The August 5 by Jenna Helland Page B

people will notice quicker than if you were a nobody.”
    â€œI’m busy studying,” Tommy said. He didn’t want to say that his engineering classes were much harder than he had expected and twice as boring as he had feared. “Surely that’s an acceptable thing to do as a Seminary student.”
    â€œNot if you’re a social outcast,” Bern said. “Father is having to adjust, too. He’s not exactly a social person either, but Hywel hosted regular parties, and now Father feels like it’s expected of him.”
    â€œTalking to these people makes my brain go numb,” Tommy said.
    â€œYou’re being judgmental,” Bern snapped. “You have no idea if these people will be boring. You haven’t met any of them.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?” Tommy said. He was expecting to see the same group of men as always—the stalwart Carvers who had supported Colston for years.
    â€œAfter the cottager violence in August, Hywel’s men became part of the Carver faction. Remember how Father warned everyone that a cottager rebellion was coming? The cottager violence gave him credibility. And once the Zunftmen were finally listening to him … well, you know how good he is at striking fear into the hearts of men. Their allegiance is the point of tonight. By attending, people are publicly declaring their loyalty to Father.”
    â€œNo one will actually say that, though, because that would be too obvious,” Tommy said, switching to an obnoxious voice: “I hereby join the Carvers because I am opportunistic and fickle.”
    â€œWatch your mouth, Tommy,” Bern said. “Don’t say stuff like that.”
    â€œNow that they know Hywel was kidnapped, why are they still loyal to Father? It’s not Hywel’s fault.”
    â€œActually, it is his fault,” Bern scoffed. “Hywel coddled the cottagers, and they turned on him anyway. Father’s in charge now so it’s smarter to stick with the Carvers. The chief administrator gets to assign positions in government, after all.”
    Tommy sighed. So some of the new Carvers were terrified and some were greedy—either way, his father had majority control of the Chamber. They turned on Piper Lane and could see their father’s home at the end of the street. Like most of the town houses in the North District, it was a three-story rectangular building with a flattop roof and a high wooden fence around the property. The town house had recently been painted light blue with white trim around the tall windows. The door was still a glossy black but the golden Shore crest had been replaced by a silver Zunft symbol, which hung above the knocker. Tommy found himself wishing for an explosion or an earthquake, anything to get out of the festivities.
    A servant met them at the door and escorted them to the library. The last time that Tommy had been here, an oversize mahogany desk dominated the room. Now that was gone, and a smaller cherrywood desk was tucked in the corner. One wall had been ripped out and replaced with glass doors that opened onto the garden terrace. Leather-bound tomes filled the floor-to-ceiling bookcases. They had been acquired by Tommy’s maternal grandFather, who was an avid naturalist and mapmaker. Colston kept the books because they were rare and expensive, but Tommy doubted he’d ever read them.
    A uniformed officer and a Zunftman in a tailcoat were seated on two new couches that had been placed in a cozy arrangement in front of the marble fireplace. The two men rose when the boys entered the room, but Colston remained seated. The Zunftman in the tailcoat offered his hand and greeted each of the boys. The officer nodded at them but kept his distance.
    â€œRight on time,” Colston said approvingly. “Let me introduce you to my guests. This is Officer Sanneral, a Zunft army investigator, and Mr. Anderson, a member of the Zunft Chamber. These are my