(Shortest yet! But with details!)
When the game was done, everyone started talking again. He realized that they weren't being quiet because they were nervous like Ezra, but rather because they didn't want to look like all the audience members. They were trying to look mature in front of all these important people. He supposed they all were just as excited about watching Udalto as he was. If they weren't, why attend the game?
After the game, they went to a restaurant inside what seemed to be a food court in the Emerald Palace. Very few people sat in the eating area, besides a few guards who were sitting in front of plates of food doing absolutely nothing.
"I used to be in Udalto." Said John "Worst years of my life. We'd be in-game so often it was hard to tell how long you had been in-game. I think I could have spent ten years in the game during one year of my life. Even though the games were only about thirty minutes long or so, we would stay in game for days just training. I knew one man who never left the game. The last time he left was about seven years ago. And the administrating team doesn't even care, they practically encourage it.
"I joined the game a few years ago, when I was about your age. We didn't really need much experience to join, often enough they'd just kick you out the first game you played if you were horrible. The game wasn't that bad if you took as a combat simulator. It was pretty useful for that. I learned many simple tricks to killing a man there, some that were indispensable when I joined the army for the war."
"Wait," Said Ezra, "What war? We haven't any for years now."
"The war. It's kind of a thing I don't think about anymore. I don't think anyone does. It isn't something I'm going to tell you about."
"Why? You just don't want to talk about it? Because I think that's a sort of a stupid reason."
Katherine gave him a warning glance, "Ezra..."
"Look," said John, looking ticked. But then again he always did. "I can't tell you about it. And even if I could, I wouldn't."
"I need to know this! I think that this war might be connected to the missing-"
"Order up!" A young woman dressed in a maid uniform said. She was carrying a plastic tray with several food dishes on it.
"Sorry," said Katherine politely, "but we didn't order anything."
"Look around ya," said the waitress. She spoke with a loud jersey accent that made Tori's usually loud obnoxious voice seem quite pleasant. "You're the only ones here."
It was true. All the guards seemed to have left. “We don’t need food anyway. Why don’t you just throw it in the freezer or something?” Tori said.
“When I get an order, I can’t just throw it out. Besides, the order blatantly referred to your party. Even had a little picture. Now just take the food.” Sneered the waitress. She had a habit of flipping her blonde hair when she talked.
“I think that’s our cue to get out.” Whispered Tori, standing up. She broke into a run, feet skidding on the linoleum tiling. Unsure of what to do, it was unanimously decided that everyone should follow suit.
After the game, they went to a restaurant inside what seemed to be a food court in the Emerald Palace. Very few people sat in the eating area, besides a few guards who were sitting in front of plates of food doing absolutely nothing.
"I used to be in Udalto." Said John "Worst years of my life. We'd be in-game so often it was hard to tell how long you had been in-game. I think I could have spent ten years in the game during one year of my life. Even though the games were only about thirty minutes long or so, we would stay in game for days just training. I knew one man who never left the game. The last time he left was about seven years ago. And the administrating team doesn't even care, they practically encourage it.
"I joined the game a few years ago, when I was about your age. We didn't really need much experience to join, often enough they'd just kick you out the first game you played if you were horrible. The game wasn't that bad if you took as a combat simulator. It was pretty useful for that. I learned many simple tricks to killing a man there, some that were indispensable when I joined the army for the war."
"Wait," Said Ezra, "What war? We haven't any for years now."
"The war. It's kind of a thing I don't think about anymore. I don't think anyone does. It isn't something I'm going to tell you about."
"Why? You just don't want to talk about it? Because I think that's a sort of a stupid reason."
Katherine gave him a warning glance, "Ezra..."
"Look," said John, looking ticked. But then again he always did. "I can't tell you about it. And even if I could, I wouldn't."
"I need to know this! I think that this war might be connected to the missing-"
"Order up!" A young woman dressed in a maid uniform said. She was carrying a plastic tray with several food dishes on it.
"Sorry," said Katherine politely, "but we didn't order anything."
"Look around ya," said the waitress. She spoke with a loud jersey accent that made Tori's usually loud obnoxious voice seem quite pleasant. "You're the only ones here."
It was true. All the guards seemed to have left. “We don’t need food anyway. Why don’t you just throw it in the freezer or something?” Tori said.
“When I get an order, I can’t just throw it out. Besides, the order blatantly referred to your party. Even had a little picture. Now just take the food.” Sneered the waitress. She had a habit of flipping her blonde hair when she talked.
“I think that’s our cue to get out.” Whispered Tori, standing up. She broke into a run, feet skidding on the linoleum tiling. Unsure of what to do, it was unanimously decided that everyone should follow suit.
As Katherine, Ezra and John fled the food court, the waitress ran after them. She wasn’t very fast, and stopped right near the entrance of the Emerald Palace gates, calling out, “Just take your food already!”
“So...” Said Ezra as the four of them walked home, “Anyone care to explain what that was about?”
“Assassination attempt, probably.” Stated Katherine coolly.
“What?” Said a shocked Ezra.
“Why do you think I have John? People keep trying to kill me,” said Katherine like it was no big deal.
“Why would anyone want to kill you? What have you ever done to them?”
“I’m wanted. I think they see me as a threat.”
“Who does?”
“That,” said John suddenly, “Is something I can’t tell you.”
“Why?”
“You ask too many questions, boy.”
The rest of the walk was quite silent as Katherine and John left at Katherine’s house and Tori just left a block later without a goodbye.
No comments:
Post a Comment