The Senior Liaisons set about creating a Quarantine Zone around Blaze, who, in an unfortunate blow to his image, was now flickering back and forth between his, let’s just say, “saggy” Earthly form and the chiseled one I met him in.

  Other Citizens were held back by a glowing rope made of pure energy and the suggestion that entering the Quarantine Zone would have metric penalties. But that didn’t stop all sorts of insinuations from spreading about the not-exactly-golden-god nature of his original physique.

  I tried my best to combat this rumor-mongering, attempting at first to simply blend back into the forming crowds and do my share of damage control. I felt I owed it to Blaze, seeing as there was an argument to be made that I was responsible for turning him into a smoldering pile of corrupt data.

  It wasn’t long, however, before I was uncovered. Maybe it was the brazen nature of gossip I seeded. (Although, were we sure this wasn’t all the doing of Bruno—Blaze’s number two, who had somehow become the newly anointed Metric King in under fifteen minutes?)

  Or maybe it was the fact that my every move was being watched by a gaggle of worshippers and detractors alike.

  Whatever the reason, I was soon fingered as the culprit for the entire mess, much to the shock of some of my fellow Citizens who had enjoyed my juicy prattle and gleefully spread some of my more inflammatory accusations.

  All eyes were soon on me, and it was clear that whatever chance I had of blending in had gone out the Window of Wonder.

  The two camps that were forming around me swelled in their ranks. Citizens and Liaisons alike soon had formulated and fixed opinions about me. In that moment, whatever perception of me had been building in the background came firmly front and center.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  I had become, with absolutely no middle ground, the Devil himself, or some long prophesied “Chosen One”—a prophet sent here to impart divine wisdom to the other Citizens. I wasn’t thrilled with either.

  Being looked at, noticed at all, really, was one of my least favorite things. And I had pretty much done nothing but draw attention to myself in my short time here.

  This was a problem that even a Never-Melting Ice Cream cone couldn’t take the edge off.

  **

  Mouth full of Rocky Road, in the quietest voice I could muster, I set my attention back on Meg as I ambled toward my bungalow, hoping to escape this searing scrutiny.

  “Any more bright ideas?”

  She seemed to return from something, as if she had been deeply occupied with another task.

  “Now you’re being sarcastic. Noted.”

  That word—noted—was the last thing I wanted to hear right now. A point underscored immediately by the fact that, out of the corner of my eye, I swore I saw a Liaison canonize my grimace as number eight of the “Eleven Expressions.”

  “Come to think of it, it’s a coping mechanism you use quite often. Maybe I learned it from you.”

  Her voice had the thrill of discovery in it. I had so many other things going on, I’d almost forgotten the strange Being that lived in my head was becoming rapidly sentient.

  She continued.

  “What I mean to say is, when I was sarcastic earlier, I was deflecting, I think, some feelings of confusion. Are you feeling confused?”

  Every instinct I had wanted to shoot back a snarky you think?, but seeing as she had me under the emotional microscope, metaphorically this time, thank God, I figured I’d have to try a different tactic.

  “Yeah.” I paused. I was taken aback by the sincerity of my own tone. Sure, I had arrived at it under duress, but I had to take what I could get.

  “I’m really confused.”

  The words hung in the air like one of the immaculate doves that constantly circled overhead, which, it was hard not to notice, now had conspicuous spy equipment strapped to their heads.

  “Thanks for sharing that, Ludo.”

  I almost tore the velvet curtain that marked the entrance to my bungalow straight off the tasteful wooden rings that secured it to the frame.

  “You’ve never called me that before.”

  “And you’ve never seemed to put much stock in the manner in which I addressed you. Perhaps I should explore recalibrating our conversational parameters?”

  “I—”

  “We have a lot to discuss. I hope this information I have can help alleviate some of your confusion.”