CHAPTER TWO

Lonely Readers Society

Darcy Luna shut the shiny black toolbox. “Your hardware is perfect,” she concluded. “Now, about your mission. When you find the golden owl, Fly on the Wall Inc. will donate the prize money to a good cause.”

GEORGE perked up at this news. But he wished he could choose the cause.

When GEORGE was first activated—back at the university’s micro-robotics lab—some of his best memories were with an intern who’d programmed him. GEORGE learned that she had belonged to an organization called the Lonely Readers Society as a child. While she worked on GEORGE, she told him how reading and sharing books had helped her make friends and learn about the world around her.

“It’s probably why I decided to become a scientist!” she’d said.

Hearing the intern talk about how much she loved books had made GEORGE’s wiring hum warmly!

“…and they’re letting me pick the cause!” continued Darcy. “I can’t wait to tell my son, Petey. He’s waiting outside to have lunch with me, probably with his nose in a book. I plan to choose his favorite organization—the Lonely Readers Society.”

Awesomesauce! GEORGE’s wings fluttered in excitement.

One time, the intern had used the word awesomesauce to describe the book she was reading. That word wasn’t in GEORGE’s digital dictionary, but he was pretty sure it meant great.

GEORGE wondered how much the golden owl was worth. Hopefully enough to buy lots and lots of books for the Lonely Readers Society.

He downloaded more data about his mission:

The creator and original manager of the golden owl treasure hunt, Valentin, died in 2009. At that time, the golden owl was worth about a quarter of a million dollars. Then, in 2021, Becker inherited a sealed envelope with the exact location of the bronze owl. But when he went there, he found a rusty iron bird instead.

A rusty iron bird? What happened? GEORGE wondered. He was determined to find the missing bronze owl, so that his favorite cause could receive a huge donation.

His wings flitted at a low speed, and he lifted off the desk. As he soared toward the office door, Darcy shouted, “Bon voyage, Georgie!” GEORGE’s global translator reworded her French into English—“Have a good trip!”

He glided out the office door, down many winding hallways, and toward the front door of Fly on the Wall Inc.

Outside the building, the sun hid behind a band of gray clouds. A soft rain drizzled from the sky. A small boy, who had brown eyes like Darcy, sat on a bench with an umbrella over his head. With his free hand, he held a book up to his nose.

GEORGE rose into the misty sky, higher and higher. He thought about Darcy’s son sitting all alone. GEORGE could relate. That made his wiring hum warmly again.

“Petey,” he whispered in the wind. “I like that name.”