Free The Search for Truth by Kaza Kingsley

early. Nobody will know we’re there. Janus said the only one that really has to be there is Erec, at least according to the Fates. So he’s not breaking any rules. Except the million new rules that the Labor Society made up.”
    â€œYou guys are awesome.” Erec beamed. “Thanks.”
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    The four of them strode through Alypium to the gleaming turrets of the Labor Society. Erec, wearing the hood of his jacket over his head, walked in the middle of the group. He looked down, hoping not to be spotted. People rushed by them on the street, in and out of shops, but luckily nobody seemed to notice them. Erec was relieved. He was sure if they went at seven o’clock, when people expected him, he’d be booed and shouted at again, like he’d been the last time he’d come to draw a quest. Baskania had turned the people against him.
    They crossed the lawn to the side of the Labor Society. The wooden door seemed out of place on the glistening silver building. A sign hung on it read OPEN AT SEVEN O’CLOCK .
    Erec checked his watch. It was a few minutes before five. He tapped on the door, holding his breath.
    In a moment, it swung open. Janus popped his head out and looked both ways, dust flying from his long scraggly gray hair and beard. He was filthy and bony, wearing a shaggy gray prison smock. Erec wondered if that was because he had been locked away in the little shop, or if he would look like that anyway.
    Janus whispered, voice trembling, “Oooh, I don’t like this. No, sir. I’ll get fired for this or worse, I tell you.”
    â€œSorry, Janus,” Bethany said. “But Erec is being set up by Baskania. This will really help him.”
    â€œI know it.” Still, he looked around nervously.
    â€œI thought you’d want to be fired,” Oscar said, blunt as usual. “I thought you didn’t like being locked up in here.”
    â€œI don’t, but I do!” Janus shook his head harder, dust flying. “This is my job. I’ve always done it,” he said proudly. “I just don’t like the new changes that the Committee for Suppressing Change made to it.” He stepped back and Erec entered the shop, followed by Bethany, Jack, and Oscar.
    They waited for their eyes to adjust. Thick dust covered the shelves of the shop. The odd items set on them were too hard to make out through the caked-on grime. A gray cloud poofed from the shaggy carpet with each step they took, and all of them began coughing.
    Janus walked behind his desk and slid out a pad of paper, creating a small dust storm.
    Erec knew he had to sign the pad. That would let him through the force field into the building to get to Al’s Well. “Will they be expecting me in there this early?”
    A wild cackle jolted through the room and everybody jumped. Then an unnaturally loud, deep voice boomed, “Yes, Erec. They will.”
    Erec spun around. Behind him stood Thanatos Argus Baskania.
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    Baskania had one eye open in the center of his forehead and another on his chin. Both of them were blinking and looking wildly around, seeing things that Erec could not. One of his natural eyes was still missing; a terrible, dark hollow sat in its place. He had removed it to make room for Erec’s dragon eye. But his other natural steely blue eye bored straight into Erec’s. His silver-gray hair formed a perfect widow’s peak in the center of his forehead, right above the eye there. A narrow, crooked nose jutted above his thin, pinched lips. His long, black cape hung over his tall, strong frame. He caressed a small silver ball, which he then dropped into his pocket.
    Next to him stood Balor Stain, lips tight in a grin, and a terrible gleam in his icy blue eyes. His jet-black hair made his pale skin look even whiter. Erec thought he saw a hint of fear in Balor’s face, behindhis bravado. Balor whipped a remote control from under his blue apprentice cloak. “Howdy,