to take in their adult life.
7 Above anything else North wanted high enough grades to apply for
Academy and a position in The Imperial Fleet. To do this he would have
to score among the top five hundred of his race. He would be in
competition with every other young male on his world, and on all the
inhabited
colonies. His score on The Tests and his points in The Games would
determine whether or not he made it.
8 He didn't worry about The Games. Even if he only made the locals in
his final year, he'd have enough points to do anything. It was his
grades that worried him, and he studied hard every day.
9 On top of this, he had almost daily visits from his young rebels,
and, not so young ones. For year by year more and more elder men had
been joining his group. And there was always the nagging fear in his
mind that one of these men would try to take over the organization he
had built and change the philosophy he was working for.
10 Already some of his young group leaders were complaining that
certain older members were trying to push them from their positions,
and this wasn't North's ONLY worry. There was always the fear of a spy
getting into their organization and alerting The Lord's Guard. This was
North's worst fear and one day, as he sat in his room, that fear became
reality. His communicator rang, and he went to answer.
11 On the screen he saw Blue Stone, and The Guard Officer made a sign
that North immediately recognized. He grabbed his pocket computer and
plugged it into the machine. Now no one would understand what the two
were saying.
12 "North," warned Blue Stone, "you've got to get a message to your
leader right away. I've just found out an informer named Red Comet has
betrayed your group! He's told The Guard where some of them will be
meeting tonight. They'll be seized and interrogated as possible
conspirators."
13 "Thanks," North replied, "I have to hurry!"
14 As North broke the contact, he knew he had trouble.