The Story of Samo-Chapter One, Part Seven
Releasing his grip on Kiara, Samo turned to the package on the table and tore away the string and brown paper. He opened the box inside and chuckled. “Kiara,” he said. “You really are beautiful, you know that?”
Kiara blushed and said, “You like it?”
“I love it. That is just what I’ve been needing.” Samo took a small mechanism out of the box and held it up. Turning the cold metal in his hand, he said, “Since you blew up the other power converter, I haven’t been able to find another one that would work. Where did you get it?”
“Kia found it for me,” she said sheepishly. “He suggested I bring it to you.”
Samo shrugged. He turned and started walking around powered-wagon. When he reached another workbench that held a large motor and various parts, he said, “Well, I guess that’s okay. I’ll work on this one later. Do you two want to go for a ride? We can head over to the Academy.”
“Uh, Samo,” Kia said, stepping forward. “There’s a problem with that.”
Samo grunted. He set his feet apart and his hands on the table. “What’s wrong with the Academy?”
Sucking in air nervously, Kia stepped forward and tenuously put his hand out and on Samo’s shoulder. “You know you’re not allowed there anymore, right?”
Samo turned and knocked his hand away. He approached on him threateningly and said, “I will go to the Academy whenever I want! That is my right! I haven’t been expelled, and they have no reason to expel me anyway. Even the police don’t think I killed Gianan, so why should the Academy? They don’t!” He turned from Kia, who had retreated back two paces for every one of Samo’s and had placed himself between Samo and his sister. Samo turned away and gesticulated frantically as he ranted on. “They’re jealous of me, that’s all. You know they are! Even the freaking chancellor said that I was more talented than some of the freaking professors! But me, I’m just a freak. They’re jealous of me.”
His voice trailed off into a sob as he lowered himself into a chair. Muttering now, he hid his face in his hands and started sobbing. Kiara bit her lower lip and gently pushed Kia aside to walk up to him. Kneeling down at his side, she said, “Samo, I know you didn’t kill Gianan. I know that they’re just jealous of you, some of them anyway.”
Samo shot his head up with a start and grinned at her. “Great!” he said. “Let’s go.” He stood and dragged her by the hand to the wagon. She yelped as he lifted her by the waist into the wagon and climbed up into the driver’s side. Going through the motions of starting it, he turned to Kia and said, “You want to come, or shall I simply take your sister for a morning ride?”
“Oh, no,” Kia said, smiling. “I’m not leaving you alone with her.” He ran around the front of the wagon and jumped up into the far right seat. As the engine came to it’s full strength, Samo kicked the wagon into the proper gear and drove it into the rode. A nicely-dressed man screamed insults at them as they drove away. Kia said, “I think you nearly ran someone over.”
“Did I hit him?”
Kia looked back at the man who was still screaming at them. “No, but he is mad! Oh, no. I think he’s a son of one of the city judges.”
“Hah! I recognize that voice now. Old Windy Perasta. Wait, if he’s the son, he’s Young Windy. Either way, no problem.”
Kiara said, “You’re not going to get into trouble?”
“Nah, the Perasta’s are windbags, but they wouldn’t convict me unless there was really some crime I’ve committed, and driving recklessly isn’t a crime, technically.” As he drove through the streets of Qatara, Samo started to sing, horribly off-key.
“Now that,” Kia said, covering his ears. “Should be a crime.”
Tales of the Inventor's War 