<meta name="LineWrap" content="true"><TITLE>SR_Bk1 0007</TITLE><A HREF="SR_Bk1-0008.txt">Next (Page 8)</A><BR> He backed away, and a moment later she approached the window and hovered there for a moment.<P><P>"Yes!" she exclaimed, and did several backflips in midair.<P><P>Daptin stood still as the pretty girl flew into the room, landed, and stood before him. She was short, with long, full blond hair, and a wonderful, whimsical blue-and-white outfit.<P><P>"You're the one who didn't make it. Did you see Fox, then?"<P><P>"I did," Daptin said.<P><P>"Cool! What do you think about it?"<P><P>"Um, I think, uh, it's pretty good, I guess," Daptin managed.<P><P>"Good. Do you remember me?"<P><P>She did look familiar, but Daptin couldn't place her.<P><P>"Sort of."<P><P>"Well, you seem familiar, but likewise, I don't quite remember. My Lifename now is The Tracy Taciturn. What's yours?"<P><P>"Daptin. Daptin Gone."<P><P>"Pleased to see you again, Daptin."<P><P>"Uh, same to you, Tracy."<P><P>Tracy looked out the window.<P><P>"I love flying. It feels so good to be doing it again. Can you believe we're all that's left? Well, except for Fox. But he's leaving. That means we have a chance to make up for our rotten lot in Creation."<P><P>"Is anyone else here?"<P><P>Tracy turned to face him.<P><P>"Oh, just one other. The rest are off in search of the it, I suppose. They must know what they're doing, unlike us."<P><P>"Yeah."<P><P>"Assuming you came here like me to get a handle on what's going on."<P><P>"That's a reason."<P><P>"Cool. So how much do you remember?"<P><P>"Not much."<P><P>"Well, that's alright. Deskerhilm seems to know everything. He should be up in a while--doesn't fly you know. Do you?"<P><P>"I'm not sure."<P><P>"Wanna try? It's great. Please, you must."<P><P>"Okay, what do I do?"<P><P>"Well, I guess, you could just jump out the window, but that wouldn't do if you're not a flyer."<P><P>"I'd fly, but only in one direction--down."<P><P>"True. So why don't I carry you along, and you can let go if you feel your Flight."<P><P>Tracy approached Daptin, and put her arms around his waist. Before he could react, she flew out the window upside down, holding Daptin on top of her. They soared out over Canyon and Daptin took in the majesty of the place for the first time. And he enjoyed the tight embrace.<P><P>"What do you think, Daptin?"<P><P>Daptin wasn't at all apprehensive. In fact, he began to feel his own Flight.<P><P>"I think I can do it," he said.<P><P>"Shall I let go?"<P><P>"No, not yet. Let me get a good hold on it."<P><P>They flew for a few more minutes, swooping and speeding all around Canyon. Then Daptin made fists and felt his Flight fully. Without a word, Tracy let go, and Daptin felt an amazing rush as he took over and was himself flying.<P><P>He soared all over Canyon and frolicked with Tracy for a long time, laughing and hahooing all the way.<P><P>Brilliant and vague. Daptin had a sense of memory, an existence before the Daptin Gone incarnation. Growing up in the suburbs of Arctica... then struck with disease just as he should have started sowing his teenage wild oats. And now the mega-glorious flying, and he knew for sure it wasn't just a dream.<P><P>The frolic was for hours, then they had to head back.<P><P>Flying next to Tracy toward the Palace in the Wall from far down Canyon where they'd flown, Daptin was struck with the irony of it all.<P><P>"I tell you, I spent so much time coming to terms with death, from the first diagnosis to my present state. So much denial, so much agony. For everyone, my family, my friends, my girlfriend. And I didn't even know. Well, I hardly knew, about all this. And now, flying... with you and everything... in this Highworld, it seems so..."<P><P>"Sounds like a pretty nasty disease, that one you have."<P><P>Daptin laughed.<P><P>"Hizzings Disease. Yeah. Still don't know how I can cure it."<P><P>"Deskerhilm will have the answer," The Tracy Taciturn said. "Fox knew Deskerhilm was beyond most of us, that he wouldn't want to get involved in it.<BR><A HREF="SR_Bk1-0008.txt">Next (Page 8)</A>