Lord of the Orphanage: Picking Up a Friend
The front windows came down in explosions of glass, and people screamed. Shadowy figures leapt into th brightly-lit ballroom after the flying glass as men covered their wives and turned away from the glittering shards.
“Sorry about that,” a cheerful voice said. “I hope nobody was hurt?”
The speaker was a well-enough looking young man, slim and of average height, wearing aviator’s clothes, and with eyes that glittered sharp and unnerving. They were yellow. And his hair was blue.
Everyone in the room know who he was. He was the smuggler and pirate Judas Iscariot III, the man who had stolen Lord Jameston’s finest aircraft at age eleven and sailed at its helm as the captain of his rough crew of misfits ever since.
When nobody answered Judie’s polite query, and a few pulled out weapons instead, he held up his hands appeasingly. “Please, please gents, we’re not here to harm anyone, or even, surprising as it might be, to steal any of your pretty trinkets.” He winked roguishly at a woman wearing a very conspicuous diamond necklace. “We’re just here to pick up a friend.”
Lord Jameston stepped forward, anger written clearly on his brow. “I can assure you that you will be taking no one here onto that blasted ship of yours.”
“Come now Lord Jameston, that’s your own gift to me you’re slandering!”
Spots of color appeared on Lord Jameston’s cheeks.
“And yes I will be taking someone with me, quite willingly too. I suppose from your reaction that he hasn’t broken the news to you yet.” The younger man’s grin turned even more ominously cheerful. His head turned to Lord Jameston’s son, standing at the edge of the crowd net to his mother. “Do get on with it Adam, it’s not in fact terribly comfortable to be standing in the middle of a room full of generals and lords and whatnots with their weapons all trained on me.”
Adam set down his glass, and his father glared intently at him.
“Adam, what is the meaning of this?” He sounded just as threatening as he had when he’d been talking to Judie.
Adam kept his face calm and walked over to stand by Judie, who smiled at him cheerily.
“I am going to rescue Rose, father. I am sorry I had to do it like this.”
Lord Jameston no longer had spots of color on his cheeks. His face was as pale and cold as stone. “And you’re planning on accomplishing this with the help of this rogue?”
“Yes. I’ve helped him out several times in the past, it’s only right that he return the favor.” The stubborn tilt to Adam’s jaw was back, and his flinty stare rivaled his father’s.
Lord Jameston’s face transformed into something of deep rage. “Helping him for some time now?” His voice was low and dangerous.
“Yes. I have seen things done that no man should allow to be done under his name. So I stopped them wherever I could.”
The other guests in the room were silent, watching carefully as the men Judie brought with him moved closer. They needed to leave.
Lord Jameston sensed their imminent departure and stepped forward. “You’re not going anywhere, either of you.”
Adam looked at him with his face set, and Judie raised his hand, grinning crazily. A series of mini-fireworks spiraled out into the air and the women screamed and men covered their eyes at the flashing lights and loud bangs. Adam, Judie, and his crew were out the windows even as Adam’s father bellowed for them to be stopped, and Adam climbed the ladder to Judie’s ship with his face expressionless.
The speaker was a well-enough looking young man, slim and of average height, wearing aviator’s clothes, and with eyes that glittered sharp and unnerving. They were yellow. And his hair was blue.
Everyone in the room know who he was. He was the smuggler and pirate Judas Iscariot III, the man who had stolen Lord Jameston’s finest aircraft at age eleven and sailed at its helm as the captain of his rough crew of misfits ever since.
When nobody answered Judie’s polite query, and a few pulled out weapons instead, he held up his hands appeasingly. “Please, please gents, we’re not here to harm anyone, or even, surprising as it might be, to steal any of your pretty trinkets.” He winked roguishly at a woman wearing a very conspicuous diamond necklace. “We’re just here to pick up a friend.”
Lord Jameston stepped forward, anger written clearly on his brow. “I can assure you that you will be taking no one here onto that blasted ship of yours.”
“Come now Lord Jameston, that’s your own gift to me you’re slandering!”
Spots of color appeared on Lord Jameston’s cheeks.
“And yes I will be taking someone with me, quite willingly too. I suppose from your reaction that he hasn’t broken the news to you yet.” The younger man’s grin turned even more ominously cheerful. His head turned to Lord Jameston’s son, standing at the edge of the crowd net to his mother. “Do get on with it Adam, it’s not in fact terribly comfortable to be standing in the middle of a room full of generals and lords and whatnots with their weapons all trained on me.”
Adam set down his glass, and his father glared intently at him.
“Adam, what is the meaning of this?” He sounded just as threatening as he had when he’d been talking to Judie.
Adam kept his face calm and walked over to stand by Judie, who smiled at him cheerily.
“I am going to rescue Rose, father. I am sorry I had to do it like this.”
Lord Jameston no longer had spots of color on his cheeks. His face was as pale and cold as stone. “And you’re planning on accomplishing this with the help of this rogue?”
“Yes. I’ve helped him out several times in the past, it’s only right that he return the favor.” The stubborn tilt to Adam’s jaw was back, and his flinty stare rivaled his father’s.
Lord Jameston’s face transformed into something of deep rage. “Helping him for some time now?” His voice was low and dangerous.
“Yes. I have seen things done that no man should allow to be done under his name. So I stopped them wherever I could.”
The other guests in the room were silent, watching carefully as the men Judie brought with him moved closer. They needed to leave.
Lord Jameston sensed their imminent departure and stepped forward. “You’re not going anywhere, either of you.”
Adam looked at him with his face set, and Judie raised his hand, grinning crazily. A series of mini-fireworks spiraled out into the air and the women screamed and men covered their eyes at the flashing lights and loud bangs. Adam, Judie, and his crew were out the windows even as Adam’s father bellowed for them to be stopped, and Adam climbed the ladder to Judie’s ship with his face expressionless.
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