38 THE TRUTH

CHAPTER 38 THE TRUTH Children can be very sneaky. And when Jaya and Jad heard the ruckus coming from the barn, they silently sneaked over to investigate. Now they were staring at a very strange scene, indeed. Roz was standing in the middle of the barn, surrounded by the entire herd of cows. For some reason, a flock of geese was there as well, and one of the geese was being cradled in the robot's arms. But what most confused the children were the wild animal noises Roz had just been making. The thing is, children aren't just sneaky, they're also smart. And it didn't take long for Jaya and Jad to make sense of that strange scene. "Those stories Roz told us about the robot on the island," said Jad to his sister, "they were about her." "The goose in Roz's arms," said Jaya to her brother, "that must be her son." All of Roz's stories came flooding back to the

children. The robot, the island, the wild animals, the adventures. Those stories seemed so fanciful. Could they really be true? "You are correct, children, those robot stories are about me," admitted Roz, with a hint of sadness in her voice. "There were so many times that I wanted to tell you the truth about my past, but I was afraid the truth would frighten you." The robot motioned to the goose in her arms. "This is my son. His name is Brightbill." Reader, there's another important quality that children possess. In addition to being sneaky and smart, they're also compassionate. Children care about others, and about the world, and as Jaya and Jad gazed at Roz and Brightbill, their little hearts were full of compassion. "Please do not tell your father about me," said Roz. "To him, I am just a machine. If he learns the truth, he will send me back to the robot factory, where I will be destroyed. But you must do what you feel is right. My life is in your hands now." The children looked at each other and smiled. "Don't worry, Roz," said Jaya. "Your secret is safe with us," said Jad.