The Unseen Beauty of the Ungrateful

Chapter 7: Secrets and Daggers

Knock knock knock... Knock knock knock... Knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock

The door to the glittering crystal castle was yanked open as Mumbo's hand went up to knock again.

"Dear Gods Mumbo Jumbo what is it?!" Stress cried.

"Hi Stress!" Mumbo tried to act calm as he kneaded his tie between his fingers. "Have you finished your blueprint for the record?"

"That's what this is about? Yeah I finished it yesterday. I was about to send it down with-"

"No!" Mumbo interrupted loudly. "I-I mean" he cleared his throat. "L-let me take it down. Please"

Stress furrowed her eyebrows and crossed her arms.

"Mumbo is something wrong? You're acting really strange"

"What? Nah, no, of course not everything is totally fine" Mumbo lied through his teeth. "I've just, uh, never seen snow before and I'm looking for an excuse to go to the ground so I can see it"

Stress narrowed her eyes, making Mumbo fidget. It was a lame story, and he knew it, but if he didn't break, she would have no reason to believe he was lying.

After a 30 second stare down which felt as though it went on for 30 years, Stress finally sighed and shook her head.

"Fine Mumbo, knock yourself out. I don't know what you find so fascinating about the ground, but I'm glad you've found something you like"

She disappeared for moment, giving Mumbo a chance to take a couple deep breaths.

"Here" she said handing him a cylindrical package. "The plans are in there so don't lose them ok?"

"Yeah yeah yeah I won't. Thank you!"

"Mumbo are you sure you're ok?"

"Yep!" Mumbo called over his shoulder, already splaying his red wings. "See you later!"

~~~

"Mumbo this is an unbelievably stupid plan" Iskall repeated for what must have been the hundredth time.

"I'm not going to talk to him!" Mumbo said defensively. "I just want to watch him and form my own opinion. Technically I'm not going against the primaries"

"Yeah cause stalking isn't creepy at all" Iskall muttered under his breath.

"Hey! It's not stalking! It's just... watching... without... just shut up ok! I need to do this"

"But why?!" Iskall pleaded. "Why do you care so much about him?"

"I don't know!"

Mumbo sat down and put his head in his hands.

"I really don't know Iskall. I just... like talking to him. I like being around him, and learning about him, and looking at-" Mumbo cut himself off, coughing violently. "I just need to see if he's really as bad as everyone says"

"What kind of God is he anyway?"

"I, uh, don't know" Mumbo lied. "They didn't tell me"

"Didn't you say he's been rather rude?"

"Yes"

"And he won't answer your questions"

"Yes"

"And he-"

"Do you have a point you're trying to make?"

Iskall sighed.