Order of The Rose: Forsaken Petal Read Online Free PDF Page B

papers piled all over the desk in haphazard stacks.
    “What’s your name?”
    “ My name is Tom, sir.”
    “ How old are you?”
    “ Thirteen, sir.”
    The man scratched the answers down in his book without even a glance at Tom, “When is your birthday?”
    “January first, sir.”
    “ You will be bunking with Cody in room 53. Make sure that you check into the supply room before going up to your room.”
    He then motioned for Tom to leave still making scratching noises with his pen and still bent over his books. Tom slowly got up and headed for the door. As he reached the door it opened and a man rushed in, almost knocking Tom to the ground. He rushed up to the man at the desk and slammed a stack of papers on to the desk. The man at the desk continued writing in his books as the newcomer stood impatiently in front of him.
    The newcomer leaned over, putting his hands on the desk to support his weight. “Hansen, we have a problem. There’s something wrong with our calculations. We need to meet tonight with the council.” He leaned in closer. “Hansen, are you listening to me?”
    Hansen finished writing a line or two then slowly looked up at the other man. “We will meet tonight at seven. Bring your calculations, we’ll go over them together and find the problem.” Almost as an after thought he added, “We will present it to them at eight.”
    With that the man named Hansen continued to write, heeding the other man no more. The man turned on his heels, his face was red with anger and he pushed past Tom out the door. Tom looked down at the papers and before Hansen could pull them away he read, “THE BOMB.” Tom had never seen that word before.
    John started down the hallway and motioned for Tom to follow. He began following. “What does Bomb mean?”
    John stopped. “Where did you hear about that?”
    Tom wrenched his hands. “I saw it on Hansen’s desk.”
    John looked back at the room briefly then continued down the hall. “I’m not sure, but you don’t need to worry about it.”
    “ So, who are you going to be bunking with?” John asked.
    “ Someone named Cody, in room 53. Hansen said that I needed to stop at the supply room before going to my room.”
    “ I’ll take you to the supply room first and then I’ll introduce you to Cody. He’ll be an excellent roommate. He’s a good teacher and always performs at the top of his class.”
    “ So, is this some sort of school or what is this place exactly?”
    “ This is both a school and a base of operations. This is where you will train to protect yourself and learn how to be a good citizen for the new order.” John paused and turned toward Tom. “This is a good place for you right now. Work hard, learn all you can and follow the rules.”
    John looked at Tom for a few more moments then started walking again. I hope Cody’s nicer than Jacob. I hope the classes aren’t as boring as the ones at the orphanage. I can’t believe that guy in the alley is real. I hope he’s as kind as Thaddeus.
    “ Is Archelaus kind?” Tom asked.
    John’s eyes clouded. “Archelaus is Archelaus. You will need to make up your own mind as to what he is. If you do as you are told, you will see him as a kind person but if not, well then that is a different matter entirely.”
    He seems nice to me. I wonder why John is so concerned. They continued down the hall and through the huge oak door that opened on its own. Tom expected it this time. As they entered the next room Tom heard more cars pulling into the yard outside. He looked out the front doors seeing cars like the one he arrived in. Boys were getting out of the cars and heading up the steps.
    John quickened his pace. This room looked to be an exact duplicate of the last room with the same huge oak door that opened on its own. When the door opened though, it was a different picture entirely.
    Tom and John entered a huge room that had dark wood flooring and a vaulted ceiling. There was a huge fireplace at the back