"I protest." A note that they had never heard from Julia made steel of
the thrilling melody of her voice. "You must know that is not true!" she
said in an accusing voice. "Be fair to them! Tell the truth to
yourselves! If they took advantage of our innocence and ignorance, it
was we who tempted them to it in the first place. As for our innocence
and ignorance - you speak as, if they were beautiful or desirable. We
were innocent and ignorant of earth-conditions because we were too proud
to learn about them, because we always assumed that we lowered ourselves
by knowing anything about them. Our mistake was that we learned to fly
before we learned to walk."
"But, Julia, what are we going to do about Angela?" Peachy asked
impatiently.
"I'm coming to that presently," Julia answered. "But before - I want to
ask you a question. Do you remember the big cave in the northern reef -
the one we used to hide in?"
"Oh, I remember," Lulu said, "perfectly."
"Did you ever tell Honey about it?" Julia turned to her directly.
"No. Why, we promised never to tell, didn't we? In case we ever needed a
place of refuge - ."
"Have any of you ever told about it?" Julia turned to the others. "Think
carefully! This is important."
"I never have told," Peachy said wearily. "But about Angela - ."
"Have you, Chiquita?" Julia interrupted with a strange insistence.
"I have never thought of it from that day to this," Chiquita answered.
"Nor I," replied Clara. "I'm not sure that I could go to it now. Could
you, Julia?"
"Oh, yes," Julia answered eagerly, "I've - ." She stopped abruptly. "But
now I want to talk to you, and I want you to listen carefully. I am
going to tell you why I think we should learn to walk. It is, in brief,
for Angela's sake and for the sake of every girl-child that is born on
this island. For a long time, you will think that I am talking about
other things. But you must be patient. I have seen this situation coming
ever since Angela's wings began to grow. I could not hurry it - but I
knew it must come. Many nights I have lain awake, planning what I should
say to you when the time came. The time has come - and I am going to say
it. It is a long, long speech that I shall deliver; and I am going to
speak very plainly. But you must not get angry - for you know how much I
love you and how much I love your children.