Chapter 3: A meeting with baldy
“Come in.” an authoritative voice said.
Elaine opened the door, dragging Percy behind her. The two found a man sitting at his desk, the afternoon sun reflected off the top of his head. Despite his shaved scalp, he didn’t look old, his appearance was that of a burly man still in his late twenties, even though he had lived for centuries.
“Grandpa!” the girl said, clearly eager to share the good news.
Archibald lifted his eyes, his gaze briefly lingering on Percy, before it returned to the documents he was reading. The latter rolled his eyes, realizing this was already a lost cause, but his cheerful cousin didn’t seem ready to give up just yet. She bit her lower lip for a moment before speaking again.
“Grandpa, Percy is ok! He–”
“The answer is no.” the man cut her short.
“Just hear me out. He has managed to–”
“Elaine.” Archibald stopped her again. “I can tell he’s at Orange. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t change anything. You know that already.”
The girl deflated, looking down at her feet.