a Crack in the Sky by Hughes Mark Peter - Greenhouse Chronicle

Author:Hughes, Mark Peter - Greenhouse Chronicle [Hughes, Mark Peter - Greenhouse Chronicle]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Published: 2011-01-14T19:14:55+00:00

13

the way of the future

Safe on the ground again, Eli and Marilyn made their way home through darkened streets. Eli kept checking over his shoulder in case anybody was following. Now that he'd firmly and finally refused to join the Foggers, who could guess how they might try to take their fanatical vengeance on him?

It just doesn't add up, he observed silently to Marilyn. How could an old desert rat have designed the domes? And why would anyone say such unforgivable things about my family? That Outsider must have been so brain fevered, he didn't know what he was saying. When the masked boy told me Gustavo was taken by the desert, I thought he meant he was dead. Eli kept his head low and ducked down Angell Street. How is anybody supposed to figure out what's real and what isn't?

I don't know, my love.

Within minutes they were home again. They shot inside and Eli locked the front door behind them. His dinner was still waiting for him on the kitchen table, but he rushed past it. He found Claudia dozing on the sofa with the CloudNet still on and a flashing party hat tilted on her head. She'd been out celebrating on the street with all the others, Eli guessed, and now she was spent. Nobody appeared in the sphere to tell him there were any messages, which was a relief. It meant he had at least until morning before he would have to face Mother and Father.

He charged up the stairs and into his room. "Heather, please put me through to Grandfather."

Marilyn trailed behind him. Do you think it's such a good idea to admit you climbed the sky and met this Outsider? It's only going to make things worse for you.

What am I supposed to do? Grandfather knows the truth, and he's the only one I can trust to tell me. Besides, if Grandfather really did know this guy once, then maybe if I help the company track him down, it might lead them to forgive me someday.

Marilyn looked skeptical.

Heather appeared in the sphere. "Oh hi, sweetie," she said, looking adorable in a short-sleeved blouse with swirling colors and the words I Survived the Providence Sky Freak-out, and All I Got Was This Lousy T-shirt written across the chest. Behind her a mariachi band played peppy music while a crowd of digital people danced. "I'm heading out to join my friend Betty at the afterparty at Club Babyhead! Want to come?"

Eli ignored her. The Heather program was constantly coming up with new ways to maintain the illusion that she was real. Everybody knew she wasn't, of course, but the company had done extensive market research and found that consumers enjoyed the fantasy that CloudNet assistants had lives of their own. Last month Heather had gone through an emotional breakup with a fictional boyfriend.

"Didn't you hear me? I have to speak with my grandfather."

"Oh, don't get all in a huff. I heard. God, you can be a ping-kill sometimes, you know that?" The music wound down and the dancers walked dejectedly away.

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