There’s nothing in the whole wide world like flying in the early morning, say around sixish.
At fifteen thousand feet, I could still make out the colors of cars inching along the New Jersey Turnpike below us. It felt fabulous to be wheeling in the air again, stretching my wings out fully, working out the soreness. We were flying in loose formation, coasting in one another’s air wakes, smiling at nothing. We were happy to be together in the sky, way above the world that held our mysteries and our pain.
Total seemed to like the wind whistling through his fur, and the altitude didn’t seem to be bothering his breathing yet. I knew the others were excited about finding their parents, and I knew that I was going down that road with them, to the end of the line.
Fang glanced over at me, his face smooth and impassive, though I could almost feel the anticipation rolling off his feathers. I smiled at him, and his dark eyes lit.
Fang. I had to do some thinking about him.
Me. I had to do some thinking about me too.
When we got to Washington DC, it would be either incredibly great or a totally heartbreaking disaster. Iggy thought that meeting their parents would be our ticket to safety and freedom and happiness. I wasn’t that naive.
Knowledge is a terrible burden, Max, said my Voice. I sighed. Still with us.
It’s a two-edged sword, the Voice went on. It might help you, but it might put you in danger greater than anything you’ve faced so far.
Gotcha. But I had to do it anyway.
Max—you have a bigger mission than finding the flock’s parents. Focus on helping the whole world, not just your friends.
I held my wings steady, coasting for a long, long way on a warm updraft. It was like floating on a cloud, the best feeling you can imagine. I wish you could try it with me. Maybe next time.
You know, Voice, I thought finally, my friends are my world.
Remember what I said at the very beginning?
Now, I’m giving you a choice:
You can put the book down now—
but you’ll just have some of the story.
Look other places for more of it.
Dig even deeper, and you could become part of it.
The web of answers is out there.
If you can find the portal.
Be careful. And don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Max
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