’s test day,” Ellie said with a big smile.“Can you believe it?”Dylan looked around the courtyard and smiled, a smile that was forced and made her cheeks ache.“Amazing,” she said quietly.“I can’t wait.I hope I get a job in the Administration.”“You enjoy scholarly work?” Dylan asked.Ellie laughed.“There’s nothing better,” she said with a wink.“Can you imagine, spending day in and day out preserving the history of our great city?”“The founders would be proud,” Dylan said, referring to Saint Annie and her sister, Saint Alicia.Ellie inclined her head, as was the traditional method of recognition when the founders were mentioned.“Imagine, rising from the dust of a broken society and beginning this,” she said, gesturing high above herself to indicate not only the grand buildings that rose between them on their stilts, but also the dome that covered the entire city, protecting it from the toxic fallout of the war that ended the previous society.“It is an amazing feat,” Dylan admitted.She had often wondered how two sisters had been able to create such a dome with only the materials they had on hand at the time.As history had it, the original dome was only the size of a small room, but the sisters had expanded it as more and more people came to them, seeking asylum.The sisters were not selfish.They shared their space will all who asked, so anxious were they to spread the love that was so lacking in their former society.“I always thought how noble it was to start a new society after the last one ended so badly,” Ellie said.“How much hope there was in that act.”Dylan nodded.She again glanced around the courtyard.“We are lucky,” she finally said, allowing herself to actually believe it for a moment, to allow that thought to push away the uncertainty that had been plaguing her since the moment she watched Demetria march Donna down the hallway of their dorm.Hope, she thought.Maybe that’s what I lack.Ellie touched her arm lightly.“Good luck tomorrow.”Dylan smiled, genuinely touched by Ellie’s words.“You, too,” she said.The picnic began a few minutes later.After eating more than their fill, the girls gathered together for games.Dylan found herself chosen to be the anchor for two separate games of tug-o-war, and the tail runner for a relay race.By the end of the day, she was so exhausted she could barely move from her position beside the bonfire.But she found herself more relaxed than she had been in weeks.She missed Donna’s voice as they sang the Song of Sisters, the Genero anthem.She sang louder than the rest to drown out the memory of Donna’s beautiful alto, her thoughts so focused on her friend’s lost voice, her lost face, that she imagined she could see it in the flames of the fire.Donna, smiling as she touched Denise’s hand and made a mortal wound simply disappear.Chapter 4Test morning.Dylan woke early.Each adolescent who is about to take the test must empty out her dorm room and leave it prepared for the next adolescent who will be moved into the dorms to take her place.Dylan had done this twice before.The first time she could not recall.Her guardian, Davida, had done it for her.The second time she remembered quite well.She had been in her eleventh year.Davida came to the room to guide her in what she should take and what should be left behind for the next child to take the room [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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