Larva by Azalea Ellis EPUB & PDF – eBook Details Online
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- Language: English
- Genre: Black & African American Fantasy Fiction
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IN WHICH PERCY ATTEMPTS TO RE-GIFT AN
AWARD
PERCY
Month 11, Day 3, Tuesday 11:00 a.m.
“TAKEN the law into your own hands is never the answer, Mr. Irving,”
Lieutenant Robards repeated, sitting down across from Percy at the
interrogation table.
Percy nodded rapidly, then pushed his glasses up as they threatened to
slide off of his face. “I completely agree, sir. I can only plead temporary
insanity brought on by panic. It won’t happen again.”
It had been a huge mistake to chase after the thief, of course. Everything
after that, though… Well, it hadn’t been entirely his fault, had it? But he
knew how it looked.
The older man sighed. “At least you have the maturity to admit your
mistake without making excuses. And despite the foolishness of placing
yourself in such a position, your results do speak for themselves. Such skill
is impressive for one your age. Or your size.”
Percy didn’t bother reiterating that he, in fact, had no skill.
“That doesn’t make it better,” Percy said. “Any number of things could
have gone wrong.” His mind flashed with dozens of different ways he could
have been maimed or killed. “If I had been just slightly unluckier…” He
shuddered at the thought.
“Most boys your age have trouble grasping unrealized consequences.
That is why, normally, I would firmly protest against what is about to
happen. But with you, I hope that receiving rewards for your recklessness
will not encourage more of it. I do understand your outrage at witnessing
such blatant villainy, as well as your desire to help. I hope that—in the
future—you can channel that heroic nature toward more appropriate outlets.
Perhaps one day you could even join the coppers. We could use more good
men.”
Percy flushed at the praise. And from such a competent and charismatic
leader as Lieutenant Robards! If Percy were to imagine a perfect future
version of himself, it would look remarkably like the older man: dark brown
skin beginning to wrinkle just enough to be taken seriously, a sure stride
and confident gaze, and an ambition based in the surety of his own selfworth.
But even such nice compliments couldn’t distract Percy from his finely
honed sense of foreboding. “What do you mean, ‘what’s about to happen?’”
“The Assistant Ambassador to the Public is on his way down to meet
you. They plan to give you an award for excessive bravery. It’s more of a
publicity stunt than anything—something to raise commoner morale and
allow some of the goodwill you’ve earned to rub off on the Crowns.
There’ll be a newspaper article and a photograph of you shaking hands with
the Ambassador, or something.”
Percy shook his head rapidly. “No, no, that’s too much. I mean, I didn’t
even really do anything. You and your partner were the ones to make the
arrests. Can’t you take the award?”
Lieutenant Robards stared at him in silence for a couple of seconds.
“It’s a civilian award. I’m not eligible. And while extra public recognition is
always useful to stack up toward my next promotion, Shelleck and I
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