Page 7 of Unruly
“How will I know what to do?”
“The handbook is very helpful.” He averts his eyes, and I get the sense that he’s holding something back. “This may be slightly overwhelming information for you, but it is my duty to provide it.”
“Okay.”
He flips his wrist, and instead of a tablet, he’s suddenly holding a manila folder. Unless I’m seeing things.
“You’ve already been assigned a Horror.”
I pull my head back as my heart flutters in my chest. “What? I just got here and I don’t know what I’m doing yet and?—”
“Settle yourself,” Farnsworth says, calmly, but with a tone of authority that causes a different kind of flutter in me. “You won’t be alone. You have a partner.”
“A partner? I read that the missions are exclusively solo.”
“Not exclusively. On rare occasions, a team effort is required.”
“So that would mean I’m getting a hard one straight out of the gate.”
“I’m afraid so, yes.” He clears his throat. “This particular Horror has been banished before.”
I crinkle my face in confusion. “But I thought I read that once a Horror has been banished, it’s permanent.”
“Yes, now you see the dilemma. There must be a reason it was able to escape again.”
“This sounds way above my pay grade. I’m gonna fail on my first try.”
“No. I won’t let that happen.”
“That’s nice to hear, but I specifically remember the paragraph that says you work on a consulting basis only. You don’t directly intervene.”
“In my role as guide, that is correct.” If his skin could get even paler, I’m pretty sure it would. He looks slightly uneasy as he forces a stiff smile to his lips. “I’ll be involved in a different capacity. I’m resuming my role as a Chaser and I’ll be your partner.”
My jaw drops. “Partner?” I blink rapidly, recalling all the information I’ve read today. “But there aren’t?—”
“I know. We don’t partner Chasers with guides typically. This is an unusual case.”
“I feel like you’re holding something back.”
“Not exactly. I plan to tell you, but I’m going slowly, giving you time to absorb the information.”
“Keep going.”
“The Horror is one I banished. Me. It was my assignment many moons ago.”
“Dude,” I whisper.
“Since this has not happened for millennia, the rules of engagement are different. You need a guide for a Horror this difficult, and I need an education on how the Above works now. We’ll have to work together to figure out how this happened, how to prevent it from occurring again, and how to banish the Horror once more.” Farnsworth looks far from pleased with the situation.
“When’s the last time you were a Chaser?”
“I don’t recall. I think it was some time in the Renaissance period.”
“Renaissance? Like, Michelangelo and shit?”
“The very same, yes. Surly fellow, but most geniuses are.”
“You were alive when—you knew him?”
