The Object Lesson

If it were not for the ceremony, Checkers would have enjoyed the trip to Lightning Pass, as it was the largest city that she had ever seen. The Assembly Hall was a full four stories, and the Chamber of Lightning Court could hold thousands of Gliders. The gathering of the youth of Electric Pass and the dependent communities took place every four of five years, depending on the Glider calendar, and there was much celebration and feasting. This was to be a memorable time for a group of impressionable young Gliders, who were to embark upon the final years of Glider training. Part of their education was to produce an object lesson - a failed Glider, so that they could learn what not to do and take the right path. And Checkers was going to be the star of this part of the show.

Her handlers had been quite pleased with her. During the four days that it took to fly from Lightning Pass, she was serious, but not rebellious. She accepted commands, and talked little, which suited her escort fine. It was said that she had two visitors before she left. Her father came to console her, and did indeed seem to lift her spirits. The second visitor was an elder, Sylvan Goldenrod. He did not visit Checkers, but asked that two items be placed in one of Checker's pouches on her belt, as they were owed to her.

The Chamber of Lightning Court was a vast arched building. There were two rows of benches, with an aisle down the middle. At the end of each bench adjacent to the aisle, there was a candlestick with a lit candle. The room was bathed in a soft, ghostly light. The chorus sang a cappella. The song did not have words, but was both beautiful and sad. Checkers had heard it before at a couple of funerals. She stood on a raised dais, in the company of men and women she either did not know, or barely knew, Lettelli, and her father. To get through this, she tried imagining herself as an actress in a play, and that this was just a role to get through.

She had her training jacket on over a leather jerkin, a wool skirt, and sturdy boots. She was hatless, and had her pouch. She had not checked it, but it felt perhaps a bit heavier than when she had left it. She looked around at the crowd. There were many Lightning Pass Gliders, and those from towns as small as hers. Many were transfixed by the ceremony, although there were a few that looked bored. She remembered being one of those youngsters five years ago, looking at a sullen, resentful boy who had a reputation as a troublemaker. Now she was in his place.

The song over, a Burgess of Celestial Mountain came to give an explanation of the ceremony. How one had to earn one's place in society, according to his ability. A Glider's lot was difficult, he said, and that the weak must be given a chance to reform. If they could not, the entire community could not be endangered for the one, and the weak Glider must be expelled.

They then asked Lettelli for the particulars. Checkers remembered her exercises of detachment, in order not to protest in an unseemly way against what Lettelli was going to say. She knew that it would just confirm the fact that she was unworthy to all these people. Lettelli went down every major transgression on her record, and did it in a way that invited the audience to laugh. Lettelli emphasized the transgressions of 'inattentiveness', 'failure to conform', and 'arrogance'. An example, "This young lady has become quite well versed in the old lore. Now a good understanding of one's history is part of the Glider ideal, but study is a tool, but not an end in itself. This young lady seems to think that her twenty years of experience outweighs the fifteen hundred years of knowledge and wisdom of the faculty of Celestial Mountain. The idea that Gliders once ranged beyond the Red Dolomite Range. But this young lady sees wisdom in the fairy tales, and nonsense from the learned men. Do you want to enlighten us about these tales, Checkers?"

"No ma'am. I was mistaken." replied Checkers, with appropriate humility.

"Although I never claimed that it was true," she thought. "I only said that it had been written down in the old documents of the city that colonies of Gliders outside the RDL once existed, and tolls had been collected from them. It seemed to be a reasonable conclusion to draw."

After Lettelli had entertained the crowd with a mocking summary of Checkers' performance, the Burgess of Celestial Mountain asked Tesetten, the dean of the elders of Electric Pass, if attempts to reform had been made.

"Indeed, sir, the warning was given ten months ago. She has not progressed toward the Glider ideal, become more like the animals in her behaviour.

"Checkers, what do you say?" asked the Burgess.

"I do not dispute what has been said, and I await your judgment, and shall abide by it," she replied, reciting the formula.

"Tesetten, elder of Electric Pass, hand me her spear."

There was a large rack of ceremonial spears behind the dais, representing all living members of the town of Electric Pass. They picked the one that represented Checkers.

The Burgess took the spear, and said, "For failure to make progress toward the Glider ideal, I expel you from the community of Lightning Pass and its dependent towns and villages." He took an axe, and cut the base of the spear off, with the insignia of Lightning Pass.

"Digger Rightbrook, hand me the spear."

"For the disgrace that you have brought upon the honourable family of Rightbrook, you have been stricken from the records of the family." Another chop at the spear, and the Rightbrook signature was severed from the spear.

None of the young Gliders had their attention wandering now. The violence being committed against Checkers' spear had gotten their attention.

"Please hand me your jacket."

Checkers handed him her training jacket, far more affected than she thought she would be. She intellectually knew all about the ceremony, but to be humiliated so publicly, and to be cut off from everything she knew, had never registered with her until now. Even though she knew her father had to play the role, much as she was playing hers, it still stung. She felt that a part of her heart had been multilated in the same way as her spear.

The Burgess spoke again. "Let it not be said that the Great House of Burgesses, which represents and is the guardian of all Gliders from the sixteen great cities, is not merciful. Even with all of her failures, she can redeem herself. But how much easier would it have been if she had just applied herself? For she is going beyond the protection of the RDL, out into a harsh land, amongst evil beings that would kill her for her hide, into dry and hostile lands with little game, and with no support from her fellow Gliders in the hunt, against the invicible dragon that has plagued the Western lands for seven generations. What lessons does this teach you, child?" he asked a young girl, planted near the dias.

"Follow the orders of your guides, and apply yourself to the Glider ideal."

After a question and answer session with the young Glides about this ideal had been completed, Checkers was handed a couple of maps - one a map to the dragon's lair, and one a map of the lair itself. For some strange reason, both maps had a black strip down the middle. It was one bit of symbolism that had never been explained.

The Burgess then pronounced the sentence.

At this, those on the dias turned their backs, except for two captains of the patrol. They prodded Checkers down the aisle. As she walked down the aisle, the candles were extinguished, until the room was completely dark when she had passed the last row. She looked straight ahead, trying to avoid the eye contact of those staring at her, the object lesson.

The two Gliders of the patrol silently escorted her into a cart. She was given food and water for the trip west. The driver was under orders not to talk to her, and to take her to the borders of Blueberry Patch, a border community on the southwest, where she would leave the territory of the league.

1. The journey into the wilderness begins.

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