Tally left at midnight.
Dr. Cable had demanded that no one be told about hermission, even the dorm minders. It was fine if Peris spreadrumors—no one believed the gossip of new pretties, anyway.
But not even her parents would be officially informedthat Tally had been forced to run away. Except for her littleheart pendant, she was on her own.
She slipped out the usual way, out the window and downbehind the recycler. Her interface ring remained on the bedsidetable, and Tally carried nothing but the survival knapsackand Shay’s note. She almost forgot her belly sensor, butclipped it on just before she left. The moon was about half-fulland growing. At least she’d have some light as she traveled.
A special long-range hoverboard was waiting under thedam. It hardly moved when she stepped on. Most boardsgave a little as they adjusted to a rider’s weight, bouncinglike a diving board, but this one was absolutely firm. Shesnapped her fingers, and it rose under her, steady as concreteunder her feet.
“Not bad,” she said, then bit her lip. Since Shay had runaway ten days ago, she’d started talking to herself. Thatwasn’t a good sign. She was going to be completely alonefor at least a few days now, and the last thing she neededwas more imaginary conversations.
The board eased forward smoothly, climbing theembankment to the top of the dam. Once on the river, Tallypushed it faster, leaning forward until the river was a shiningblur beneath her feet. The board didn’t seem to have aspeed governor—no safety warning sounded. Perhaps itsonly limits were the open space in front of her, metal in theground below, and Tally’s feet staying on board.
Speed was everything if she was going to make up forthe last four days in limbo. If Tally showed up too long afterher birthday, Shay might realize that her operation hadbeen delayed. From there, she might guess that Tally wasn’tan ordinary runaway.
The river passed beneath her faster and faster, and shereached the rapids in record time. Drops of spray stung likehailstones when she hit the first falls, and Tally leaned backto slow herself a bit. Still, she was taking the rapids fasterthan she ever had before.
Tally realized that this hoverboard was no ugly toy. Itwas the real thing. On its front end a half circle of lightsglowed, giving feedback from the board’s metal detector,which constantly searched ahead to see if there was enoughiron in the ground to stay aloft. The lights stayed on solidly140 Scott Westerfeldas she climbed the rapids, and Tally hoped that Shay wasright about metal deposits being found in every river.
Otherwise, this could be a very long trip.
Of course, at this speed she wouldn’t have time to stopif the lights suddenly went out. Which would make it avery short trip.
But the lights stayed on, and Tally’s nerves weresoothed by the roar of white water, the cold slap of spray inher face, the thrill of bending her body through curve aftercurve in the moon-speckled darkness. The board wassmarter than her old one, learning her moves in a matter ofminutes. It was like graduating from a tricycle to a motorbike:
scary, but thrilling.
Tally wondered if the route to the Smoke had a lot ofrapids to ride. Maybe this really would be an adventure. Ofcourse, at the end of the journey there would only bebetrayal. Or worse, she would discover that Shay’s trust inDavid had been misplaced, which could mean . . . anything.
Probably something horrible.
She shivered, deciding not to think about that possibilityagain.
When Tally reached the turnoff, she slowed and turnedthe board around, taking a last look at the city. It shone brilliantlyin the dark valley, so distant that she could blot it outwith one hand. In the clear night air, Tally could make outindividual fireworks unfolding like bright flowers, everythingin perfect miniature. The wild around her seemed soUGLIES 141much larger, the churning river full of power, the foresthuge with the secrets hidden in its black depths.
She allowed herself a long stare at the city lights beforeshe stepped onto shore, wondering when she would see herhome again.
On the trail, Tally wondered how often she’d have to walk.
The trip up the rapids had been the fastest she had everflown, even quicker than the Special Circumstances hovercardodging through city traffic. After that rush of speed,carrying the knapsack and board felt like being turned intoa slug.
But soon enough the Rusty Ruins appeared below, andthe board’s metal detector guided Tally to the natural veinof iron. She rode it down toward the crumbling towers, hernerves growing jumpy as the ruins rose up to blot outthe half-moon. The broken buildings surrounded her, thescorched and silent cars passing below. Peering through theempty windows made her feel how alone she was, a solitarywanderer in an empty city.
“Take the coaster straight past the gap,” she said aloud,an inc............