title: Treasures In The Dust (Avenues)
author: National Geographic Learning
description: &#8220;A fine piece of writing [about] what it means for two friends to help each other come of age.&#8221; (School Library Journal (*Starred Review*))<br /><br />&#8220;Stunningly-written...Descriptive, almost poetic language.&#8221; (Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA))
zlib_text: 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Khi to Freedom**
  
  
  ## **Ardath Mayhar**
  
  
  To Beth Meacham, who showed me what needed to be done Copyright © 1983 by
  Ardath Mayhar
  
  
  **I.**
  
  
  ## **Hale Enbo**
  
  
  There’s nothing in the universe as bored as an off-duty Scout. To be stuck on
  a vessel full of Ginli with nothing to do but devour the library or stare at
  the wall is a thing that brings out the worst in me. Always has.
  
  
  Even back on Big Sandy, when I was a boy, my folks found out early that they
  had to keep me busy. Idle hands and all that, you know.
  
  
  We had been in orbit around a middle-sized planet for entirely too long.
  
  
  The Ginli techs were scanning the place with unusual care, and I’d been
  wondering if it would be my good luck to be assigned to go down there and
  accumulate the usual assortment of specimens and geological readings. I hoped
  so, but I doubted it. They had had me boning up on wet-planet techniques
  again, though after some of the assignments I’d had anyone but a Ginli would
  have taken it 