"Arthur Tofte - Walls within Walls" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tofte Arthur)

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Walls Within Walls by
Arthur Tofte

PART ONE
WALLS OF UPPER CITY
Chapter I
We could hear the slow, steady beat of marching feetтАФthe watch guard!
It was coming our wayтАж

Ralf and I rushed to the small peep-hole our father had built into our
solid front gate-door. An inner bracing on the gate allowed us to climb up
and peer out.

Ralf got there first. I could see that he was highly excited as he
clambered up the bracing and pulled aside the shield that prevented
anyone outside from looking into our enclosed yard. He put his eye to the
tiny hole.

Even before he slid down to give me a chance to look out, I knew that
the watch guard had gone past.

It was not to be this time!

We looked at each other and laughed in relief. The next instant we were
in each other's arms weeping.

It was not to be this time. But surely it would happen the next time the
watch guard came by. Or the time after that. Another hour? Another two
hours?

Ever since Ralf and I had awakened that morning, we were keyed up for
what the day would bring. It was our sixth birthday. And in Resurrection
City sixth birthdays were very important. That was the date on which
children were taken away from their homes and their parents by the
watch guard, and given over to the city for training.

As twins, Ralf and I had known of this, had dreaded it, and at the same
time were fascinated with it.

We loved our parents. We loved our home. But the mere thought of
going out beyond the high wall that surrounded our homeтАж to see what
life was like in the rest of the cityтАж to play with other childrenтАФit was