Chapter 19: Disguise (2)
Oranges are strong, yes. But they are not delicate.
They are made for war.
Rarely do they own restaurants.
And yet, in the grand scheme of things, they stand above us.
For now.
We are quite appetizing to them as well, but in exchange for maintaining the infrastructure and everything that comes with it, they leave us in peace. In return, they are allowed to rule over us as kings and command our armies.
I feel my ribs pressing against my lungs, then the way my lungs fill with air again. "Well then, Aston, have fun." He flashes me his orange-stained gums in a grand smile beneath his apricot-colored beard. I nod to him for a brief moment, slightly submissive, before stepping back into the room with my head held high. The door locks behind me.
The room is silent. The room is cold. No sunlight, only the glow of a chandelier floating high above. Three of the four walls are adorned with blue-and-orange patterned wallpaper; the fourth is made entirely of glass, revealing a view of the opposite buildings and the wide street that cuts through them. The streets here are the broadest in all Zentria. I glance at the dark spires of the buildings piercing the murky turquoise sky.
"It will rain."