Throwaways

In The City Of At Il There Were Two Laws Strictly Enforced: Number One, It Was Against The Law To Feed The Children And Number Two, It Was Against The Law To Leave The City. Fox, The Thirteen-Year-Old Son Of The Governor, Had Done Both. When He And Two Friends; Eight-Year-Old Hawk And Wolf, Age Twelve, Were Invited To Visit A Family Compound Outside The City, Fox Deliberated Hard And Long About The Situation. Breaking The Law, As A Loner, Was One Thing But When It Involved Others The Decision Was Much More Difficult. It Brought Back Memories Of His First Time Outside The City Walls; The Broad, Unending Space Of Earth And Sky He Experienced Had Been A Shock To His Well-Being. It Had Taken Him Some Time Before The Freedom Of Boundaries Was A Comfortable Experience. He Was Afraid This Unknown May Be Too Much Of An Adjustment For His Friends Since They Had Never Ventured Further Than The Guard-Shack Steps At The City Entrance. True---He And His Friends Were Only Children; Numbers On The City Records. If They Were Ever Found Missing, As `Throwaways' They Would Just Be Crossed Off The List Of City Residents.