Lying? What does he mean? I shake my head as hard as I can from side to side to convey how wrong he is, but the strong one only smiles wider. Arching his back, he seems to bear over me as if a predator, about to pounce. My blood boils in anticipation of the short, futile flight away in this tiny, trapped space.

  “I don’t know, Kurt. Maybe he just remembered wrong. Let’s give him a chance,” the Padras voice mechanically coaxes, sliding the papers closer to me again.

  “No,” I write again.

  “Liar!” the Kurt voice roars, suddenly standing up and knocking his chair over.

  “Come on, Harold. You’re playing us here. I’m trying to help you. I’ll only be able to contain this big guy for so long.”

  “No!” I emphatically write again.

  Searching for another way or another story, I find none. Everything will incriminate my careful infiltration. I’m stuck. I can’t tell them anything.

  “Can’t,” I write, venting my addled mind onto paper.

  “You can’t?” the Padras voice momentarily breaks character, intrigued. “Did someone threaten you?”

  The partner nods over his shoulder, and the strong one unexpectedly leaves the tiny room.

  “It’s alright, you can tell me. You’re safe here.”

  No! There’s danger from every single one of you. You’re all a threat. You think you can break me that easily? Forcefully drag me down here, imprison me, give me a torturous bath, and then accuse me of lying? I’ll never understand nor play your stupid, petty big one games.

  “No,” I angrily write again with finality. “Danger.”

  “It’s too dangerous to talk to us? Hm,” the Padras voice ponders out loud, putting a hand up to cover part of his face. “Do you not realize how powerful the lord’s guard is here in Tranas? We’re pledged to protect you. If there’s anyone safe to talk to, it’s us.”

  “No,” I feverishly repeat, furious, cornered, and feeling as though I’ve nothing left to lose. “You. Danger.”

  “Bizarre,” he continues. “You’re not lying, but your words are hard to believe.”

  The big one stands there in silence, staring up at the ceiling for a long time. Uncomfortable with the sudden transition to silence, I resort to coming up with another clever way out of this mess. Anything will do. No matter how crazy it is, now’s the time to try.

  An idea hits me like a jolt. Of course! I fumble a pouch off my belt. The partner looks down at me through narrowed eyes, questioning my actions. However, I doggedly persist until managing to get one out. I slap it on the table, carefully sliding it over towards the big one. I didn’t think that it’d work that last time, but it did. Therefore, why not try again for another long shot? Now is certainly the time.

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  “What in the world…?” the Padras voice forlornly murmurs, before storming over to the door and letting the strong one back inside.

  “Is the pup cooperating?” he grumpily questions immediately on his return.

  Instead of answering, the partner thunders back over to the table, pointing to my offer of tribute and crossing his arms.

  “You dare attempt to bribe the Tranas guard? And with a single silver? I’m not sure if you’re just young, stupid, or both.”

  Taken aback, I’m unsure what went wrong. Why is he angry? Is it not enough?

  “Work before,” I desperately scrawl out a longer answer to explain.

  “Aw, damn,” the Kurt voice sullenly exclaims. “He’s really not lying anymore, eh?”

  “Who do you think it is? To betray the oath and take bribes from the poor is one hell of a way to piss Thomas off. But to also actively sabotage that investigation? That’s begging for a gruesome death sentence with how angry he is. Who’d dare?”

  Confused, I shrink back, hoping that this pointless rambling will distract them from my existence. Talk, talk, talk. Always about nothing but nonsense. That’s all they do. At least their book talk is worth something.

  “I’m not sure. Maybe collection accounting? Carlton probably feels due a climb up.”

  “And waste 15 years of good loyalty? No one makes sense, and that’s what’s terrifying. It’s not like we can parade the kid around until he IDs someone.”

  “Give it the Fortus routine then. Have to let him fly.”

  The partner grimly scowls at the strong one’s mysterious comment, but eventually nods. Pulling something from a pouch, he walks over to me and puts his hands on my shoulders. Tensing up like a stiff board, I await my fate. Will they throw me off this building to my death? Why?

  “Looks like you did nothing wrong, kid,” the Padras voice stoically declares with cold, empty eyes. “We’ll take you out now.”

  My body momentarily burns once again, perhaps a final, cruel baptism before death. After lifting me to my feet, the pair exit the room leaving me confused and alone.

  “You coming? It’s not pleasant rotting in one of these cells. Wouldn’t be the first time,” the Kurt voice morosely cracks.

  Are they giving me the choice? Thrown to my death or a long, slow starvation? Scurrying forward to join them, I make my decision.

  Clumsily chasing after the big ones’ heels, I’d be lost in these twisting hallways without them. More attendants urgently run past us as we make our way. The atmosphere is quite uncomfortable, as if something is extremely stressed and ready to burst. Occasionally, we pass others dressed like my chaperones. They almost always respectfully greet us. However, a few actively snub our passage, seemingly upset at the duo for what I can only imagine is more petty big one drama. Maybe their tribute was also too small? That certainly seems to have been the problem in my case.

  Finally arriving at a large pair of enormous wooden doors, the strong one pushes them open before lazily gesturing outside with a hand. Glancing outside, I’m blinded by the sudden bright streetlights.

  “Out you go, pup. Be free.”

  I’m to cast myself to my own end? Is there no limit to their cruelty? Hesitating, I steel myself before the inevitable. I must go out proud and strong. Defiant! I’ll make my brothers proud!

  “Come on, kid. We don’t have all day,” the Padras voice declares before a sharp shove throws me through the door and onto my hands and knees on the hard, stone street outside.

  I’m out? I’m alive! Amazing! What a strange world. Every moment is a new and unexpected surprise gift hidden deep inside a sharp, thorny box. Scrambling back up to embrace my lovely present, I sprint straight to the library. It’s time to execute my plan from earlier. I’ll pack up as much as I can and then escape back to Vastra. It’ll be much easier to hide there, at least until this craziness boils over.