Read Freakling for Free Online Page A

powerless person. The only disabled people in the city were the dozen or so that lived and worked in the temple. They were innocents, powerless people who didn’t know anything different. No one spoke to them or saw them outside the temple.
    “You can’t fake everything,” Da said. “What about lunch at school? You can’t eat in front of anyone.”
    “I’ve already thought of that,” Taemon said. “I’ll spend lunch in my classroom doing schoolwork. I’ll need more time to do my assignments anyway. I can eat when I get home.”
    “Still, I’m not sure you can pull this off,” Da said. “We should work on finding your psi.”
    “It’s not like I’ve misplaced it,” Taemon said, frustrated. “It’s
gone.
” Completely. His parents thought his disability was due to the trauma of near drowning, and he’d never told them anything different. He’d never told them how he’d become unworthy of psi. Being powerless was a shameful thing — more so, even, than being a liar and a cheat. But at least he wasn’t dangerous anymore.
    Skies, but this lock assignment had him stumped. “Just leave me alone and let me figure this out,” he told his parents.
    Most of the time, Taemon was allowed to eat alone in his bedroom where he could use his hands all he wanted. At dinner, Mam insisted that they eat together. “We’re still a family,” she’d said, “and families eat together.”
    But that did not mean Taemon was permitted the use of his hands at the dinner table. Mam used her psi to hold his food up for him to eat, as she had done when he was a baby. He felt a wave of humiliation with every bite.
    Tonight, Da was quiet and broody, though Yens seemed to be in a good mood. Maybe they could have an argument-free meal for once.
    Yens cleared his throat. “Today is a great day for the Houser family.”
    Mam looked nervously at Da. The caramelized cucumber in front of Taemon dropped to his plate. He couldn’t pick it up. Short of lowering his head to his plate like a dog, he couldn’t eat until Mam picked up his food for him.
    Cucumbers were no big loss. He didn’t even like them. What he’d really like to do is tuck into that lamb roll.
    Yens leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands behind his neck. In spite of himself, Taemon was curious about what Yens was going to announce. What was it this time? Had his exhibit for the nature fair taken first place?
    Da raised his eyes from his meal with a dark look. “Boasting is not permitted in this house.” Da was always firm about the sin of pride. The scriptures said pride would be the downfall of the true people. Da took that seriously.
    Taemon stared at the food on his plate. As hungry as he was, he didn’t dare pick it up.
    “Some priests came to the school today and tested a few of us.” Taemon could hear the glee in Yens’s voice, and the fact that the news was upsetting to Da seemed to add to it. “The results were . . . interesting.” Yens let his words hang in the air for a moment for maximum effect. “They said I did things they’d never seen before.”
    Da buried his head in his hands.
    Mam looked stunned.
    Yens grinned. “Don’t be surprised when they pick me as the True Son.”
    Calmly, Mam pushed back her chair and walked over to Yens. Taemon startled at the smacking sound that came next. Yens recoiled, and when a red spot appeared on his cheek, Taemon understood what had happened. Mam had slapped Yens’s face with psi. Even though parents had authority to discipline their children with psi, Mam had never done it before. Maybe a twist of the ear now and again, but nothing like a slap.
    She left the room.
    Da glared at Yens. “Do you see? Do you see what this is doing to her?”
    Poor Mam. She could never relax. She was Rabbit through and through, jumpy by nature. But every sign had a positive and a negative side. Mam would do anything to survive. Anything to make sure her boys weren’t taken away. Yens to the temple and Taemon to