“I consider it quite a privilege to be up here tonight,” Mr. Hudson said. “The Winter Festival is a celebration of life—of our ability to make it through the coldest, darkest times. I think we can agree that as a town, we’ve recently made it through some pretty cold, dark times.”
Chills ran down my back. After all we had been through, this Winter Festival felt different from any other one I’d been to. And it wasn’t just because we were outside. I think it was because as a town, we felt different.
“I know many of you have been shocked at how quickly I made it through my own cold, dark time.” Mr. Hudson glanced upward for a moment. “Although the Bomb’s Breath is invisible and deadly, it protects us. It makes our town stronger. And now Dr. Grenwood has confirmed that the chemical change that occurred when the medicine was exposed to the air of the Bomb’s Breath also made the Ameiphus stronger.”
The crowd sat in silent awe as we processed the news. Dr. Grenwood had said that since Shadel’s Sickness was a side effect of the green bombs, the cure would be as well. It made sense that the thing that made the medicine stronger would be a side effect of the green bombs, too.
Mr. Hudson continued. “Many of us have been personally touched by the loss of a loved one who died because of the Bomb’s Breath. We have great reason to fear it. Yet we live in a unique situation in White Rock. We’re the only location within hundreds of miles with not only the optimal conditions for growing Ameiphus, but with an altitude high enough to access the Bomb’s Breath. Our town’s motto has always been to work with our strengths, and Ameiphus is arguably one of our greatest strengths.
“If we take each batch of Dr. Grenwood’s medicine into the Bomb’s Breath, we can come out of our coldest, darkest time stronger than we’ve ever been.”
The crowd cheered, a few people whooped, and Aaren smiled at me. It amazed me how much better the town reacted to the suggestion of using the Bomb’s Breath now, as opposed to when Mr. Hudson suggested it at the council meeting a few months ago. We’d come a long way.
“We can accomplish great things when we work together. But we can’t forget the difference one person can make. Inventing’s always been important to us. It’s moved our community forward. It’s given us the comforts we enjoy. It’s made us efficient. It’s raised our quality of life.” He reached a hand out and placed it on the Difference of One stone. “Every name on this stone is here because their contribution to this community has been great. It’s always been our quest to look ahead and look outside what we thought was possible.”
I knew inventing was important. But this was a celebration! And not even a celebration about inventing, like the Harvest Festival.
“But in trying to look ahead,” Mr. Hudson said, “it seems that we sometimes overlook. It’s been our tradition to add names to the Difference of One stone only at the Harvest Festival. However, a onetime change to that tradition was recently put to a secret vote, and everyone chose to add a name to it tonight.”
I looked to Aaren and Brock to see if they knew anything about a secret vote, or if they knew of an invention good enough for a special ceremony, but they just grinned.
“Someone in our midst chose to lead a trek to save our town, even though she knew it was extremely dangerous. She didn’t let the fear of bandits, the Bomb’s Breath, a mountain, or the worst storm this valley’s seen since the day she was born stop her.”
The words didn’t enter my head right. Is he talking about me?
“When things got their worst, she didn’t back down. When all seemed lost, she faced the bandits’ leader alone. By doing so, she saved many lives.” He smiled at me. “She saved my life. Hope Toriella, I am proud to announce that your name is now engraved in the Difference of One stone.” He held out his hand toward me.
A roar erupted from the crowd unlike any I’d heard before. So many hands patted me on the back as I got to my feet, I practically floated to Mr. Hudson. I turned to the people around the platform. They all looked at me with smiles on their faces. And they clapped and cheered. For me.
They cheered for me.
Mr. Hudson pulled a Difference of One medal from his coat pocket, placed it over my head, and gave me a hug. With his head close to my ear, he whispered in a shaky voice, “Thank you.”
My mind went to the moment when my invention broke last fall. It had felt like I had a history that was impossible to change—but maybe it wasn’t so impossible. After all, I never thought I’d live to see my town agree to going anywhere near the Bomb’s Breath, yet they cheered for it today.
As a town, we’d changed what would happen next in our history. I guess maybe I had changed what could happen in mine, too.
Acknowledgments
I never realized how hard it would be to write acknowledgments until now. How do you squeeze a million kinds of grateful into so few words? Into any words?
First and foremost, I’d like to thank my husband, Lance, and my kids, Kyle, Cory, and Alecia. They have given me everything—their support, their encouragement, their confidence, their tolerance, their love. They never stopped believing in me (or laughing along with me!), even for a second. I’m the luckiest girl in the world to have a family like them. A big thanks to my parents, too, who fostered creativity (no matter how big a mess I made), always listened, and made me believe I could do anything. And to the rest of my family, who have always rallied behind me—especially my sister Kristine Davis, who read some slightly altered passages so many times, I felt like I’d invented a new kind of torture. She deserves a medal.
Huge thanks to Sara Crowe, who somehow manages to emanate a powerful calmness at the same time as a contagious excitement. She is a singularly remarkable agent, and I love working with her.
I couldn’t wish for a more amazing editor than Shana Corey. Her incredible ability to focus on the big picture, yet pay attention to the smallest of details and still catch everything in between, is superhuman. She even manages to do it in a way that is kind and keeps me believing in myself and my book. I struck gold when I got her as an editor.
Random House has been a phenomenal publisher—huge thanks to the entire team, especially to Mallory Loehr, the publisher; Nicole de las Heras for her art direction; Alison Kolani, the wonderful copy chief; Adrienne Waintraub for getting my book into school libraries and promoting it at conferences; my publicists, Kathy Dunn and Nicole Banholzer, for their enthusiasm; and sales for all their tireless work.
A massive thanks needs to go to my critique partners. To Erin Summerill, my critique partner/photographer extraordinaire/bestie/go-to girl. She and Rob Code, Jason Manwaring, and David Powers King form my critique group and have been with me from the start and continue to make me a better writer week by week. To Jessie Humphries, who is always willing to drop everything to help me brainstorm or give a critique or lend an ear, and to K. Marie Criddle, who is one of the most amazing people I’ve ever had the privilege to meet. To my early readers, whose feedback helped immensely: Tammy Merry weather, Cecilia Carter, JaNae Wilson, the Bayles family, the Wheeler family, Taffy Lovell, Nissa Allred, and Miss Wood’s fourth-grade class—thank you!
To Brandon Sanderson, who let a newbie writer chat with him at a signing long enough for him to invite her to his class, which changed her life. I’ll be forever grateful. And to Joss Whedon, whose commentaries taught me how to tell a story even before I became a writer.
To the 2013 debut authors in the Lucky 13s, for being so helpful, fun, and inspiring.
To my blog readers. You guys rock my world! You’ve made this journey a million kinds of fun. I love you all!
But most especially, thank you to everyone who reads Sky Jumpers. If I could, I’d bake you all cookies.
About the Author
PEGGY EDDLEMAN lives at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in Utah with her husband and their three hilarious and fun kids. Sky Jumpers is her first novel.
You can visit Peggy at peggyeddleman.com.
Peggy Eddleman, Sky Jumpers Series, Book 1
Sky Jumpers Series, Book 1 Page 18