it would please my father. So I made myself
practice until my muscles ached. Now I fly fairly well."
36 "Wow!" cried North, "How strong are you?"
37 Morn held out the hard, air-filled ball in his hand, and with little
effort crushed it, until it burst! "By The Lord Holy!" came a gasp from
North. "I'm never going to fight with you!"
38 Morn began to laugh with a strange, high-pitched tone no one else on
Haven could match. "I hope," he chuckled, "we never have to. I would
not like to fight a friend."
39 Both boys laughed. North's mother called him, saying it was time to
leave. "Will you be coming here again?" was North's parting question.
40 "I hope so," answered Morn. "I enjoyed today."
41 "So did I," agreed North. "I'll see you later!" He ran back to his mother, and they started home. He noticed the angry
looks from the other women and boys as they passed.
42 "Did you enjoy your game with The Hashon?" his mother asked. "The
others were angry you played with him."
43 "He's not a Hashon," North told her, already protective of his new
friend. "His father is The Lord God. That makes him as Haven as I am.
And I don't care if the other boys like me or not. I'd rather be with
Morn than fools. I wouldn't treat a Lower the way they treat him. You
and
father taught me better than that!"
44 North's mother was surprised. "How does my little child get
such command of language? You talk like one five times your age, and
far bolder than most would dare. You are your father's son."
45 "I am also my mother's child," her son put in, looking at her
proudly.
46 She stopped and hugged him, and they continued on. They were unaware
Morn had followed them on the opposite side of the wall, and heard
their conversation. He returned to his mother. "Mother," he requested,
"I like that boy! He's special! He treats me nice! I would like to have
him come to