Page 8 (1/2)

"She can," Xander said "She just doesn’t like to do it"

"I don’t like the ju-in part," I informed Grandfather

"I see," he said "What about the diving board?"

"Especial y not that"

"Al right," he told e Even back then, when he was younger and stronger, I rerandparents My grandparents were one of the last couples who chose to be Matched later in life They were thirty-five when they Matched My father, their one child, wasn’t born until four years later Now, no one is al owed to have a child after they turn thirty-one

The sun shone right through his silver hair andfor such detail It ," he said, kicking his feet in the water "I can see how you’d never want to do anything but sit" I heard the teasing in his voice and turned away

Then he stood up and walked toward the diving board "Sir," said the waterguard in charge of the pool "Sir?"

"I have a recreational pass," Grandfather told her, not stopping "I’m in excel ent health" Then he clier and stronger the higher he climbed

He didn’t look over at ht in, and before he broke through the surface of the water I was on h-dive ladder, the soles of my feet and my pride both on fire

And I ju of the pool, aren’t you?" he asksa little "You didn’t keep me safe then You practical y dared e, because I didn’t mean to say that word I don’t knohy I’m afraid of it Grandfather isn’t The Society isn’t I shouldn’t be

Grandfather doesn’t seem to notice "You were ready to jump," he says "You just weren’t sure of it yet" We both fal silent, re I try not to look at the timepiece on the walI have to leave soon so I can make curfew, but I don’t want Grandfather to think that I a ti tih, if you think about it, I a tiives them a part of your life and takes part of theirs

Grandfather senses my distraction and asks me what is on my mind I tel him, because I won’t have rips ive you part ofto say and he says it so kindly that I say it back Even though he is alrip feels strong, and again I feel sad

"There’s so else I wanted to tel you," I say to Grandfather "I signed up for hiking as ht that back?" Grandfather used to hike as one of his leisure activities years ago, and he’s talked about it ever since

"It’s new this summer I’ve never seen it offered before"

"I wonder who the instructor is," he says, thoughtful y Then he looks out the"I wonder where they’l take you to hike" I fol ow his gaze again There isn’t reenspace--parks and recreation fields "Maybe to one of the larger recreation areas," I say

"Maybe to the Hil ," he says, the light returning to his eyes

The Hil is the last place in the City that has been left forested and wild I can see it now, its prickly green back rising out of the Arboretum where , but since most of the Army has been moved to the Outer Provinces, there isn’t as much need for it anymore

"Do you think so?" I ask, excited "I’ve never been there before I mean, I’ve been to the Arboretuo on the Hil "

"You’l love it if they let you hike the Hil ," Grandfather says, his face anihest point you can see, and there’s no one clearing a path for you, no si’s real--"

"Do you real y think they’l let us hike there?" I ask His enthusiasazes out thein the direction of the Arboretu out lately is because he likes to reh he can readabout hiswith doing that" In fact, at the end of a life, it’s encouraged

"That’s not exactly what I’," Grandfather said

"Oh?"

"I’hts "It’s not the sa, but not al of it"

"What are you thinking about?"

"Many things A poerandmother died early of one of the last kinds of cancer when she was sixty-two I never knew her The coift from her mother-in-law, Grandfather’s mother