The Acolytes of Crane (Theodore Crane, #1)(84)

Thankfully, the Multiversal Council does not harbor female war criminals very long. This unexpected meeting worries me that the council may have changed its plans to release me at this time.

A few of the other female prisoners, staring behind bars, are pointing at me in condemnation as I walk by their cells. It is never a good thing when someone is called to see the warden. Every time the warden sees me, he brings up the time I spat on his face. I fear him slightly, but I would not dare to show my anxiety. Not in here. My mother and father would be proud.

It is a typical stroll through the prison. Those who are not part of the cleaning detail sit in their cells, twiddling their thumbs. I walk by them, and I cannot help feeling sorry for them. A part of me wishes I could swap places with them, but just barely.

The guard says, “Turn around. Hands placed above your head ... She is clean, warden.”

“Am I here, because you are sending me home a day early?” I ask.

“Not quite. Sit down prisoner,” the warden says, “Guard, wait outside.” He glares at me. “What do you know about Nilo, prisoner?” The warden cuts right to the chase. Usually he at least warms up to me.

“We met him in Karshiz. We were never close, so I apologize if I cannot offer much information about him.”

“Were you ever in conference with King Trazuline?” the warden asks, undeterred.

“If you have five minutes, I will tell you,’ I say, pulling my black hair away from my face. “I will tell you about the time we met. I can’t say I like him very much.” I am pretending that I don’t like Trazuline, because I want to prevent the Multiverse Council from learning of my carefully concealed association with his rebellion force. He is a major player in the resistance. I pray to God that the resistance is still flourishing without me.

“Take the five minutes to tell your story. Then we will go over your final exit counseling,” the warden says. I notice he is tickled to be in my company. Perhaps I should play up my feminine allure to him. Just don’t overdo it. He is bouncing on the edge of his seat, like a kid starting a brand new video game.

“Have you found my friends yet?” I ask playfully. I prayed for Theodore, fearing him and the other boys are either dead or imprisoned. I still have hope.

“No, we haven’t. It is likely we never will,” he says. I sense he is lying. Call it woman’s intuition.

“Okay,” the warden says, sensing that I believe him. “Let’s start with Karshiz then.”

“Linc always told me, if I ever talk about our time on Karshiz, to leave out the part where I got a verbal lashing from the king,” I utter conspiratorially, throwing my head slightly back. I try to gain the warden’s trust, without really giving up anything of value. Call it bait and switch. “I prefer to include it, because it just shows how vulnerable we really were.”

“That is good. I like accuracy. Any details you may find insignificant; I may find useful. Do you mind if I record this? With our database destroyed, we are left searching for what really occurred, up to Eppa’s destruction,” the warden says.

“No. Not at all. I suppose, after Theodore destroyed Eppa, everything is probably in shambles.”

“That is the long and short of it,” the warden says.

I start. “We were previously aboard the Uriel. The ship that carried us was called the ZF-Targine. It landed on Karshiz, the realm of King Trazuline, after a smooth descent.”

Our new objective began with the lowering of its hatch.

The boys unbuckled and gathered their gear. The hatch continued to drop and a Sepheran navigator said, ‘This is Karshiz. I guess it is dry like my sense of humor and as hot as the Karshiz princess! Hey! Do not disengage your harness until the cabin has depressurized. Stand by for your brief.’

The hatch lowered to form a ramp with the ground and the sun silhouetted a being who stood directly outside. My eyes were still adjusting to the glaring light, but I could still see a glistening crown hovering over the person’s head. As he walked underneath the shade of the vessel’s hatch, I saw he was a royal tyrant. He was both impressive and frightening.

‘Welcome to Karshiz. I am King Trazuline. Apparently, Zane finds you too strategic to remain on the Uriel, where his enemies constantly target him. My planet, however, has infinite possibilities for your safety. And the best facilities for your training. Which, after all that has happened, we’ll have to escalate.’

‘At least someone wants to look after us. After all, the Urilians yanked us from our cushy lives on Earth,’ Lincoln said.

‘For me to agree to take you in, was a huge risk. It will be my duty to assess your skills and develop all of you into noble tacticians,’ Trazuline said, as he walked up the hatch. He was no longer shaded by the shadow of the ship and sun. ‘Zane doesn't trust you enough to stay aboard the mother ship and you have negatively affected the morale of the Uriel. That is why you are in Karshiz under my guidance.’

‘We haven't done anything to affect morale! Theodore is the one who went crazy!’ Dan shouted.

‘Dan, is it?’ Trazuline asked. Dan nodded his head. ‘I am a king, and you are a soldier. My position on this planet and in this fight was earned, so my subordinates respect me and follow their complaints by saying—your majesty, or sir. I would appreciate it if you can trust me and give me the respect I deserve by honoring my position. And remember, my daughter is aboard the Uriel, training with the other teams. Your friend put her in considerable danger.’