7

Chapter 7

Central Plaza, Cornell Academy, City: Three Prongs Fork, Republic of Shantu, Continent: Barat, Year 2050, Planet: Grimoire

Of all the nasty and reprehensible actions to take, Rupert Smith had gone beyond what was tolerable by any means. Low gasps and squeals of fear and shock reverberated around the lobby. Yet no one dared come near where Rupert kept lunging at Emmeline with crazed determination.

"Goodness, you're a damned fool, you know that?" Now that was going way too far of what Emmeline would tolerate. She hit the emergency alarm when one of them menaced her with a knife.

Luckily, he was only scratching the protective shields that were installed to prevent such physical attacks from making contact. Nonetheless, Emmeline was exceedingly grateful when the proprietor showed up.

Heavy footsteps rattled the walls and all the decorations along the various shelves. Even the flames in the enormous fireplace flickered and almost went out from the disturbance.

At last, a tall shadowy figure made an appearance. His hair was black as indigo, and gleaming golden-orange eyes, and sun-darkened features seamed with scars, stared with annoyance at the cause of the disturbance which had drawn his presence to the lobby.

"So, who is causing a scene in my establishment?"

The owner and manager of the Lamberton House came to the reception lobby area with his deep voice echoing. Immediate silence fell with his arrival.

Now, not even Rupert Smith was willing to act up in front of him. Humph, what a coward. Emmeline glowered at him as he retreated to a polite distance, trying to hide the knife in his shaking hand.

No one wanted to mess with the former adventurer. He'd retired long ago but was still in his prime. Just his very presence was enough to intimidate the wannabe troublemakers.

"Greetings, Mr. Lamberton." She was having none of it. "It would be these obstreperous individuals." Emmeline indicated them with a scowl. "They're threatening me since it appears that the Frost and Payne siblings have been relocated due to the fires."

"I see." Lamberton regarded the young nobles who were now cowering in fear beneath his stony gaze. "Do any of you have actual business here? Are you registered as residents?"

When all of them shook their heads. "Get the hell out and don't come back." Lamberton glanced at Emmeline. "Have their names and images been registered in the databanks?"

Emmeline nodded. "Yes, sir."

Lamberton considered the potential of violence breaking out the moment he dismissed them from his sight. "Mmmm, make sure that they're registered as offenders." He watched as they fled the main lobby immediately. "I don't want them able to set foot on these grounds for the rest of their lifespans."

As he spoke, the vicious individuals were literally and physically lifted into the air and flung beyond the fences surrounding the sizable acreage of the Lamberton residential bloc. "Now that should take care of any potential firebugs within that little group."

He folded his arms. "I shall tighten the security for the meantime until the actual instigators are caught."

Emmeline sighed with relief. "Do you want me to make sure that the Frost and Payne siblings can enter and exit at will?" She had a feeling it was going to be necessary for the next few weeks.

Lamberton hesitated. "What exactly is going on that they will need that flexibility?" If he allowed it for them, he would have to make an exception for all the other residents. That might become an unwelcome nightmare as far as security was concerned.

"It is the graduation deadline. With the fires, all of them have lost many completed projects." Emmeline explained.

There was no other way for those students to regain what had been stolen from them by vicious intentioned miscreants. She felt this was a nightmare.

*

Ever since the fires began earlier, Lamberton had misgivings about opening his house to more residents. Therefore, he'd made the deliberate choice to limit who could come in. He'd requested cooperation from the Cornell Academy and received it with relief from the administrators. He'd soon determined who was allowed into the acreage and who wasn't. Admittedly he was partial to those individuals who were not noble-based and likely that would cause a squall but damned if he cared. At last, Lamberton submitted a list of what individuals he would accept. It was a very limited number of less than fifty, but he wasn't willing to encourage spoiled brats to infiltrate the residence that generally only catered to commoners and orphans anyhow.

No sooner than he'd done that then trouble erupted a few hours later. He'd come down as soon as he heard squeals of shock reverberating through the hidden recorders. "What in hell was going on?" He couldn't believe the gall of those young fools.

Therefore, he hadn't bothered to hide his aggravation when coming down the stairs. It hadn't done much to alleviate the tension in the lobby.

At least not until he'd unilaterally thrown the spoiled brats off his property.

Upon hearing who exactly needed special permission to enter and exit without restriction, Lamberton sighed and drummed his fingers against one thigh. Annoying little bastards. He should've just dumped them into the nearest river for the authority patrols to fish out once they'd struggled a bit to survive the rough waters.

After hearing that the ones being harassed were the same ones who'd lost all their belongings, Lamberton winced. "I see." He sighed. "Very well, but only for them and Tinroy. No one else, except with official permission from the academies granted, will receive the same permits." He headed back to his office.

"Right away sir," Emmeline began to work right away to grant the necessary permits. She also relayed the orders he'd given her to the security teams. All of this was necessary especially right now.

Something about this situation bothered him quite badly. Now he wanted to get to the bottom of the mishap. Thus, he began sending out communications and opened up channels to begin a conference. This had to be resolved immediately. There would be no further tolerance of such acts of hatred toward his residents as far as Lamberton was concerned.