Operation Tenley (2 page)

“Fair One
penn 1
? You are under arrest. Anything you think can and will be used against you. You are hereby ordered to City Hall in three minutes. Failure to do so will result in further penalty.”

The Fair Force typed into his small tablet. Pennie’s tool belt buzzed. Her arrest warrant was delivered.

She shook her head. She’d never been arrested before. “Officers, I’m in the middle of monitoring my client. It’s not really a convenient time. Would it be okay if I came in tomorrow?”

The biggest of the Fair Force dropped closer. “No.” He pulled out a set of handcuffs.

Pennie stepped back. “Actually, on second thought, I’m all done here. Thank you, Officers.”

“I suggest you get on your way then, Fair One.”

The three Fair Force lifted upward and zoomed away.

“I was just doing my
job
,” Pennie mumbled, activating her propellers properly this time. As soon as she was off the ground, she tipped her head right and started toward City Hall.

Fair City

Pennie rarely had a clean landing and this time was no different. She stumbled and yelped before falling back on her buttocks.

It was her feet. Because along with their smallish four-foot stature, a Fair One also possessed tiny feet—not particularly good for landing. Descendants of the fairies of yesteryear, whose ancestors had wings for transportation, a Fair One no longer possessed these magical limbs. They did, however, maintain the same tiny feet, which presented a challenge. Wings and tiny feet allowed for a delicate landing, but
propellers
and tiny feet did not. Experienced Fair Ones may have perfected the act, but graceful landings required a skill that rookie Fair Ones like Pennie had yet to master.

Fair City was buzzing today. Fair Ones were coming and going, and collisions were constant. The danger of so many propellers had at one time been enough for the Fairships to ban them in town altogether. But Fair Ones were busy, and getting busier, and walking simply took too long. So eventually propellers were reinstated, and now there was hardly ever a Fair One on tiny foot.

Pennie retracted her propellers and looked at the building ahead.

City Hall
was written above the entrance. It was a drab building. Once gleaming like everything else in Fair City, it was now covered in layers of dust and debris.

A sign by the bottom stair read:

NO OPEN PROPELLERS

PAST THIS POINT

Pennie gathered her robes and began climbing the stairs.

A dozen meters away on the other side of the grand staircase, Laraby had little trouble landing. Laraby was an overachiever and the first of his family to become a Fair One. His parents and siblings had no desire to work for the Fairships. They chose instead to live well outside of Fair City on another bit of space junk in the asteroid belt where they quietly manufactured propeller parts—except for one of his brothers, whom he preferred not to think about at the moment. Or any other moment.

Laraby reached down for his tool belt, braced himself while his propellers retracted, and brushed down his long red beard. Then he, too, gathered his robes and started climbing.

Halfway up the staircase, Pennie noticed a disheveled Fair One sitting alone. His robes were tarnished with soot and grime, and a few bits and parts of an old propeller were cupped in between his palms. A sign by his feet read:
Blade-less. Please help.

“Extra blades?” he asked hopefully. Pennie slowed. Something about his eyes reminded her of her father, who had gone on a galactic tour with some friends and never returned. Their travel box had hit a meteor. Her mother had never been the same.

Pennie shook her head at the disheveled Fair One. “I’m sorry, sir. I don’t have any.”

Extra propellers were nearly impossible to come by. The Fair Force kept tight control over all equipment, most
especially
propellers. Unapproved travel outside the asteroid belt was strictly prohibited but somehow becoming more frequent. Perhaps this was why she was getting called in; the ob-spot she’d been on was
at the very end of the belt.

“I’ll keep my eyes open though,” Pennie told him.

“Thank you. And
may His return be swift
.” The Fair One raised his right hand with fingers crossed and pressed it to his heart.

“
May His return be swift
,” Pennie repeated, doing the same with her hand before continuing up the stairs.

Most of the Fair Ones on the staircase were descending, but a few were climbing, their robes gathered into fists and their lungs heaving just like Pennie’s. She wasn’t used to this level of exertion. A bead of sweat ran down her temple.

At the top, Pennie noticed a bald Fair One with a long red beard stepping up to the landing at the same time she did. They arrived at the entrance at the same time, and noticing her panting, the Fair One held the door for her.

“Thank you,” Pennie said.

“Your last remembering is their first vision,” he mumbled.

“What?”

Laraby looked up at her, confused. “Did I just say that out loud?”

Pennie smiled politely and stepped inside.

ATTENTION!

DUE TO RECENT ACTIVITY

ALL TOOL BELTS
MUST NOW
BE CHECKED

BEFORE ENTERING THE GREAT HALL

Code 00090.

ABSOLUTELY NO OPEN PROPELLERS)

Pennie stopped. Hand over her tools? She couldn’t hand over her tools. Without them, she’d lose all monitoring capabilities of her client. If there was one thing a rookie learned in training, it was to always keep one’s tools close. A Fair One had to be ready at all times.

“Excuse me,” Laraby said, stepping around Pennie and up to the Tool Belt Check. Pennie watched him unbuckle his belt and hand it over to the teen Administrator with an eyebrow piercing.

“Thanks,” the teen sneered. “
lara b3
?” she confirmed, waving his belt over the scanner.

“I am, indeed,” Laraby answered.

She handed Laraby the paper ticket that spit out from the scanner. “Listen for your number.” She motioned to the door behind him.

Laraby turned around. Pennie was standing in the same place with the same blank look on her face. “We have to give them
all of
our tools?” she asked. “This wasn’t anywhere in the Manual.”

She looked like she might cry. And crying was something that Laraby just couldn’t deal with. He’d grown up with twenty-seven younger siblings, and the last thing he needed right now was to miss his number being called.

He started walking past her.

“Excuse me, do we have to give them
everything
?” Pennie asked him directly this time.

Laraby stopped. “Are you a rookie?”

The Fair One nodded. This rookie was definitely about to cry.

Guilt flooded his senses. He’d been a rookie Fair One not long ago himself.

“It’s a new rule. You have to check your entire belt. They won’t let you in any farther if you don’t. Sets off the alarms.”

These words did little to soften Pennie’s worried look. Maybe, Laraby thought, she’d been hit in the head by an asteroid particle. That had happened to one of his little sisters, and she’d looked worried ever since. He pointed up to the sign. “Tool belt. Check. It.”

Finally, Pennie shook her head. “Sorry. I feel a little dizzy.” She lifted her hand to her forehead. Maybe it was all those stairs.

“I realize,” Laraby said,
over-pro-nun-ci-ating
for her just in case she was too dizzy to hear him. “It goes against the natural instinct to give up your tools. You’ve been trained well. But, like I said, it’s a new rule. She’s going to scan your belt and give you a ticket. Listen for the number on it—that’s how they’ll call you up. When you’re finished with your business here, you’ll hand the ticket back to her and get your belt. Easy.”

“What if something happens? I can’t fail this assignment.”

“Hopefully nothing will. And anyway, you’ve been summoned here. They can’t fail you for that.”

Pennie unbuckled her belt and handed it over.

The teen didn’t bother making eye contact when she waved Pennie’s tool belt over the scanner and handed her the ticket.

Pennie turned to Laraby, who was noticing that the teen still hadn’t put his tool belt into a locker. “Thanks,” Pennie said. “I don’t even know why I’m here.”

“Actually, I have no idea why I’m here, either.” Laraby narrowed his eyes on the teen Administrator. Finally, she placed their belts into lockers. “Just got summoned a few minutes ago,” he continued, glancing at his ticket and pulling open one side of the double doors. “I’m sure it’s a mistake, though. I’ve never broken a rule. After you.” He waved Pennie through.

Fair City

The Great Hall spread out into a sea of white robes in front of them. Hologram signs floated, bounced, or blinked as far as Pennie and Laraby could see
.

Propeller License Renewal Discrepancies
?

We can help.

Dial 176.4999.99003 for a free consultation.

Fair One Caught Bending
?

You’ll need some defense.

Dial 176.4999.99123

“Where do we go?” Pennie’s eyes glided over the long lines of Fair Ones snaked around red laser ropes. A plump Fair One with a sticker stuck to his robes bumped into her:
Ask Me How I Lost Weight.

“Follow me,” Laraby said, leading her directly through a blinking hologram sign:

WHEN YOUR ROBES

NEED TO LOOK THEIR VERY BEST

DIAL GALACTIC CLEANERS

“Shortcut,” he said, noticing Pennie’s surprised look. “There’s no rule that says you can’t walk through them.”

Along the walls as far as Pennie could see, plastic chairs were occupied with bored or bothered-looking Fair Ones, all wearing the same white robes hanging loosely around them now that their tool belts were gone. She had never been around so many Fair Ones at once. During her training, Pennie kept mostly to herself unless she was back at Fair One quarters, where she had a few rookie friends she might meet for dinner or occasionally join for an approved spin around the atmosphere. But space travel made her queasy so she’d usually bow out, claiming she’d had a long day watching over her client and had to be up again early to do the same. The truth was, Pennie spent more time monitoring her client than any of her fellow rookies. She couldn’t understand how they could be so relaxed. Danger was everywhere for the clients on Earth.

Pennie followed Laraby past a
General Information
window and over to a long line that ended next to a trash bin.

Laraby took his place at the back of the line.

Pennie lined up behind him. “Is it possible that they could arrest you for doing your job
too
well?”

“No.” Laraby shook his head.

The two Fair Ones standing in front of them turned to each other. “It
wasn’t
a bad propeller. I distribute
quality
products,” the bigger Fair One with a bruised lower lip said.

“Your product is
flawed
.” The smaller one poked him.

Laraby turned back to Pennie. “I have heard they’ve started doing random reviews, though.”

“You think we’re getting
reviewed
?” Pennie felt dizzy again. “How can I be getting reviewed? I’m still in my rookie assignment. Plus, a review can take a few days
.
I can’t leave my client that long—”

The bigger Fair One in front of them poked the smaller one back. “You’re dreamin’, old fairy.”

“Oh so
that’s
what you do, make it everyone else’s problem?” The smaller one poked again.

The two were about to come to blows until, “
Taking number 33,000,601,
” was called over the loudspeaker.

“You got lucky,” the bigger Fair One mumbled, starting toward the
service window.

“
You
got lucky,” the smaller one said, hustling to keep up with him.

A Fair One with a slushie cart passed through the space the two fighting Fair Ones had vacated.

“I think I’ll get a snack while we’re waiting,” Laraby said, turning to follow him. Pennie noticed Laraby’s large-ish belly. If a Fair One could no longer fit into his tool belt, he was forced to trade in his sleek propellers for a heftier version that moved half as fast. Pennie’s belt was too big for her, even on the very last hole.

A siren blared. Pennie covered her ears. The two furious Fair Ones were punching each other. Surrounding Fair Ones scrambled out of their way as three Fair Force with navy-blue tool belts and vests propelled downward from their posts in the ceiling, red lights swirling above their heads.

In an instant, the Fair Ones were handcuffed and lifted up through a door in the ceiling.

Laraby seemed unfazed when he returned with two blue slushies. “I got you one, just in case,” he smiled through blue teeth.

“Thanks,” Pennie said. “I’m not thirsty, though.”

“Try it. City Hall has the best slushies in all of Fair City.” Laraby took a sip from his spoon straw. “Plus, you get a free stroon.”

Pennie tried a small stroonful. It was delicious, but her stomach was too nervous for more. She’d been gone from Tenley Tylwyth for too long. “Is it usually this busy in here?”

Laraby nodded wide-eyed as he slurped another stroonful. Slushies always managed to improve his mood. “You wouldn’t believe how many Fair Ones aren’t following
the Manual,”
he raised his eyebrows. “Like the rules weren’t put in place for a reason, right?”

Pennie nodded. But who was she kidding? Like most Fair Ones, she’d studied the
Official Fair One Manual
to pass the written exams, but hadn’t cracked it open since. In fact, she didn’t even know where hers was.

Laraby took his last stroonful and threw the cup into the trash can.
Keep Our Higher Courts Clean
was written on yellow crime-scene tape all around the bin, which featured a picture of two perfectly coiffed redhaired Fair Ones and their shiny new propellers looking proudly down on Earth.
Protecting Clients is Job #1
was written inside a floating bubble above them.