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Chapter 3: Jamar

  The shovel jarred against another rock and Jamar Pelacroix decided he hated digging.

  “This is too hard,” Jamar said. He stared up at the unmoved faces of Edworth Dumas and Ted and Henry Grande.

  Edworth took another bite from the cookie in his hands and nodded. “That’s why you’re doing the work.”

  Jamar’s eyes narrowed. “Why not have one of the Ajaks do it?”

  “Because it’s more fun to say we did it,” Henry said with a laugh.

  “And it’s hilarious to watch you in the mud,” Ted said.

  Jamar tossed the shovel to the bottom of the four foot deep hole and climbed out. “It’s someone else’s turn. I’m not your personal servant.”

  Edworth stood up, his cookie gone. “You’ll dig until we say you’re done.”

  “No, I won’t.”

  “You will cause you’re staying in my father’s house and cause we are descended from royalty.” Edworth jerked his chin at the shovel.

  “My family’s royal.”

  “Ha, five generations from it. That’s barely mentionable,” Ted said.

  “Well, at least I don’t have Ajak in my line,” Jamar said.

  With a shriek Ted jumped at Jamar and Jamar only had time to pop him hard once on the cheek before Henry tackled his legs. Jamar wasn’t even on the ground when Ted’s first kick landed. Once he was in the dirt, both boys whaled on him as he curled in a ball, covered his face and struck at their legs with his feet.

  “Make him eat dirt,” Edworth said from where he was sitting.

  Henry tried to grab Jamar’s legs, but Jamar kicked him in the mouth and blood started to pour from his teeth and bottom lip.

  “You Car!” Henry sputtered and Ted kicked him once more, but without Henry to hold him, Jamar rolled away and stood up.

  “What are you going to do? Run to your mommy?” Jamar asked. He sniffed and straightened his shirt. Henry wiped his mouth on his sleeve and glared at Jamar.

  “Uh oh, look.” Ted pointed back at the house. One of the servants was walking toward them, his eyes wide as he saw the pile of dirt in the otherwise immaculate garden.

  “Master Edworth, what have you done? Your father is having guests in the garden this afternoon,” the servant said when he was closer.

  Edworth shrugged. “It’s not my fault. Jamar’s the one who wanted to dig for treasure.” When the servant placed his attention on Jamar, Edworth sneered at him.

  He was such a liar. Jamar didn’t say anything, but he let his fist tighten and imagined slamming it into Edworth’s plush belly. If he got in trouble for the hole, he was going to make sure Edworth suffered in some way. Jamar was a person and they had no right to treat him like this.

  “Master Jamar,” the servant’s tone completely disappointing. Then with a sigh he added, “Your father wishes to see you.”

  “Already?” Jamar asked.

  Ted snickered.

  “Come on,” Edworth said to the other two boys. “Let’s go riding. I’m sure Jamar will be too busy refilling his hole.”

  Jamar watched them walk away. This was the third time they had managed to go riding without him. As he followed the servant back inside he hoped his father would listen. They needed to go home. Not that home was much better, but at least there he wasn’t belittled at every turn. And the servants would listen to him, most of them anyway. Jamar already knew what he would do to those that didn’t when he inherited the estate. He had decided that loyalty was the only quality he would consider in keeping servants on. There was nothing worse than a household full of gossips and tattletales.

  The servant left Jamar in the study outside the room his father was using. It was a dark room, with dark wood tables, deep burgundy curtains and forest green walls. Jamar slouched on one of the overstuffed chairs. Thus far, today had been another disappointment. Edworth was a pig and the Grande brothers were bullies. If they didn’t wear the gold medallions like he did...Jamar wasn’t sure what he would do, but he would think of something and it would humiliate them beyond repair.

  He let his eyes flit over the bookshelves. One had a shelf of tiny jars and Jamar got up to see what was in them. All the bottles were sealed, a set of some kind because they were numbered 1-25. They were different powders meant to look antique, like they had been around for the last two hundred years, but Jamar knew the glass was much newer. There was a dull tinge to glass from before the Radiation Age and this glass was shiny. Plus from all the history books Jamar had read, he doubted the people back then cared about mixing potions to increase freckles, dye hair pink or make fingernails grow longer. They were too worried about preventing another World War or falling into bankruptcy.

  The door clicked open and Lemuel Pelacroix entered. He was a quiet man for the most part, with sharp eyes that seemed to catch everything and since everything about him was meticulous, Jamar always felt like he needed to stand straighter in his father’s presence. When his father didn’t even acknowledge him, but walked over to the stand with a bottle of brandy and poured himself a drink, Jamar knew he must have heard about the hole.

  “It wasn’t my idea. Edworth said we would all take turns, but then we didn’t,” Jamar mumbled.

  “We are guests, Jamar.” Lemuel’s back was straight and stiff.

  “I know.”

  “You should know. When you don’t act under that knowledge, it reflects badly on me.” Lemuel sighed and rubbed his eyebrow. “I need Lord Dumas’ vote against the new energy restrictions and my son is destroying his garden.”

  “I’m sorry.” Jamar glanced down at his shoes.

  “You will need to tell Lord Dumas that as well. But right now you need to go to your room and pack.”

  “We’re leaving?” Jamar couldn’t keep the hope out of his voice.

  “Yes. I have business at Cartiam V.” Lemuel finished his drink and entered his room, closing the door with a don’t-interrupt-me finality.

  They weren’t going home, but they were leaving. Jamar took two steps toward the door and then walked back to the shelf and took the bottle with pink hair dye. He wouldn’t have much time to get Edworth back.

  Three hours later his bags were packed onto his dad’s carriage and Jamar was waiting in the foyer for his father to finish saying farewell to Lord Dumas. The Lord’s office door opened right at the time the boys came in from their outing.

  Lemuel was shaking Lord Dumas’s plump hand. He was a large man that mirrored his son’s interest in food and his red veined cheeks revealed his interest in drink. When Lemuel saw Jamar, he said, “Lord Dumas, my son has something to tell you.”

  On the other end of the foyer Edworth and the brothers were creeping around the men, but when they heard that they stopped and leaned closer. Henry pretended to choke to cover up a laugh and then he had to wince when his lip spilt again.

  Jamar tried to ignore them and stared at Lord Dumas.

  “Sir, I apologize for ruining your garden. It was thoughtless of me.”

  Henry choked again just not as loud this time and Edworth smirked at him.

  Lord Dumas smiled. “Yes, it was. Next time you have the urge to dig, do it on your own land.”

  Jamar felt his ears turning red as he nodded.

  “I’m certain he will never do this again,” Lemuel added, his voice stern.

  “I’m sure. Sometimes you can’t control your urges. It’s just who you are.” The corner of Lord Dumas’ mouth turned up into a sneer and Jamar knew exactly what it meant. It was the same sneer Edworth gave him when he learned Jamar’s father was an energy consultant. “An energy farmer, you mean,” was all he had said and then he proceeded to compare Jamar to an Ajak. It was a moment Jamar would never forget and never forgive.

  Lemuel gave a stiff laughed and Lord Dumas laughed with him, although Jamar had the feeling it was closer to laughing at Lemuel. The boys started to sneak away again, but Ted bumped into a metal vase that vibrated against the wall and drew Lord Dumas’ attention.

&n
bsp; “Edworth,” Lord Dumas said. “Say goodbye to Jamar. They’re leaving.”

  Edworth rushed a goodbye over his shoulder and continued down the hall.

  “You better not be going to the kitchen,” Lord Dumas called after him. “We’re having lunch in one hour.”

  Jamar let himself smile. With how many cookies Edworth ate, he was most definitely going to the kitchen. Lucky for Jamar that he had already been there an hour earlier and all he needed now was one last glimpse of the new Edworth-do to make his day complete.