Betrayal on Orbis by P. J. Haarsma

Author:P. J. Haarsma [ Haarsma, PJ]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-7636-5236-4
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Published: 2008-04-03T04:00:00+00:00

“What do you mean?” Max said to Ketheria. She and Theodore flanked my sister, her back against an old, torn lounger that looked out of place in the stone room. It was now more than a cycle after my discussion with Toll, and Ketheria had returned from Odran’s unharmed, but I admit I was too preoccupied with Toll and his agreement to be much of a brother to her. Max and Theodore were asking her about what happened with Odran while some of the other kids napped.

“He’s a believer,” Ketheria told them.

“Believer of what?” Theodore said. He looked thoroughly confused. His mouth was slightly open and his forehead all scrunched up.

Max tried to explain to him, “OIO. It’s —”

“The art and science of cosmic energy,” Ketheria said.

“Remember the Nagools?” I added, trying to sound interested.

“I don’t get any of it,” Theodore said.

“It has to do with the way cosmic energy flows through the universe —” Max started to explain, but Ketheria interrupted her.

“This universe,” she said.

“There’s only one universe, Ketheria,” Theodore agrued.

“No, she’s right. Most aliens on Orbis believe there are an infinite number of universes,” Max said, “but OIO has to do with the way cosmic energies affect our lives.”

“In its simplest terms,” Ketheria said.

“And Odran believes in this stuff?” I said.

“He claims to, but I think he uses it more to manipulate other people than to actually live by its teachings,” Ketheria replied. “Otherwise he would never treat us like this.”

“It’s fascinating,” Max gushed, her eyes widening. “According to the philosophy of OIO, we are all made up of this stuff called Source, and Odran performed these tests on Ketheria in his quarters —”

“Tests?” I said, interrupting.

“Nothing really,” Ketheria said. “Odran simply observed my nodes to measure their spin. It was very interesting, but I think I made him nervous somehow.”

“Ketheria, what kind of tests? Are you all right? Did he hurt you?”

“It was nothing. I think he was trying to read my nodes,” she said.

“Yeah, there are fourteen of them in and around your body that spin or vibrate depending —”

Theodore cut her off. “Nodes? Spin? What? I don’t get any of it.”

It was like another alien language to me also. Toll quickly slipped to the back of my mind. “Are you sure, Ketheria?”

“Don’t worry. It’s alien mysticism. It was fun. I’m hungry,” Ketheria said. Then she got up off the lounger and left the three of us standing there.

I watched her go through a crate and pick out her favorite food tablets from the supply Charlie had left for us.

“She acts older than most of the other kids here,” Theodore whispered.

“She does, doesn’t she?” Max murmured. “She’s golden.”

Ketheria was in her own little world, and if Odran did hurt her, she certainly wasn’t showing it. She is fine, I said to myself, and then proceeded to tell Max and Theodore about what happened with me and Toll, the deal I made, and how odd the council members acted. I knew Toll wouldn’t mind if I shared with my friends, but I still made them promise not to tell anyone.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.