I need to do better at why she loves her life.

There wasn’t a lot going on in most of the classes, but Sara did get a bit more of the book copied. Though do so earned her a few glares from the other girls, who were still not talking to her. Likely there was a new rumor going around. But she had survived the other one she would make it though the new one as well. She made her way over to the lunch table and set down

Rebecca was sitting at the table behind Sara and raised her voice. “I tell you it is unfair to be expected to apologize to that. Can you believe it? It should be the one to apologize for the taint. I mean running around like that and dragging us though the mud. Daring to say that I am the one with a problem when it is flirting with the dark, doing things no fit lady would.. It should leave already so the air can be cleared!”

Sara took out her lunch, as Zac and Abiram sat down. Zac handed her a tray and a letter. “How’s the foot? You seem to be walking all right, but don’t push it.”

Abiram said. “I understand you have been doing a lot of writing on some old book. And that you were in the office this morning.”

Sara said. “I was picking up the letters you told me were there. One was just another silly school thing. The other was on that book. They are glad we sent it to them and didn’t attempt to destroy it. Half of it was nonsense but the other half was rotten. So rotten they do not fell comfortable trying to determine if it can be destroyed and have just put it in locked storage with the ones to tainted to destroy.” She took a drink. “Said that it could be had we tried to do anything we would be in the type of mess Grange is. Does that mean something to you? Didn’t to me. But any way the possible taint was in the symbols and as we had no idea what they meant there is no need to worry about being affected.”

Zac said. “And the foot?

Sara said. “It is fine, a bit sore if I stand to long, but will be fine. There is a lot of free time and I have been using mine to work on a book I am copying. It is fascinating, and I have to keep reminding my self to write as well as read. It is about Dawnton and the writer has some interesting thoughts on why the other settlements failed and they didn’t. Of course I have nothing yet to check his ideas against, but still it is nicely detailed about what they did and why they did it.”

Abiram said. “I bet Anna and her intend will like a copy of that.”

Sara nodded. “That is who it is for, though I will make a copy for the library latter, I thought it might help the new settlement the most so they get the first copy. Zac eat your lunch, and stop trying to give it all to me. That is the third time you have put more food on the tray. I am sure Jack would be just as upset if he thought you were starving yourself.”

Zac said. “I have no idea what you are talking about.” But he did start eating his lunch, instead of adding more to Sara’s tray. “How is Viv her arm doing all right?”

Sara said. “She is doing good and is able to use the arm a bit. She still has to take it easy do to the muscle damage but the bone us healed. I gather that it is better to let muscles repair on there own, as healing them can lead to weakness. I think, that is another thing the coming letter will explain more.”

Zac said. “So healing doesn’t fix everything. Maybe they are seeing magic is not the answer to everything.”

Abiram said. “Don’t trained healers have to take the same classes doctors do? I know that the explorers are fast discovering it pays to have non magical answers to problems.”

Zac nodded. “But there was a push to change that. The argument being that the medicine and time biased healing was old fashioned and had no place in a modern city. That it belonged only to those who refuse magic. I can only hope this get more wider known so the push to have schools end the regular medical programs goes away. There are some that teach only the magical side of healing, which is scary. It could start a trend, and then a lot could be lost. ”

Sara said. “If that happened we would be to busy trying to save what was known to add to it. We don’t have enough reach to hold everything and grow it. If magic takes over more so then a lot more of the old ways will be lost. We have so much to recover as it is. The answer though might well be in creating a meld of the two ways. Magic is a part of the now and I don’t see it leave anytime soon. But it can not be the only thing we look to. That would give up much of what we learned. Hopefully the explores reporting back on how useful non magic reliant things are will  help stem the tide.”

Abiram said. “Why is magic necessary at all?”

Sara said. “It isn’t. We have years of history as well as the success of our towns to show that. Man can thrive in the absence of magic. But magic is awake in the world and to ignore it would be a mistake. One we can not afford to repeat. I mean it was the fact that the people took and dismissed the presence of weapons powerful enough to destroy the would that got us where we are. If the ancestors had been paying attention that first bomb would not have launched trigging the events that luckily woke the sleeping ones, who woke magic. We are just lucky they woke or we would not have what we do. Most of the experts of the time didn’t think anything of man would remain after the bombs landed. If it did the fallout would take care of it. If we ignore magic then only those of evil intent will know how it works. There will be nothing to stop them from using it to do what the ancestors tried, unless the power beings intervene. They made it clear that they will not help if we do not try and help ourselves. Heck if we completely turned our backs on a part of the world they might just decide we weren’t needed. There are some reports that they departed just killing us all when they woke. We can not wild or understand a fraction of what they do. Therefore it is in our best interest to not give them cause to be angry again. We can not afford to ignore a part of the world just because we wish it wasn’t there. I am not saying all should embrace the darkness, but there needs to be some in the world who will, so they can counter the evil of it.”

Abiram said. “You have given this some thought I see. I am not sure I like that.”

Sara said. “In the old world there were those that would tell anyone in hearing that the light was where they should be. Tell them that they are condemned if they didn’t follow the same path. We don’t, not as they did. We do say widely that we believe that we should live without magic and that the old ways need to be remade. But we do not tell the world that they are lost because the use magic. In trying to understand why we were not as forceful as the old religions I came to realize that as long as magic was awake in the world there needed to be those of good intentions that understood it to balance those of evil intent. For not all of magic can be answered by technology, at least not yet. Take a dragon, though thick stone slows its fire only a magic sleeping net will still it. It could well be there are spells out there that an evil mage could release that are like the dragon. If no one of good thoughts understood magic we would have no counter. That is not to say anyone should go out and embraces the darkness, but perhaps we should not right off all that do.”

Tim said, making Sara jump she had forgotten the three of them were not alone. “Though it is not something one expects a lady to be talking of, it is with the teachings of the church. If you read Father Abirhm’s writings he says the same thing. It is indeed the reason the church doesn’t push for more laws against magic. That very fear was present in the founding and was addressed before we had anything to bargain with limits were set. You are not yet allowed to see those books, but you should if you get the chance.”

Sara said. “I will think on it, but I am not sure it is worth it.”

Tim said. “As long as you are thinking and not rejecting it out of hand. It is not an easy choice to make, but you should not reject it out of hand.”

Sara said. “I am not, but there is a lot that argue against it. I like my life. I want to set up and care from my home, make it one and not a house. I have work that makes me happy, and a life. I am not ready to turn my back on. Though more and more seem to think I should..”

Tim said. “I am not wanting to tell you what you should. Just wanting to make sure you are considering it. Only you can know if you can truly be happy here.”

Sara said. “I do not see why it is so hard to believe I can be, that I am happy.”

Abiram said. “It is just that your mind let’s you see things that we don’t. You see patterns and rules where I see chaos. Like the weather data and that advanced math class I couldn’t have passed without your help. But there is little call for that skill in women among us. We don’t want you to give up something just to be here. I don’t want to see you go, but I don’t want you to stay because you think you should. It could be why so many are telling you to go is that they think if they ask you to stay you will no matter what you want for yourself.”

Sara said. “Fine, but why so sure I would leave the church completely? What do they know about me that I don’t? I mean the sister church has female scientist and a weather program. Jourdan is one of the schools working on a satellite. I would not have to turn my back on everything even if the pull of numbers is to strong. Which I am not sure it is. The pull of history is stronger than the numbers, though at times they are the same. There are patterns in the world, and sometimes they are found when you look back.”

Zac said. “Jourdan was not at the testing center. If you want them you need to send them your resualts. But even so can there program stand up to the others?”

Sara said. “Jourdan’s main issue is the fuel. They might have to seek help from a mage school for launch. However from what I have seen the satalight itself is comperbule to the other schools. However my point was why does everyone assume I must leave the church if I am going to go to a collage? Are we falling into that same trap of looking to the outside as the answers?””

Tim said. “No, not in most cases, but there is just something that makes me sure that if you go, it will not be to the sister church, but I can not explain it. I just don’t think you would fit in there, but have no idea why. Now my sister Kimberly will, and I hope she gets the chance to see that.”

Sara looked around. “Say what happened to the bell? We should be in class.”

Zac said. “Afternoons are now field days. Seniors may use the time to talk to councilors and fill out applications. The other grads are to go to the field for spring activities. They really have given up on teaching anything more, but the school board wants to keep it running so we can use it to get the applications in, and talk about things like this. How do you know so much about Jourdan’s program? I had heard they had one, but that was it.”

Sara said. “Um, well the tests. If you came out in the top part of a local bracket your results get sent to all the top ten schools for that area. I happened to place in the top five in a few areas. So am hearing from schools that weren’t there to make offers. Most of them just send me details about there school, I give that stuff to the councilors office. Jourdan is one of the four schools actively trying to get me to sign with them.”

Abiram said. “I believe that there are four, well five, schools with approved funding for a satellite program.”

Sara shrugged. “Is there? I have not seen anything yet worth signing. The only reason I even said anything was because I wanted to know why I would leave the church to study more. How many schools are after you? I bet more than I have.”

Zac looked at her. “None temping you at all? Surly that can’t be. I might have to let Jack know. I am sure he can fix that.”

Sara said. “I don’t know that there is an offer that will make me want to leave. I am not ready and no offer will make me ready.”

Zac said. “I have had second offers come in from eight schools, and papers from more. Jack made me programs not to sign anything other than a third offer. So I am waiting, but I know what I am waiting on.”

Tim said. “You know I want Thortan, and would have signed at the time but Father made me promises to wait until the week of school to sign with any of them. Think that would get me to consider other schools. I have eight or nine making offers, I think, but haven’t really paid much attention.”

Abiram said. “I am getting good offers from ten schools and pushes from a few others. There are three I am considering. It is not an easy choice. One of the better offers is attached to a mage related school. I am talking to the leaders about that one, but as I said there are others that are not bad.”

Sara said. “You two should go be with the other boys and talk about what ever it is you talk about. I’m going to get back to work on my book. Seeing as we have the afternoon free, I might just be able to have it done on Friday.”