Every year, during the night of the Autumn Equinox, Ben's town celebrates by holding a festival and releasing lit lanterns down the river. Ben has always wondered what happens to the lanterns as they fade from view. After releasing them, the adults return home, but this year Ben and his friends have made a pact to follow them and find out if the legend that they eventually drift into the Milky Way are true. The boys' pact is simple. No one will turn back for home, and no one will quit.
As soon as the lanterns are released, the boys ride their bikes by the road that follows the river. Ben is soon chased by Nathaniel, a boy who's a little strange and who's often picked on by the other boys. Ben likes Nathaniel, but he doesn't want to be marked as different so he doesn't defend him when the other boys make wisecracks at him.
But one by one the boys peel off, violating the pack. Soon only Ben and Nathaniel stand before the bridge over the river, the furthest they have ever ridden. Deciding to abide by the pact, Ben and Nathaniel cross the bridge, and enter a land populated by strange people, a talking bear looking for his fishing spot, and the enlightened ones coming over to visit. With the help of magical beings along the way, the boys will discover that friendship can be forged in the unlikeliest of circumstances.
Whimsically illustrated with rich blues, This Was Our Pact defies categorization. Readers who enjoy magic on the light side will appreciate the voyage that Ben and Nathaniel are embarked on, while they might wish that a friendly bear could join them to share some of their adventures.
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