The Project Gutenberg EBook of Runaway, by William Morrison

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Title: Runaway

Author: William Morrison

Illustrator: William Ashman

Release Date: September 3, 2009 [EBook #29897]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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runaway

By WILLIAM MORRISON

_Heroism is merely daring and ingenuity--at
the age of ten--experience can come later!_

Illustrated by ASHMAN

_A thin speck appeared in the visor plate and grew with sinister and
terrifying speed. Bursts of flame began to play around the rocketing
spaceship, the explosions hurtling it from side to side as it twisted
and turned in a frantic effort to escape. Rogue Rogan, his vicious lips
compressed, his glittering evil eyes narrowed, heart pounding, knew that
this was it._

_This was the day of retribution, he had so long feared...._

* * * * *

"Plato!"

Plato leaped to his feet and slid the book under the pillow. Then he
seized a textbook at random, and opened it wide. His eyes fastened
themselves to the print, seizing upon the meaningless words as if they
would save him from a retribution that Rogue Rogan had never had to
fear.

The dorm master frowned from the doorway. "Plato, didn't you hear the
Assembly bell?"

"Assembly?" Plato's eyes looked up in mild astonishment. "No, sir, I
didn't hear any bell. I was so absorbed in my studying, sir--" He shut
the book and placed it back with the others. "I'm sorry, sir. I'm
willing to accept my punishment."

The dorm master studied the little martyr's expression. "You'd better
be, Plato. Now live up to your name and show some intelligence. Run
along to Assembly."

Plato ran, but he also winced. How he had suffered from that miserable
name of his! Even before he had known that the original Plato had been a
philosopher, even before he had been capable of understanding what a
philosopher was, he had been able to see the amused expression in the
eyes of those who heard his name, and had hated them for it. "Show a
little in