Earth Legend Read Online Free PDF

woman
replied. The same woman whose daughter was trying to give away
kittens. "I saw her earlier."
    What to say? As it turned out, it didn't
matter. His attention had turned, albeit unwillingly, to an
eloquent plea by a small girl to adopt an unborn kitten. The tiny
blonde didn't stop talking until he agreed to take one. As she
skipped ahead, having achieved her objective, he simply shook his
head and rolled his eyes at me. Then someone beside him spoke, he
spoke back, and then he forgot I existed.
    By the time we entered the viewing room, more
people had joined our group. We were a small crowd as we walked
into that place and I was glad because there's safety in numbers. I
looked like I belonged.
    I looked around for Wilkes Zander and found
him on a couch surrounded by several kids. The little girl with the
kittens to give away broke free of her mother and ran to him. He
gathered her in his arms and lifted her high in the air. She gave
shriek of delight then fell into his lap and proceeded to tell him
that she'd found a home for another kitten.
    Then he noticed me. He waved me over and I
went gratefully because, being with him, being with anyone
specific, was a sign that I belonged. That someone knew me as a
colonist. The couch and surrounding floor were filled with kids so
I pulled up a nearby chair and settled down to watch the Destiny
depart from as close to Wilkes Zander as possible.
    If it left. If the countdown went
smoothly.
    It must have done so because in less than an
hour, as if on cue, we saw the space beyond the viewing ports shift
slightly. Nearby ships appeared to move, inches at first, then more
and more until it was clear to all of us that we were the ones who
were moving even though there was no sensation of motion.
    "See, kids. I told you it would be okay. You
didn't have to brace yourselves." Wilkes Zander stood up on one
foot to prove that the Destiny was stable. Then he threw a handful
of candies into the small crowd and left them in order to join the
grownups. He waved me along and I followed. "I didn't get your name
earlier."
    "Elle." I wasn't sure whether I should give
my right name because I didn't know if the comunit had been
assigned to my cousin Betts or whether it would accept the name of
whomever used it. But I had to say something. I decided that if
there were questions I'd say Elle was my middle name and I'd used
it without thinking, though if that happened I'd probably be in
jail and they'd already know all about me.
    There were no crew members in the viewing
room, nor were there any security personnel. I asked Wilkes about
it. "Too busy. There's hundreds of ships out there saying goodbye
and the Destiny is huge. The captain doesn't want any
collisions."
    "But where are the security guards?"
    "They are around. You may not notice them but
they are everywhere." I shivered. "You see them now and then." His
eyes gleamed. "You're looking for Cullen Vail, aren't you?" I
informed him that the head of Security was none of my concern but
he waved aside my protests. "Nice guy, Cullen, though a bit on the
stuffy side and he'd make a good hermit." He inspected me carefully
as if wondering what Cullen Vail saw in me. "Unless some woman gets
her hands on him and changes that." I told Wilkes that Cullen had
dealt with my stomach ache and couldn't get away fast enough. He
laughed, not believing a word. "I wish you luck if he's what you're
looking for. You'll need it."
    Someone produced pop and cupcakes and in a
corner there were stronger beverages. Soon the party went viral,
with music and dancing and if there'd been an empty table, someone
would have been on it. I drank only pop because I couldn't take a
chance on getting tipsy though I gobbled enough cupcakes to go a
week without food. Then I found a couch as far away from the
viewing windows as possible and tried hard not to cry. Unlike
everyone else in the room, I didn't want to watch my home slipping
inexorably away.
    Eventually the party ended, as much