Puritytowers not too far in the distance. The sickly feel grew stronger. I grimaced at the fact the reddiness would soon be upon me.
Chapter Thirteen
Menace On The Wind
The great glass doors to Puritytowers whooshed open and dished out a friendly blast of disinfectant vapour as we stepped inside. I sneezed. Before the snot formed into a drop on the end of my snout, Santy swiped it off with a sterile wipe. She handed me another, just in case, and threw the soiled one into the refuse funnel at the side of the entrance. It sucked it out of her hand and made a gurgle sloop noise as the thing went down to who knows where.“Ta.”
“You look tired and hungry. Perhaps we should refrain from our usual. Let us take the lift.”
“Nah, no way, I’m taking the stairs. Want a race?” I said to Dreng and Orva. They looked to Santy, who nodded. “Goodly good. Will you count us down?”
“Most willingly. One, two, three,” Santy said. On hearing the last digit, I near flew to the grand stairs that led to our abode, and leapt up them two steps at a time.
“Try harder.”
I turned my head to the left and saw Dreng speed past me.
“Much harder.”
I turned to the right and watched all breathless as Orva raced up the stairs, overtaking Dreng as she went. Nad. They were good. I soon reached the top where Santy also stood. How did she manage to get to the outside stairs and onto the landing before me? “What the huff Santy? Are you made of different stuff than the rest of us?”
She pointed at the lift. “Took the elevator.”
“Shifty.”
“No, just getting past my prime.”
“Never, Breanna,” Dreng said and gave her a look that would have made me blush.
Orva coughed. “Are we to stay out here?”
“No, no, come, let us go to our abode. It is not so large. For the time being, you are to stay with us, we will need to double up on sleeping arrangements.”
What? Now that was something I had not bargained for. “Will I have to share with Deogol?”
“Ah, that would be inadvisable the way you both squabble over the least little thing.”
“Choc and the eating of it is no little thing, Santy.”
“Perhaps, but to get so violent is not goodly Adara. Your poor bro will be scarred for life.”
“Pah! ‘Twas but a flesh wound.”
“Indeed it was, a deeply one.”
I would have argued more, but we reached our home, the time for quarrel was done. Santy slipped the unlockcard along the entrance slit and the door opened. We entered with another blast of cleansing mist and heard raised voices, accompanied by much clanging of metal things on cooking surfaces.
“Greatgran is having trouble with your bro.”
We trundled down the bright corridor into the kinsfolk room. Santy gestured for Orva and Dreng to sit. They did and we went straight into the foodprep place where Deogol sat at the table. His arms were folded, his head turned away from Greatgrangran, who was pushing a bowl of something gooey across the surface.
“You will eat what is presented before you, young ‘un.”
“I will not. Santy lets me eat choc if I want, when I want. She never forces me to munch on stuff that is kept at the back of the food cupboard for a good reason.”
“What a whopper,” I said. Deogol near fell from his chair.
Greatgrangran put her hand to her mouth and snickered. Santy shook her head. My bro lowered his. He stared at the table top as though his eyes would blast through the thing and allow him to make a hasty escape from his embarrassment. “I knew you were fibbing, little earwig. I may be old-old, but I am not addled. Adele, glad you are home all safe.” Greatgrangran looked over my shoulder. “I see you have brought visitors.”
“Indeed. S.A.N.T. guards to protect Adara.”
“From what?”
My bro looked up.
“From the folk that wish to grab her and use her skills. The mayor will have her bring the birdles for the OneGreatProvider day. I told you this before I left.”
Greatgrangran scratched her
Chapter Thirteen
Menace On The Wind
The great glass doors to Puritytowers whooshed open and dished out a friendly blast of disinfectant vapour as we stepped inside. I sneezed. Before the snot formed into a drop on the end of my snout, Santy swiped it off with a sterile wipe. She handed me another, just in case, and threw the soiled one into the refuse funnel at the side of the entrance. It sucked it out of her hand and made a gurgle sloop noise as the thing went down to who knows where.“Ta.”
“You look tired and hungry. Perhaps we should refrain from our usual. Let us take the lift.”
“Nah, no way, I’m taking the stairs. Want a race?” I said to Dreng and Orva. They looked to Santy, who nodded. “Goodly good. Will you count us down?”
“Most willingly. One, two, three,” Santy said. On hearing the last digit, I near flew to the grand stairs that led to our abode, and leapt up them two steps at a time.
“Try harder.”
I turned my head to the left and saw Dreng speed past me.
“Much harder.”
I turned to the right and watched all breathless as Orva raced up the stairs, overtaking Dreng as she went. Nad. They were good. I soon reached the top where Santy also stood. How did she manage to get to the outside stairs and onto the landing before me? “What the huff Santy? Are you made of different stuff than the rest of us?”
She pointed at the lift. “Took the elevator.”
“Shifty.”
“No, just getting past my prime.”
“Never, Breanna,” Dreng said and gave her a look that would have made me blush.
Orva coughed. “Are we to stay out here?”
“No, no, come, let us go to our abode. It is not so large. For the time being, you are to stay with us, we will need to double up on sleeping arrangements.”
What? Now that was something I had not bargained for. “Will I have to share with Deogol?”
“Ah, that would be inadvisable the way you both squabble over the least little thing.”
“Choc and the eating of it is no little thing, Santy.”
“Perhaps, but to get so violent is not goodly Adara. Your poor bro will be scarred for life.”
“Pah! ‘Twas but a flesh wound.”
“Indeed it was, a deeply one.”
I would have argued more, but we reached our home, the time for quarrel was done. Santy slipped the unlockcard along the entrance slit and the door opened. We entered with another blast of cleansing mist and heard raised voices, accompanied by much clanging of metal things on cooking surfaces.
“Greatgran is having trouble with your bro.”
We trundled down the bright corridor into the kinsfolk room. Santy gestured for Orva and Dreng to sit. They did and we went straight into the foodprep place where Deogol sat at the table. His arms were folded, his head turned away from Greatgrangran, who was pushing a bowl of something gooey across the surface.
“You will eat what is presented before you, young ‘un.”
“I will not. Santy lets me eat choc if I want, when I want. She never forces me to munch on stuff that is kept at the back of the food cupboard for a good reason.”
“What a whopper,” I said. Deogol near fell from his chair.
Greatgrangran put her hand to her mouth and snickered. Santy shook her head. My bro lowered his. He stared at the table top as though his eyes would blast through the thing and allow him to make a hasty escape from his embarrassment. “I knew you were fibbing, little earwig. I may be old-old, but I am not addled. Adele, glad you are home all safe.” Greatgrangran looked over my shoulder. “I see you have brought visitors.”
“Indeed. S.A.N.T. guards to protect Adara.”
“From what?”
My bro looked up.
“From the folk that wish to grab her and use her skills. The mayor will have her bring the birdles for the OneGreatProvider day. I told you this before I left.”
Greatgrangran scratched her
Similar Books
