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Chapter 21 Cloth Masks

Thursday 5:15 p.m. Inside the Brownstone

*

Quig and Grew-Ella stood with Odin Web-Song as he left his daughter, Betsy, in a spare bedroom. Mermaid sketches covered the walls.

Madd-Ox watched the small, sleeping girl.

Odin frowned. "Rodrick planned a dinner meeting at the worst time."

"But he provided the food, and the money he paid sponsored workhouse children. Rodrick tasked my dad with dropping off the supplies, or he'd be here cooking." Grew-Ella said as she followed Quig and Odin out.

Odin stretched his tender shoulder as he slunk into the dining room.

Yoleta dug into Odin's back with her elbow. "Odin is a single father. I'll arrange a blind date for him."

He relaxed under the pressure, but his eyes dimmed. "I'm dating Avery-Joy. We were engaged in college until Sean-Mack assigned me to take my mother's post after she was executed."

Avery-Joy took over, massaging Odin's shoulder. "You look exhausted."

Rodrick stared at Odin. "You can leave, but I require Avery-Joy's expertise."

"Thanks." He went into the guest bedroom, picked up his daughter, and they left.

Madd-Ox walked out of the room a minute later.

"This meeting has come to order." Rodrick grinned and snatched a full bottle of cider from the table. "Lana told me secrets." He turned to Grew-Ella and smashed the bottle into the wall. "You came from a workhouse, and Vex wants you to work there until you die."

"Her childhood ugliness badges were removed." Quig held onto Grew-Ella to protect her, but Rodrick dragged her toward him.

"She hides her defects. I'm sure I could find three," Rodrick said.

"Grew-Ella... shouldn't have to hide who she is, but I promise you she's pretty." Quig leaped in front of her again, his wings extended in a fighting pose, even though he appeared calm.

"Leave my daughter alone. I paid for her fees," Karen said.

Rodrick talked to Karen, but his fingers pointed toward Quig. "Sean-Mack and Vex claim Grew-Ella stole hundreds of thousands."

Another board member grasped Grew-Ella's wrist, but everyone in the room knew the man was Junior, wearing a wig to cover his elf ears and sunglasses to enter without the paparazzi lurking. "Rodrick, you dolt. You were ordered to arrest her without witnesses. My father ordered her into the workhouse. She fails in appearance, but she is also accused of stealing from the Call Center when she rescued her friend Ruby."

"That is a lie," Madd-Ox said.

"Madd-Ox, were you there? Don't tell me and just shush." Junior wore oversized dress shirts and suit jackets and resembled a student who borrowed his daddy's clothes. He scratched his white goatee. With his free hand, Junior discarded the wig, along with sunglasses, and a scarf in a trash can. This revealed white hair, a large nose on a youthful face, cherry-colored lips, and elf ears as sharp as daggers.

"You're required to possess a court order to grab her at her apartment," Rodrick said.

Quig didn't speak to avoid stammering.

"Rodrick, Dad said the court order will be signed." Junior reached into his pocket and removed a tiny wrapped box and a black cloth mask with an etching of a moth. He shoved the box back and tightened the mask over Grew-Ella's head.

"Getting the order after you arrest her doesn't count. You're only legally able to arrest her here," Rodrick said.

Another workhouse member removed Grew-Ella's shoes and exposed her deformed feet. "She violates our laws. There are differences between acceptable and common, but Grew-Ella is neither. She is defective. We should send her to the Kill Home."

"No, I said nothing about killing her. I don't find her unattractive, but I didn't create the rules. If elected, I'm getting rid of beauty laws," Junior said.

"I bet you don't know what goes on in some workhouses." A female board member snorted and spoke. "Grew-Ella didn't have plastic surgery to remove her loose skin, and her nickname in middle school was Grew-Ella the Gorilla. She received braces, but no butt lift, no nose job, no lip filler, and no tummy tuck. Forget the workhouse. We should be selling her organs to prettier and more worthy women."

"Are you deranged? I just wanted her to work off her debt by teaching workhouse laborers to read. She isn't ugly. Her nose is almost average. Mine is larger," Junior said.

Grew-Ella rocked herself. Tears formed under her mask, soaking the cloth. She shook and floated, trying to flee.

Karen Eliot spoke to Junior. "I'll trade myself for my daughter."

"No, Karen, you are no longer useful to my father. You can't use sprite magic and can't transform into birds or cats." He yanked Grew-Ella closer to him and spoke to her. Junior growled. "All I want is the money back. I don't plan to torture you."

Quig yanked Grew-Ella away from Junior and removed the mask, discarding it on the floor. "You're not taking her to a workhouse!"

"My father is still our ruler until I'm named in his place," Junior said.

Quig reached for Grew-Ella. "Because I'm marrying her, and that removes any badges. You can't jail her legally. After all, I'm classified as a broken elite because I'm still a popular writer. By law, I can remove her badges and offer some financial restitution."

"Oh, come on," Junior said.

Quig showed the nuptial bracelet to him. "You're not elected yet, and I'm an error, a disaster, and I don't need your daddy's permission if she isn't elite. Call it a perk. The choice is Rodrick's, not your daddy's. Lana named him her successor when she became ill."

"Yes, but she placed me in charge of engagement contracts. Sadly, I still can't access any of them. Lana stopped believing in the laws she served." Junior sighed and started speaking again. "What about the stolen money? We haven't located the last 300,000. Originally, seventy million vanished, but the other funds were returned," Junior said.

Quig planned what he was going to say, ate an apple from the table, and spoke. "The money will be from the sale of Grew-Ella's Royal Moth Car. Her vintage ride is worth 89,000 and sits in her mother's driveway. I'll add 2,000 in beauty fees because, by law, you cannot deny a famous broken man."

Grew-Ella rummaged for her key in her messenger bag and handed it to Junior. She slid her shoes back on.

Junior said something unheard to Karen and turned back to Quig. "We'll work something out." Junior stood close to Quig and whispered to him. "You don't have to pay. Let me help. I'm on your side, and wouldn't hurt Madd-Ox's sister, even at the risk of my own life, but I'd do this for you and Grew-Ella. She saved you, and you know how much I love you because you're my family."

"But we'll pay." Quig grinned to himself. "I have a better idea. My publisher owes me over 2,000,000. Contact them and ask for payment directly to you. Seize their assets if they refuse. We'll replace more than what was lost. Not because we're guilty, but we're helping government employees to buy food." He wrote a receipt and slipped the crumpled paper into Junior's hands.

"I'm trying to save our kingdom," Junior said.

"But I want to sell her liver," a workhouse board member said.

"No, you psycho." Junior rolled his eyes and sighed.

Quig fumbled for Grew-Ella's hand. "I'm not voting for you."

"Shut up or Grew-Ella's spleen will be on my nightstand," she said.

Quig grimaced. "You're going to be banned from my Christmas card list if you ask to kill Grew-Ella again."

The woman shrugged. "Is that a promise? It'll save me from your yearly poem. Stick to short stories."

Madd-Ox spoke to Junior. "Buddy, your ride is upfront."

Junior rummaged through his pocket and removed the small wrapped box, and he tossed it at Madd-Ox. "I haven't forgotten your birthday. But your last gift was stolen."

"You already replaced it." Madd-Ox looked inside. "Wow, that is thoughtful. This year, Grew-Ella took me to the aquarium. My sister is sweet and doesn't deserve to be forced into a workhouse."

"If you say it, then I believe your word." Junior left the party.

"Tell Yoleta that I'm talking to Junior." Madd-Ox followed him.

Quig turned to Rodrick. "You should have informed me about Grew-Ella's status before you terrified her."

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