Earth To Nole: Return of the Prince Read Online Free PDF Page B

would be on guard everywhere.
    After the meeting, Joti and Gollow sat in the canteen and reviewed the decisions made by Francis. They both looked unhappy about how things were being handled by Francis.
    “That was a short meeting.”, Joti said, she looked confused and angry. “I don’t understand at all, he didn’t make any of the scheduled changes which were to happen in stage 12 but instead made changes which were not required at all.”
    “I told you he is a bad leader.”, Gollow was frustrated. He never thought Francis could replace Holum as the president of the Union.
    “This is not the Francis I knew. He is a completely different man now. I even tried talking to him a couple of times recently but he ignored me.”, Joti sounded worried.
    “I think he is a fool, if not then he must be an agent of the hums.”, Gollow’s instincts were right, as always.
    “Everyone cannot be a hum agent, Gollow.”, Joti was too afraid to accept this. She said, “Holum, Ibu and now Francis too? I highly doubt that so many people would be hum agents. If hums have so many people doing their job here then they might even consider coming here and taking us all prisoners.”, Joti was trying to assure herself more than she was trying to convince Gollow. She was not prepared to indulge in the possibility that everyone she trusted were falling for the wrong side. It started with Holum, then Kevin and now Francis. She was prepared to take Francis for a fool but not a hum agent.
    “What now?”, Gollow asked.
    “I will try to talk to him tonight, after dinner.”, Joti replied. She believed she could talk Francis into making the right decisions.
    “Would you like to come with me?”, she asked Gollow.
    “I have other plans.”, Gollow replied.
    “What other plans? I thought you were genuinely concerned about today’s meeting. What could be more important?”, Joti asked.
    “I am meeting Holum and Ibu tonight.”, Gollow said hesitatingly.
    “After all that they have done?”, Joti asked.
    “Do you really believe Holum sold us out? I don’t. I saw them today, talking by the lake. They seemed concerned for the humans. I believe they understand what troubles lie ahead of us. It would be wise to consult them, don’t you think?”, Gollow tried convincing Joti.
    “They have kept secrets from us all along, why would they divulge any information now?”, Joti asked, she wasn’t fully convinced yet.
    “I believe they told us at the right time. You wouldn’t have discovered it on your own without Garry putting you to it that night. Holum and Ibu are both wise men. Tell me Joti, did you ever question their loyalty or their wisdom before?”, Gollow argued.
    “But, that could also mean that they are clever and cunning. They hid their evil plan up until the last moment. They disclosed it only when they knew we could do nothing to escape.”, Joti was adamant. She now knew better than to trust anyone easily.
    Gollow looked at her in despair. He knew in his gut that Francis was bad for the Union but he needed Joti’s help to fix it. She had been in the Union for a long time and knew many people here. He agreed to go with her to Francis one more time. He said, “Okay, count me in for tonight. But if Francis turns out to be an idiot, or an agent then we do what I say.”.
    Joti agreed.
    ###
    Back on Peele, Kevin and Boris waited as Keele operated a kiosk. They were at a place called “terminal-233”, it looked like an airport.
    “We are on time, the shuttle leaves in 20 minutes.”, Boris said.
    “I hate flying.”, Kevin confessed. He looked anxious right from the moment he arrived at the terminal.
    “No shame in that, Kevin. I get anxious too when I travel.”, Boris tried easing his tension.
    “No, you don’t understand. I love travelling. Meeting new people, seeing new places, it's all good, very good. But I hate flying.”, Kevin clarified.
    “But, you flew for 300 years, although most of it in deep sleep, but still. Are