the curtain and hurried toward the throne.
âPage, take these young people with you and entertain them while I am with my Lightkeepers. Bring the Chosen One back to me just before the next Quiet Hour.â
Astrodor led the three friends out of the antechamber as the Lightkeepers filed in. Their faces were grim, and Walker was glad to be away from the heavy feeling that hung over them. When they got into the courtyard everything felt lighter and more cheerful, the way it had seemed when he first arrived there.
âWhat would you like to do?â asked Astrodor.
âI donât know,â Walker replied. âWhat is there?â
âWe could go to the quarry and watch them mining the stone,â Eddie suggested. âThatâs always interesting.â
âOr we could go to the unicorn farm and watch the babies being trained,â added Astrodor.
âBaby unicorns get my vote!â cried Frankie. âI mean, how cute can a block of stone be?â
âThat would be great,â Walker agreed, âbut thereâs something else Iâd like to doâgo to Astrodorâs house.â
âMy house?â said Astrodor. âThereâs nothing special about my house or my family. Weâre just ordinary Nebulites. Why would you want to go there?â
âItâs because youâre ordinary people, it would be interesting,â Walker explained. âWeâve spent a lot of time with the king and all the Lightkeepers but not with just regular folks.â
Frankie looked at him curiously.
âYou know, youâre right,â she said. âIt would be kind of fun. I love seeing inside other peopleâs houses, âspecially if theyâre messy. We can go to the farm afterward.â
âLetâs do it,â Walker said, âbut only if your family wouldnât mind, of course.â
âIâm sure they would be honored to have a Chosen One in their house,â Astrodor assured him. âI donât know whoâs at home right now.â
âWell,â said Frankie, âthereâs only one way to find out. Letâs go!â
And so they followed their new friend along the same streets he had walked on his way to work. Walker could feel a tension in the air that hadnât been there on his first visit. Not every face was smiling. He overheard snatches of muttered conversation: â. . . think theyâre better than we are . . .â and â. . . just an Outerworld boy . . .â It was all very disturbing. Finally Astrodor stopped in front of his home.
âLike I said,â he mumbled, âitâs nothing special. Itâs just like everybody elseâs house.â
âThatâs great,â said Frankie. âThat means we donât have to go into any others. Youâve seen oneâyouâve seen them all!â
They filed down the short garden path and through the open entryway that led straight into the main room. Lying on the floor were the twins, Avradin and Amradin. They were playing with small stone bricks that interlocked, and were halfway through building what looked to Walker like a fort. Behind them sat Artor on a very uncomfortable-looking stone chair reading a large book, the pages of which appeared to be made of fabric. They all looked up as their brother and the three strangers entered the room.
âHello, my brothers,â Astrodor greeted them. âI want you to meet some people.â
The twins looked curiously at the visitors, but Artor buried himself deeper into his book.
âThis is Prince Edward,â Astrodor continued. âHeâs a Royal Messenger and you may have seen him before. Heâs the kingâs messenger and one of the most important people in court.â
Eddie looked both pleased and embarrassed by this description, and muttered something about that being a bit of an exaggeration.
âAnd Iâm
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