The Nobleman's Masterpiece ✔

17 SHELTER & MISTAKES

The look of disapproval on Queenie's face said what Midge was thinking—Lydia shouldn't be here.

"You've got to be kidding me," Queen lamented.

"If I don't bring her through directly, she's getting stripped of those diskettes during transport. You know how Ruckus does it."

Queen caught a rock sailed their way. "Then you send her through and turn shit over later on."

Midge swatted down the next rock, equally as angry. "Be realistic."

The crowd grew louder, nearly drowning out their words. "We'll discuss this later, Mikael. Keep her from getting brained. Not that we'd miss a noble this broke."

Lydia made a sound but Midge had no time for her, not with a gathering this heated.

"Where's Tan?" Midge asked.

Queen stepped aside to reveal two people in the center of Colony guards.

One guard stood, verbally dressing down the younger of the two. Midge made his way to the older man. He hadn't seen Tan in months—and if he was honest with himself, it might have been longer than that. At this moment, the prospect that someone injured him made that all fade.

Midge reached out for the older man's shoulder but Queen slapped his hand away.

"Don't. Get your head on straight. What are you doing touching an unknown person?"

The words confused Midge until he refocused and realized this sixty-something year-old looking man, was a stranger.

"Where's Tan?" Midge didn't get an answer and he risked looking at the youth standing with his head hung. Midge looked between the two men until it dawned on him that the young twenty-something wasn't what he appeared.

Exasperated, the yelling guard warned, "If you don't start cooperating, then I'm letting this crowd tear you apart. Return it."

But the young man did nothing, said nothing—he stared down at the ground. A hand on the small of Midge's back dragged him back to reality.

Lydia stepped closer. "Hey, you stopped breathing for a second. You okay?"

Midge wasn't. He could barely contain his excitement. "Tan?"

The youth flinched but didn't otherwise pick up his head. Midge wanted to see his face—it'd been years since he'd seen his kid brother's proper face.

Fists clenched, the guard marched over to them and told Queen, "We're unable to transport him against his will until the portals open in the morning. That's a few hours away. But the longer we wait, the worse this is going to get. We can't say with certainty he won't drain this boy of every bit of life-force. Permission to drop him, sir?"

Midge lit up with ire. "Drop him? He's not a gaw-row imp, you slack-jawed rot. What do you mean drop him?"

Queen held Midge's shoulder but told the guard. "That is not necessary. You'll respect my authority until the Colony can officially weigh in on this. Under no circumstances should this E be harmed."

The guard regarded him in awe. "After what he's done?" He turned to point to the growing crowd. "What do I tell them? Every second that passes means we can't reverse this."

A fast response from Queen would have put Midge at ease but his twin had nothing to say.

"Look at him. He's getting older by the minute."

Tan's body jerked and Midge held his breath. The guard was telling the truth—amazingly, Queen didn't know that.

"This was an accident—not something nefarious," Queen said. "So you're imagining this increase in aging. That's not how it works. Unless an E willfully takes more years from someone, the process will stop as is. Besides, an E can't take more than a Yule is worth in years. This boy was how old?"